There are plenty of foods designed and processed for long-term storage. But what about everyday foods from the grocery store? Anyone prepping for a catastrophic event is thinking about long-term survival foods. These are foods manufactured, processed, and packaged in a way that makes them shelf-stable for up to 20 or 30 years. They’re good … [Read more...]
27 Foods That Last For Decades
If you're stockpiling emergency foods, hopefully you have a system for rotating that food. My husband and I have a room with metal shelving units sticking out from the wall, so it's easy to pull old cans and boxes of food from one side while putting foods we just bought on the other side. There are some foods, however, for which our system is a … [Read more...]
Dutch Oven Cooking: The Complete Guide for Beginners
There are articles all over the Internet about the new kitchen gadgets you "absolutely must have in your kitchen". Unfortunately, the vast majority of these gadgets are single-use appliances and are cheaply made. If you’re serious about cooking delicious meals from scratch, you don’t need the latest plastic gizmo. You need a few quality kitchen … [Read more...]
Diatomaceous Earth: The Miracle Mineral With Dozens of Uses
So what exactly is diatomaceous earth (DE)? Well, it's the fossilized remains of small aquatic organisms that are usually found in the bottom of rivers, oceans, and lakes. These little organisms are called Diatoms. To create DE, these Diatoms are ground up to create a smooth food grade powder that is easy to use in a multitude of ways, from skin … [Read more...]
Why You Should Store Wheat Berries Instead of Flour
There is a debate among homesteaders about which form you should store your wheat in - whole berries or ground flour. One camp touts the many uses of raw berries while the other side praises the immediate use of the prepared flour. So which is better? There is no real right answer. As with so many other things in life, it comes down to your … [Read more...]
9 Ways to Preserve Dairy for Long-Term Storage
Keeping your "perishables" from perishing can be tricky. Most chickens don't produce eggs all year, and homestead cows go through dry periods. How do you make sure you have enough milk, eggs, butter, and cheese to keep your family eating well all year round? Here are 9 methods... 1. Freezing Freezing is a dependable way of extending shelf … [Read more...]
14 Foods You Shouldn’t Store for More Than a Year
When you are setting up a survival pantry, you want to choose foods that will last. Stored properly, many foods – such as beans, pasta, and white rice – can last indefinitely without refrigeration. Other foods, however, can spoil or lose their taste in less than a year. Here are 14 foods that do not store well for more than 12 months. Since many … [Read more...]
25 Items to Stock From Sam’s Club
There are plenty of great emergency foods and supplies you can buy online, but if you want to stock up without spending more money than necessary, your best bet is to get a membership to Sam's Club (or Costco). It costs about $50 a year, but you'll save so much money buying things in bulk that it's more than worth it. Sam's Club doesn't have … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Dehydrate Food Without Electricity
Dehydrating foods is one of the oldest methods of preservation, and it was practiced by people around the world long before the advent of electricity. When water is removed from food, the bacteria that cause spoilage cannot grow and multiply, which means that dehydrated foods are shelf stable for extended periods. Any modern electric food … [Read more...]
35 Emergency Foods You Should Stockpile
Modern life has led people away from their backyard gardens and well-stocked root cellars. These once farmhouse staples helped ensure that families could feed themselves no matter how long the road to town was, what the weather was like, or their economic situation. While access to grocery stores makes it seem like there’s no need to worry about … [Read more...]
7 Canning Mistakes That Can Make You Sick (Or Worse)
Common sense and creativity are things you need to have a lot of when homesteading. Most often there isn't a magic formula or set of rules for you to follow. You use your brain, hone your skills, and do what you can to keep moving forward. Learning to preserve your own food by canning is no different, except that it does come with its own set of … [Read more...]
9 Ways to Store Meat Without Refrigeration
In today’s world, it has become extremely important to prepare your family for disasters. Even something small like an ice storm could knock out power and close roadways for days at a time. To prepare for events like this, many people are beginning to realize the importance of having local food sources and keeping stored food on hand. … [Read more...]
3 Tips to Make Your Food Stockpile Last for Years
In crisis situations, you can typically survive without heat, electricity, and weapons; but you certainly cannot survive without proper sustenance. And the thing about crisis situations--they are always a surprise. Starting a stockpile will put you one step ahead of the game. Wipe away worry and preemptively smother panic by being prepared. … [Read more...]
11 Benefits of Dehydrating Food for Long-Term Storage
For thousands of years, one of humanity's greatest struggles has been preserving food. Everyone has to eat to live, so countless people have spent much of their lives in the production and processing of food. Through the years, people have tried a variety of methods including salting, smoking, fermenting, pickling, canning, drying, and freezing. … [Read more...]
8 Supplies You Need Before You Start Canning Food
What do you do when the local shops have been looted, when your crops have been destroyed by climate change, or when a mudslide has left you cut off from access to a supermarket? Easy. You turn to your fully stocked pantry of canned foods--the one you've been adding to throughout the year. When properly sealed and stored, canned fruit and salsa … [Read more...]
