Category: Food Storage & Cooking

Building a Dryer Lint and Wax Stove, by Brian C.

This easy to make tool has been in my inventory for 30-plus years. It has come in handy while camping as a scout, serving in the Marine Corps and even on the ground in the Gulf Coast as a First Responder after Hurricane Katrina and during Hurricane Rita. Once assembled it is primarily a stove, but a bit of its contents can be cut away and used as a fire starter, and–if the area is properly ventilated–a heating device. That’s right, a single, self contained, water proof unit consisting of just three materials of which many of us have and …


Letter Re: The Shelf Reliance Food Storage Planning Tool

James, I wanted to share some info on food prep. I’m sure you know about Shelf Reliance but I wanted to mention them to you and their great resources. I am trying to start prepping food and found their site a few months back. Yesterday, I went to their site to try and figure out how much of what I will need and what it will cost. They have some good tools and packages in there for general prep and emergencies. They also have some decent medical supplies and kits too. Under the “TOOLS” tab, you can use the THRIVE …


Letter Re: Making Low Profile Bulk Food Purchases

Sir,   Your comment to the article on Budget Survival strategies cautioned about the use of grocery store club cards, as potentially allowing your purchases to be tracked.  For those concerned about this, there are simple work-arounds, and the cost savings of using club cards is usually in the order of 30% to 50% or more.    Club cards are usually available at the store through a quick sign-up process, and fake names, phone numbers and addresses can be used.  (I signed up for my first club card under the name Georgina Orwell; and with Sherlock Holmes’s “221b Baker Street” address. I’m …


Letter Re: Confusion on Food Grade Buckets

James,   First, thanks for all that you do. God bless you and your family.  Second, to reiterate what you’ve already posted, the five gallon buckets sold at Home Depot and Lowe’s are not food grade buckets. They are stamped with the number 5. Yesterday I discovered that the buckets in the paint department at my local Wal-Mart are marked Food Grade. They are selling for $2.50 each, which is half the price of those at Home Depot and Lowe’s.  Also, the lids, which have rubber gasket seals are selling for .98 cents each. Be sure to check your local …


Budget Survival: The Ins and Outs, by J. Lewis

Where to Begin First, take into account how many mouths you have to feed, what resources you currently have available and what resources will be available if SHTF in your current location.  Figure out a monthly budget that includes money coming in, bills going out, and what you have left over.  This will give you an idea of where you can trim the fat. (We will cover more on this later.)  Next, take an inventory of you already have that will be useful if SHTF, such as lighters, matches, wool clothing or blankets, canned food.  If you have camping gear, …


Letter Re: Confusion on Food Grade Buckets

Mr. Rawles: I’m befuddled. My husband says that the new orange 5-gallon buckets they sell at Home Depot are the same as “food grade” buckets, because they are made of the same plastic. But my sister says they aren’t food grade. Who is right? Thanking You in Advance, – Lena in Indiana JWR Replies: This has been discussed before in SurvivalBlog, but it comes up so often that it bears repeating: As I explain in the Rawles Gets Your Ready Family Preparedness Course, determining whether or not a plastic bucket is truly food grade can be a challenge. I’ve had …


Letter Re: Cooking & Canning Beans and Meat

Letter Re: Cooking & Canning Beans and Meat Mr. Rawles, Thank you for all of your efforts to share such useful information that can be used in our daily lives and in the times ahead!   I would like to compliment Marie H. for sharing much useful information on pressure canning beans and meat. However, there is one bit of information that scares me big time: using a tongs to remove the pressure regulating weight to decrease the pressure quickly. Even the thought of doing this sends shivers down my spine.   As a multi-generational food producer and processor, with …


Two Letters Re: Feed Corn for Family Food Storage?

James Wesley, I’d like to add my experiences regarding locally grown feed stock corn. One of the big motivators to buy local is cost savings. Shipping grain to add to food storage is expensive. I discovered the thousands of acres of locally grown feed corn may or may not be safe for human consumption. As you note there are higher levels of bacteria in this corn and the corn is not necessarily handled in a food grade manner. The local big name co-op will not recommend eating the feed stock corn they sell. While not as critical, yellow dent corn …


Four Letters Re: Cooking Beans and Canning Meat

Jim: Marie H. wrote a great article, however, it is imperative to remember that elevation plays a huge part in canning whether pressure canning or boiling water bath canning. So, if anyone above 1,000 feet above sea level elevation is canning beans, meat of vegetables that require pressure canning – using just Marie’s advice could be toxic. Improper canning whether in amount of pressure and/or time cooked could cause Botulism – a very deadly toxin. It is very important to follow the directions in a good canning book, preferably the Ball Book of Home Preserving, as the pressure for higher …


Letter Re: Cooking Beans and Canning Meat

Dear Mr. Rawles:   In response to Marie H.’s essay on canning beans and meat, I’d like to add a few thoughts.   The ability to preserve food through water-bath and pressure canning is, in my opinion, one of the most important of the domestic arts survival skills there is.  But as every experienced canner knows, the Achilles heel of canning is maintaining a supply of lids.  The problem with the everyday canning lids you find at the grocery store is that they must be discarded after every use.  Oh sure, I’ve experimented with reusing lids with some success, but …


Cooking Beans and Canning Meat, by Marie H.

We have beans, perhaps hundreds of pounds of beans. How exactly am I going to eat these? Nutritionally beans are great. Logistically though, they are a tough sell for the average, inexperienced bean cookers. For example Bernie has his big cast iron pot, some wood, and a bag of beans. After working all morning getting his camp fire set up, he pours his beans into the pot with water and maybe some salt, and waits, and waits. And stirs, feeds the fire, and waits. It has been four hours, the kids are looking hungry. “Is it done yet?” they ask. …


Letter Re: Thoughts on Long Term Storage Foods

James Wesley; I have been following your blog for a little over a year and have always been one to stockpile items that I know we will use, having lived nearly all of my life (less four years of college and two years of my working life) in a rural location. You simply buy things in bulk, so you don’t need to run into town to get that one thing. Growing up Mom always kept a full pantry (and still does though the kids are all grown and married and live elsewhere), a root cellar, etc. We have continued that …


Two Letters Re: Mushrooms: Surviving Survival Food

Dear Editor: The submission by Roy H. on mushrooms bothers me on a survival skills level.   It bothers me because mushrooms are a poor source of calories.  Just 4 calories for the white button kind ranging up to 22 for Portabella mushrooms.  They’re mostly air and spores.  Yes, they have lots of vitamins in them – but I could spend all day foraging for mushrooms and end up expending more calories than I gain.  Let’s assume I find enough to pay me back for finding them, if they’re the white caps we’re familiar with and I spent 1 hour …


Mushrooms: Surviving Survival Food, by Roy H.

I’m not a mushroom expert. But I still gather and safely eat several types of wild mushrooms, and have done so for years. Wild mushrooms are a tasty and nutritious addition to any diet, and the ability to identify and gather a few safe species is a great asset to any set of survival skills. The keys to wild mushroom safety are learning and admitting your limitations, religiously sticking with a few guidelines, and seeking out expert help to increase and enhance your knowledge. Before starting to gather wild mushrooms in your area, read some good books like Mushrooming without …


Letter Re: Feed Corn for Family Food Storage?

James Wesley, I am starting to store food for the future and have some wheat, beans and rice.  I would like to store corn to make into cornmeal, however I haven’t seen any available for this purpose.  I live in the southeast ands there is lots of corn we use to feed deer.  Is this suitable or can I get seed corn from the local feed store?  Any help you can provide would be appreciated.   I read your site each day and have learned a great deal from you and your readers. Thanks, – Gary M. JWR Replies: Unfortunately, …