stored food

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 26 Mar 2014, 16:07

If you're going to store food in case of possible shortage or other emergency, it's sense to take into account your favourite foods, ones that you don't think you'd get tired of.

In my case, it'd be pasta, though couscous comes a close second. Couscous is quicker and easier to prepare but both have the merit of plenty of carbs that can be enhanced with whatever else you have around at the time, even if it's only a few leaves or herbs.

Wholegrain pasta and couscous make the most sense because of the extra taste and nutrients - what about shelf life? Anyone aware of problems with long term (over a year) storage of these items? (I'm aware you should rotate stock during normal times but this is the preps section).

And would be your preference for a single must-have back-up stock?

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 26 Mar 2014, 16:28

dried peas are my main thing, keep for ages and I eat them all the time anyway. Big peas were a staple food of the Britons before the Romans arrived I think. This year I'm growing and hoping to dry and store my own.

Never tried wholegrain couscous, didn't know there was such a thing. I bet I'd like that, not keen on the normal couscous.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 26 Mar 2014, 16:37

We seem to be rice-wallahs at the moment, though I appreciate it's got a dirty great C-footprint and comes from miles away etc.

re. pasta, if climate change makes the UK warmer, we might be able to grow our own

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 26 Mar 2014, 16:49

extractorfan wrote:dried peas are my main thing, keep for ages and I eat them all the time anyway. Big peas were a staple food of the Britons before the Romans arrived I think. This year I'm growing and hoping to dry and store my own.

Never tried wholegrain couscous, didn't know there was such a thing. I bet I'd like that, not keen on the normal couscous.

Dried peas! Can I come and live with you?

I adore them. We can't grow enough peas to satisfy me.

Of all the couscouses (¿) I've tried, this is by far the best, in my most modest opinion. It's just way ahead of the rest, taste- and texture-wise.

It's dearer than your Laldi shite of course but no chemicals and ultra-ethical. It is some time since we could get hold of it in Ireland and it may have changed since. All of Zaytoun's products are getting harder to find due to those bastard US lapdog "neighbours" of theirs.

Zaytoun's dates (can't get them now) were simply luscious.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 26 Mar 2014, 16:52

RenewableCandy wrote:We seem to be rice-wallahs at the moment, though I appreciate it's got a dirty great C-footprint and comes from miles away etc.

re. pasta, if climate change makes the UK warmer, we might be able to grow our own

There's a (Swedish?) company making pasta from beans, organic. Honest. And it's really good, it's actually superb, doesn't break up like you think it might and of course sans gluten. Haven't been able to get hold of any in Ireland.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 26 Mar 2014, 16:55

Found a bit about it. Probably desperate expensive but it shows what can be done.

featherstick · Post by **featherstick** » 26 Mar 2014, 21:17

I think if we had staples they would be tins of tomatoes, big bags and lentils and chickpeas, and rice. We've generally got a few big bags in the cupboard and I toy with the idea of mylar-vacuum-sealing a few bags every so often. I have a lot of tins stored but some of the food is frankly inedible - Asda smartprice hotpot - bleah! Keeping it for trade or real dire straits. We are gradually running down our stores prior to re-stocking with things we know we'll eat.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 26 Mar 2014, 21:49

We buy tins o'toms in "flats" of 12. We really should buy more...

When I was a kid there existed such a thing as packets of dried onions. It occurs to me that they are a 3rd ingredient (along with the pasta/rice and the toms) to a basic meal to which you could add any passing scraps/herbs as available, and you'd always have something vaguely presentable to eat. Herbs grown on a window-ledge (or nicked from a patch you planted beside a footpath when no-one was looking) would lift it a little further.

Dried food is great, but of course its big drawback is it needs an energy input (as all the poor b***ers at food banks are finding). They are now dishing out things like tuna and sweetcorn in tins, crackers and peanut-butter etc, because that way you get the goodies but there's no need to cook.

It occurs to me that I could learn a lot from volunteering at a food bank.

extractorfan · Post by **extractorfan** » 26 Mar 2014, 22:03

It really doesn't take much energy to cook a few dried peas or
Soak a bit of couscous. In fact I bet you could eat dried peas just after soaking, not tried but wouldn't be surprised.

fuzzy · Post by **fuzzy** » 26 Mar 2014, 22:03

In the UK it's power cuts, financial crashes, epidemics, and supply chain disruption that are my worries. These could take 6 months of emergency food. I can't really see myself storing enough MRE to last my life like the bunker guys. After 6 months of true anarchy in the UK all bets are off as to the outcome. So couscous - yes, because you could rehydrate and eat without power. Only for years if you have somewhere dry to store. Tins like toms make boring food more varied in winter power cuts. Breakfast cereal could be eaten dry. Tins of fish all types. I could live on sardines, cereal, dandelion leaves, ground elder, cleavers etc. probably healthier than now. If you are on meds consider taking 1/2 dose before a GP check and get the strength cranked up by your doc. You can then take 1/2 dose of the double strength version and start stockpiling. After you have enough, you take the full wack on GP visit day and get the dose reduced back to the correct value. You can get build up several years worth [and save meds cost] over a decade this way. I would stash Olbas, aspirin etc. I have used Olbas 12+ years past it's supposed date and it's no different.

Can you eat soya mince flakes uncooked? I think it's already cooked soya flour, but maybe not?

vtsnowedin · Post by **vtsnowedin** » 26 Mar 2014, 22:36

For emergencies it doesn't have to be all that fancy. 20 pounds of all wheat flour with some baking powder and baking soda can make a lot of biscuits, pan cakes etc. Ten pounds of rolled oats for breakfast porridge and cookies. Another twenty pounds of pasta of various types then twenty pounds of dried soldier beans, peas or lintels. And of course as much rice in five gallon snapped tight pails as you have space for. If you have that then you won't go hungry and then can add canned stuff to your liking plus what you can forage from garden and woods.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 26 Mar 2014, 22:54

Soya, in all forms (bar fermented, as in soy sauce) is indigestible by humans. It's probably better to store dried meat, or for veggies, dried pulses.

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 27 Mar 2014, 10:00

RenewableCandy wrote:We seem to be rice-wallahs at the moment, though I appreciate it's got a dirty great C-footprint and comes from miles away etc.

re. pasta, if climate change makes the UK warmer, we might be able to grow our own

Pearl barley makes a nice alternative, and is local. Excellent in risottos (or should that be "barlottos"?)

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 27 Mar 2014, 10:06

vtsnowedin wrote:For emergencies it doesn't have to be all that fancy. 20 pounds of all wheat flour with some baking powder and baking soda can make a lot of biscuits, pan cakes etc. Ten pounds of rolled oats for breakfast porridge and cookies. Another twenty pounds of pasta of various types then twenty pounds of dried soldier beans, peas or lintels. And of course as much rice in five gallon snapped tight pails as you have space for. If you have that then you won't go hungry and then can add canned stuff to your liking plus what you can forage from garden and woods.

"lintels"? Bit tough on the old teeth there VTS, especially the concrete ones! Or did you mean "lentils"?

+1 on the rolled oats. Versatile and nutritious.

Tarrel · Post by **Tarrel** » 27 Mar 2014, 10:10

There hasn't been a discussion about this sort of thing on the forum for a while. Has the doomsday clock ticked another minute towards midnight?