Category: Food Storage & Cooking

Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.) Repackaging vs Keeping Original Packaging Whether we’re using freezer or mylar bags for our SOP food storage, we’ll need to know what needs repackaging and what doesn’t. Leaving in Original Packaging – Pest-wise, some of the items on our shopping list can be left in the original packaging if the packaging is good enough or if the food doesn’t attract pests. Sugar can be left in its original paper bag. If it clumps inside the bag before opening, a few raps on a countertop will break up the lumps. The powdered milk I use comes in …


Just-In-Time Food Storage – Part 1, by St. Funogas

This article describes a just-In-time food storage plan for preppers. These are some of the biggest reasons/excuses why some preppers don’t currently have much food storage: 1. I’ll probably never need it. 2. It’s too complicated to figure all the techniques out. 3. It’s too expensive. 4. Where am I going to store it all? 5. It would be much too embarrassing if my family and friends found out! This article is about taking probabilities into account as things heat up in the world and putting together a last-minute food-storage shopping list to be prepared just in case. Some of …


Recipe of the Week: Storage Foods Granola

The following recipe for Storage Foods Granola is from SurvivalBlog reader Angie T..  She notes:  “This for making up bulk quantities of granola. The basic recipe makes 14 cups+ of granola, which is more than 5 pounds. But this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, if need be.” Note that this recipe is gluten-free, if you use certified gluten-free rolled oats. (Any oats by themselves are gluten-free, but they must come from a facility that has no cross-contamination.) DRY BASE Ingredients 8 cups rolled oats (I use the gluten-free type) 1 cup chopped almonds 1/2 cup flax seeds 1/2 …


Our Hurricane Experience in South Carolina, by K.U.

We live in a rural county about 60 miles from Augusta, Georgia. The night of September 26th, 2024 was one we never thought we’d experience so far inland. A full-blown hurricane was upon us (winds were recorded at 80-100mph in our county). We awoke early on the 27th to no power and 1 bar of very spotty cell service. We built our house on a hill and made sure that no trees were nearby, so our house had minimal damage. We had some water come in and down a wall from the chimney, but plan to fix that with a …


Pressure Cooker Lessons Learned – Part 2, by St. Funogas

(Continued from Part 1.) I took the pressure cooker back into the house and washed and checked everything again. Pressure cooker knocked over in use – Next, I wanted to know if a pressure cooker got tipped over or knocked off the stove, what would happen? I was expecting a steam release, but how much? I set up the stove and pressure cooker on a stump in my north 40. This time I just used water. I placed an old sleeping bag next to the stump to avoid damage to the pressure cooker when I pushed it over after attaining …


Pressure Cooker Lessons Learned – Part 1, by St. Funogas

This article refers to what happens if you break all the rules while using a pressure cooker. It refers only to stove-top models, not electric models such as Instant Pot which I have no experience with. My First Pressure Cooker Many people don’t own a pressure cooker because… Who wants a bomb in the kitchen? I worried about the same thing the first time I ever used one. I warned my family ahead of time that I was taking the new pressure cooker on a trial run. I instructed them to be on alert and if they heard me yell, …


The Final Countdown: Last-Minute Readiness Checks – Part 2, by Michael X.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) Water List This is an item for the first three days. This is super important and needs to be one of the first items confirmed. Check locations and condition of water sources: Bottled Water/Stored water containers Well water (power dependent) Lake water – are there containers to carry and larger containers to store lake water? Is there a rainwater collection option available? Is the Berkey/Filtered water system ready? Can the tub be successfully filled with water from the system before the power goes out or the line pressure is gone? Can I …


The Final Countdown: Last-Minute Readiness Checks – Part 1, by Michael X.

Hypothetically, (of course), assume for a moment that the proverbial fan has been hit. Now you have three days….or two weeks….or two months…until the consequences of the event hit where you are. Good luck guessing how long it takes to hit you. Are you as ready as you can be? Are you sure? How do you know? How and when it hits you, whatever it may be, may be based on three key things: the type/cause of disaster, your proximity to the disaster or populated areas, and the stability of your systems (electricity, water, fuel, and human support systems). THE …


Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 2, by A.F.

(Continued from Part 1. This concludes the article.) When the time to cook arrives, the first step is to sort through the beans and remove any detritus or shriveled beans. In commercial products, it isn’t uncommon to find small rocks that were collected by the combine at harvest mixed in with the beans. Your next step is deciding if you are going to pre-soak or not. I tend to pre-soak dried peas but skip the pre-soak for beans. In both cases, I prefer cooking in a crock pot over using a pot on the stovetop. The common belief is that …


Growing and Preparing Dried Beans – Part 1, by A.F.

Do you remember your first assigned chore from childhood? Starting at age four, I was tasked with walking up the ridge to my grandparent’s home every Monday around five o’clock to bring home our portion of the week’s pinto beans. To my knowledge, my grandmother fixed pintos every Monday from the late 1940s through the late 1990s. On Sunday evening she would spill out the dry beans on her kitchen table, then “look them” for stones or debris then sweep them into a large bowl to soak overnight. On Monday morning the beans were rinsed, moved into a large pot, …


Vacuum Sealers: For More Than Just Food, by 3AD Scout

We have had a Vacuum Sealer for over two decades having received it as a wedding gift. Although we originally used it for food storage over the years we have found other things to vacuum seal for survival. Here are some of our thoughts and experiences on vacuum sealers For Prepper Food Storage When we first got our vacuum sealer I started sealing up white rice. I did packages with two cups of rice and then placed them inside a five-gallon food-grade bucket. As time went on we started to seal up five cup packages as well. The two-cup packages …


Top Priorities for Surviving the Coming Civil War, by Tunnel Rabbit

Introductory Note:  This brief article is a response to The Patriot Nurse’s latest video: How To Prepare For Civil War which was recently linked in SurvivalBlog Water Secure your fresh water source now. It is the most important thing you can do after getting right with God. If you only have access to a deep well, get a solar-powered water pump from such a place as Backwoods Solar or install an inexpensive Shurflo model number 9325 yourself. The Dankoff Slow Pump is ideal for surface water sources and can be set up to be portable. All of these water pumps …


What is Old is New Again – Part 1, by 3AD Scout

As consumers, we are bombarded with new and improved devices and other consumer goods constantly. Buying something to make our daily work and tasks easier has been ingrained in our psyche over the centuries. As I prepare for the end of the world as we know it (TEOTWAWKI), I don’t look for the “new and improved” devices that have electronics, require power (either AC or DC), are made of plastic or that are made in China. That does not mean that I don’t have a Ham (amateur) radio, flashlights, solar panels, and plastic items made in China. What I mean …


Why We Do What We Do, by Hollyberry

Thankfully, we are blessed to live in a country where we still have choices to make that impact our lives. It is our job as Christians and citizens to make good decisions that affect us and others. The window of opportunity to have choices is getting narrower, soon it will be closed. Some folks laugh at homesteaders for doing things the hard way. You won’t be laughing later if something happens and you have to fend for yourself. Wake up people, and learn how to provide for yourself and your family. Make good choices. Learn from elders and experienced people …


Year 3: An Honest Look at the Farm – Part 3, by SaraSue

(Continued form Part 2. This concludes the article.) Preparing for WTSHTF When I wrote the 7-year food plan, it wasn’t just an idea.  I actually did it.  I took a guest room in the farmhouse, and half-filled it with food-grade buckets of dried goods and supplies that were calculated to last seven years.  It has been nice to be able to pull out anything I needed.  In addition to that, I bought several freezers over the past 3 years.  They are mostly full as I write this.  The last freezer I purchased from Costco was the biggest chest freezer they …