Category: Food Storage & Cooking

The Watchman – Part 3, by James Durham

(Continued from Part 2. This concludes the article.) The Prepper Plan I just finished what I think is a solid 5-year prepper plan. I also then wrote a 5-year prepper supply / equipment plan to support the plan. The 5-year plan is a list of projects that I can think of that needs to be done, and in the order that makes the most sense to me. You can’t do everything in one year. At least I can’t… There is a normal, panic reaction to panic buy and do once it truly dawns on you that there is danger coming …


Thinking About Resilience, by C.H. in Kansas

Introduction I would like to direct this article to new SurvivalBlog readers. Perhaps you were referred here by a friend or coworker. Perhaps you stumbled into SurvivalBlog through an internet search. However you arrived, if you’ve taken the time to poke around, you may be overwhelmed by the abundance of information on preparedness both here and at other sites. As of this writing, the war between Hamas and Israel has entered its third week. The death toll continues to rise. Dead and wounded among the victims—the Israeli citizens and other nationals—number in the thousands. Violent demonstrations against the US have …


12 Basic Actions To Make It Through The First 12 Weeks of TEOTWAWKI – Part 1, by Michael X.

Is TEOTWAWKI imminent? I do not know. But things are slipping toward it happening soon. Will it be a violent, giant crash, like one involving many cars on the turnpike, or will it be a quiet breakdown along the side of a deserted country road? For myself, at this point, I am not thinking it will be a catastrophic, instantaneous crash caused by nuclear war, an EMP, asteroids, or alien invasion. More likely, I think it could be a slow slide that will catch people off guard until it is finally too late to get the basics in place. This …


Recipe of the Week: The Easiest Jam or Syrup

The following recipe for Jam or Syrup is from SurvivalBlog reader Mrs. Alaska. She writes: Fruit jams and syrups are the taste of summer in a jar. Some jam recipes can sound intimidating, but with only two ingredients, you can make jam.  If it does not gel, then you have fruit syrup.  What is the downside? Give it a try. Jam requires a bit of patience and attention (low boiling and stirring over 30 minutes or so) and two, three, or four ingredients depending on the fruit.  The easiest fruits have natural pectin ( a jelly-like substance)  and acid (sourness) …


Apple and Pear Harvest, Oh My!, by K.B.

We are definitely nearing tree fruit harvest time in our part of the country. Our orchard includes apples, Asian pears, and European pears. Yum! The only problem is what to do with the blessing of so much bounty. It is a bit intimidating to look around and see ten or more 5-gallon pails of fruit awaiting your attention. What to do? Well, one can share with family, friends, or food pantries for the needy. Hmmm, there is the cold cellar and refrigerator. But, you still want to have some after the fresh fruit is gone so that leaves drying, canning, …


Countering Rampant Food Price Inflation, by SaraSue

When one of my daughters, who has a good job, starts complaining about how insane food and supply prices are, I pay attention.  She has started shopping at Walmart searching for the lowest possible prices.  Her recent cart rung up at $450 and she didn’t buy hardly any food – mostly toilet paper, paper towels, dog and cat food, a few household items, and enough food for a few good meals for her family.  She exclaimed, “This won’t even last us a week!”  I keep telling her to shop Costco for certain items – you get way more product for …


Fixing a Canning-tastrophy, by St. Funogas

It was Bette Davis who famously said, “Old age isn’t for sissies!” When you’re 15, hearing this for the first time only makes you scratch your head. At 35, it’s pretty comical. But about the time you’re getting that first social security check it’s not so funny anymore. During my recent first canning experience of this season, I made a mistake that fell firmly into the not-funny category. Fortunately, there was a way to fix the error. It wasn’t fun, but was still a fix. Getting in the Canning Groove I have a little hideaway cubby space under the kitchen …


Hand Sanitizer-Fueled Stove, by Thomas Christianson

My wife, “Kari” and I have some good friends with whom we have a Bible study each week. These friends, “Cool Hand Luke” and “Betsy Ross”, have become concerned about the direction our society is taking, and the potential disasters and disruptions that might result. They have begun stockpiling food and other supplies in order to help them better weather these potential disasters and disruptions. During a recent Bible study, Betsy mentioned that although they had begun stockpiling food, they did not yet have a good way to cook that food in a grid-down situation. That comment served as a …


How to Make and Use Vinegar, by St. Funogas

If there’s one thing we take for granted in our kitchens it’s vinegar. For a couple of bucks you can buy a gallon and it’ll last most people a year or more. After the SHTF when every survivor must learn home canning as well as make their own cleaning products and limited antiseptics, vinegar making is a skill every household will need to master. Today it’s a fun activity and a way to put our canning waste to good use but after the Crash, it will be one of the most important food-preservatives available to us. Thus, it’s one more …


An Outdoor Brick Oven, by 3AD Scout

Outdoor ovens have a very long history of use, compared to the modern gas and electric indoor ovens of today. The fuel for outdoor ovens is practically endless (depending upon where you live) so for those preparing to survive the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI), an outdoor oven is a perfect addition to the retreat or homestead. In England in the early 1600s, wealthy landlords would have ovens built and would sometimes charge the peasants to use the ovens. It was common in history for bread ovens to be shared by a community. We need to …


Some Ramblings on Preparedness, by Jed

The following are really ramblings and they will be all over the place. I lost my teeth several years ago and dentures didn’t work. With no teeth, the amount and kind of food became greatly reduced. I lost weight for sure but also lost muscle and energy. The big surprise was how must my brain depended on food. My thought processes slowly became diminished. Figuring out problems, making plans, being creative, making poor decisions, and that sort of thing is worrisome. The lack of all those things in an austere environment could be bad if not deadly. Food is needed …


Third World Living: Austerity Lessons, by T.S.

When I was a younger and more idealistic man, I had the opportunity to spend a year “nation building” in a Third World country. Although I now think those aid dollars would have been better spent at home, I did learn some lessons that could help in a dire situation. After all, there’s no better teacher to prepare you for SHTF than people who have been living in austere off-grid conditions for their entire lives. After some reflection, I organized the lessons I learned into four major categories: Power, Communications, Climate Control, and Food. Power None of the villages in …


Practical PV Power, by Graton

Even though I have been dabbling in solar power since about 2008 I hesitated to share my experiences because I felt totally incompetent about the subject. I still feel that way in large part, even though my “knowledge” has increased dramatically. One of my first projects was setting up a solar-powered well for a friend’s cattle where obtaining grid power would have been financially prohibitive. The equipment included a Grundfos 11 SQ-Flex 2 pump, 6 solar panels, Midnite Solar 60 charge controller, golf cart 48-volt battery bank, etc. You may have noticed that there is no mention of an inverter …


Minuteman Rocket Stove, by Thomas Christianson

God created man in His own image. One way that mankind reflects God’s image is through creativity. That is why observing creativity gives us such joy. It reveals a little bit of what God is like. I remember feeling that joy the first time I saw a Swiss Army Knife and the first time I saw a Leatherman Multi-Tool. These things are small reflections of the creativity of the Maker of human eye, the running cheetah, and the towering oak. Recently, I had another moment of joy when I first ran across the Minuteman Rocket Stove online. I thought it …


Simple Home Logistics Planning Tips, by Kevin C.

One of the puzzles for people starting out in the business of being prepared is “How much?” How much sugar, flour, rice . . . do I need to have on hand? There are lots of sources that will provide planning figures for this, and in the absence of any other guidance, following them – at least partially at first – is a good idea. I did so. But these one-size-fits-all guides, as useful as they are, may not reflect your specific tastes and usages. Here is a method for arriving at a figure somewhat associated with your needs – …