[Home]  [GFCF Recipes]  [Frugal Weight-Loss]  [Food Storage]  [Christian Womanhood]  [Archives]  [Links]   [Contact Maggie]  [Maggie's Blog]  [Old Fashioned Education]  [Prairie Homemaker] Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.--1 Corinthians 10:31 Storehouses also for the increase of corn, and wine, and oil; 2 Chronicles 32:28 b Introduction to Food Storage. People store extra food for lots of reasons. Some folks have a religious obligation. Others know from experience that natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes and snowstorms require prudent planning to be endured comfortably and safely. A few Christians are planning for the last days when the “Beast” mentioned in the book of Revelations, will insist that everyone take his “mark” in order to buy and sell. At that future time, those who don't take the Mark of the Beast, will either starve or make due with what they've already got on hand. Another group may be waiting for bird flu to hit with pandemic efficiency, forcing quarantines on unsuspecting individuals, and turning the normally casual process of heading to the local market for a loaf of bread into a potentially contagious, if not deadly, prospect. Other motivations include protecting oneself against financial troubles or job loss. Families with “feast or famine” incomes like mine may stock up heavily during the times of feasting so they are still well provided for when resources dwindle. People who stock their pantries against a rainy day are not crack-pots. We're not all religious fanatics, doomsday survivalists or pessimistic hermits who live off the grid in a cabin in the wilderness. For the most part, pantry stockers are regular everyday people like you and me--folks who realize that a well stocked larder is simply a prudent use of resources in today's unsteady world. It's a way to take advantage of sales on goods you find yourself using week in and week out. One can make the best use of financial resources by purchasing items in bulk when the prices is at it's lowest. This is simply good money management. We all have to eat, so we might as well have some extra around in case we need it. Our hearty ancestors kept their cellars stocked with dry goods, smoked meats, salted fish and home canned produce. We modern folks can learn a lot from their example. There is very little in this uncertain world that gives one as solid a sense of security as knowing you have enough to eat, enough to feed a hungry family, no matter what the future holds. And that is what this section of Frugal Abundance is about. Providing for the family—filling, familiar, even comforting meals, no matter what the circumstances. Before you Begin. The Food Storage section of this website makes a few assumptions. First that whatever emergency you are planning for probably doesn't include access to electricity. Priority is given to foods which do not require refrigeration. Dried vegetables, grains, beans and textured vegetable protein are given precedence over mixes and processed foods. A few processed items are included for the sake of variety. Whipped Topping Mix, Stuffing and Instant Pudding are not the most wholesome items to include on one's shopping list. However, they serve specific purposes and save much time over preparing similar items from scratch, especially without the assistance of electrical gadgets to simplify their preparation. Furthermore we assume that saving money, while of vital importance, is not always the highest priority. Most of the recipes are economical to prepare, but there are a few that—once again for the sake of variety—include items such as canned shrimp, asparagus, and roasted red peppers. These items aren't obscenely expensive, but do cost more than for instance--tuna, peas and carrots. Under certain circumstances variety is worth a little extra cost, and a few of the recipes reflect this sentiment. Frugal Food Storage focuses on food exclusively. There are no tips on how to store water or which medicines and hygiene supplies you need for your emergency shelf. This information is available on many other sites and in books which do not cover food or cooking as completely as we do here. Drained & Rinsed if Possible. Several recipes state in the directions that certain foods, usually canned beans, should be "Drained & Rinsed if possible." This is done to remove sodium, sugar and the flavor of the can. If you have access to an abundant supply of water this is easily done. Open up the can of food. Pour the contents into a colander. Pour or run clean water over the food until it's well rinsed. An alternative is to drain off the canning liquid and place the food in a small basin or bowl of water. Swish the food around in the water and then drain well. If you do not have access to an abundant water supply then this step may be omitted. Simply drain the food as directed and don't worry about rinsing. The finished dish will not be significantly affected. Butter or the Alternative of your Choice. You'll find many recipes which call for “Butter or the alternative of your choice.” This allows you the opportunity to use the product you have in greatest abundance. Feel free to use any one or combination of the following: Canned Butter. Available through mail order and online. The Internet Grocer is a good place to buy it. The cans are 12-ounce each. This is equivalent to 1-1/2 cups, 3/4-pound or 3-standard sticks of butter. It keeps for at least 5 years on the pantry shelf. Home Canned Butter. I offer a recipe. Other methods can be found through an internet search. It keeps for several years, although the texture may become more liquid over time. Ghee or Butter Oil. Regular butter is heated and the solids are removed leaving only the butter fat. It keeps very well without refrigeration. Originally from India, it has been used for thousands of years because it doesn't spoil. This is the product I use most often when preparing these recipes. Ghee can be found in health food stores and the ethnic section of many supermarkets. It's not cheap, but it is cheaper than canned butter. Margarine. Keeps a few weeks without refrigeration. May replace butter in any recipe. Butter Flavored Shortening. Cheap & surprisingly versatile. This a pantry staple. For replacing butter in baking it's the best choice. Keeps on the pantry shelf for well over 2 years without any deterioration. It tastes good, not like butter or even margarine, but still good, especially in baked goods, desserts and for seasoning vegetables. Plus, since it's available in store brands it can be had very cheaply. For frying it's superior to butter or margarine while still lending that delicate buttery flavor to fried goods. Especially if you don't store butter or margarine, you should have an adequate supply of butter flavored shortening for the psychological value and ease of use. It's now widely available with 0g of Trans Fat. The only drawback to butter flavored shortening is that it's not especially good spread on bread. There is a way around this however, should circumstances dictate it's use. If you have nothing else to spread on your toast try making your own Buttery Flavored Spread. Vegetable Oil or Regular Shortening. When nothing else is available either of these can be used instead. A little experimentation may be necessary for best results. Final Assumptions Many foods used in these recipes are available locally. Grocery stores, warehouse stores, ethnic and health food stores all have good options for an emergency pantry. Other items like dehydrated vegetables and powdered eggs may have to be mail ordered. A few of the items called for may be unfamiliar. Whenever possible I have explained what a food is and where to find it. The last thing we assume is that you have access to enough water and fuel to allow for cooking dried beans, whole grains and dried vegetables. Wood stoves, campfires, fireplaces and charcoal grills provide the perfect long-simmering environment. In addition, a 2-burner propane stove, with collapsible oven or free-standing propane oven, will give you greater flexibility, especially when it's too hot for an inside fire. Stoves & Fuel Most of the recipes in this section can be cooked with a 2-burner propane camp stove and camping oven. There are a variety of other ways to cook and bake foods without electricity but I feel that these are the most reliable and user-friendly. While a wood burning cook stove is ideal, it's not an item to which everyone has access. Besides it takes a lot of space to store it, and time to learn how to use it. Even apartment dwellers can usually find room for a camp stove, oven and needed fuel, plus they're affordable. I use an 18-year-old 2-burner propane camp stove, brand name--Hillary. I don't know where it came from, or if it's still available. I do know it's reliable and I've been very pleased with it over the years. Coleman camp stoves are the most widely available and work the same way. If you don't have one yet, then this is the first thing you should purchase. Before you go out and buy one though, ask around and see if anyone in your circle of friends and family has one they want to give away or sell. This could save you some cash. If you can't find one for free, or very cheap, then have a look at your local discount department store. They can be priced anywhere from $40 to $80 depending on where you buy them and the brand name you choose. Coleman camp stoves are reliable, relatively inexpensive and have a reputation for good service. If I were in the market for a new stove, this is the kind I'd buy. After you get your stove you need fuel, propane specifically. Propane can be purchased in large refillable tanks, or smaller pound-sized tanks that are portable. I like the smaller tanks because they are easier for me to use. I find them lighter, more user friendly and for the most part unintimidating. My husband likes the big 20-pound refillable tanks because they are more economical and easier to store. The size you choose depends on your available storage area and the length of time you plan to be cooking with propane exclusively. When I do all of our normal cooking, including baking all of our bread and a few longer cooking stews made from lentils or split peas, I use about 3 pounds of fuel a week. If you do not plan on doing any baking and choose only the most quickly cooked dishes, then you can probably squeak by on 1-pound of propane a week. I hate bending over backwards to ration my fuel, so for me, having plenty of propane available is a higher priority than trying to save money on fuel. Two 20-pound tanks will last me for about 3 months, 13-weeks, or 1/4 of a year to be more specific. I would need 39 smaller 1-pound canisters to last this long, which would cost much more and take up a lot more storage space as well. As much as I personally dislike 20-pound propane tanks, I find that for our circumstances they are the best use of resources. After the stove itself and the fuel to keep it going, you need a way to bake. If you never plan on baking your own bread or a pan of brownies, then don't bother with an oven. If you have a family with children you'll find that an oven opens up a lot of territory for you that you wouldn't have with a stove alone. I find an oven saves me money by allowing me to prepare our own baked goods. This costs less than using prepared goods which also require more storage space and usually don't keep as long as basic ingredients. Additionally, we find we're able to keep our diet closer to “normal”, which is especially important for children. Camping Ovens Coleman collapsible ovens or camping ovens fit over the burner of a camp stove. They can also go on a grate over a fire. The heat from the flame rises up into the oven through a diffuser in the bottom of the oven. Inside the oven is an adjustable rack. In the center front of the oven door is a temperature gauge. It will tell you what temperature the interior of the oven has reached. It will not allow you adjust the temperature however. You must do that by adjusting the flame below the oven. It takes a little practice to get the hang of it. I burned the bottoms of several loaves of bread before I learned how to use this type of oven with any skill. Since heat emanates from the bottom of the oven, the tops of most foods will not become as brown as they do in your oven at home. The bottoms will have a tendency to brown quickly so keep an eye on them, and adjust the temperature downward as necessary. I usually use my oven in an enclosed area, well protected from wind. If you use your oven under windy conditions, it will be more difficult to maintain a steady temperature. This can make many baked goods take much longer to cook. Keep this in mind when setting up your oven. If you cook out in the open, then you may want to save your baking for calm days. Contrary to most recommendations, I don't preheat my camp oven. I think it wastes fuel, and I haven't found any real difference in the resulting cooking or browning of the baked goods. First I prepare the bread, or bar cookies, or pie, or whatever. When the preparation is completely finished, I put the pan into the oven and latch the door. Then I light the stove eye, and carefully place the oven, with the food inside, on top of the flame. I adjust the flame up to high. Then I watch the temperature dial. When the desired temperature is reached, (like 350° for instance), then I turn the flame down very low. Usually the oven will maintain the temperature for the next 20 minutes or so, often long enough to finish baking the bread or bar cookies. When the temperature begins to drop some, by about 50°, then I turn up the flame again, until the temperature inside the oven has reached my desired goal. Then I turn the flame down to low again, and let the food continue baking. For hotter temperatures, or for longer baking, I usually have to repeat this process a few times. I have found that using this procedure produces fewer burnt bottoms on my bar cookies and bread loaves. Camp ovens have to be baby-sat a lot more than home ovens, and using this technique has given me my best results. Camp ovens have smaller interiors than home ovens do. This takes some adjustment to become accustomed to. Standard 9 by 13-inch rectangular pans will not fit inside a camp oven. You must use smaller dishes and this requires recipes which produce smaller quantities. I recommend the following baking pans for use in a camp oven: 9-inch square pan 8-inch square pan 9-inch round cake pan 8 by 4-inch bread pan 9-inch pie plate Round 2-quart casserole, metal if possible When not in use camp ovens may be collapsed so they take up very little storage space. The best time to learn to use your stove and oven is before you need them. During vacation, or on a long weekend you might consider using your stove, oven, fireplace and/or grill for several days straight. This would help you familiarize yourself with the basic techniques needed for your equipment. It would also help you determine the amount and types of fuel you'll need to store. Specialized propane fired camp ovens have recently become available. Temperatures are easier to regulate and because it contains it's own heat source, these ovens don't take up burner space on your main stove. Camp stove sizes vary. Some are rectangular and are designed to accomodate 9 by 13-inch rectangular pans. Other propane camp ovens are square, similar in size to Coleman collapsible ovens. If you find yourself doing a lot of baking then an oven of this type may be a sensible investment. I don't own one yet, but hope to before too long.  Cooking Techniques When you find yourself cooking without electricity you'll notice that some preparation techniques may be different than those which you are accustomed to using. Care must be taken to avoid wasting fuel, which is a limited resource. Methods like soaking foods overnight, doing all of your prep-work before lighting the stove, and using heat-conservation to cook some foods are just as important as more glamorous aspects of cooking and should not be overlooked. Additionally propane stoves take a bit of practice to regulate with accuracy. Some stoves can maintain a very low flame, which is necessary for some dishes. Others just won't let a flame go very low before it goes out all together. It's important to determine the lowest flame your oven will maintain for an extended period of time. Rice for instance, must sit over very low heat while it cooks. Stews, especially those containing dried lentils or split peas, will use less fuel if they are allowed to simmer over a low flame with their lids firmly in place. For some of us this means using a heat diffuser or flame-tamer. This will prevent the bottom of pans from scorching and allow delicate foods to cook in the gentle heat they require. Some sporting goods stores carry heat diffusers, but probably the easiest way to find one is to Google it and then order one through the mail. I found mine at a yard sale 20 years ago and it's been working fine ever since. The one pictured to the right has a fancy design on it. Most heat diffusers are more utilitarian looking. The next method to master is Soaking. If you're using any amount of dried foods you'll find that soaking them overnight or for a few hours during the day will reduce cooking time and fuel consumption significantly. For instance, if you're having scalloped potatoes from a boxed mix for lunch then place the potatoes in the required amount of water after breakfast. Allow them to soak until you're ready to prepare lunch. When you cook the potatoes at lunch time, they will take less time to become tender because they are already partially rehydrated. This works for many foods—rice, split peas, lentils, barley, wheat, steel-cut oats, bulgur, and any dried fruit or vegetable. If you know you'll be serving a specific food at a future meal then plan your soaking time accordingly. I was slow to understand the next tip, but once I figured it out I saved a lot of fuel. At home I often pre-heat a burner or skillet before I actually use it. Sometimes I'll preheat it for a minute or two, or if I want it very hot, up to 5 minutes. When cooking with a propane stove this is never a good idea. It wastes fuel. Whenever the burner is on, there should be a pan of food or water over it. Cooking isn't just heating food until it's hot. There is prep-work that must be done before the food can be cooked. When one's fuel is limited all of the prep-work should be done first, before one starts a propane stove. For instance, all cans should be opened and mixed in the pot before lighting the stove. Skillet bread batter should be prepared, and if the bread must be rolled out or otherwise shaped, this should be done to all of the dough before lighting the stove. If you're making grilled cheese sandwiches then assemble the sandwiches completely first. All ingredients, including water and seasonings, should be pre-measured and waiting. Trying to juggle these things while your precious fuel is going up in smoke is just too hard and too wasteful. Do all prep-work first, then, at the last possible moment, when everything else is ready, do the actual cooking. Finally we come to heat-conservation. This can be as simple as pouring leftover boiling water into a thermos after heating water for a meal. The water can be used throughout the day as needed for beverages, instant soups and cereals As long as everyone is careful to seal the thermos tightly the water will remain quite hot for most of the day. Thermoses can be used for other foods too. If you make soup at lunch and one of the family members isn't home yet, you can keep their serving warm in a thermos so you won't have to waste fuel reheating it when they get home. Many grains can actually be cooked in a thermos. Measure 1-cup of grain like wheat, rice, barley or oats and place it in a thermos. Boil 3-cups of water and add to the thermos. Seal the thermos and allow the food to sit for several hours or overnight. When you're ready to eat simply drain off the extra water and spoon the grain into a bowl. It will be deliciously tender and just the right temperature for eating, not too hot and not too cold. Another type of heat-conservation makes use of a pile of towels or an old blanket or comforter. Arrange the towels or blanket in a cardboard box or clean, empty cooler. Make a little nest in the center, being certain there is enough extra insulation leftover to cover the top. Now, prepare a batch of rice. When it's time to allow the rice to sit over very low heat for 20 minutes until cooked, place the pan in your blanket nest instead of leaving it on the stove. Adjust the blankets so plenty of the “stuffing” covers the top of the pan. If you're using a cooler, then place the lid over the nest, to keep in as much warmth as possible. Allow the rice to snuggle in it's nest and continue cooking for 20 to 30 minutes. This requires zero additional fuel and eliminates the possibility of burning. A hundred years ago this method was called hay-box cooking, or a fireless cooker. It was the precursor to our modern slow-cooker. [Home]  [GFCF Recipes]  [Frugal Weight-Loss]  [Food Storage]  [Christian Womanhood]  [Archives]  [Links]   [Contact Maggie]  [Maggie's Blog]  [Old Fashioned Education]  [Prairie Homemaker] GFCF = Gluten Free & Casein Free The Christian Counter © FrugalAbundance 2007-2008  :-)  And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.  Use hospitality one to another without grudging.  As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.--1 Peter 4:8-10