Building A Comprehensive Food Storage

If you are reading this, you either think I'm nuts or are interested in building (or continuing to build) your home storage.  Unless you are in the category that thinks I'm nuts, congrats on your forward thinking!

There's many reasons to have a food storage program at home.  Depending on the extent of your preparations, having a storage program gives you peace of mind and room to breathe should you lose your income, suffer a natural disaster or some other catastrophic event.  Being able to feed yourself and your family will keep you alive no mater what else happens around you.

When getting started, this first thing most people ask is "what and how much"?  I've been there too.  There are a billion websites with a billion different answers to that question, but I like and use the LDS calculator http://lds.about.com/library/bl/faq/blcalculator.htm.  Of course, this is going to give you a years supply, but if you just divide it up you can see what you need by each area.  I recommend working for a one month goal, then three, then six, then nine, and finally to twelve.  You can always work passed this, but personally, even with only two of us in the household, a twelve month supply is about all I can adequately store.  If you have a bigger family, even this might be difficult.

In any event, the calculator is just a tool.  There are some things you may feel you just don't need that much of, such as rice (we don't each much of it, so we don't store much of it).  Also, you may not be comfortable with storing and using wheat.  In all honesty, I don't.  If things continue to get worse in our country I may rethink that and buy a few buckets of sealed wheat and a wheat grinder, but right now it's impractical and takes time that I quite frankly don't have.  The other thing you'll find with the calculator is that there is no mention of fruits, vegetables or meats.

**If you are a prepper or starting prepper that has convinced yourself to just store some seeds and you'll grow your own veggies, or that you'll hunt to provide all of your family's meat needs, please STOP RIGHT THERE!!!  This is the worst, most impractical thought you could have.  Not only that, but you are betting with your life!  Personally, that's not something I'd care to gamble with.  In a worst case scenario, gardening and hunting may become impossible or impractical.  You are better off to be prepared with an adequate storage program and SUPPLEMENT with growing and hunting.**

At a prepping seminar we were told once that for vegetables, you should store one can per person, per day, fruits should be the same, and if you are utilizing your dried beans then you should store one can of meat per person, for every two days.  I think this is an excellent rule of thumb and it's what we do here. 

So should your food storage be made up of commercially canned goods?  Home canned goods?  Bags or buckets or beans and rice?  #10 cans? And what about dried or freeze dried items?

My answer - a good storage is made of all of the above!

As a homesteader my first go to is to grow, then can or dry as much of my own as I can.  This is not just veggies and fruit, this is also my philosophy for meats as well.  With home canned goods you know what's in them and you know how they have been prepared.  When things are falling apart around you this little peace of mind can be priceless.

However, there are things that I just can't grow but do enjoy, such as pineapple.  Sure, I could buy fresh pineapple and can it, but the cost and time involved just doesn't make much sense.  Also, if I've had a bad year and not gotten the yields I'd hoped for, supplementing with commercially canned goods are a good way to round out our storage needs. 

For things like flour, sugar, beans, rice and pasta, invest in some good food storage buckets, lids, and liners.  If packed up right they'll last for years, so even if you don't use all those kidney beans in the next year, they'll still be good.

And now I'll talk about #10 cans.  Some of what I see in those big cans is just ridiculous.  Please don't spend $10 on a can of salt and then pay to ship it to you. You can get a 4lb box of salt at Sam's for $2.  If you are worried about keeping it dry, put it in jars and vacuum seal it.  Or in a food safe bucket.  Either way, there are just some things that are silly.  Dried beans are another example of this. 

I'm not saying you should have no #10 cans in your pantry.  I certainly have some.  Most of your dried milk powders, dehydrated cheeses, etc come in these cans.  I also buy some fruits and vegetables in these when they go on sale.  Unlike a true prepper that just keeps these in a storage forever waiting on the "apocalypse", I use mine.  I like using the freeze dried fruits to add to homemade granola or homemade ice cream, and the vegetables are great to use in casseroles or sauces to thicken them up without thickeners (the dried vegetables soak up the extra liquids).

As for dehydrated vs. freeze dried?  Well, this depends on you.  Freeze dried will store longer, but dehydrated you can do on your own.  Freeze drying does preserve more nutrients, but keep in mind that the price tag is higher.  I recommend experimenting and seeing what you like.  I keep some of both, depending on what the item is and what I intend to use it for.

I think we all should have at least something stored away.  Living in a hurricane and tornado area regularly drives that point home, but even if you don't, the ever rising food prices and the instability of the world around us should make us all a little concerned.

At the end of the day though, do what you heart tells you to do.

That Time of Month... Bills and Inventory

I know you read the first part of that title and started to skip this entry.  A ridiculous title I know, but I was trying to have a little humor this morning.

 

My husband still works a full time, regular job, but being a salaried position in his company he gets paid just once a month.  Believe it or not, I like this better than every week or every two weeks, because I can sit down, run the budget, balance the checkbook, pay the bills, and get on with my day. 

 

Payday has become a number of other things as well - it is also the day I give our Pyrenees his monthly heart worm preventative, evaluate the critters' health, and take inventory.

 

I'm sure that sounds a little strange.  I mean honestly, how many of us do an inventory of anything at home, especially monthly?

 

Well, as a prepper and homesteader, I do.  Every month.  I keep a spreadsheet on the computer and I go throughout my storage areas and take a complete count of my canned goods and staples.  The only thing I don't really count food wise is my freezer and refrigerator items.  Sure, I have a large supply of meats and some vegetables in the freezer, and in a power down or other catastrophic situation I have a backup way to home can those items (although limited).  However, if something happens to me, my family doesn't know how to pressure can and may loose those meats.  Best to be prepared with items already canned and use what's in the freezer as a bonus.

 

My food storage spreadsheet is my own creation, and breaks down into categories, such as Rice & Grains, Beans, Meats, Sugars, Fruits, Vegetables, Dairy, Cooking & Preserving Items, Fats & Oils, Baking Items, and Water.  Under each category is a listing of items (for instance, under Dairy is Dry Milk, Evaporated Milk, Cheeses [powdered], Cheeses [freeze dried], and other).  I then have a column for entering my on hand quantities, in whatever units of measure I am using (for vegetables and fruits it's cans; jams are half pint jars; dairy items are usually by lbs except for evaporated milk which is by cans)  Columns are as listed that show me my target for 3, 6, 9, and 12 months.  I've gotten sorta advanced, and the spreadsheet will take my on hands, compare them to my target values, and tells me if I am over or under for each area.  Very helpful to know exactly where you stand, and gives you a chance to identify areas where you are week.

 

Monthly paydays also mean a monthly shopping day, which I usually do about mid-month.  I take a list of what I am lacking from my food storage, compare it to coupons and local ads, and try to build up whatever areas I am week in.  Sure, this doesn't always cover the things I need for my storage, but for most items it helps a lot.

 

In my next blog I'll talk a little about what goes in to a comprehensive food storage program.

 

Have a great day!

Making A Rewards Card Work

As homesteaders and preppers we doing everything we can to stay out of debt and avoid credit cards.  However, living where we live sometimes means that we need to order our prepping supplies online, and unless you feel comfortable using a debit card on the Internet (and I don't!), this requires a credit card.

 

There are literally thousands of rewards cards, offering cash back to airline miles to grocery bucks.  We use the Kroger Rewards card and earn back grocery dollars.

 

If you are only using a credit card occasionally, a rewards card does you no good.  However, with a little planning and some discipline, you can utilize your card with little to no impact to your pocket book.

 

So here's what you need to do:

1. Make a budget.  Plan out exactly what you will spend on gas, food, groceries, clothing, etc. 
2. Be disciplined!  You HAVE to stick to your budget and not deviate.
3. Pay off your bill EVERY month. 
4. USE YOUR CARD FOR EVERYTHING!  All those things in your budget that aren't true bills like the house payment, electricity, etc, should go on the card.  This earns you points on all the things you would buy anyway, like gas and groceries.

Doing this, on a card like the Kroger Rewards card you'll earn somewhere between $10-$40 per quarter back towards groceries, though it depends entirely on your monthly expenditures.  For us, it works out to about $120 per year - that's a lot of flour, sugar, and other staples! 

 

I know what you are probably thinking, why have a credit card just to earn such a small amount back in grocery checks?  In my thinking, why not earn rewards for things I'm going to buy anyways?  Regardless of whether we were paying in cash, by bank card or by credit card, the budget has stayed the same.  As long as you exercise the same discipline that you would normally use, this is a great system for making a little extra. 

 

Unlike the other cards out there, we like that we earn double or even triple points when we shop at Kroger, which is wonderful because that's where we go for our groceries anyway.  There are cash back programs on cards like Discover, but when I crunched the numbers I found that the Kroger card earned us the most bang for our buck.

 

If you have a problem with self control, by all means, stay away from credit cards!  But, if you can handle yourself and your monthly budget, you just might find that you can earn a little something extra with one of these cards.

What Needs to Happen to Leave The Rat Race

For those of us who live a homesteading life, we'd all (well, maybe not all) like to give up the corporate 9-5 and make our income off of the farm.  Realistically though, for most of us that will never happen.

 

To make it happen, a lot of things have to be in place.  For one, you need a paid off homestead.  You'll also need your own water supply and off grid power.  You'll need fertile land and good gardening practices, and animals that you can raise on feeds you grow yourself. 

 

Even then there are things that are going to require some cash.  Insurance (both home and health), taxes, auto insurance, gas and vehicle maintenance items, and the staples that you just can't make yourself (like sugar, cocoa, etc).  The modern homesteader must have an income stream of some sort.

 

Now, there are a thousand articles from a thousand authors that talk about what you can do to make money on your farm.  While some are fantastic ideas, some are just about impossible depending on where you live and if you don't want the trouble and expense of having a business license and business taxes.  Keep in mind that there are federal, state and local regulations to look into as well, especially when selling fruits, vegetables, meats or livestock.

 

This blog post came into being as I thought about what we are going to have to do to reach our homesteading dreams.  For us, that is going to mean a move out of our current state, into a house half the size of our current one.  The property is large (20 acres), has a well, will have solar power to the house and a wood-burning stove.

 

Because it is so far out of any town, selling eggs like I do now is probably not going to work out.  At our present home we live just off a busy road and our sign attracts enough attention to cover most of our chicken feed costs.

 

Here are the ideas that we are either doing now, or planning to do there:

 

1.  Start my own Etsy store and/or website and sell homemade goods.  This is something I am working on right now.  Since I love to crochet, quilt, and sew this one is a no brainer to me.  The key is going to be word of mouth and lots of advertising wherever I can.  Once this gets up and rolling I'll blog about it.

2.  Hatching chicks and selling chickens.  I already do this now.  I usually advertise on CraigsList or go to a local small animal swap.  I don't have the expense of a large cabinet incubator and just use two small foam incubators to hatch my chicks.  The power draw is pretty minimal, so this is something I can continue to do in a solar only situation.

3.  Raising rabbits.  There are several potential income streams here, and I'll blog about this soon as I'm getting started on that right now. 

4.  Raising and selling other livestock.  Right now we're doing goats, but with enough space and feed pigs may be another consideration.

5.  Offering services such as animal training or shearing.  I've been involved with llamas for nearly 20 years, and have worked as a trainer by times and offer my shearing services no matter where I live.  This is something I offer now, and while it's inconsistent work, when it comes my way it's a nice way to make a few extra bucks.

6.  Online parts.  My husband is an avid car guy and is pretty handy with a wrench.  For those that know what they are doing, buying and parting out used cars can be a viable income stream and is something he's dabbled with for years. 

 

While these things will cover a good portion of our expenses, we know that one of us is going to have to get at least a part time job for taxes, health insurance and all of those other things that we'll need, like flours, sugars, and supplies for our little "businesses".

 

I welcome other ideas, so feel free to pass them along!

 



Growing and Drying Basil

Of all the herbs you can grow indoors, I've had the most luck with Basil.  Which is good, since I love using Basil both fresh and dried.

Basil comes in literally dozens of varieties and is easy to grow, even for the novice gardener.  Some varieties do well inside, though others really do prefer the outdoors.

If growing in a garden bed, choose a sunny spot with good drainage and a quality soil.  You can sow basil seeds directly outdoors, though I've found that pre-starting them in a cell pack ensures growth.  Basil is one of the few plants that doesn't tend to suffer from transplant shock, so this method works well.  Planted near tomatoes, it helps create some of the most fantastic tomatoes you've ever had.

You can also grow basil outside in containers, and is my preferred method for any herbs grown out of doors.  (This is mostly due to the fact that some herbs can very quickly become invasive, and a good container alleviates that problem.)  Of course, this also allows you to bring them indoors during the winter if you have a good spot for them.

Basil grown indoors just needs a sunny window, a nice pot, good soil, and some regular watering.  If you have a window that is only partly sunny, you can still get basil to grow, just know that it may grow a bit slower.

No matter where you put it, you'll find that Basil is one of the quickest herbs to appear after sowing and grows rather quickly.  You can begin to use it fresh as soon as the leaves are large enough, just be careful to always leave some leaves so as not to send the plant into shock.  Simply pinch off what you need, rinse and chop.

I find that the two varieties I grow, Sweet Basil and Italian Basil, often grow far faster than I can use them.  You can always dry some to give away or for those times when you don't have any fresh.  Herbs can be dried by hanging or with a food dehydrator.

Personally, I prefer the dehydrator.  You can pinch off the leaves you want to dry or just snip off entire stems.  (Having done both, I recommend drying by the stem, as individual leaves can blow around as they dry.)  Just rinse the leaves in cool water, put on the rack, and turn on the unit.  My dehydrator has an herbs setting, but if yours does not you'll want to set it to about 100 degrees.  Drying times will depend on a number of factors, so just check on it every couple of hours.  The leaves should be dry and brittle when done. 

Once dry, crumble them up and put them in an air tight container out of direct sunlight.  I use mine up so fast that I'm not sure what the shelf life on it is, but I would imagine at least a year.

Basil is good in soups, salads, pastas, on pizza and sandwiches, and even in deserts.  You can always make pesto as well, just pick a variety that is good for it.

A Change in Plans for the Rabbitry

It's been a week of planning and re-planning here on the homestead.

As the conversation continues as to whether we will relocate to the northwest, a lot of the projects we've been planning are being reviewed.

Not knowing what the real estate market will be doing over the next few months, we are facing the possibility that we may not be able to sell the house.  Of course, we are also thinking about what happens if we do.

One thing that we've started but not finished yet was our turkey house.  The building is up (8'x16') but the inside is empty and the runs haven't been built yet.  Since the turkeys are happily living in some large mobile pens (where they've already been living for over a year), we've decided to re- purpose the building into a rabbit house and move forward with our rabbit breeding plans.

Why go through all this just to move?  Well, our thinking is twofold.  For one, we gain the experience without losing the time, and for two, we get started in the event that we don't move anyhow.

I've ordered cages and they should be here this week.  As soon as they arrive and are installed I'll share some pics.  Of course, I'll be on the lookout for some male rabbits and a couple of females soon as well!

Thinking of adding rabbits to your homestead?

Check out the Raising Rabbits Essentials e-books.

Fall is on the Way!

A cold front came through yesterday, and it has us here on the homestead already dreaming of fall.  The skies are that bright blue that only fall can bring, the temperatures are pleasant and the humidity is low (well, low to us anyhow).

 

Since I was lucky enough to get a whole box of canning pears for just $5 the other day, I've been thumbing through the canning books looking for something yummy to do with them.  I'm sure some of them will still end up just cubed and canned in syrup, but at least some of them have found their way to the crock pot to become pear butter.

 

I've never made pear butter before, but the recipe is the same as the apple butter I make every year. (See my previous posts for the recipe)  They've been cooking on low since about noon, and boy oh boy does the house smell amazing!  I'm going to let them go all night and they should be ready for canning in the morning.  Can't wait to spread some on some home made bread!

 

Another fall ritual is going strong as well - the husband broke out the chainsaw and did some woodcutting to stock back up the woodshed.  We try not to use the electric heat hardly at all during the winter, so the woodshed is very important.  Of course, I made some more paper fire bricks today as well, and with 80 degree temps all week they should get off to a good start drying.

Wonderful Canning Recipes

Yesterday I took a trip to my favorite produce stand and scored a deal on some cucumbers, tomatoes, and peaches.  I even lucked up and got an entire 20# box of pears for just $5!

Naturally, I dragged my treasures home and pulled out the canning books.  I have two that are my go-to books, Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving, and Better Homes and Gardens' You Can Can (yes, it's a silly title).

I came up with three recipes, one of which was from my mom, who has a terrific tomato relish recipe that she got from one of her sisters.  Since I love to share with those of you who read my blog, I'm posting all of them for you!

First up is Sweet Pickle Relish.  This makes the absolute best relish I've ever tasted, and is good on burgers, sausages, hot dogs, sandwiches, etc.

Ingredients

• 6 medium unwaxed cucumbers (you can use pickling cukes as well, you'll just need more of them)
• 3 green and/or red sweet bell peppers
• 6 medium onions
• 1/4 cup pickling salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons celery seeds
• 2 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric

Directions

1. Wash cucumbers and peppers.  Chop, discarding pepper seeds, membranes and stems.  Seed cucumber if desired (I don't).  Peel and chop onions.  Measure 6 cups of chopped cucumbers, 3 cups of chopped peppers and 3 cups of chopped onions.  Combine vegetables in a large bowl and sprinkle with pickling salt; add enough cold water to cover.  Let stand, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Pour vegetable mixture into colander set in sink and rinse with fresh water.  Drain well.  (Depending on how fine you cut your veggies, this may take awhile.  I let mine drain for about 30 minutes).
3. In a large pot, combine sugar, vinegar, celery seeds, mustard seeds and turmeric.  Heat to boiling.  Add drained vegetable mixture and return to boiling.  Cook, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until most of the excess liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
4. Ladle relish into a hot, sterilized jar, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes for half-pints or 15 for pints.

Zesty Peach Barbecue Sauce is the next recipe.  It's fantastic on chicken or pork, and tasty on burgers as well.

Ingredients

• 6 cups finely chopped pitted peaches
• 1 cup finely chopped seeded red bell pepper
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/4 cups liquid honey
• 3/4 cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 2 tsp salt

Directions

1. In a large pot, combine peaches, red pepper, onion, garlic, honey, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper flakes, mustard and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened to the consistency of a thin commercial barbecue sauce, about 25 minutes.
2. Ladle hot sauce into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Process in a boiling water canner, 15 minutes for half-pints and 20 minutes for pints.

Tomato Relish is the last recipe I'll share for today.  This is my aunt's recipe and delicious on pot roast and pork chops.  This has to set overnight, so be prepared to start this a day before you plan to can it up.

Ingredients

• 4 lbs tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (though I've made it without peeling and it turned out fine)
• 1 1/2 lbs of onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pickling or regular salt
• 6 red chili peppers, seeded and chopped (or 3 - 6 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped if you don't like spicy)
• 2 cups vinegar, divided
• 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tbsp flour

Directions

1. Layer tomatoes and onions in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt.  Cover and stand overnight.
2. Drain vegetables, and rinse lightly to remove excess salt.
3. Place tomatoes, onions and peppers in a large pot with 1 1/2 cups of vinegar.  Heat and boil for about 5 minutes.
4. In a separate bowl, combine 1/2 cup vinegar, brown sugar, curry and flour to form a thin paste.  Stir in to boiling vegetable mixture.
5. Turn down heat and cook for another hour.
6. Ladle hot relish into jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace.  Process in a boiling water canner for 20 minutes for pints.

Contemplating a Homestead Move

After seven years of deep south living, we are considering moving our homestead to southern Oregon. 

 

A move is going to mean a lot of things, for one, starting over with our gardens, composts, and livestock.  It means getting rid of a lot of stuff and finding new employment.  There is also the change of environment, as well as a 4,000 ft change in elevation!

 

But it also means something else.  The homestead property we are looking into is more independent.  Unlike where we live, the Oregon property is on a well, and as of now the only power into the property is by generator or solar, which promises true off-grid living.  It also means a much smaller house payment, and the opportunity to be mortgage free in just a few years.

 

It will take months before we can really move forward with any plan to leave our current area, but we are excited by the prospect of a new adventure.

 

Stay tuned!