Posted on 06/26/2021 4:45:18 PM PDT by Roman_War_Criminal
An emergency stockpile can greatly increase your chance of survival if SHTF. But creating a stockpile can easily drain your grocery budget if you’re not careful.
Luckily, some of the best foods for stockpiling are extremely cheap, so you can buy them in quantities enough to last you several months. Here are some examples of cheap foods to stockpile:
Rice – Rice is a staple food worldwide. It is also a versatile ingredient as it can be paired with various foods or cooked with various ingredients. When stored in an airtight container, rice keeps for six months. Rice is also cheap when bought in bulk.
Pinto beans – Pinto beans can be cooked in bulk and used in soups and salads. Pinto beans are a cheap way to keep bellies full, too, since they are rich in carbohydrates, fiber and protein. Like rice, they will also keep for several months if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry. Buy pinto beans in bulk to save money.
Lentils – Lentils are another legume that should be part of your emergency stockpile. They give you lots of calories, carbohydrates, protein and dietary fiber. Lentils are typically used in soups. But they also make great additions in potato salads, roasted vegetable salads, curries, and other savory dishes.
Oil – Don’t forget to stock up on oil since you’ll need it to cook. Having oil on hand will also give you more variety since you can use it to make marinades, sauces and salad dressings. Choose healthy oils, such as coconut, sesame and olive oils.
Flour – Bread is a staple in various diets worldwide. But bread can quickly go bad and moldy. So instead of buying ready-made bread, stock up on bags of flour. Flour is the single most important baking ingredient. If you have flour, you can make whatever bread or pastry you want.
Cornmeal – Cornmeal is the main ingredient in cornbread, a staple in Native American diets. Cornbread will sustain you in a pinch. You can also use cornmeal to bread fish and chicken. (Related: Have a taste of frontier survival cooking with cornmeal pancakes.)
Chickpeas – Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a staple in the Mediterranean diet. Like other beans, chickpeas are also high in protein and dietary fiber. Buy chickpeas in bulk and store them in airtight containers for long-term storage.
Pasta – Pasta is a good source of carbohydrates. Pasta also makes a great vehicle for hearty sauces, meat and dehydrated vegetables, among other ingredients. Because pasta is dried, it can keep up to two years past the expiration date printed on the packaging. Opened dry pasta will keep for one year.
Oats – Old-fashioned rolled oats are a pantry staple. You can buy them in large bags and store them in a cool, dry place for long-term storage. Oats are also a versatile ingredient. You can use them to make overnight oats, no-bake granola bars and muffins, to name a few.
Powdered milk – Forget about stocking up on cow’s milk, which will inevitably go bad even when unopened. Stock up on powdered milk instead. You can use powdered milk to make all sorts of ingredients, such as evaporated milk, coffee creamer, yogurt, hot chocolate and cottage cheese.
Meat – Meat can still be part of an emergency stockpile. For long-term storage, you can either cure meat with salt or portion it into airtight containers and place them in the freezer. You can also dry meat to make your own jerky. Check with your local grocery store or butcher for money-saving deals and promos.
Dried foods – Don’t forget to add dried fruits, vegetables and herbs to your emergency stockpile. These foods ensure you still get to eat healthy foods when SHTF. The best part is, you can dehydrate foods yourself. Stalky and starchy foods, such as potatoes, carrots and unripe bananas, are great for dehydrating. Follow this guide to dehydrate your own foods. Learn more about building a stockpile at Preparedness.news.
You’re getting into some higher-end stuff with the salmon. But that’s OK if your SHTF budget allows it. And I like the Hormel chicken tamales in a can. Delicious. The beef ones taste funny to me. But if that’s all that’s in the pantry, down it goes. The Vienna sausages work, too. We both eat them. Some days, she’ll grab a can or two and a bottle of Fresca to take to work and eat on crackers. She’s a priss and only likes the regular or chicken Vienna sausages. I like ‘em smoked, Buffalo style, BBQ, Hot & Spicy, all of them. And don’t forget Treet and canned corned beef, the kind with the key on the side. Again, crackers and a little mustard, and you’ve got dinner.
I’ll have to look for it. We don’t have a Costco around here. Walmart, Harps(used to be country mart), and Dollar Store is all we have in our small town.
Thanks. Good to know. I have some coconut oil that I purchased quite a while back and it’s past the BB date. I’ll have to check to see if it was unrefined. I had purchased some of both when my daughter was visiting-she uses it to cook.
I used some of the unrefined to make a coco peanut butter to try out my food processor.
I have several jars in storage. I figure fats are going to be one of the big shortages and while we raise shoats and get a lot of fat from them they are not lard hogs.
Besides, I use it for skin care too.
Our plan uses Fish once a week - Salmon is for the fourth week of the month. We like Salmon Salad, but sometimes switch it up for salmon patties. It’s good for the omega - threes.
We have Tuna for the second week. Shrimp Bisque and Clam Chowder for the first and third weeks. Extra tuna cause we like it so much.
I love plain Vienna Sausages with mustard and crackers. My kids loved the beanie wienees I made at home with baked beans.
We bought some canned hash to try and see if we liked it. I’ll have to try some Treet or canned corned beef - never had that before.
I use one can of Hormel Chili without beans, one can of tamales, a pack of velveeta cheese sauce or block of cheese, garlic powder and worchester shire sauce. Micro wave it or crock pot it.
Scoop it up with oven warmed tortilla chips.
I keep all our oils even if they expire. I figure we can use a wick and make a candle out of them if nothing else.
I also read that Oil is also good to float a tablespoon on top of a container of water to prevent mosquitos.
I didn’t figure they made it any more. Now the buckets are plastic. ugh.
And at $0.78 (13.0 ¢/oz) for Contadina Roma Style with Roasted Garlic Tomato Paste, 6 Oz at Walmart (or maybe cheaper elsewhere) that is a good item to stock up on
Try some you might like it. It’s pretty sweet. I like to warm it a little and put some butter on it. I stock a few cans, in case we don’t have crackers or bread for kids peanut butter.
Where can I buy it? Walmart shows having it, but won’t let me put any in cart :-(
I did find a recipe for it, though :-)
About $3.50 a can is not that bad. Free delivery.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/B-M-Brown-Bread-Original-16-Ounce-Pack-of-12/251370665
Is “stalky” a word?
Ammo for trade.
Good list.
But what will young people do?
Most of them live on fast food and don’t know how to cook or bake.
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If they can read, one decent cook book should solve that.
Speaking of cook books. FReeper Marcella was always advising people to get this cook book:
Eating Off the Grid: storing and cooking foods without electricity Spiral-bound – June 1, 1999
https://www.amazon.com/Eating-Off-Grid-storing-
electricity/dp/0967139406
But there’s all sorts of free cookbooks/recipes on the internet - to print now for any little dear that doesn’t know how to boil and egg...or whatever. LOL
I got some from Walmart on line and also amazon had some. I’ve always thought about making some, but really I like to get the cans since they last pretty long after the BB Date.
“The oilI get for long term storage is Berio Olive Oil in the can.
The can is a better seal than plastic bottles.”
I never thought of that!! But of course, it makes perfect sense. Where do you get it?
I was thinking.....it would be easy to snack on this, while trying to store!
Thanks.
I may try some in my dehydrator, in a few weeks. Now, I wish I’d bought those Easter spiral hams, that were on sale.
does butter have to be vaccum packed?.....I usually just throw mine in the deep freeze.
Eggs...The life-extension with oil is likely because it keeps oxygen from permeating the egg shell.
I am guessing you know about the fresh egg test where put egg in water and see if it floats...If it floats to top, it is bad due to too much oxygen.
Yep I know about the float test for eggs.
Like you I thought it was the oil maybe keeping oxygen at bay.
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