The other day I was looking at my shelves full of home canned food, feeling all smug and superior - right up to the point where I actually did an inventory. Turns out I don't have enough full jars to feed two of us for a year. And in a crisis situation where I was feeding several family members, the food in jars would be gone quickly. So much for smug superiority.
When I figured the amounts needed to feed two people, I went with pint jar size. Figuring one jar each of meat and vegetables daily for the main meal, it would take 365 pints of each for one year. If we had soup for lunch 3 times weekly, I would need 312 pints of soup, as one pint is a meal for one person. If we added fruit to our diet, dividing one pint between two people twice a week, I would need 104 pints. That's over 1100 pints of food. And that's not counting foods like tomatoes, pasta sauce, chicken broth and other foods used to make different dishes.
Granted, there are other foods in storage like pasta, rice, beans, cornmeal and oatmeal, along with flour and yeast for making bread. And there are cans of tuna and salmon along with other store bought food in cans.
Thing is...it is easy to fool ourselves into thinking we have enough - to become complacent. I have 15 family members, including grands and spouses. I doubt that all of them would come knocking on my door in an emergency situation, but even if half a dozen of them did, I would be hard pressed to be able to feed them for any length of time.
Now is not the time to slack off. The world around us grows more insane by the day.
Keep on prepping.
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The main thing is not to get so much that it starts going to waste.
ReplyDeleteGorges...I use the home canned food all the time so it gets rotated out and replaced. That's one of the nice things about having a deep pantry. :)
DeleteYep...we got a 4-year reprieve in 2016, and maybe we'll get another 4 years in 2020 if the commies don't steal the election.
ReplyDeleteALL our in-laws prep here, as do we, so at least we have a strong support group here if/when TSHTF.
drjim...Truth be known, I would not be at all surprised if the upcoming election was stolen. They have tried every other dirty trick in the book.
DeleteI only have a couple of mine who get it. Others will help out by bringing me supplies when I need them, but fail to understand why I do what I do. I expect they will learn eventually.
Vicki, you are providing very realistic information and ALL should pay attention! Wake up people! Most have no idea how much food they purchase, consume, and waste each and every year. I do know that we will be forced to change our eating habits when we can no longer order a pizza-to-go. We will have to get by on smaller amounts and fewer options. Calories will be very important too. Your efforts have amazed us all, but one person can only do so much. Everyone must be willing to do their part and help with the effort. You take care...CW
ReplyDeleteCW...Yeah, I was feeling pretty smug until I realized just how much it takes to feed two people for a year. I figure two people because my son lives in the apartment next door and I know we would share if/when things go bad. But even though I have other food items stashed that can be used to stretch a meal, it just isn't enough if others are hungry. I need to concentrate more on the staples that have a longer shelf life. Guess this old dog needs to learn a new trick or two. :)
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ReplyDeleteThe staples really are critical to long term food storage. But the problem is that so very few people can cook or bake anymore. How many people do you know that can bake a loaf of bread? Consistently? And then what about all the meals these budding chefs create that no one wants to eat? Even experienced people have bloopers every once in a while. Are we going to have the luxury of just throwing it out?
ReplyDeleteOne thing that's pretty important for us to store a lot of is popcorn. It's quick and easy comfort food, high in fiber, and somewhat healthy. And it can help out when dinner isn't all that we hoped it would be.
Jennifer...Cooking from scratch is another one of those skills that are swiftly being forgotten. I am afraid there will be quite a number of hungry people should we lose electricity. Or McDonalds is closed. I don't have the luxury of tossing food out now, so I doubt it will be a good idea in crisis time. Popcorn is an excellent idea if folks remember that it can be made in a frying pan over a flame instead of in a microwave. :)
DeleteLOL, I sometimes forget that most of the popcorn consumed in this country is made in the microwave, even though I was recently the beneficiary of that ridiculous trend. My local Smith's decided to clear out their stock of bulk popcorn. The only popcorn they carry now is microwave. I bought out all the one-pound bags for next to nothing.
DeleteJennifer...Nice score on the popcorn. That's my go-to snack many evenings. I will own up to having some of the microwave variety on hand because sometimes I am lazy. But I remember how to make it using a cast iron frying pan. If we ever lose electricity, however, I will really miss my air popper. :)
DeleteHow much is enough?? Let me ask my crazy friend down in Skackoppee..Oh she says never have enough. If you didn't do it what else would you do?? Enter walker and wheel chair races down at the track?? parking security in a power scooter at Valley Fair?
ReplyDeleteThat was uncalled for.
DeleteRob...Sometimes your sarcasm can be just plain mean.
DeleteOh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to piss you off or anyone else.
DeleteApology accepted, but I'm probably going to be mad at you a little while longer.
DeleteVicki, you should be very proud of your food storage. Remember, slow and steady wins the race and you are way ahead of most...God bless, CW
ReplyDeleteThanks, CW...I am always afraid I will sound boastful and that's not my intent. I just want to give those who are working on their own preps some encouragement or an idea or two or more likely, to learn from my mistakes. We can do it - maybe not as quickly as others, but we can still do it. Never give up. :)
DeleteI lost everything when my house was razed. The guy said "no food, no clothes." I am majorly depressed about the loos of my child's outfit she came home from the hospital wearing...and my pictures, most gone.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry, Linda...I wish I had the words to make it all better for you. That has to be really tough. I can't imagine what you are going through. Just remember, you still have people who care. I'm one of them.
DeleteRotation is hard for me. I find cans (store bought) in the pantry from 2 or 3 years past use by date; which should be good if the cans are okay, I believe.
ReplyDeleteTo my surprise I found a jar of bacon fat in the fridge I had forgotten, from 2 and a half years ago!
My bread can most often be used as a paperweight. Hubby is good at scratch cooking, though.
I tried canning-and still have my water bath canner; but hubby didn't like the way things tasted (used the Blue Book), so I just get stuff from the store that I know he will like.
I was a dumb kid growing up. Could have learned so much from my granny; but didn't.
Mom wasn't a cooler and it has taken hubby years to break me of cooking the way my dad did- everything well done or very well done. :-)
I meant my mom didn't cook...
DeleteLindaG...We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I wish I had paid better attention when I was a kid, too. Thing is, your hubby is good at the things that are difficult for you. And I would guess there are chores you do that he isn't fond of doing. Nobody says the only way to build a food storage is by canning. It makes perfect sense to store the foods you like and by doing that, no matter what the method, you are ahead of most.
DeleteVicki~People have forgotten the art of being practical. They'll pay a small fortune for red flame raisins. I buy them at 88 cents a pound and make my own. Vacuum seal them and eat as needed. It takes a few minutes to grind meat into burger for meatloaf or meatballs. Scratch made anything tastes better and you know what went into it. Red
ReplyDeleteRed...I think the lack of practicality goes right along with instant gratification. Making anything from scratch takes time and so many want everything Right Now!! So many of the old skills are being lost. Sad, really.
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