Preparedness

[3DStudent]

I had originally wanted one of these and ordered one. But when I got it, the seal function was broken on arrival. So I sent it back and got the FoodSaver. The first one was supposed to be a heavy duty one with two pumps, but it didn't even work. Every time I read reviews of an appliance on Amazon, there are always a few that simply don't work or come already broken. Those are probably the unfortunate few who make reviews.

 

[Jacques]

I have a vacuum sealer (countertop) and it works fine.

May I ask you what is the brand of your sealer?

It is a Foodsaver.

 

[Laurentien2]

I have a vacuum sealer (countertop) and it works fine.

May I ask you what is the brand of your sealer?

It is a Foodsaver.

Where did you buy it Gandalf, I'm searching for retailer that sale the foodsaver, so far I found Canadian tire, later today I'm going to shop around for one.

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

Again, thank you Gandalf and 3D Student! :)

 

[Mikey]

Also, a while ago, I bought airtight jars (like these: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/kitchen/foodStorage/jarsTerrines?utm_medium=feed&productId=10011037&utm_source=nextag&sku=419060) and I put buckwheat flour in them and they are now stored in a dark place. This was not canning per se (where you sterilize, etc.), so I am now wondering if this is worth anything. Does anybody know?

I don't think that it will make a difference on the buckwheat when stored in those jars.

I'm also very intrigued by dehydrating meat, veggies and fruits. I think I will experiment with a self-built dehydrator which was shared earlier in this thread.

 

[Mrs.Tigersoap]

I'm also very intrigued by dehydrating meat

I think this is the first thing I'm going to experiment with. I'm gonna try to make beef jerky. If nothing else, they would make a handy breakfast on the go.

Edit: error in quote

 

[Jacques]

I have a vacuum sealer (countertop) and it works fine.

May I ask you what is the brand of your sealer?

It is a Foodsaver.

Where did you buy it Gandalf, I'm searching for retailer that sale the foodsaver, so far I found Canadian tire, later today I'm going to shop around for one.

I bought it at Costco when it was on promotion. Same thing for the bags.

From time to time, you can have it on sale too at Canadian tire. It was half price in the last week of December.

 

[Laurentien2]

I bought it at Costco when it was on promotion. Same thing for the bags.

From time to time, you can have it on sale too at Canadian tire. It was half price in the last week of December.

Thanks, will have a look at Cosco too.

 

[Lucius]

From what I've read so far puts the sausage to drippings jars and floods.
Seeking information on the brewing jars, from what I read, you can burn in the oven with hot air. I have to read all the materials and get on with testing the learning is fun:)

 

[skycsil]

My grandma used to preserve meat (previously cooked) into large jars filled with vinegar and lots of spices, covered with a layer of oil. The jars need to be sterilized after and before putting the food in.

 

[3DStudent]

What are the chances that the water taps will go out? I'm wondering if I should get a reverse osmosis system. But if the water went dry, then I'd have to boil distill water.

I'm also wondering about buying gold or silver. I'm guessing there will be a little time where it's useful when the dollar is just paper. But there will come a time when the only thing that will matter would be food, water, and warmth.

I keep daydreaming about survival situations and it's getting kind of annoying. Like my predator will eventually go into some violent situation.

There's an article on Russia's collapse in the Dot Connector that talks about simply surviving versus living. Maybe having things that will entertain you and keep some kind of normalcy of previous life would be useful. I think that's where "it's the soul that counts" comes in. Making the most of a hard situation.

 

[Lucius]

What are the chances that the water taps will go out? I'm wondering if I should get a reverse osmosis system. But if the water went dry, then I'd have to boil distill water.

I'm also wondering about buying gold or silver. I'm guessing there will be a little time where it's useful when the dollar is just paper. But there will come a time when the only thing that will matter would be food, water, and warmth.

I keep daydreaming about survival situations and it's getting kind of annoying. Like my predator will eventually go into some violent situation.

There's an article on Russia's collapse in the Dot Connector that talks about simply surviving versus living. Maybe having things that will entertain you and keep some kind of normalcy of previous life would be useful. I think that's where "it's the soul that counts" comes in. Making the most of a hard situation.

think fair to middling let's, iflet's say whole system and it has to fall so ? it is maybe good exit taking credit and buying for every bit of it these things which you described ? unfortunately in country where it lives now we earn from every 1 euro so little it is worth its weight in gold of ;)

 

[Mikey]

We canned 33 liters of stew beef yesterday. I was able to get it at 3.50 per kilo which is about 1.50 per pound. (Euros) So it's pretty cheap. But the butcher prepared me a nice batch of it and even if it was probably tough, it was good looking. Being canned will make it very tender, too.

3.50 Euros per kilo is extremely cheap. In our supermarkets, medium quality beef costs about 10 Euros per kilo. Tough beef costs about 7 Euros. I think I have to look for a special butcher or even farmer...

Edit: Regarding tough beef:

Stewing Beef is bite-sized boneless pieces of tough beef used for stews and similar dishes. Excess fat and any gristle are usually trimmed away for you.

The beef selected is meat which would require long, slow cooking anyway to make it tender. It is usually cut from the Chuck or Round; it can also come from the Shank, Neck, Clod or Plate sections.

Stewing Beef is fine from anywhere in the cow, but if you have any choice and if price makes no difference, consider meat from the Chuck, at the front part of the cow. The front part of the cow does more work, as it basically pulls the cow and the hind bit follows, so there are more ligaments and muscle tissue in the front. This is bad news for a barbeque, but good news for a stew, as long, slow heat gelatinizes collagen in this tissue, which is nice in a stew. As an added bonus, there's more fat at the front than at the relatively lean back end, fat that bastes the meat during this long cooking to keep it juicy.

It's a lucky coincidence that ideal beef for canning is also the cheapest!

 

[SolarMother]

3Dstudent

I'm also wondering about buying gold or silver. I'm guessing there will be a little time where it's useful when the dollar is just paper. But there will come a time when the only thing that will matter would be food, water, and warmth.

I am wondering about buying silver as well....is it too late at about $29 dollars an oz? Anyone in the forum know how much silver increases in value as compared to gold? I was told that it is the last thing to go, after gold is 'bought up.' Any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Z...]

I talked to an old farmer down the road one day and he told me that during WW II, the government sent troops around to take the food from all the farms to feed the army. They took everything.

I was just thinking of that. The thing is, we for example live in an apartment building, with little possibility of hiding food (I actually store some of it in my wardrobe) and our basement, which is located at the far end of our building's underground parking lot and is basically a big room divided in small 3X5 m cubicles (one for each apartment) is only good for storage as long as there are no food shortages. That's probably the first place people would search, not to mention that it is accessible directly from the outside when the parking lot door opens to let cars in.

Yeah, this is a problem for those of us living in similar circumstances. I'm also living in an apartment building. I can see a time coming when roving gangs will be forcibly entering homes to search for food, and when government agents will be doing the same. So where to keep food stores? In my building we don't have personal storage space outside the apartments themselves. The apartment itself is basically a box subdivided into rooms, and this makes it very easy to search. There are no nooks and crannies, or even a loft, such as one finds in older houses. But I'm thinking that it may be better to at least have some food stored in the apartment and face that risk, rather than rely completely on the local shops and supermarkets. Another issue is that my apartment is on the second floor, and the only way out is through the front door and down the stairs (or using the lift).

Yea I have the same problem. I figured out dry cured ham is the easiest solution and can keep up to 5 years if not more - the only problem is I think I would need to have cellar or cool place to hang it during the summer.
Most sources agree that dry cured ham cannot last longer then a year if stored on room temperature, it will still be safe to eat but quality will suffer significantly.