Category: Food Storage & Cooking

Letter Re: A Prepping Success Story, and a Question on Grain Storage

Dear Mr. Rawles, I live in Queensland Australia and hadn’t even heard of ‘prepping’ until last Christmas.  It is a tradition in our family that every year my brothers and I (and our families) gather, from various points around Australia, at our Mum’s place for Christmas.  Mum and Dad have both passed on but we still carry on the tradition of gathering the family together.  One of my brothers lives at the other end of the country and I only see he and his family this once a year.  As my birthday is in January he gives me a Christmas …


A Real World Test of My Preparations, by Daisy in Canada

Last week my city was taken by surprise by a terrible windstorm.  There were some weather warnings but nothing prepared residents for what would come.  Winds reached 110 km per hour and the damage to property was extensive.  Several people lost their lives due to flying debris and downed power lines.  While some were without power for only a couple of hours, others were without for up to a week.  Although we got our power back after 48 hours, we still suffered sporadic outages for two more days. It was with a completely different attitude that I met this storm.  …


Letter Re: Grow Your Own Sourdough Starter

Hello, Sourdough is indeed not only a solution to not having yeast to make bread, it is superior. I would like to offer some help to get started in this quickly. For me the learning curve was steep, but now I can easily make sourdough from scratch, with no mail order starter. Obviously if there comes a time when you can not mail order starter, such a skill could serve you well. First, the idea that yeasts are floating around in the air, and form the foundation for fermenting sourdough is an old wives tale. Natural yeasts and probiotics occur …


How to Winnow, De-Hull, and Clean Your Own Home-Grown Grains, by Notutopia

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I thought I’d share some of the options available on de-hulling grain, for others, who are embarking on raising their own plot or field of grains and then plan to long term store their harvests. This information is also relevant to processing many varieties of grains, seeds and hulled legumes. Processing Overview There are several separate steps to the processing of grains to get them ready for storage, if, they are to be utilized for human consumption and not just for replanting as field seed. These steps include:  Harvesting or cutting the grain stalks, upright stacking the cut stalks and …


Letter Re: Observations on the Recent Tornadoes

Dear James, As most of your readers know, on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, one of the worst tornado outbreaks in history hit the Tennessee River Valley area of northern Alabama, northern Georgia and south central Tennessee as well as parts of north central Alabama such as Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. Over 140 people were killed in northern Alabama alone and the final death toll from these storms will probably exceed 350. Hundreds of people in these areas lost their homes and are suffering greatly as a result. Please pray for these families as they cope with the loss of property and, …


Letter Re: Why Store Wheat?

Sir: In response to the “Why Store Wheat?” letter, most people don’t realize that you can easily make your own sourdough culture, from scratch. The air is full of yeasts (most not as quick-acting as the brewer’s yeast used in most bread), and it’s easily captured. Make a ball of wet flour, and leave it on the counter. Better, leave it in a clean bowl with a mesh cloth or something on top to keep insects out, sitting in a warm place. The next day, add more flour and water and make a bigger ball. Do that for a few …


Letter Re: Making Wheat Jerkey

Jim: Here’s a wonderful wheat recipe that can be tailored to your own taste buds. Enjoy! Wheat Jerky Makes two dozen strips. Recipe can be doubled. 1 c raw gluten,  made from washed wheat flour. 14 oz. of liquid bouillon, using beef soup base, or ham, or chicken, or 1/2 beef and 1/2 ham, or bacon  flavor 6 oz. water 1 tbsp. Maggi or Kitchen bouquet (natural coloring) 1 tbsp. liquid smoke 1/4 tsp. garlic powder pinch of sea salt Optionals: add 2 tbsp. honey (for a touch of sweetness)                  1/4 tsp. tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper (for a …


Four Letters Re: Why Store Wheat?

James Wesley: According to the folks at aaoobfoods.com they have a “recipe” to grow yeast on potato granules/flakes. They are out of Amite, Louisiana. They are great! Thank you, James Wesley. Sincerely, – Ron M.   Jim: Yeast can be cultured at home to prolong its use indefinitely http://www.wikihow.com/Culture-Yeast That aside people have eaten flat bread like matzoh for centuries. Of course that pasta he spoke of is also typically fashioned from wheat. Not that everyone can make their own homemade pasta but yes it can be done by those who really wish to. Cheers, Rich F. Mr. Rawles, I …


Letter Re: Why Store Wheat?

Mr. Rawles: I’ve been reading SurvivalBlog exhaustively for several days, and I don’t understand why people store wheat as part of a long term food storage plan. Since yeast is not a long term storable commodity, it will not be available to make bread.  That means that the buckets of stored wheat can be used only for sprouts or as a cereal dish, which is rather unpalatable.  Our food storage plan is centered on rice, pasta, and beans instead of wheat.  Am I missing something? Why store hard wheat?   Thanks for your help,  Michael  JWR Replies: Yeast can be stored for up to four …


Stocking up on Grains and Legumes (Part 1), by Sky Watcher

As I write this I am currently awaiting arrival of my 6,711 pound order that I placed with Bob’s Red Mill.  Crazy?  Maybe, maybe not.  This is not something I entered into quickly or lightly.  Please let me explain my reasoning and methods of madness to you in the hope it may strike a chord with you in your own preparations. Recent national and international events have spurred my husband and I into kicking our preparations up several notches.  We have only been seriously preparing for TEOTWAWKI for a few months.  After reading “Patriots” by James Rawles and “One Second …


Survival Preparation in Small Spaces: How to Grow and Store in the Space You Have, by L.N. in Texas

I live in the country and so I am used to gardening, canning, saving and preparing.  However, when I talk to many people who live in the city and live either with minimal land and perhaps apartments, they do not seem prepared or not as prepared as they could be.  When I ask if they store or grow any food, they just sort of look at me.  When I tell them they should either grow some food or store food not only in case of natural disaster, but even due to inflation and rising prices, the looks become bewildered.  They’ll …


Letter Re: Storing Uncooked Country Hams

Dear Editor: I recommend Gatton Farms, Fathers’ Country Hams.   These are the best hams I have ever tasted.  If you have never had one, you are missing out , it is not like any other ham in the world. The hams that store are the Uncooked variety. I would inquire of them about storage temp and humidity requirements as well as aging out time.  The mold continues to grow on the exterior on the rind as part of the aging process and may have to be arrested at some point before it detracts from the meat quality. Additionally you …


Letter Re: Controlling Post-TEOTWAWKI Food Odors

Sir, A point I would like to make to those that are living in a city, suburb or rural setting: If you are in a TEOTWAWKI scenario, then I am guessing you have read much of what is here and hopefully feel somewhat ready to take care of you and yours. I would suggest that unless you are able and willing to feed a whole neighborhood–I for one, am not–then please realize what smells have to do with your survival. If you go out your door on any given day you will note what is cooking or burning within a …


Two Letters Re: Small Campstove Cooking

Sir, I read R.E.’s article on Small Campstove Cooking with interest. Thank you. I’ve tried a few as well varieties of stoves as well and to date my favorite is the Littlbug. It’s sturdy, stainless steel, comes in two sizes, folds up, it has some adjustments, and can burn solid fuels or twigs very efficiently. Twigs removing the need to carry fuel. Blessings, – Steve B. Jim,   Just a quick note about a comment R.E. made in his article: “Whether a stove unsafe for a small tent would be safe in a home is uncertain. Just remember that carbon monoxide (CO) is lighter …


Letter Re: Bacteria-Infected Meat in U.S. Supermarkets

JWR,   I thought I’d pass this along for your consideration to publish this link: Quarter of Meat Supply Contaminated With Drug-Resistant Bacteria. This article may be alarming to some of our population, but to most of your readers I suspect it is not a surprise and many have even known or anticipated such an anecdotal report as we’ve been observing an increase in drug resistant bacteria for some time.    What I took away from this article is the benefit of the extreme care it takes to not only raise animals for consumption (apparent source of pathogens) but thoroughness …