Before the tsunami of inflation hits...

#21 11/04/08, 10:37 AM

The limited number of controlled tests I've read about have found diatomaceous earth to be a chancy protection. Dry ice, oxygen absorbers, freeze treating, or vacuum sealing will give you more certainty.

.....Alan.

mommagoose_99 · #22 11/04/08, 11:01 AM

Instead of going crazy buying food, buy seeds for next years' garden. The cost of seeds has gone way up the last couple of years.
Linda

Wisconsin Ann · #23 11/04/08, 03:54 PM

ya know....I haven't bought food stuffs this week...but our feed just dropped by almost half. the chicken feed, 18%, which a year ago was $15.00/100#, climbed to $232.00/100#...now, just today, it's $18.00/100#

With fuel prices down too, for the time being, it looks like we're about to enter a time of good prices for the consumer. Although....items in the stores are still going to be high for a few months because they're made with supplies purchased at high prices.

should be an interesting roller coaster of prices

Maura · #24 11/04/08, 04:05 PM

I bought chicken yesterday. I was amazed at how much the price had gone up in so short a time. It's mostly for the dogs, though. So, I'm heading out tomorow to see what I can get at the nearby packing house. I'm hoping for some really cheap green steer stomach.

Bruenor · #25 11/04/08, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by A.T. Hagan

Sit down in your kitchen with a pad of paper, a pencil, and a cup of your favorite beverage. Think about those foods that you consume regularly that you have some ability to store. Take your time, or better yet, jot stuff down over the course of a day as they occur to you.

Once you think you have your list pretty much complete start prioritizing each food in their order of importance to you. An example of what I mean by this would be that I'd much rather run out of canned mushrooms than tomato products so the tomatoes go gloser to the top of the list.

Now you have a list of foods that you eat regularly, that you have some ability to store, and prioritized in their order of imporatance to you. Start buying and putting away those foods until you have reached whatever level you deem worthy of keeping on hand.

Many foods do not keep well over the long-term in their store packaging so you may want to repackage those. If so you might want to look at the Prudent Food Storage FAQ for best practices. It's free to read or download via the URL in my signature below.

.....Alan.

Alan,

I have learned more from you about food storage than I ever thought possible. Whenever I see a post like this, I always know that you'll pop in and share your expertise. Even if I didn't read your name on the post, as soon as you tell someone to sit down in their kitchen with a pad of paper, a pencil, and a drink, I know that it's you.

I'm working my way through that periodical that you call a FAQ on your website. With your permission, I'd like to make a hard copy or four to share with my families.

With the highest regards,
Jason

#26 11/04/08, 08:27 PM

The FAQ is free to copy and distribute as either an electronic file or printed copy so long as it's properly attributed and not done at a profit. Please do share it with as many of your friends as it pleases you to do so.

.....Alan.

hotzcatz · #27 11/05/08, 12:44 AM

http://www.azurestandard.com/

Canning jars for less than $10 a case and they have a variety of other good stuff as well as bulk foods.

Only stock up on the kinds of things you like to eat and eat from your stored stuff. Put the new stuff behind the stuff you are currently using and as you use some, buy some more (when it is on sale) and put it at the back of the line.

bubbahead · #28 11/05/08, 06:28 AM

Folks, in regard to rotating your stock.....

Please check the dates on products you bring home before you automatically place them at the "back" of your supply. Just because you bought them after the ones already on your pantry shelf does NOT mean they will expire at a later date. Please stock by product date and not by "purchase" date.

Trust me.....I work retail and know that the warehouses do not always do the best job of rotating......LOL

snoozy · #29 11/05/08, 10:44 AM

How long does peanutbutter last, in unopened jars?

Oils are both expensive and going up rapidly, but they have a limited shelf life.

Seeds are an excellent idea, but should we be buying now or waiting for the spring catalogs?

raymilosh · #30 11/05/08, 11:57 AM

I did an experiment 3 years ago. I stored twelve standard 5 lb bags of whole wheat, white and corn flour in plastic bins in the crawl space under my house to see how well they qould handle long term storage. I sealed each bin with aluminum tape. (I also stored other emergency type food and supplies in the bins) this year, I inspected the bins. The tape had failed to keep the bins sealed at some point. I opened the bins and began using the flour. It has all survived with no apparent problems with flavor or odor. It is a bit lumpy.
So there's my food storage experience.
I wonder about how long the high prices will last...years, probably. So stored food will run out. i'm thinking it makes more sense to invest in things that allow me to produce my own food and to store it.., smoke house, corn crib, more livestock, better barns, hay storage, more fencing, root cellar,...those sorts of things.
To that end, i'm thinking of investing in things i have a hard time producing myself. tin roofing, better hand pumps, better grain mills, hunting rifle, more canning jars.