OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Well, Agnuts recent post that the quotes below came from, the "starvation in America" posted by copperhead, and other recent observations are motivating me to go out an buy some food preps.

I started to do so a while back, from one of Ponce's sources, but was going to have to pay for the food and then wait six weeks - not something I liked, so never got around to it. I am just about totally unprepared here. Do have a good water filter and a creek in the back yard, though.


Actually, I would rather buy locally, and pick it up. I saw Momopanda make a reference to taking a bunch of cash to Costco. Agnut was talking about backing up the truck.

So what should I get? I'm not sure the wife is gonna jump in with me on this one, it may be up to me - and I would hope for some guidance from you guys.

Quote:

Originally Posted by FL_RacingGal (Post 600480) I have about 45 days worth of MREs and packaged water. I plan on buying more too because they can be stored for about 5 years at 70 degrees. MREs just take up such little space.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyldwil (Post 601011) <o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
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<o:p>What sort of places locally can you buy MRE's?</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>If you can't check the date on MRE's without opening, how can you figure the shelf life.</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>What can I get at Wal-mart or similar places?</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>Anybody got a link or two to some url's where there are sample lists?</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>While I want to get the most I can for my money, FRN's are not a problem.</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>Making good buys of things that will work well, be balanced and with a longer shelf life are my highest priorities.</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>thanks for your input.</o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
<o:p>Regards</o:p>
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<o:p></o:p>

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

buying at costco is for things your gonna use within 3 years. Cause its gonna be in a can or dried. so unless you eat canned food all the time, youll have to eat it or throw it out. so this type is only good for about 10% of your whole plan.

Freeze dried will last 30 years if you put it in your basement where its 50 degrees. These can be 1/2 cooked foods and ready to eat with water. and the other 1/2 could be freeze dried staples, like wheat, butter, oats, barley, dried cheese, nuts, rice, stuff like that. Buy 1 or 2 years of the whole gammut of what they got bury it in the bsaement and your covered.

Theres lotsa co's that sell FRESH mres 6 7 $ a meal, buy over the phne and youll haveem in a week.

http://www.tcftalk.com/clairefiles/
http://www.survivalblog.com/

http://thedisease.net/

http://www.survivalenterprises.com/news.php

You can do this without making it a religion

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Well, I've said it before but it's worth saying again. 25% less sodium Spam is the brave hero food of SHTF preps. While it has a "best by" date the way its packaged is such that it actually has an indefinite shelf life. Nutritionally it has a lot to offer. Here's a breakdown of the values for the whole 12oz can.

Total calories: 1080
Calories from fat: 840
Protein: 42 grams
Vitamin C: 120%
Iron: 12%
Sodium: 144% USRDA

This can't really be beat or matched in any other single product and definately not with the same shelf life. I know because I've looked. The nutrition you'll need in a SHTF scenario is different than what you'll need right now. You'll need more fat calories so you can have more energy over a longer period of time, you'll need more protein to keep up your muscles, you'll need more sodium because you'll be sweating more without air conditioning and doing hard manual labor, vitamin C may become difficult to get without access to fresh vegetables. The ingredients in Spam aren't even as bad as what's found in many other processed foods. Spam is made from ham, pork shoulder and a little chicken. It isn't dehydrated so it doesn't require extra water to make it digestible and it requires no cooking. It isn't the only thing you should store, but it is the clear champion when it comes to meat. While they can't match the nutritional value of Spam, all of Hormel's other canned meat products are similarly packaged in a way that grants them the same indefinite shelf life.

You can use it the same way you use ham, with beans and rice, for a sandwich, whatever.

Just as importantly you need to be thinking about renewable food sources. Buy heirloom seeds and plant a garden. Get a fruit tree or two if you have a yard. Start keeping at least some bantam hens for eggs, add a rooster and you can breed them for meat. Stock a koi pond with catfish.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Hey Rev they must put the vitamin c in order to create a less fat or something product right? why else would they put in vit. c?


You forgot 1 other ingredient;

Sodium Nitrate ; 100% USRDA

S.N. ;One of the leading causes of Cancer in the world

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Personally, I don't think we have six weeks, so I have scheduled some time off work later this month to concentrate on preps.

I agree, Agnut's post http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=134615 is inspired writing.

Whatever you do, you need to do it NOW, it's much later than you think. :bandito:

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Keef, still sticking to that mid-June prediction? You are starting to scare me.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

The vitamin C replaces the salt as a preservative.

I never heard of the sodium nitrate/cancer link before so it caused me to do some quick research. Well, it ends up Spam has sodium nitrite, not sodium nitrate, not sure how big of a difference that really makes. Apparently small quantities actually have health benefits and its naturally found in green vegetables.

As far as the carcinogen effect goes I believe that's true of all processed foods, they even found charred food to be carcinogenic. I wouldn't and don't make a steady diet of it or other processed foods. I mostly eat fresh organic food but in the case of SHTF and temporary survival it's a very small risk outweighed by the large risk of starvation. As I said you need to focus on renewable food supplies as well, that is what you should be eating on a regular basis. I believe preserved foods should only be used to get you through a crisis. If all you have is a year's supply of preserved food all you have is a life expectency of 1 year. I bought a farm so I don't end up buying the farm. hahaha :rofl:

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

For how long do you think you need preps for?

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Oh, have you changed on your gun stance?

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Au_Ag , good , some good helpful posts now on this. Maybe GIMers have a group spidey sense that is tingling:bandito: .

I agree with REV , and spam is on the shopping list. Haven't had it in years. An aunt used to give it to us with canned corned beef hash. Wasn't that bad. Both will be on my list.
I agree that talking of SHTF , I'm kinda just throwing health concerns out the window, at least for the short term, say 1 year prep. I'm more concerned about having food to eat and feed the younguns in that case , than with whether or not it has bad stuff in it. longer term , I hope to have something healthier and sustainable working.
Other items with fair to good shelf lives that are available at costco and are on the list are canned fruits and veggies, canned tuna, salmon , chicken, sardines,rice , beans , pasta, bottled water (looking at filter systems etc too) mac and cheese, pasta, both canned spaghettios things and box dry(try to get some things that my daughter will actually eat, even though they will need water and cooking, there are I guess different degrees of SGTF scenarios, and being prepared for food shortages of a more mild nature as well as complete chain shut down makes sense to me.) pasta sauce, oats, cereal, honey, condensed milk, olive oil. canned Chunky soup types.
Energy bars will be a big purchase as well. They provide ample calories and protein. Some are pretty good. Some , such as the military type Hooah bars have up to 5 year shelf lives , and temperature sustainability beyond what you'd need, come in six flavors that kids will eat too.
MRE's will also be purchased shortly after i've read up on them more.
I can't bring myself to try beef jerky , but have seen ones with 1 year shelf lifes.
Anyway that's my start as concerns the food end.
Appreciate all inputs. Good posts, thanks.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

what the heck is s'posed to happen in june. I got a feeling nothing much that will require eating spam.

but I will lay some back jes in case

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

my chives n onions have really took off this spring and my strawberry patch is growin well. I will get another transplant from my mother in law soon esp since she made off with a big bunch of hastas

thing about survival food, is buy what you eat and eat what you buy. I read that here and its good sense. so those cans of tuna and chicken, those are fantastic, stuff like that you can buy in bulk and really use rather than some disgusting mres.

and like rev said, renewable food, is the long term solution. a garden is a minimum. even an apartment dweller can have a small garden in a bucket type deal.

here's another idea. take a drive in the country nearby. look for a family farm. pull on up and ask em if they got eggs for sale. nice way to break the ice. you want to know somebody in agriculture, a relationship struck well in advance of SHTF. preferably someplace within walkin distance. that seems like a good idea to me at least-

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

About two years ago, Keef made a prediction that SWHTF in mid-June, 2007. He says he made this prediction after having a serious of dreams in which he saw many different events unfold. As time passed, these events played out in real life. He also said that prior to (whatever is going to happen next month) we would see a massive withdrawl of troops from the ME. Last I spoke with him (about a month ago) I asked him if he was still sticking to this prediction and he said 'yes'. He said that looking at the news right now (a month ago) it didn't seem like his prediction was likely but nontheless, he was sticking by it. Apparantly, he is still standing by it today, as he says that we have less than 6 weeks to prep.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

You go down to the local grocery store and purchase lots of canned and shelf-stable items that you and your family ENJOY. There is no "trick" to preparation. Soups, beans, pasta, meats, cereals, anything that your family likes, and wouldn't mind eating cold right out of the can or box.

Fill your cupboards and storage cabinets. REMEMBER to "rotate" stock regularly, eating what you first bought first, and replacing it as you go through it. This means you'll need to label everything, especially if it doesn't have a manufacture code on it.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Excellent tips.

-Buy foods you enjoy.
-Buy foods that don't require cooking (heating, boiling, etc.)
-Label and rotate

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

thanks! keef you been sparkin that bud? the hemp is a useful garden plant too and if TSHTF it will be super useful

here's some agriculture scientists from Purdue firin it up!

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

That's just as well. The jerky is too heavily seasoned and will do bad, bad this to your gastrointestinal system if you try to make a steady diet of it. Some people can't get started, others can't stop. At any rate its nutritional value does not justify storing it.


For some reason chicken products outperform beef products when it comes to protein content in canned or frozen foods.

Get your water or other beverages in glass bottles, not plastic. The plastic leaches into the water fairly quickly, makes it taste awful and is a needless health concern since you can get drinks in glass bottles without difficulty. Lipton has a new unsweetened ice tea in a glass bottle that's pretty decent. Yoo-hoo ain't health food but it's got calories, vitamins, minerals and an indefinite shelf life in the glass bottle form. The antique stores in my area have 5 gallon glass water jugs for sale, they used to be the standard. You can even still find the old racks that held the jug and allowed it to be tipped safely for pouring a drink. If you do have to use plastic water storage rotate it frequently. If you put it in your closet and forget about it for a year it willl taste like you're drinking resin.

There is one trick, nutrition. If you have to live on the stuff longterm you're going to need to make sure you're getting the right vitamins, minerals, protein, caloric intake, etc. Many shelf stable foods are empty calories, and not many of them at that. It's not too hard though, just read the labels and compare.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

A good multi-vitamin will take care of that.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Useful, maybe. But for someone with limited garden space, I wouldn't consider it a necessity.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Food storage comes in several different flavors ( ahahahahaaa ).

IMHO, the FIRST thing you should store is EXACTLY what you eat now, minus the stuff that must be refrigerated. Look in your cabinets, then start by picking up more of the same. See my pics below for our storage:

These constitute our 'short term' storage.....stuff we will use on a day to day basis.....shown is only a fraction of it. I also have 'long term' storage foods in the form of dried veggies, whole grains like wheat, corn, oats, etc, beans, and so on.....these I keep in another area.

This is a set of storage shelves I built in the hallway leading to the garage....two sets of 12" deep x 4' wide by 7' tall units.

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...3_p117746.jpeg

Some of the inside contents ( yes, I keep the dog food there too...hold your wisecracks....ahahahaaa )

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...3_p117747.jpeg

Another unit, with some of our home canned soups, stews, chili.....there are 3 jjars deep there....

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...3_p117748.jpeg

Then, out in the garage, I built another storage unit after the first one in the kitchen. This one is 2'deep x 4' wide x 8' tall.....and two of those...these are against a wall in the garage that is about 1/2 below ground, and the inside is insulated with foam board so it stays fairly cool, but never freezes in winter.

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...3_p117749.jpeg

Inside: ( note battery storage on door )

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...3_p117751.jpeg

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...3_p117750.jpeg

This was where I got started.....later, I've added a LOT more in the way of "exotics" I'll go into below and not stored in the house.....these I consider true "Longggg term" foods....things like hundreds of pounds of salt, sugar, dried foods, freeze dried foods.....really and truely, I don't know how much is there......I started inventorying one time and just gave up.....my best guess is a couple years worth.

OK....the more 'exotic' stuff

************************************************** *******
MREs......they are 'ok' for an occassional use, but you need to understand they are high fat, high carb food.....not something you'd want a steady diet of......but ok for emergency type use. I keep 1/2 dozen or so cases around. Storage on them is probably 5-10 years if kept in a cool location......not the trunk of your car.

IF you've never eaten them, I'd suggest you find an Army-Navy type surplus store locally if you can, and try a bag or two before you lay in a bunch of them. About any you get surplus are going to be several years old already, and may have been stored under dubious conditions, so consider that in the price. You can buy brand new ones that are exactly the same as the military packed type except the outside packing is a bit different from:

http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/StoreFront

There was a 20% discount going thru a group....use the code: Fluwikie
It may not be in effect any longer, but it wouldn't hurt to try. You enter the code near the end of the order process, and it recalculates with the discount....you can still NOT order at that point if you want to back out.

They also have a large selection of other items such as freeze dried stuff and one of my personal favorites, canned butter which is supposed to have an infinite shelf life.

************************************************** ******

Freeze dried foods: 30 year shelf life claimed in the #10 size cans....probably way longer in reality. Again, a food that is great for occassional use and emergencies, but I suspect a steady diet of it would get old in a hurry. I've got about 25-30 cases of 6-#10cans in a wide variety of foods from entrees like spagetti to fruit to veggies to deserts.....6-8 months for the two of us takes up a HIGH pallet load.....pic below is 1/2 of what I have.

http://www.digistash.com/data/026a39...8_p109062.jpeg

Again, before you jump into that, order a few of the individual meals in foil pouches that are availiable from any online sporting goods outlet, or locally.
Try them so you know WHAT you are getting, and make sure it's something you can live with.

Best online sources I know of for bulk:

https://www.safecastleroyal.com/splashPage.hg

The above source charges you 19 bucks for a lifetime membership fee, but still has WAY better prices that anywhere else I've seen.


http://www.freezedryguy.com/

Freeze dry guy has a limited selection of stuff, but has some really nice stuff you don't find other places.....I ordered a case of pork chops, for example, and they are JUST LIKE real honest to God pork chops when you reconstitute them......they were GOOD !!

************************************************** ********

Next would be dried foods.....things like beans, all sorts of veggies, whole wheat berries, whole corn, rolled oats, dried fruits. These, I get in 5-6 gallon buckets from places like Walton Foods. These foods are going to require way more preparation in the way of grinding, cooking, baking, etc.....not your "open and heat" type foods, so unless you are into that type of cooking, AND know how to do it, or willing to learn, avoid this route.

You can spend hours and hours at Walton Foods site along.....they have a huge educational database in addition to their food for sale.....well worth the trip here !

http://waltonfeed.com/

************************************************** ******

THEN I could get off into home canning and home prep of critters, but that would take another chapter or two.....and I'm sorta tired of typing..... :D

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I'd disagree......canned and dried foods are good for a heck of a lot longer than 3 years.....they may lose some nutritional value or appearance ( or not ), but I've routinely used foods older than that with no problem.

Your FIRST line should be what you eat now, and just buy a lot more of it....and rotate, rotate, rotate.

If the SHTF, the shelves of the stores will empty in less time than you would believe possible.



I'd agree....you can do this without getting nuts.....but I tend to overdo everything I take on.....OK....call me nuts :D......but I'm one of the best prepared nuts you'll ever run into.....and I sleep like a baby for it........ahahahahaaaaaa

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I like the home canning. When we knock down this ramshackle hut we're living in and build our house I'm going to make a walk in closet-sized pantry adjoining the kitchen. The first thing I'm going to do is make some wild blackberry preserves!

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Does raisins have a long shelf life?

Anybody know?

"High fructose and moisture content helps maintain shelf life", according to www.calraisins.org , but it can't be as good as honey....

hmm...:cool2:

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I agree.

Nice stash there Andy. Lots of good info and links. Thanks for that. I picked up some of that canned butter and cheese as well. The place I got it from also had canned hamburger.... http://www.internet-grocer.net/realmeat.htm

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Helpful for food rotation:

http://www.foodstorageracks.com/

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I agree with most of the posts here, but prefer the Mountain House #10 cans to MREs -- much better value and much longer shelf life. And I especially agree with the advice to buy what you eat already. My family eats alot of Campbell's chicken noodle soup. So, everytime we find it on sale at the store we stock up. Must have about 60 cans in the basement now, all purchased at a price of 38 cents a can or less. If we eat chicken noodle soup for lunch once a week, it looks like we're set for a year :)

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

try warrifles.com for Mountain House. You might have to wait for the next group buy though. You won't find better prices.

look under 'survival foods-Broadsword'

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Ive study this subject daily now goin on 2 years, its finally starting to gell. Im one of those types that picks a subject, cast all to the wind and dive in ( sorta like the NWO agenda ) and out of chaos comes organization.

So my computer / brain has spit out these results thus far;

Diversify!!!!!!!!!!

Buy as close to your diet consumed now . Buy freeze dried cause the s may not h t fan till 2013 0r 15. freeze dried in 12 cans ( fully cooked meals) , and individual meals a bit , and then 12 cans of grains and bulk items, cheese, milk, etc...

Your canned goods if over 10 %are garbage unless you live under a bridge.

Mres for bug out food and recon.

au ag is just starting out, so he has to keep it uncomplicated. sorta like investing in silver; you dont go out buying stocks and futures in silver! in the beginning, , you buy cheap generic rounds- $20,000 worth and then branch out.

so Au ag can aproach it from the back end and buy canned goods and boxes of spageti, ot the other end and buy 5 cases of Mres and a valure pack of Mountain house for $5000. I'd recomend the latter.

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This deluxe supply offers the basics of food storage plus a greater variety than the Ready Reserve Modular Unit.

Shipping weight 480 pounds, recommended water storage for this unit is 162 gallons. This unit includes:

<TABLE borderColor=#00cc99 cellSpacing=2 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=2><TBODY><TR><TD>2 #10 Apple Slices</TD><TD>1 #10 Raisins</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 Date Nuggets</TD><TD>2 #10 Banana Slices</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 #10 Apple Granules</TD><TD>1 #10 No Bake Custard</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 #10 Carrot Dices</TD><TD>2 #10 Sweet Corn</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 #10 Green Garden Peas</TD><TD>3 #10 Potato Granules</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 Cut Green Beans</TD><TD>1 #10 Tomato Powder</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 Cabbage</TD><TD>1 #10 Potato Dices</TD></TR><TR><TD>3 #10 Scrambling Egg Mix</TD><TD>1 #10 Peanut Butter Powder</TD></TR><TR><TD>4 #10 TVP Beef</TD><TD>4 #10 TVP Chicken</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 TVP Ham</TD><TD>1 #10 TVP Bacon Bits</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 #10 Apple Breakfast Drink</TD><TD>1 #10 Hot Chocolate Mix</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 Soup Base Chicken</TD><TD>1 #10 Shortening Product</TD></TR><TR><TD>3 #10 Margarine</TD><TD>1 #10 Strawberry Gelatin</TD></TR><TR><TD>3 #10 Sugar</TD><TD>1 #10 Iodized Salt</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 Bread & Roll Mix</TD><TD>1 #10 Buttermilk Pancake Mix</TD></TR><TR><TD>12 #10 Instant Non-Fat Milk</TD><TD>2 #10 Cheese Blend</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 Butter Powder</TD><TD>1 #10 Creamy Wheat Cereal</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 #10 Cornmeal</TD><TD>1 #10 Rolled Oats</TD></TR><TR><TD>6 #10 Parboiled White Rice</TD><TD>3 #10 White Bread Flour</TD></TR><TR><TD>4 #10 Elbow Macaroni</TD><TD>6 #10 Hard Red Wheat</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 #10 Popcorn</TD><TD>2 #10 Cracked Wheat</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 #10 Chili Beans</TD><TD>2 #10 Pinto Beans</TD></TR><TR><TD>2 #10 Navy Beans</TD><TD>2 #10 Split Peas</TD></TR><TR><TD>50 #10 Size Plastic Lids</TD><TD>1 Just Add Water Cookbook</TD></TR><TR><TD>1 Deluxe Can Opener</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><INPUT type=hidden value=A name=template> <INPUT type=hidden value=1787399 name=productid>
Email this to a friend </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2 height="100%"></TD></TR><TR><TD align=right colSpan=3>
http://secure.mycart.net/client_imag...7/add18550.gif </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD bgColor=#25a477>Item No.</TD><TD bgColor=#25a477>Item</TD><TD bgColor=#25a477>Amount</TD><TD align=right bgColor=#25a477 colSpan=2>Qty.</TD></TR><TR><TD bgColor=#b7f5d0>U-4</TD><TD bgColor=#b7f5d0><CENTER>Deluxe One Year Reserve

</CENTER></TD><TD bgColor=#b7f5d0>$1,495.00<INPUT type=hidden value=1495 name=price> </TD><TD align=right bgColor=#b7f5d0 colSpan=2><INPUT maxLength=5 size=5 value=1 name=qty> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=right colSpan=3><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY></TBODY></TABLE></FORM>

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Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Great info.
I agree to keep well stocked on that which you currently eat , but those who eat mostly produce , fresh and local, fresh meats etc , it can be hard.
Besides if things got that bad , I'm gonna bet that I will eat whatever needs eating , even if it's not gourmet, or even a particular favorite, as will the family.Starvation probably expands the pallet a bit.
We keep a pretty good supply of other stuffs like pasta , peanut butter , that we do use, because we like to save money shopping in bulk, costco etc.
However , my plan is to keep a seperate SHTF provision.
I have an area in the basement , back out of the way in an unfinished section that I plan to just shelve and mostly wall off partially and ignore. Stable 50 -60 degree year round.

My plan has become this. To drop a bunch of FRN and stock it for if and only if the SHTF. Kinda like my own personal bomb shelter type approach I guess:bear_happy: . Hopefully a six month food supply at least.

Loading it with case canned food, meats , veggies, fruit, soups , chilli, etc etc. jarred peanut butter, jelly , case boxed pasta etc.
Stuff with 1 year + shelf lives.

I plan to take the whole stash then , every year , and replenish it completely.
Then take the old ,load up the van and donate it around the Holdiay season , to one of the many local Food Drives they run in the area at those times(assuming of course that TS does not HTF).
This is exactly the kind of stuff they suggest donating, and they offer full deductions above a certain pretty low threshold.
(Perhaps keep some Mountain House type items longer term.)

It will allow me to rotate , assure that none of the food ever goes to waste, and take care of some of our charitable contibutions. I'd rather give food and clothes to charities anyway , than money , because at least I know it isn't being pilfered and wasted. At least not as easily as foodstuffs anyway. And at least some are locally run and locally targeted , which I like.

Anyway , that's the plan.
Anyone see any problems with this strategy, appreciate insights.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

simple technique for storing grains( or to store anything w/o oxygen- lasts many times as long).

about 1/2 cup dry ice in bottom of 5 gal bucket(food grade -get em at bakeries).grain etc. directly on top.leave lid almost closed til not cool on bottom-couple hours or so :then seal completely.wheat berries will keep for decades this way at room temps. you do need to work in low humidity.

temp is main factor in shelf life. a basement or cellar is a huge help w/o power
& should be considered as part of preps if possible.

good site w/ lots info + shelf life various foods + more instructions :http://waltonfeed.com/grain/life.html

one idea is to put say beans/rice /spices(in containers) ,etc in one bucket.this way you don't have to rotate frequently & you can get the 50 lb. bags cheaply.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

ummm.....there is a lot of knowledge on this thread...all I will add it that it's pretty amazing what can be picked up at dollar-stores.

Oh yeah, there is good spam.:spam4: :spam4: :spam4: :spam4: :spam4:

and thanks to Andy for the great pics!!

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I'd agree....you can do this without getting nuts.....but I tend to overdo everything I take on.....OK....call me nuts :D......but I'm one of the best prepared nuts you'll ever run into.....and I sleep like a baby for it........ahahahahaaaaaa
__________________quoye by Tn Andy.......



Read this Andy, and Im not suckin up either. Im a genius too.


""Alexander Hamilton:

Men give me credit for some genius. All the genius I have lies in this; when I have a subject in hand, I study it profoundly. Day and night it is before me. My mind becomes pervaded with it. Then the effort that I have made is what people are pleased to call the fruit of genius. It is the fruit of labor and thought.



KEEP IT UP ANDY...... YOUR FRIENDS

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

My approach is pretty much like Andy's. I keep a variety of foods (and it takes up a lot of space!).

I have staples like rice, beans, and wheat packed for long-term storage in 6-gallon buckets. I have FD and dehydrated foods in #10 cans. I can't eat Mountain House, especially the "prepared meals" type, so I had to buy all meal ingredients separately. It takes up quite a bit of space. (Make sure everyone in your family can eat Mountain House, if that's what you're thinking about. It's very high in modified food starch, and if anyone in your family gets migraines, I'd suggest avoiding the stuff like the plague.) Finally, I have the not-so-long-term food. These are canned goods, jars of stuff, and various packages of everyday foods from the grocery store and warehouse stores, as well as home-canned stuff. I keep a few MREs, but they're mostly snack food like the yummy pound cakes. Most MREs are horrendously high in modified food starch, too, so they're another food migraine sufferers can't eat.

I keep several months' worth of the not-so-long-term food and over a year's supply of #10 cans and staples. Included in the food storage is food for my animals (dogs, reptiles, and rodents), and kitchen and hygiene supplies. I live near a water source, but I also have water barrels (hey, if things are really bad, I may not want to go outside to get water).

With the exception of the 6-gallon buckets and the water, my food storage is all kept in metal cabinets. I prefer that if the furnace repairman or anyone has to come into my basement, he doesn't see all the supplies. I used to be a pest control technician in a semi-rural area, and I could point out half a dozen survivalists on my route from the stuff I saw in their basements. They wouldn't let my male coworkers into those areas, but I guess they thought a girl wouldn't figure it out! Idiots! The funny thing is that my coworkers probably wouldn't have figured it out.

Mostly, I keep my stuff in metal cabinets because I think that if a disaster large enough to interfere with sanitation services occurs, many areas are going to have an explosion in the rodent population. Having had past experience with a hellish nightmare of a rodent problem after developers clear-cut some woods near us and drove rats into our neighborhood, I learned to trust nothing but metal to keep rats and mice out (they can chew through metal, but they're usually not that motivated). If you store MREs and you live anywhere where rodents might be a problem, be sure to store them in a metal cabinet or a metal trash can. Rats and mice (esp. rats) are crazy about MREs, and I've known them to go through two cases of them in a single night, chewing into every single packet. Rats can and will also chew through those plastic storage crates in a single night, so don't think those will save your food (or anything else...they don't seem particular when they choose one to chew through). Rats and mice chew through wood, too, but at least with that, you usually have time to try to thwart their efforts or move your stuff. I also keep my canned food in the metal cabinets because male rats and mice dribble urine everywhere, and the nasty stuff will do a number on the lids of cans.

Okay, that was disgusting, but I'm always concerned that so many people never seem to consider that rodents might well thrive in a disaster and can ruin a huge supply of food in a matter of days or weeks. In third world countries, you can find rat and flea poison prominently for sale all over the place. We seem to have forgotten what it's like to worry about stuff like that here.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Yep.....I buy rat poison by the 2 gallon pail from the local farm co-op. Apply liberally, especially in the fall when they tend to move in for winter.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

This one is more too to the point;

There is no great genius without some touch of madness.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I do favor the right to bear arms and support gun owners on this board. But be prepared for confiscation of your weapons by 'Homeland Security' and 'freinds/neighbors' who will turn you in to the authourities for a loaf of bread.

My main plan of defense will mostly be camoflauge and I don't discuss it openly.

What happens next month? I hope NOTHING. But according to my dreams, the start of a world wide economic meltdown is mid june and we no longer can afford a military presence overseas by end of summer.

When does a house of cards fall? I guess we wait and find out. It could be June, it could be never.

And we all hope later than sooner, but most here agree that day will come, so why put off preps any longer?

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

So true...

http://www.independentcritics.com/im...g%20SPLASH.jpg

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I noticed some mice moving in shortly after I started buying sacks of chicken feed. I bought a big snuggly cat with all his claws that does a great job keeping the mice out. Chickens are also mouse catchers. A rat can potentially be a bigger problem but that's what terriers are for, actually that's where they get the term "rat dog" from. Nowadays its mostly misapplied to useless dogs nearly as small and annoying as rats but originally it was for the dogs bred to catch rodents. I like my cat but a terrier would have been a better sollution to the mouse problem since they've got a secondary use as an alarm system.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I purchased one of these about five months ago, I been using this to vacuum pack sugar, flour, salt, beans, rice in bulk.


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Food Saver
PulseVac Control</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7">
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</td> </tr><tr name="ViewVideo"> <td align="center"> <!-- Begin - Vendaria integration code (for the item videos) --> <script language="JavaScript"> var strIdlet = "RTCpgzmuvKvJuuqlmILKgwJIuqqmqu"; var strAdlet = "costco_" + '906955'; </script> <script src="http://fp.vendaria.com/integration/custom/costco/vendariashutoff.js" language="JavaScript"></script> <script language="JavaScript"> if((typeof vnd_blnEnabled=="undefined")&&(typeof blnVendariaEnabled=="boolean")){ if(blnVendariaEnabled) document.write( "<scr" + "ipt src="http://fp.vendaria.com/integration/custom/costco/vendaria2.js" language='JavaScript1.2'></scr" + "ipt>" ); } </script><script src="http://fp.vendaria.com/integration/custom/costco/vendaria2.js" language="JavaScript1.2"></script> <script language="JavaScript"> if(typeof blnVendariaEnabled=="boolean"){ if(blnVendariaEnabled) document.write( "<scr" + "ipt src="http://fp.vendaria.com/envision/vswitch/" + strIdlet + "$" + strAdlet + ".js3" language='JavaScript1.2' type='text/javascript'></scr" + "ipt>" ) ; } </script><script src="http://fp.vendaria.com/envision/vswitch/RTCpgzmuvKvJuuqlmILKgwJIuqqmqu$costco_906955.js3" language="JavaScript1.2" type="text/javascript"></script> <script language="JavaScript"> if((typeof vnd_getSupported=="undefined")&&(typeof blnVendariaEnabled=="boolean")){ if(blnVendariaEnabled) document.write( "<scr" + "ipt src="http://fp.vendaria.com/integration/custom/pub/vendaria2.js" language='JavaScript1.2'></scr" + "ipt>" ); } </script><script src="http://fp.vendaria.com/integration/custom/pub/vendaria2.js" language="JavaScript1.2"></script><script src="http://cache.vendaria.com/media/adlet/costco_906955.js" language="JavaScript1.2" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://cache.vendaria.com/media/adlet/MAIN_tilia_foodsaver_v2490.js" language="JavaScript1.2" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://cache.vendaria.com/integration/idlet/RTCpgzmuvKvJuuqlmILKgwJIuqqmqu.js" language="JavaScript1.2" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://cache.vendaria.com/integration/custom/pub/vendaria2_fo.js" language="JavaScript1.2" type="text/javascript"></script> <script language="JavaScript"> var vnd_blnSupported = false; if( typeof vnd_getSupported == "function" ) { vnd_blnSupported = vnd_getSupported( strIdlet, strAdlet ); } if( vnd_blnSupported ) { vnd_createLink( strIdlet, strAdlet, "", "http://goldismoney.info/forums/", "" ); vnd_preCache( strIdlet, strAdlet ); } </script>http://fp.vendaria.com/integration/i...buttons/79.gif <!-- End - Vendaria integration code --> </td> </tr> <tr> <td height="6">
</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="t11" name="ProductDesc" valign="top" width="100%">This item may currently be in stock at your local Costco warehouse for immediate purchase at a cash and carry price.

The state of the art in home packaging! New features make the V2490 simpler, smarter and sleeker. Operates "hands-free" at the touch of a button and has variable speed and food settings. PulseVac� Control allows you to start and stop the vacuum for max control when vacuum packaging delicate foods. The sleek touchpad is easy to wipe clean. The deep drip tray catches spills and lifts right out for easy cleanup.<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Set Includes:<o:p></o:p>

• V2490 appliance<o:p></o:p>
• (2) 11� x 10' FoodSaver Roll <o:p></o:p>
• 3/4 qt canister<o:p></o:p>
• 1.5 qt canister<o:p></o:p>
• 2.5 qt canister<o:p></o:p>
• Accessory Hose and Hose Holders<o:p></o:p>
• Instructional DVD<o:p></o:p>
• QuickStart Guide<o:p></o:p>
• Reference Guide <o:p></o:p>

Features:<o:p></o:p>

• Color: White<o:p></o:p>
• PulseVac� control: Start and stop vacuum to
  control air removal<o:p></o:p>
• Extra-wide sealing strip provides extra-secure, airtight seal that's 2-times wider<o:p></o:p>
• 2 speed settings: Optimize vacuum speed for different size bags and canisters<o:p></o:p>
• CrushFree� Instant Seal: Immediately stops the vacuum process to prevent crushing<o:p></o:p>
• Canister Mode: Achieves the best vacuum on canister and accessories<o:p></o:p>
• Easy-lock Latch: Latches lid tight, securing bag for vacuuming and sealing <o:p></o:p>
• Touchpad control panel wipes down easily for
  easy cleanup<o:p></o:p>
• Pen storage under lid for dating and labeling <o:p></o:p>
• Hands-free operation: Vacuums, seals and shuts
  off automatically with a single touch<o:p></o:p>
• Easy-clean drip tray removes easily, dishwasher safe, extra-deep and antibacterial<o:p></o:p>
• Built-in roll holder and cutter simplifies making
  custom-size bags<o:p></o:p>
• Accessory Hose Storage to keep hose handy
  and protected<o:p></o:p>
• UL listed<o:p></o:p>
• Dimensions:
  9.75" W x 16.75" L x 4.5" H<o:p></o:p>
• Weight: 7.77 lbs.

</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>
Frosty:beer:

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Three very, very serious mistakes people make with food preparations:

1) they buy foods that are "healthy & nutritious" but hopelessly unappetizing.
2) they buy MREs from anywhere but the manufacturer directly, as MREs are spoiled quickly if kept too hot (most Army/Navy stores sell crap).
3) they buy large amounts of dried bulk foods, failing to take into the need to add large amounts of water and/or cook them.

If you or your family can't stand peas or powdered milk, for example, DON'T BUY IT.

If you must have MREs or MRE-type foods, rely on them for limited duration and special application (i.e., necessary excursions away from home base) ONLY, and, buy them only from the manufacturer. REI is a limitedsource of MRE-like packaged food, which should be fresh through the printed date (most of their food products are freeze-dried -- see below).

If you have half a ton of wheat flour, yeast, sugar, oats, etc., and only 100 gallons of water for all purposes, uh, you have a big problem if you need to rely on those stocks. Further, excepting solar ovens or limited use of camping fuels, how will these staples be made into edibles?

Already hydrated and other ready-to-eat foods are the smart way to prepare.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Obviously, one does not stock up on Pringles, Snack-Pak puddings, and Capri Sun.

Consumption of quality canned beans, vegetables & fruits, meats (tuna, beef stew, Spam, etc.), and ready-to-eat cereals on a long-term basis is NOT dangerous nor lacking in proper nutrition. A quality WHOLE FOOD multivitamin (Nature's Way Alive! for example) is also a good idea to include in one's stocks. Healthy "treats" like dark chocolate, jerkies, "dried" fruits, and similar are important considerations as well. PROVIDED you and your family like them.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

They're storable, but I wouldn't try for over a year or 18 months. And make sure NO ONE in your family has sulfur sensitivity if you store raisins or other dried fruits.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Yes, and where does that come from?

If one chooses dehydrated foods, one must also store LARGE amounts of pure water (unless you have a manual well), or a purification system (NOT filter) if you can only store bulk water that ain't so pure. Take into account the amount of water needed to reconstitute these items and you'll see it adds up VERY quickly. Not everyone can have a 1000 gallon or larger tank in their home or even on their property, and you better hope it doesn't break open.

Further, most dehydrated foods need heat to make them into edibles. BBQ? Campfire? Camping stove? All of these needs considerable amounts of fuel, charcoal, wood, liquid fuels. Solar ovens are an excellent idea, but one should not rely on this as a primary means, for obvious reasons.

My position is to store "cooking" equipment and fuel for very limited purposes, such as boiling water when it's needed for hygiene/emergency reasons.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

NO, NO, NO!! You didn't just say that!!

"Dollar stores" are infamous for selling expired, near expired or mishandled food products...if they were stored hot, even if they have an expiration date you can cross it out.

But ONLY first-rate, fresh products from regular, reliable stores.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

You have to be very careful with these. We have one, and love it...for what it is good for.

It is good for sealing cold-cuts, cheeses, grains, and other bulk items you use regularly, but have more than needed each time.

It is NOT good for long-term storage. No matter how much you do everything right, the seals fail in a significant percentage of bags*. If the seals fail in the previous circumstances, no big deal. If the seals fail in long-term storage, you've got a big problem.



* Our machine is near new, and we use only FoodSaver brand bags.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I set up a small woodland cache once for a long hike trip i was going to take
never used it got back there after 4 years all the canned food was ruined
due mostly to moisture rusting the cans the only thing that was still edible
was the rice.


dont forget the staples flour/wheat, rice ,sugar and honey,salt,lard etc these are
going to be your cheapest and easiest preps and with some gardening,farming
and wild food knowledge combied with some culinary inventiveness you should
manage a fairly decent diet on a very low budget.

spent a lot of time eating out of rat packs and mre,s I dont care how much
vit C they put in them it always seems that i can not get enough after a couple of weeks i will
feel "sick,wrong,exhausted ,loose or sore teeth"
I dont believe there is any good long term total replacement for fresh fruit and
vegies.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

re damoc

"I dont believe there is any good long term total replacement for fresh fruit and
vegies."

from walton feeds: http://waltonfeed.com/grain/life.html

Garden Seed
or Sprouting Seed
All viable seeds are hibernating tiny living plants that only need moisture and warmth to sprout. And much like a chick in an egg, all the nutrients this little life needs to spring into existence is contained within it's shell. Like boiling an egg, heating a seed will kill that little life within it. However, unlike an egg, a seed can withstand cold temperatures. As seeds usually remain edible after the life within it dies, we must use different criteria when determining sproutable seed storage life. And again the big deciding factor is temperature. Plan on a storage life of 2 to 3 years at a stable temperature of 70 degrees F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.*** And remember, you want to store all of these seeds in air. Packed in nitrogen, the viability of some seeds will last longer than others. This is still to a large degree an unexplored science, and therefore we recommend you store all the seeds you plan on sprouting in air.

Alfalfa is a unique seed as it actually germinates better if the seed is 2 or 3 years old. Most any sample of alfalfa contains 'hard' seed and 'soft' seed. Soft seed germinates within two days while hard seed germinates in about a week. The problem is, by the time the soft seed sprouts are ready to harvest, the hard seed may not have germinated yet. As storage time draws on, the hard seed turns into soft seed. Older seed germinates closer together. Stored in cool conditions, alfalfa seed should have a good percentage of germination up until it is 8 years old.


sprouts have the closest nutrient substitute for veg/fruits.

***note these get stored w/air present.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

one more thought.

previous civilizations considered several years worth of stores of grains-some say this was the key to moving to settled life- to be necessary.

with the overshoot i believe we are in
+ less stores of grains worldwide, decreasing the last few years-counted in no. of days
+ just in time delivery mentality
+ stronger weather fluctuations especially drought
+ using grains for fuel.



this recent article is part of my concern.

http://canada.theoildrum.com/node/2516#comments

note the pop. chart imposed on fossil fuels chart.

Thanks Au_Ag for prompting us all.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Thanks lessoil good interesting links pretty much confirms what I was thinking
sprouts seem a good way to go if you have little space for gardening or farming or even if you just want some fresh greens in the harsher parts of
the year.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Been through the FoodSaver crap. I went with a snorkel type vac (uses non expensive FS bags) and an impulse sealer... uses #10 (1gal) 3.5-5mil Mylar bags(http://sorbentsystems.com/specs/pakvf4c.html) still cheaper than FS bags. I tested the seal by filling one up with water and jumped up and down on it... did not break.

http://goldismoney.info/forums/attac...7&d=1160259350

SnorkelVac: http://www.sorbentsystems.com/sinbosealer.html
Impulse Heat Sealers: http://www.sorbentsystems.com/impulsesealers.html

GIM thread: Looking For Good Vacuum Sealer
http://goldismoney.info/forums/showthread.php?t=61330

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

You got such good advice here already I will just add a few things.

You also have to pick a way to cook if all utilities are shut off that does not require you to stand in your back yard where others see and smell the cooking. Solar ovens can be bought or built if you have a window placed usefully (that gets good sun in but is not an advertisement to the street), or you can store some tanks of cooking fuel for a camp stove, or better, both.

If things were at the no utilities level and I thought that would pass, that is likely where more freeze dried meals that just need hot water might fit.

For the limited selection they have of long storage #10 cans of dried foods, Honeyville has good prices and shipping is very cheap, so you get a big savings because of the shipping.

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/ind...S&Category=225

They are good for oats and freeze dried fruit and vegetables and bulk corn meal and grits.

Regular canned goods that you know you like, and some which you are willing to eat occasionally, and a lot of dried stuff like beans you can get locally and vacuum seal the weevil or moisture endangered items. (Or use any of several good storage methods.)

http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/StoreFront

This place has canned butter and cheese and a lot of other taste appeal stuff (like canned brown bread, which is a great dessert with jam or honey), though that stuff costs more. The Kraft cheese tastes a lot like velveeta to me, but they say the other brand which they just started carrying is more cheddar-like. Compared to no cheese at all though, I think we will find even the velveeta type useful.

If you don't have things the family finds tasty, it will make a stressful situation much worse. So I consider it a mental health thing to have some treat foods like the cheese and desserts.

Raw almonds are not nearly as expensive by the big 25 or 40 pound bag from a co-op and soaked to activate them in sprouting fashion they are another treat and also provide oils and protein in the diet.

You will really need sprouts if you have to eat stored foods exclusively for any length of time. Several places sell alfalfa seeds suitable for sprouting in the #10 cans. You also need some wide mouth canning jars and the mesh lids that turn them into sprout makers. On stored food your body will really need the enzymes and other nutrients sprouts provide. It will make a big health difference.

Water collection and purification to replenish the water you have on hand is even more critical than food. There are whole threads in this section on that.

Personally I expect to keep utilities mostly, though they might be intermittent, but for them to get really expensive. So a lot of people will lose them by being priced out, and most people will need to ration them. I expect there to be food as well, but similarly outrageous in price. We may get teevee lessons on how to live on some mush that people can manage to buy (all because of some evil enemy). In other words, hello 3rd world America. In that scenario our stored food would let us eat a better variety even if we ate some of the cleaner cheap food on offer and gardened for good quality food.

If a bird flu scenario happens then I want to be able to not leave the house for 6 months. That is one possible scenario where stored food is survival.

Obviously we don't know what form it may take, but I am thinking economic upheaval (with possible epidemic) rather than a Katrina type thing or nuclear war in my location. And some serious stresses on social cohesion.

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

Costco Trip Report:

Andy, thanks, this is SO true. I was looking at the 'long' term storage situation when I first started out. NO!!!,,,, first, stock up on 'WHAT YOU EAT NOW!', had to re-group and think about this... There is no food (canned or dried) that will not keep for six months or so...win-win :clap2:

Todays gatherings...(one Costco cart full) ... $248.97

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

did anybody mention ramen noodles

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I see lots of Campbells but where's the rice?! Costco has 50lb. bags of rice for $10. Buy one.

BTW - don't you know that Pepsi is not good for you?

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

this is one of many trips,,, (i.e., todays gatherings)

yes



http://www.decodog.com/inven/bev/pep124.jpg

Re: OK - time to get off my duff and get some food preps - Easiest, quickest way?
 

I'm assuming that's white rice. How long will it keep? Do you re-package/vacuum seal or what? If I were to try to eat my way through a 50-pound bag at today's normal consumption rate, it would take me 5 - 10 years I think (that estimate based on the length of time it takes us to consume a 2-pound box). We eat rice a couple of times a week; but, hey, 50 pounds of rice is a lot of rice :)