Inexpensive Survival Food
 

I was wondering what popular choices are available for those of us that do not wish to spend a whole lot on survival food. I have only about a case of MRE's and they are great ... but a little on the expensive side.

I wanted something cheap, and with superior shelf life. I was thinking perhaps canned food would be the way to go? What is the average life span for canned food that is stored in a temperature controlled, zero-light environment?

A couple of simple items that come to mind .... pork and beans, rice. I imagine i can get pork and beans at china-mart for what, like 50 cents a can? What form of rice is the best to buy for long shlef life? How long would it last in these conditions?

Or is there another area besides canned food thats cheap and i have overlooked? Thanks :albertein

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

4-5 years minimum on most canned foods....they may drop in nutritive value and appearance past that....especially things with meat content.

Another good choice is dehyrdrated stuff.....locally, you can probably find mashed potato flakes and such.....or Walton Foods online.

Top of the line is the freeze dried stuff.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Rice, beans, flour, sugar. pasta...anything dry buy in bulk and pack as below. Get the mylar bags, and absorbers shipped to you. do not pay to have heavy bulk food shipped that you can buy local(big waste of money). The buckets can be bought at a Home supply store in the paint section.

I do this all the time.

PS....vacuum sealer, and a good BIG canner is also a must! :smokin:





Dry Food Packing Using Oxygen Absorbers

Setting Up:
First, don't open the oxygen absorber bag until you are ready to preserve your food. After you open the bag the oxygen absorbers immediately start to absorb oxygen out of the air. So you have to work fast. If you are not planning on using all the absorbers the day you open them up, http://waltonfeed.com/pic/bottleox.jpg may I suggest you have a small jam jar set aside. This jar shouldn't be any larger than what you need to hold the excess absorbers. It takes a large mouthed quart jar to hold 50 absorbers. Just like if you were canning produce, get a new lid and boil it in water to soften the rubber seal. Open the oxygen absorber bag and place the absorbers you don't plan on using during the day in it. Put the newly boiled lid on top of the jar and tightly screw down the ring. The absorbers will absorb the oxygen in the bottle then stop working. As this happens the lid on the bottle will pop down, reflecting the partial vacuum that is now inside the jar.
You could also iron the oxygen absorber bag shut with the unused oxygen absorbers inside. This is probably the better solution if you will be using all of them the next time you open it up. For the oxygen absorbers you plan on using during the next hour or two, have a zip log bag set aside to put them in. After they are in the zip lock bag, push out all the air and zip it closed. This will work for you temporarily, but is not a good solution for long term storage of the oxygen absorbers. Use the bottle, or iron the original bag closed for that. At this time you should also be ready to do your packing operation. Be sure all the food you want to preserve, the cans or buckets, mylar bags, heated clothes iron or Eurosealer and board are on hand.
The absorbers you are about to use should be laid out side by side so they are not touching each other. The reason for this is because as they work they generate heat and the hotter they are the faster they will absorb oxygen. (No, I don't suggest you keep them in the refrigerator.) The goal is for them not to absorb any more oxygen than is necessary before they are sealed into the storage container where you want them to do their thing. http://waltonfeed.com/pic/iron1.jpg
Pull the bag over the top of a 1 inch board and then... http://waltonfeed.com/pic/iron2.jpg
Iron it closed. http://waltonfeed.com/pic/packed.jpg
Now pack the bag down inside the bucket and seal the lid. The operation:
Open up the mylar bag and put it into the plastic bucket. Then pour the food you are planning on preserving into the bag. Be careful you don't over fill the bag. If you get it too full after the operation is complete you won't be able to get the lid on the bucket. With the bag full of food, throw the necessary number of oxygen absorbers in the bag on top of the food. Now, lay a board across the top of the bucket so one edge of the board is half way across the top of the opening of the bucket. Lay the bag over the top of the bucket and using the clothes iron or Eurosealer, iron the bag shut. Now that the bag is sealed closed, you can put the lid on the bucket and seal the lid down. It's as easy as that, your finished with that bucket. If you are filling lots of buckets at the same time, you might consider filling ten or more buckets at once. Have all ten of the buckets at the stage where the oxygen absorbers are to be thrown in. Then quickly add the absorbers to each bucket and quickly iron the bag shut. This would save your oxygen absorbers from having to be out in the air any longer than necessary. Before you started sealing your first bucket, you'd pull the absorbers out, lay them side by side, and complete the process on each of the ten buckets as quickly as possible. With a little practice, you should be able to easily seal the ten bags in 5 minutes or less. With all the bags ironed shut, install the ten lids on the buckets, and you are done. If you are so lucky as to have access to a canning machine, the job is even simpler. Just toss an oxygen absorber on top of the food before you seal the lid on the can. It's as easy as that. If the oxygen absorbers are working they will create a vacuum. After a few hours the lids on the cans will pop down or the mylar bags will pull in around the food in the buckets.

http://waltonfeed.com/self/upack/useoxy.html

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

How about getting a couple of cases of canned Tuna, or Turkey, etc, from a bulk warehouse club store.

Just use the canned tuna as normal to keep your stock rotated and fresh.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

thanx for the ideas everyone. i will probably try a little of each :proud:

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

I use dry ice to pack my dry goods.

.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

To expand upon one of those earlier comments, just buy an inventory of canned and dry goods, in as large a bulk as you can while simultaneously using it. IE, buy normal food that you will use not expensive freeze dried crap that tastes bad and will never be used.

Even better, start your own vegetable garden as an autonomous source of food. Fruit trees, pecan trees, fruit bushes-- all good sources of home grown nutrition.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Without a doubt THE best survival food (or for any time for that matter) is Honey
Fairly inexpensive, fully nutritional and unbeatable shelf life. Honey taken from 2,000+ yr old egyptian tombs was edible.

Bonus: It comes with God's "stamp of approval" as THE only food in the Bible in which there is a command to eat.

Proverbs 24:13,14
My son, eat thou honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb, which is sweet to thy taste: So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Done that too.... I like the bags because I don't have to have a 'food grade' bucket. Anything that can hold a bag can be used....

Here is the dry ice packing....:smokin:

http://waltonfeed.com/self/upack/dryice.html


Using Dry Ice To Preserve Your Food. See the dry ice info web site...

Even though oxygen absorbers are easier, I prefer using dry ice to store my foods because it is so much cheaper and as a fumigant it actively kills bugs as well. All one needs is a bucket with a lid that will make an airtight seal and a little dry ice. Dry ice is a solid and looks much like regular ice - except that it's -110 degrees F. below zero (-78.5C). You have to use a lot of caution when handling this product as it will burn your skin if it makes contact.
http://waltonfeed.com/pic/kidstuff.jpg1/4 cup dry ice in hot water is great fun. Not to be used without adult supervision.Actually, dry ice can be a lot of fun. Put a cube in a glass of water and kids will watch the thick cloud that boils off. It will compete with your TV, at least for a while. When I was a kid back in the 50's we used to put dry ice in our home made root beer to make it fizzy.
Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a harmless enough gas as long as it doesn't dissipate all the oxygen in the air you are breathing. Unless you are doing this in an airtight closet, there shouldn't be anything to worry about. But be aware that under unusual circumstances carbon dioxide can kill you. I got an E-mail once from a lady reading this page who said a friend "died while using dry ice during a Halloween haunted house program." Apparently, he was under a card table covered with a blanket, using water and dry ice to make a thick cloud. "It didn't take an airtight closet to kill him," she said. Counter this with the news story of the woman who put a whole tub of dry ice under her husband's bed trying to 'do him in.' When she was arrested for attempted murder she said, "I don't understand, it worked on Matlock!"
We breath in air containing oxygen and breath out air containing carbon dioxide. There's carbon dioxide in our houses all the time simply because we are breathing. I've heard people say you have to do this outside or the fumes will get you. That's the reason I'm making such a big deal out of this. Just use common sense.
Carbon dioxide, in it's frozen form, is highly compressed compared to it's gaseous state. A pound of it contains enough carbon dioxide gas to make 8.3 cubic feet of carbon dioxide gas. A six gallon bucket contains .78 cubic feet of space. Fill the bucket full of beans or wheat and you have about 0.25 cubic feet of air left in the container surrounding your food. So, if you use twice as much dry ice as you actually need to displace the air in the bucket, you will need about .06 lbs, or right at one ounce of dry ice. Heck, be generous and put in two ounces of dry ice if you like. The smallest amount of dry ice I can purchase is 5 lbs which costs me $5.00. At even 2 ounces per bucket, that's enough dry ice to take care of preserving 40 buckets of food, more than I have ever done at one time. At two ounces per bucket, this is enough dry ice to push the air out of a six gallon bucket eight times. You want a little bit of overkill or redundancy here as it's always better to overdo this than under-do it and end up with oxygen left in the container. Realize also that this is a purging operation. Even really good purges generally only get out 90% of the air. As air is about 21% oxygen, this would still leave 2% oxygen in your container. You aren't going to get it all out, just most of it.
Where To Get Dry Ice. I get all my dry ice from a welding supply shop. It's also often available at ice cream places and chemical supply houses. When you get your dry ice you need to bring your own container to put it in. There is one thing you really need to watch for if you are going to be using dry ice to preserve your foods. You must prevent water vapor from freezing on the outside of the dry ice. This moisture would later melt off the dry ice in the bottom of your bucket and increase the water content of your dried foods. As you don't often have a lot of room to play with as far as water content is concerned, it is important to ensure you don't add any moisture to your product with your dry ice. The dry ice you buy from the store should be water free, and that's the way you want to keep it.
Dry ice is always giving off carbon dioxide gas, so it's relatively easy to keep the water moisture from it. Just be sure you don't put it into a container that breaths, like a paper bag or cardboard box. http://waltonfeed.com/pic/dryice.jpg I use a Tupperware container which has it's own lid. This container is just right because it's lid is tight enough to keep water vapor from the ambient air out, but loose enough to permit the carbon dioxide gas to escape as it sublimates. By the time you get it home, there will be a thick layer of frost on the outside of the container - exactly where you want it, on the outside - not the inside. The inside will be moisture free because of the continually escaping carbon dioxide gas.
There was one time I purchased dry ice which had a bunch of water crystals mixed in with it. You can tell this because there is a white powder mixed in with the dry ice cubes. Ice is just a tiny bit whiter than the light blue dry ice. You can put a teaspoon or two of this powder in a bowl, wrap plastic wrap around the top, and wait for it to turn into a gas. If it's indeed water, when it melts you will get a little liquid in the bottom of your bowl. If it was 100% dry ice, the bowl will be dry.
You can use dry ice with powders, such as flour, powdered milk, eggs, cheese and things like this. But you need to be a little careful because if you pack it too tightly the expanding carbon dioxide gas will push whatever it is you are packing, up and out the top of the container. I always put the dry ice on the bottom of the container before I add the product. You could put the dry ice on the top of the food when powders are being stored, but this would do nothing to get the oxygen out that is mixed in with the powder. At home I use dry ice to preserve all my seeds. This includes all the grains and legumes. As long as it is a food which air can freely circulate around, dry ice works great. Dry ice will work fine with all the pastas as well.
Before you ever buy it, plan on having your packing operation complete 5-6 hours after you've purchased the dry ice. Otherwise, it may 'sublimate' away on you until it's gone whether you are finished packing your buckets or not.
So, how do you do it?
Materials Needed: A food scale, a measuring cup, dry ice, the food you are planning on preserving, and storage containers.
http://waltonfeed.com/pic/weighice.jpg The process: Zero your food scale with the measuring cup sitting on top of it. Open the container with your dry ice in it and take out about 1/3 cup and measure it. Depending on how your dry ice cubes are shaped, you should have about 2 ounces. (Remember, if you want to be stingy, one ounce will do the trick, that's 28.5 grams.) http://waltonfeed.com/pic/dryicein.jpgTwo ounces of dry ice in the bottom of a plastic bucket.Pour this into the bottom of the bucket in a neat little pile and place a paper towel over the top. Why the paper towel? It keeps the dry ice away from the food, not that it's that important. Now place your product inside the bucket, filling the bucket up to within a 1/2 inch of the top. Set the lid lightly on top and wait. Recently, I have been sealing the lid all the way around except for one small side. http://waltonfeed.com/pic/crakdlid.jpg Leave at least part of the lid unsealed until the dry ice has dissipated.
You DO NOT want to seal the lid completely as the carbon dioxide and air must have a place to escape. If the lid makes an airtight seal, the expanding carbon dioxide inside the bucket will continue to increase in pressure until something gives - either the lid will pop off or the bucket will split. Either way you are going to have food all over the place. How do you know when all the dry ice is gone and it's safe to seal the lid? Simply pick up the bucket and feel the bottom. If it is still icy cold there's still dry ice in the bottom. You may need to be a little patient here. My experience has been that it takes 1 to 2 hours for all the dry ice to change into a gas. I've had others E-mail me saying they had to wait around for 5-6 hours! So you may wish to plan in a cerain amount of time for this in case it takes a while. You want to seal the lid just as soon as this has happened, however, because if you don't, air will start circulating back into the container.
After 15 or 20 minutes, I start checking my buckets, and then recheck them every ten minutes or so. After you seal your buckets, it's always a good idea to keep an eye on the lids for the next hour or so. The lids will start bulging up if you sealed them a bit prematurely. If this happens, use a bucket lid remover to crack open the lid on one side to let the excess gas escape, then seal the lid back down. I'm not sure why, as my logical brain tells me it should be otherwise, but over the next several days there will usually be a small vacuum created inside the bucket and the side will pop in a little bit. Don't concern yourself with this. Your bucket will store just fine. Amaranth Rose, with an advanced degree in Biology and a person who understands these things answered the perplexing question why the buckets preserved with dry ice develop a partial vacuum after a few days. She says, "I've used dry ice and liquid carbon dioxide in electron microscopy work. Liquid carbon dioxide is used to dehydrate samples, as it is miscible in water in all proportions. I suspect the CO2 left in the atmosphere of the bucket is dissolving into the very small percentage of water in the food. It can also slip in between starch molecules and lipids, effectively dissolving into them. This will have the effect of reducing the pressure and volume of CO2 in the exclusion volume of the bucket, until an equilibrium is reached between the pressure of the CO2 in the bucket and the concentration of CO2 in the food stored in the bucket. This would account for the denting of your buckets. Be aware that this is not a chemical reaction and won't affect the food in any way." Mystery solved.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

You are right in a sense. But it must be raw honey. If its that clear crap you bu at the grocery store its no good and even bad for you.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Most 5 gallon buckets, every one I've ever seen or used, was "okay" for food. We've never used mylar bags, or any other type. Just buy NEW buckets and lids.

I was always worried that several ounces of dry ice on the bottom of the bucket might compromise the plastic, and since CO2 is heavier than air, just placed it on top of the grain or beans, leaving the lid on loose for 15-30 minutes for the dry ice to dissolve and permeate the grain.

If you also pack a few bay leaves in there, you have a pretty effective control against bugs or infestation once the bucket has been opened.


Honey DOES store very well. Maybe you can buy local honey in 5 gallon buckets from a local beekeeper? Local honey would be a Super Healthfood. Honey will crystalize over time, but just melting it in a saucepan on your stove will reconstitute it just fine.

My endorsement for the majority of your Survival Foods goes to Red Winter Wheatberries, electric grain mill, Organic shortgrain Brown Rice, a variety of Organic Beans, powdered milk, pastas, canned tomatoes and tomato paste, sugar and syrups, baking chocolate, nuts, bulk pack yeast, gravy mixes, spices and Frozen Food.

If you have a dehydrator, you can dry fruits and vegetables, make jerky and yogurt, If you are going to cook, may as well try to minimize your energy usage (in a survival situation), this means having several bread pans, trays, muffin pans etc. Visit a Restaurant Supply house and see the stuff they sell, Volrath makes superb institutional cookware. It is expensive, but worth it. You can't have too many large trays and other oven utensils.

A stock of Peanut Butter and various jellies is a great survival food. Candy bars and soda are nice "luxuries to store". Warehouse places often sell the bulk packs of Brachs candies at about $1 per lb. Grocers are selling the same stuff at over $3 these days, so shop carefully.

Don't forget pet food, although your dog and cat will likely be better off eating table scraps. You might also begin composting your table scraps now, to get the hang of it. Better to mix edibles with pet food than invite scavengers onto your property. Coffee grounds, egg shells and other garbage is good for your garden and plants. Don't throw or burn up your leaves this fall, make compost.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

You are correct. Thank you for pointing that most important fact out.
I kind of assumed most would know that but.... maybe not :wink:

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

By the way, where do you find raw honey?

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

In a beehive :wink: , seriously there are many out there. My local Health food store carrys this brand: http://www.reallyrawhoney.com/ as well as many others.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

I am highly allergic to bees. I can eat honey from the store (processed). I wonder if, I can eat raw honey? Never knew there was a difference.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

We bought a vacuum sealer and repackage, in smaller no air packages, 20-50 pound bags of beans and such that are very cheap bought that way.

Remember you need a big cheap bag of salt for all those beans. Lentils are nice because they cook so fast, if you like them. I got a Sam's giant dehydrated onions and a similar garlic to flavor things up. The beans and oats (we like oatmeal) we ordered through our local health food coop. Also some millet, which is a little round grain that tastes a bit like grits but nuttier and will fill the menu spot of rice or potatoes. White and starchy and nice with butter.

I second giant el cheapo peanut butter as a lot of calories per buck spent, and quite a bit of protein.

Sugar is not as healthy as honey, but is currently still cheap and if you vacuum seal out moisture, keeps indefinately. If you were hungry, something sweet would be a treat.

The vacuum sealer was maybe 70 bucks, but divided over all the food we keep fresh with it, not too bad. (We bought it few years back. Current prices I do not know.)

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Don't over look 2ltr bottles.

A 2 liter bottle will hold (from my fill averages):
about 4.5 pounds of rice
about 3 pounds of elbow macaroni
about 4 pounds of granulated sugar

Consider that macaroni has a 2 year shelf life in a crappy cardboard box, put it in a two liter bottle and that'd have to push it out to atleast 3 or 4 years.

Easy and inexpensive way to store your short to mid term preps.

In the past 90 days I've paid:
.25 a pound for spaghetti and macaroni
9.50 for 25 pounds of sugar
9.75 for 50 pounds of rice
.25 per can for corn, peas, green beans, mixed veggies and new potatos

All were fully in date and current and all brands I regularly eat. No 'crap'. Watch the sales, they won't be around for much longer. Get it while you can.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Canned goods are great, if you have a can opener handy. Imaging trying to pound one open with a rock :P That said, canned is good, dehydrated better. Bear Creek kitchens have some excellent soups, chili's and other dehydrated foods that come in canisters and plastic packages. Make sure to stock up on good water as having dehydrated food won't be much help if the water supply is contaminated. Keeping things in your food supply that you and your family likes is a good idea, can you imagine having nothing but pork and beans every night for months?

The idea of honey is a good one. The craving for sweets can be overwhelming if you are on a rationed diet, so some sort of sweets including dehydrated/dried fruits is a good idea. Honey also can be used in place of sugar in many recipes.

Hope that helps :coolbeer:
Katie

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Jerusalem Artichoke. Plant it once. It keeps coming back. It might take over your yard, so be careful. It stores in ground. Can dig up and eat as needed.

That's cheap.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Looked up the Jerusalem artichoke and found this as part of the description, "in addition, giving them a legendary facility to produce flatulence". Nice try G-pond. Although I suppose it would give you something to pass the time when tshtf.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Thats why I was thinking of stocking up on some honey. Not just because its good for you but when TSHTF and people are eating whatever they can get their hands on, honey is going to be looking real good.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

You can't have everything, I guess:

http://frenchgardening.com/aupotager...90446966189166

:rose:

PS. I have never had a problem with them in that regard.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Quote:

Looked up the Jerusalem artichoke and found this as part of the description, "in addition, giving them a legendary facility to produce flatulence". Nice try G-pond. Although I suppose it would give you something to pass the time when tshtf. -RichyRich

The propellant that gets it TO the fan?
:bawling:

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

AmforPM said something about "cheapo peanut butter". There are good ones out there, but most are just fully of crappy hydrogenated oils and fillers.

Our place was out of the 100% natural Adams PB that I like. I was going to buy a "name brand". Was not carrying a magnifying glass so coulden't read label. Wife points out that Skippy, Jiff, Peter Pan; which grocer had, were all full of junk besides Peanuts.

Hydrogenated oils will kill you. That crap is in almost everything.

At the healthfood store you can likely grind your own peanut butter. All it takes is a supply of peanuts and a grinder. That stuff is very good, Organic is The Best. But, costly.


Rolled Oats are great for breakfast, add Maple Syrup or honey, walnuts or pecans, and raisins. Oatmeal Cookies.

Making your own granola and yogurt is fun, as is baking.

Likely, there will be lots of time for cooking.

We bought a 50lb sack of Sea Salt,


Now is the time to get your "stuff".
Why spend your PM profits on inflated price stuff?

The best prices on grains are from a Farmer's Co-op or a Feed Store. Just don't buy "treated grain"; they are non-edible.
Corn Oats Wheat Rice Soybeans Nuts and Fruit depending on your locale.

Maybe Tn Andy will write something up about canning?

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

In an EMERGENCY, short term, these are VERY edible. I wouldn't want to make a DIET of them, but for a day or two ...

Beats being hungry.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...EWA%3APIC&rd=1

Don't buy em all. I gotta get my set up. I'm about to rotate the five I have out of my stock and eat them like high fiber cookies.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Money Matters has a handle on nutrition/alternative health isues, as evidenced by his many posts on the topic.To me "name brand" means big corporation, just what I want to stay away from.

I've heard that the fedgov allows 3 kind of fish other than tuna to be sold as canned tuna. This is government sanctioned fraud. I used to work with a guy that was a beekeeper in his younger days, he said the representative from the company that he sold the honey to encouraged him to add sugar to his honey to increase his profits. This might even be legal. If the jar says "pure honey", it ain't neccessarily so. I do agree, however that good pure raw honey is a worthy survival food.

The 2 liter bottles Prometheus mentioned sounds interesting, but where do you get them? Hopefully no one on this forum is so foolhardy in caring for their health that they actually drink the poisons sold in them.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

The big problem I have been having is that I don't eat any of this stuff that you can get in bulk that really lasts. Like rice is ok but I don't really like plain race. And I like pasta but eating pasta without anything on it? I don't know what I am going to do with storing flour or suger. I don't bake. And to be honest, I am not really a fan of beans, any of them.

For one or two months its not really an issue. I am sure I would be fine for even 3 months, but after that I dont know. If your storing a bunch of stuff for like a year supply, what else do you have to go with it? I mean you have to have the other stuff stored too or else your eating everything plain. Or is everyone planning on on eating plain race and pasta everyday?

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

You'll be surprised what you eat when you are really hungry. I store way more of the staples than I plan to eat. I plan to use the spare for barter, or that starving family that finds their way to my door. :smokin:

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Actually most people think like that but from what I read the worst time to start eating new foods is when your forced too. Almost everyone says you shouldn't get stuff you don't normally eat.

A lot of people also worry about kids and older people eating the same thing every day, because they think they will stop eating and may even starve. Though I guess they assume if your healthy you will force it down.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

I am addicted to caffine. I try and drink tea as much as I can, but at times a nice glass of pepsi or mountain dew can't be denied. My house empties about 4 two liters a week. You can also ask neighbors to give you their two liters.

Independence Day (Also known as 4th of July to the sheeple) is rigth around the corner. Ask everyone throwing a party to save the 2ltrs.

You can also fit alot of spaghetti into a 2ltr, just break off 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch before putting it into the bottle. Then use a spare bottle for the 'segments'. Either that or use the 3ltr bottles. I don't know anyone who buys anything coming from a 3 ltr, so no luck there.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Yes my honey guy told me that they process in up to 30% corn syrup! YUCKO! I just bought 100lbs of yummy orange honey. I should be set for a year now.:applause_ Although I am definately buying some honey straight off the comb this summer too.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

i don't own a gun but if i did not have food and needed it i would get a gun and then get the food.

:clap2:
-------------------------
apple tree, pair tree, grape vine, potatos, tomatos, fishing poll,
went up to the ocean last week picked up lot of clams and mussels
could have filled a five gallon bucket in a hr there.
in the summer i like to catch crabs i always toss them back but.
i use a string line rap chicken legs real tight with line toss em out in the water then waite few minutes then pull it in slow , then scoop crab up with my net.
I normally use like five lines keeps me moving, i spread them 8 feet apart on the dock.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

It is quite true that cheap peanut butter has additives and often mold toxins. However, if most of my diet is just picked home garden veggies and fresh laid eggs from hens that eat fresh greens, and organic beans, grains, etc, my body can tolerate some divergences.

Fresh ground organic peanut butter is by far the yummiest, but that corporate stuff keeps better.

Also, anyone who has to provide enough calories on not many $ won't be easily able to go 100% organic and also have much variety. It is hard to beat the caloric and protein density per dollar of those tubs of factory peanut butter.

We make yogurt, cook from staples, and garden. But for someone currently thinking in terms of canned corporate food, corporate peanut butter is in the ballpark.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

[quote=HVACTEC]i don't own a gun but if i did not have food and needed it i would get a gun and then get the food.quote]
You might want to arm yourself now and learn to use your rifle. Stock pile some ammo. Wating till SHTF will be too late. Remember, you are not alone on this earth.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Keep stocking up folks...you really don't want to eat very much of the CARE mush the US/international food organizations hand out...vitamin enriched, sustaining, but really funky.
"In the way back" I was in a bad situation in central america and for awhile the only food available was the CARE food.

Good informative thread about preps.
Good luck

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Buy a Pump-n-Seal and use it with Ball canning jars. The metal lids and glass jars are impermeable to gas penetration (plastic bottles are not). I've even seen glass canning jars in 1/2 gallon sizes advertised on the Net. I haven't bought any yet (lazy I guess) and have made do with quart jars. So you can create a good partial vacuum in glass jars that store on dark shelves. Now we're talking storage.

I have bell peppers, pumpkin puree, onions, potatoes and cabbage that I dehydrated and stored in vacuum-sealed glass jars in my basement pantry right now.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

This is why you need a garden. I have tomato juice and ketchup that I prepared and canned myself in the basement pantry. And relish, grape jelly, vegetable and lentil soups, and bread and butter pickle chips. We're a long way from where we want to be, but making progress in making a dent in the boredom that might come from eating nolthing but red winter wheat berries and honey.

The backyard garden is key to our project. Beyond the foods that we've canned, we just finished off the last of the potatoes, carrots and spinach plants from last year that either over-wintered in the garden itself or the basement. We can't begin to feed our family on the food that we grow ourselves; but we're learning how to grow it and it sure feels good to look at the food on my plate and realize that it didn't travel to my house from the other side of the planet!

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Although being able to defend my own home is something I was taught as a normal part of growing up, I do not think there is going to be nearly as much starvation, or attacking homes for food as some seem to.

Plus, Texans are so well armed, those who tried to make a living by armed robbery would not need food long. That herd will get thinned fast.

I am putting supplies by so we have things we like to eat, and plenty, and so the CARE type food is needed by one less household. Not because I think no food will be available for extended periods.

If I have to defend my home I expect it would be more likely to be against someone so messed up by previous drug use and so desperate for more that they lacked the sense to stay alive.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

I don't think people will break into a home. If they can catch you or they know your gone they might try, but breaking into a house when you dont know whats inside isnt safe.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

A few years old but worth a look...... http://www.a1usa.net/gary/expire.html

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

It's not enough to just store food, you also need to be able to grow replenishable stockpiles. If you live in the city this can be tough due to space requirements. Beans are hardy, easy to cultivate in small spaces and the heirloom varieties will keep you fed if you try. You'll still want some protein so if you can't keep livestock I'd at least have a breeding pair of rats.

Nutrition is very important, it isn't enough just to have a full belly. You need vitamins, minerals, protein, calories, you need fat because it will give you lasting energy and you'll need salt because you'll be sweating a lot and needing to replace electrolytes.

This is why Spam pwns all other possible storable foods. It as enough calories, vitamins and minerals in one can to form the base of a minimal diet for two people, it lasts indefinately and has a built-in can opener. Low sodium Spam is the best to get because it contains a high portion of vitamin C. Spam is also inexpensive and can be made yummy in a variety of ways.

:spam4:

A man does not live by Spam alone, at least not forever, but it is good enough to get you through the rough spots if you supplement it with anything else at all and most particularly some kind of vegetable or fruit. Spam sustained the Russian army on the front when they were fighting off the Nazi invasion.

Whenever you're picking out canned food to store, check the label for its nutritional info. Canned chicken and turky products almost always are nutrionally more valuable than canned beef products. Canned spinach contains more vitamins and minerals than most canned vegetables.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Makes me wonder what the Russians, Hungarians and Ukranians thought when the Bolshevik-Khazars were readying their phony "working class revolution"....

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

If things get as bad as most survivalists are thinking about, then the best thing to feed refugees might not be rice and beans, but rather have them "eat lead." LOL

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Well said. Gardening is a useful skill and the ultimate "home improvement project" for the survivalist.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

We were astonished at how much a small garden can produce. Trust me that a bush yellow squash that takes little room produces an astounding amount of vitamin rich food.

Corn and beans are space hogs in sufficient quantity for total supply, but vertical pole varieties do increase output per foot a lot.

High yield per foot of garden that we have tried
squash
small peppers
turnips
potatoes
tomatoes
cucumbers
carrots

medium yield per foot
pole beans and peas, some varieties
broccoli, cabbage

space hogs
corn
watermelon

we have not planted sweet potatoes, but I think they are high yield

Much of the world does feed a family on not much land. A suburban lot can produce a healthy diet with the addition of a few hens for eggs and fertilizer. They eat garden waste, scraps, weeds, and for a few you can grow their grain, even, if your lot is pretty good sized.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

hoarder, would you please leave me out of your jew obsession? I'd rather not ignore you but I am bored with and revolted by your jew jew jew thing.

No matter what the thread topic it seems you have to jew-spew on it.

I am quite clear you think they are every evil on the planet. Can you discuss anything? the weather maybe? Gardens? and not jew jew jew?

It isn't that I do not think you see many real problems, it is the obsessive reflexive all encompassing factor that I find delusional, though that is your business, and incongruous sometimes to the point that it is like spam on all kinds of threads, which is everyone's business.

And no, I'm not suggesting that you not be able to express your hatred of jews. I'm requesting your not addressing that cr@p to me.

If you keep addressing the jew spew to me, I will complain formally. Just leave me out of it, ok?

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed; second, it is violently opposed; and third, it is accepted as self-evident. --Arthur Schopenhauer

When you realize the consequences of silence you'll thank me for rubbing your nose in the truth.

Have a nice day.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

I do thank Hoarder for opening my eyes, seriously.

I am wise enough to admit when I am wrong, Hoarder and I had a debate, and my "Govt school-pre-programmed answers" did not cut the mustard.
I told him he was right, and I was wrong.

THANKS HOARDER

you are a great truth-seeker.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

You can presume that Home Invaders are after drugs and not food, but please assume that they will be invading homes. Be prepared for the drug-crazed Zombies.
:rolleyes:

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

RICH G, I AM GLAD TO SEE SOMEONE POST SOMETHING COMPASSIONATE ABOUT HELPING OTHERS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED RATHER THAT SOME HERE WHOM SEEM TO SEEM THE ANSWER IS SHOOTING EVERYONE IN THEIR WAY, PERHAPS IF MORE WERE LIKE YOU AND MYSELF THIS WORLD WOULD NOT BE GOING THE WAY IT IS. GO WITH GOD.

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Thanks, Large Sarge. AM for PM is in the "outrage" stage, he'll come around.

People have been conditioned to think the truth is dirty, so they naturally don't want to get much of it on them. But I say "If the truth is dirty, are lies clean?"....

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

It is your version of the truth - he asked to be left out of your version.

Stop thumping your version of the truth on others .......

Put him on ignore if you need to AM4PM..........

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

HUH??? Isn't that what forums are for? Is it "thumping" if you disagree?

Golly, from now on I'll write all my posts in 2 words: "I agree"......

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

Thanks for the kind words. Don't get me wrong....there is a time to shoot and a time for compassion. God willing... I'll know a duck when I see it and choose the correct action. :smokin:

Re: Inexpensive Survival Food
 

It seems the only solution, GK. Done.