Posted on 09/04/2022 7:12:21 AM PDT by Chickensoup
What companies recommended for prepper storage foods
Any to avoid?
L8r
thank you
I’ve posted this on other Prepper threads, and will continue to do so. (I’m not going through to format the whole thing, so use the link if the formatting bothers you.)
How to Use Grocery Sales Cycles to Save Money on Food Storage
January
Post Christmas: decorations, toys, wrapping paper, etc. on clearance. Also look for regular food items packaged in holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers, etc.)
Super Bowl: soda, chips, cheese, sandwich items, condiments, crackers, snack foods, dips
National Oatmeal Month: most Quaker items will be on sale (not just oatmeal–look at Life cereal, syrup, etc.)
Winter Health: cold medicines and vitamins
Seasonal Items: canned soups & chili, household cleaners
February
National Canned Food Month: canned fruit & veggies, pie fillings, canned tuna & other meats
American Heart Month: aspirin, cholesterol meds, low cholesterol “butter” spreads/sprays, etc.
Chinese New Year: soy sauce, crunchy noodles, teriyaki sauce, ramen, stir fry sauce, stir fry veggies, water chestnuts
National Hot Breakfast Month: Malt O Meal, oatmeal, Eggo Waffles, syrup, frozen potatoes
Valentines: chocolate, Hershey’s, KY
Other: dog foods, push on store brands
March
Frozen Food Month: All things frozen
Seasonal Items: household cleaners; gardening supplies (occasionally earlier depending on where you live)
National Peanut Month: peanut butter, peanuts
St Patrick’s Day: potatoes, corned beef
Easter/Passover (sometimes not until April): eggs, ham, horseradish, spices, sugar, chocolate chips, coconut, butter, baking mixes, marshmallows
April
Easter/Passover (if not in March): eggs, ham, horseradish, spices, food coloring, sugar, chocolate chips, coconut, butter, baking mixes, marshmallows
Daylight Savings: batteries, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, light bulbs
Earth Day: organic foods, energy saver items, eco-friendly items, reusable totes/grocery bags, natural cleaners
Post Easter: decorations, toys, wrapping paper, etc. on clearance. Also look for regular food items packaged in holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers, etc.)
Other: olive oil, popsicles (change of inventory this month), Kelloggs cereal, ConAgra products
May
Memorial Day (most will be on sale again in late June/early July): soda, charcoal, grilling meats, salad dressing (often free with a coupon), potato chips, s’mores items, dips, grilling meats, hot dogs, hamburger meat, buns, marinades, juice drinks (like Capri Sun)
Allergy Meds: Alavert, Zyrtec, Claritin, etc. (and generics)
Paper Products: plates, utensils, insect repellant, sunscreen
National Pet Week: dog & cat food and treats
Cinco De Mayo: salsa, tortillas, taco seasonings
Other: General Mills cereal
June
Stay away from full priced summer items early this month that were on sale last month (and next month) such as allergy meds, paper plates, sunscreen, insect repellant, BBQ items, etc.
National Dairy Month: eggs, milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, sliced/shredded/block cheese, cream cheese, butter, yogurt, sour cream, whipping cream, whipped cream, Cool Whip, Drumsticks
Father’s Day/July 4th (end of June): BBQ items again: BBQ sauce, condiments, grilling meat, charcoal, potato chips, hamburger/hot dog buns
National Headache Month: aspirin, sinus meds, other painkillers
July
National Ice Cream Month: ice cream, popsicles, Drumsticks, etc.
More 4th of July BBQ Sales (beginning of the month): hot dogs, hamburgers, BBQ sauce, ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
Back to School Sales (sometimes at the end of the month; sometimes not until Aug): lunch meat, Lunchables, bread, cold cereal, waffles, lunchboxes, crayons, pencils, folders, binders, granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding cups
August
Back to School (may continue into September through Labor Day): lunch meat, Lunchables, bread, cold cereal (especially Kelloggs), waffles, lunchboxes, crayons, pencils, folders, binders, markers, glue, paper, granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding cups
Clorox Classroom Cleanup: sanitizing wipes, hand sanitizers
Seasonal Clearances: insect repellant, sunscreen, charcoal
September
Diabetes Products: Bayer Glucose Meters, Glucerna cereal
Tomato Products: tomato sauce/paste/juice, spaghetti sauce, canned tomatoes, tomato soup, ketchup (occasionally)
Other: honey, oral care (typically more at drug stores than grocery stores), condensed soups
October
Halloween: candy, fresh pumpkin
Holiday Baking Sales (end of month especially, but wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas week for the best deals): canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, baking chips
Daylight Savings: batteries, smoke/carbon monoxide detectors, light bulbs
Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month: dog foods and treats
Other: National Seafood Month
November
Great American Smoke Out: Nicorette, Commit, etc.
Post Halloween: candy clearances, costumes, etc. Also look for regular food items packaged in holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers, etc.)
Peanut Butter Month: peanuts, peanut butter
Holiday Baking Sales: nuts, chocolate chips, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, cake mixes
Canned Holiday Items: soup, broth
Thanksgiving Items: turkey, canned pumpkin, Stovetop Stuffing, boxed potatoes, gravy mixes, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, Jello, marshmallows
December
Christmas Dinner: gravy mixes, frozen pies, egg nog, deli platters, instant potatoes, cranberry sauce, Jello, marshmallows, sour cream dips, crackers, chips, soda, ham, turkey
Baking: flour, sugar, butter, cream, chocolate chips, cake mix, brownie mix, muffin mix, breads, pie crust, marshmallow, whipped cream
Post Thanksgiving: Look for regular food items packaged in holiday packaging that will be on sale (refrigerated cookies, breads, crackers, etc.)
https://simplefamilypreparedness.com/grocery-sales-cycles/
Some places that sell storage foods also sell canisters of “survival seeds”. Don’t bother getting those. They generally have way too few seeds, in varieties that may or may not grow well in your climate, and the species those canisters are filled with tend to be heavy on the green leafy stuff and light on starches and proteins.
My suggestion is to start by testing lots of varieties now, so you can identify what does best with your climate and growing style. Non-hybrids are generally better for seed-saving, but make sure you either know how to keep the seed pure, or know enough about plant-breeding to know what you’re selecting for.
When you identify a good variety, start socking away extra seeds every year. With some foods, such as tomatoes or squash, the seeds are abundant enough you can easily save 10 years worth in a single season. Others, such as corn or beans, are a bit trickier, simply because the seed is also the crop. For those, I suggest planting a row or two specifically for seed. If growing dry corn, save a few seeds from each ear, as corn is prone to inbreeding depression. Be aware of isolation distances, and plan accordingly.
Vegetables that are grown from tubers, bulbs, cuttings, or slips, are harder to save. It is possible to get true potato seed (TPS). I recommend Cultivariable for that. They also have articles on how best to grow potatoes from true seeds. I have not been able to find a reliable source of true seeds for things like garlic or sweet potatoes, but I keep looking.
When choosing which varieties to grow, pay attention to things like storage life as well. Some varieties of squash can be stored in a corner of the basement for over a year, with no loss of quality. Others start to go bad after a month.
Don’t neglect spices and culinary herbs. The late great Jrandomfreeper used to rant about the dangers of palate fatigue. If a person isn’t getting enough variety in their diet, it becomes harder and harder for them to eat. People have quite literally starved because of this! So, lots of herbs, lots of spices. Look into things like sorghum or sugar beets to grow as sweeteners, too. Also, don’t ignore oil-seeds, like sunflowers, sesame, or flax. Fats are essential in a survival diet.
As for how many of each type to save, my only suggestion is “more”. As you test varieties, you’ll get an idea of what kind of yield to expect. Use that to calculate how many plants you would need to supply you for a year, add 10% and double it. That’s how much to grow per year, so you’ll have a buffer if there’s a bad season. But, save seeds beyond that number, so you have them to share or barter with. Seeds are tiny. You have room.
When storing seeds, dry is better than humid, and cold is better than warm. When taking a tour of the Baker Creek warehouse, the manager there told me that seeds maintain their viability best if the temperature in F and the % humidity add up to less than 100. That said, don’t get fanatical about it. I have seeds that sat in a corner of my bedroom for 20 years, which at times had a humidifier going so strong you could see the steam, and a space heater 4 feet from the seed boxes. When tested, they still had germination rates over 90%. Seeds want to grow. It’s what they’re made for.
https://wholegrainscouncil.org/find-whole-grains/mail-order-grain-sources
http://www.thewondermill.com/
"Capacity, Power & Versatility
The WonderMill Electric Grain Mill has the capacity to perform big jobs. You can grind over 100 pounds of flour in an hour. You don't have to worry about overloading The WonderMill because of its LARGE 1250 WATT LG ELECTRONICS MOTOR. It is indeed the most powerful micronizing mills available. The WonderMill will not only grind wheat, corn, rice, and other small grains like Quinoa and Amaranth, but it will also grind legumes and beans. Go to willitgrind.com to see the large list of what The WonderMill can grind. Those who use the WonderMill for commercial applications (not under warranty) have found the WonderMill to be very durable and long lasting. Donna Poelstra's business uses a WonderMill wheat grinder to grind 100 to 200 pounds of wheat a week, and she has been using the same grain mill for over 2 years to do it. Many others use the WonderMill to grind fresh whole wheat flour at farmers markets (like Castor River Farm), running large quantities through the WonderMill throughout the day. Though the WonderMill is not a commercial grain mill it holds up well to the commercial challenge, and it will give you that same reliability in your home."
Now that is smart, I like that.
Coconut works as solid and as a liquid fat.
How much storage are you looking at, for how many, for how long?
Can you afford to just buy a truckload of Mountain House and be done with the question, or is your budget for stored foods limited to where you need more options and more of a strategy, and shopping adjustments, smart ideas, compromises?
really? I thought that the pyramids had some olive oil that was good in them.
https://grainplacefoods.com/ located east of Grand Island NE .
They offer larger sizes. Cant tell you about the shipping charges.
Now olive pits that are still viable that is possible.
What you want to remember when prepping is that you probably will not have a total lack of food available but a major reduction in the types and quantity of food available.
Something like what happened during the lockdown but much worse.
Sweeteners such as sugar, honey will be restricted as will fats and proteins. Carbs will still be available in limited qualities.
So prep accordingly. Fats are vital. Coconut oil is shelf stable. Lard is good, especially if you can it. Butter is best kept refrigerated unless you make it into ghee and can it. I do mine in half pints.
Sweeteners are not vital but they sure are nice. Honey and granulated sugar will never go bad. Store sugar in glass jars to keep it pest free. Honey I put in plastic tubs and store in the freezer to keep it from crystallizing. It jells but does not freeze. If you buy honey in bulk do not put it in a glass jar larger then a quart. Honey is very heavy and there is nothing worse then picking up your half gallon jar and watching the bottom fall out because the glass gave way.
Specially Processed Artificial Meat?
😮
We have both freeze dried and 5 gallon buckets with sealed Mylar bags filled with staples.
Right ! If you are storing foods for long term, don't forget to rotate your stock and use older store foods first.
Some long term storage supply houses have "rolling racks" that you load from the rear, and thus you have fresh stock always at the front of your storage shelves.
There are even online DIY instructions on how to build your own 'rolling shelves" for canned food goods and beverages.
Have a pen & clipboard and a list of what foods you have in storage so that you know what you have, and a date of when you expect it to expire = no surprises !
When you go to the grocery store, note that they generally put the fresher foods towards the rear of the shelf so that the uninformed consumer will buy the older stock,
since many consumers don't shop for long term storage, and rarely look for expiration dates.
If you shop mostly at one particular grocery store, acquaint yourself with the department manger and ask on what days they get re-supplied with new stock
since most grocery stores are on a regular and routine delivery schedule for resupply, and that gets you the freshest stock.
FReeper 'Greeneyes' once commented that she had frozen meat in an old freezer which did not even have a defrost cycle,
and that meat remained fresh and had no freezer burn' despite being frozen for approximately 16 years.
Maybe she was on to something
(I still miss her sage advice !)
“bread in # 10 cans”
Never seen that — do you have a link ?
One thing I always see missing on these threads are chickens.
Just a couple will provide a few eggs a week most of the year. Having fresh eggs (which need no refrigeration) added to your diet would be a great thing in tough times. Chickens can forage on their on and eat most human food scraps. Eggs would be good to barter with. Can always just eat the chicken if needed. Two chickens particularly a smaller breed could even be included in a “bug out kit”. If you are trying to be somewhere unnoticed then no roster, but if that is not an issue, then they are not that hard to raise, one hen sitting on a half dozen eggs, even if only 2 or 3 hatch gets you ahead of the game
not in northern climes they cannot forage.
they require feed and feed is expensive
You are talking very northern climes for them to not be able to forage at all. Lower 2/3rds of the lower 48 and they should be able to forage enough. They will do better with feed but not required. You can get breeds that still have the “forage instinct” but even the modern egg producer breeds will pick up they habit if needed.
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