Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: February 23 ~ 29, 2020

[ReneeT]

Good Morning, All! Thought I'd get up and get a cup of coffee in me before the short people woke up but the little one has ears like a bat and was only a couple of steps behind me coming out of our rooms! He is excited because it is 'pee outside season' again, so happily ran outside while I chose a warmer venue for my morning abulations Can't really complain about the temps today - it's in the mid 30's and expected to get up in the mid 50's, so it will be a nice day to haul the boys away from their electronics and books and put them to work outside. Gotta get some work done today as there is snow in the forecast for Thursday....

So far, the plan for today is yard cleanup - to pick up downed branches (too bad the grand-dog didn't come this weekend - he's great at picking up sticks!) and see if we can't get a fire going. I have a package of hot dogs in the fridge; and after lunch I can use the fire to take care of some some paperwork that needs to be burned, so that will work out well. We might take a walk back to the lake, see if we find more bobcat tracks - got more photos of him/her on the game cams. I also need to get rid of several clumps of a noxious weed - Creeping Charlie (I found a wild foods site that says it is edible, but today it will be going on the fire), then I will sprinkle a borax/sugar mix on the ground to get rid of the ants that help spread the nasty stuff. We will put down several layers of cardboard and Hubby will help me move the old, leaky water tank that I plan to plant sweet potatoes in on top of the cardboard; then I will mulch around it and start dumping in the soil from expired plants, plus the remains of a few bags of potting soil that I used to start cuttings last year. I'll finish filling the tank with composted manure from the sale barn..

The potting soil is what's left from starting plant cuttings last year; it's pretty easy: Lay the bag flat in a well drained area and poke holes in one side to allow for drainage. Flip the bag over and cut staggered rows of X shaped marks far enough apart for whatever you plan to grow. Make sure that the soil is moist enough to support the cuttings needs, then just plop them into the X cut areas and firm the soil around them a bit. Quick starting bed with no need to build a container (unless you need protection from frost or animal predation).

Last week's prep haul was mostly laundry soap (daughter does a lot of laundry with her business) and tp again; pretty sure there is a few months supply of both now stored at daughters (I might even tell her where I hid it ) and we are good for a couple of years at current use levels here at home. In an emergency situation, I will pull out the ziplock bags of squares I cut from a couple of flannel sheets from the thrift store for the wet work, and save the paper products for the dirty jobs.

I am soooo looking forward to gardening season - I've got two compost beds that are mellowed enough to plant in; just as soon as it warms up enough and stays that way. One of those compost beds will be for sweet potatoes, and the other for regular potatoes - I have some sprouted potatoes that I have threatened Hubby with destruction and mayhem if they happen to disappear before I get a chance to plant them (he goes on cleaning sprees sometimes when I'm at work.)

Looking at the online sale ads shows that CVS has their brand of vitamins, and also batteries on sale buy one, get one free. They also have the Spend $20/Get $5 ECB Proctor and Gamble sale going on; I need to re-stock shampoo, so will probably do that deal. Their brand of some allergy meds are buy one, get one 50% off; over the counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen are buy one, get one 50% off. Walgreens ads are meh, but they do have buy one get on free vitamins, and some deals on over the counter meds. Dollar General has All and Xtra laundry soap for reasonable prices with their coupons; 6 pks of Armour potted meat or Vienna sausages for $2.85, Swanson canned chunk chicken 12.5 oz for $2.50 (they have several varieties of canned meat). I will probably take advantage of their buy one/get one 50% off towel deal as my basement bathroom towels are getting to the point of being relegated to canning or boy/dog towels (for use outside), which means I can switch over some pretty tatty canning towels to the various rag boxes.

Well, somehow an hour plus has gone by since I started this post; guess I'd better get it sent and get back to work!

Take care, all; stay safe out there!

 

[prudentwatcher]

I hit a couple of stores, but it was mainly for things we use every day. No stocking up as I think I am about as stocked up as I can get. I read all of the stocking up lists and honestly can't find something that we don't have and need more of (other than that underground bunker).

We did get 5 more buckets of the CORRECT kitty litter (last time I ordered the wrong one). I filled two of the empties with twigs from the debris from the yard. I now have three kitty litter buckets full of twigs ready for the rocket stove. Have enough branches to break down for another one, but don't have another empty bucket yet.

We are having to take an unplanned trip to Texas to see my father, whose health is failing a lot faster than any of us realized. We leave on Tuesday and have no firm return date. Makes me nervous to travel right now, but some things you just have to do. I am certainly going to take a financial hit from work, as I can take time off, I just don't get paid when I don't work. That is going to hit the emergency fund when I wanted to save it for later, but again, sometimes you have no choice.

 

[nomifyle]

Sad to say that due to inadequate storage and neglect it looks like I've lost a great deal of my LTF storage. There must have been a leak in the shed because several cases have been damaged and disgustingly roaches have attacked the wet cases. I pulled out a couple of cases, a few cans are completely empty, several are rusted but still seem to be intact. I'm going to work on pulling them all out and probably cleaning up the cans that seem intact, opening a few to check the contents. If the food is still good I'll repack it either in mylar bags or canning jars. Seems like the wheat is in the top cases in such bad shape, plus a case of rice and quick oats. That's as far as I got because it was getting dark, back in there on Tuesday because its going to rain tonight and tomorrow.

Judy

 

[moldy]

Prayers for you and your family, Renee

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Sad to say that due to inadequate storage and neglect it looks like I've lost a great deal of my LTF storage. There must have been a leak in the shed because several cases have been damaged and disgustingly roaches have attacked the wet cases. I pulled out a couple of cases, a few cans are completely empty, several are rusted but still seem to be intact. I'm going to work on pulling them all out and probably cleaning up the cans that seem intact, opening a few to check the contents. If the food is still good I'll repack it either in mylar bags or canning jars. Seems like the wheat is in the top cases in such bad shape, plus a case of rice and quick oats. That's as far as I got because it was getting dark, back in there on Tuesday because its going to rain tonight and tomorrow.

Judy

Gosh! I hate to hear that! Hopefully, you'll get to make it all back up soon.

 

[nomifyle]

Gosh! I hate to hear that! Hopefully, you'll get to make it all back up soon.

Probably not, this was cases of #10 cans of long term food storage, I'll never be able to afford it again.

Judy

 

[SouthernBreeze]

Probably not, this was cases of #10 cans of long term food storage, I'll never be able to afford it again.

Judy

I can surely understand that. We would not be financially able to start over, either. All of our long term storage food was bought, before CaryC retired. We're barely managing to update our pantry every two weeks.

 

[nomifyle]

I can surely understand that. We would not be financially able to start over, either. All of our long term storage food was bought, before CaryC retired. We're barely managing to update our pantry every two weeks.

This stuff was about 12 years ago, and I took a lot of money out of my 401K to buy it. No regrets, lessons learned, moving on and making the best of it.

Judy

 

[moldy]

Ok, one of the rougher weekends I've had. Feel like I am losing my mind!! Yesterday, we found that our retirement place had been broken into. They kicked in a couple doors and stole copper wiring and an ATV. Chances of them getting caught are nil, and of actually having to pay for the crime in the negative numbers. So frustrating, but honestly it could have been so much worse. They could have burned it down.

Spent today and yesterday trying to finish up some things around the house, and this evening, I've spent swearing at the computer. I'm actually looking forward to Monday!

 

[ReneeT]

I hope that the rest of your week is brighter for you, Moldy; hugs to you...

 

[nomifyle]

I opened a can of rice, that looked pretty bad on the outside. The rice was fine, and smelled fine and the inside of the can was in new like condition. This gives me hope for most of the other cans.

Judy

 

[moldy]

Better day today. A friend and her husband are downsizing to an RV and moving. She sold me two sets of shelves very cheap, and gave me a bunch of jars and a Christmas cactus. Definitely a high point to my day. I needed to return a set of wire shelves (bought the wrong size) and when I stopped to get gas, the lovely lady that runs the station I frequent had saved a couple newspapers for me that had me on the front page. I had no idea it had been in the paper when I won the nursing award I got a few weeks ago. It was just so sweet that she thought of me. She said, "I knew you'd be around sooner or later, so I just saved a couple for you." Things like that just make my day.

Getting home, I found DH already at home. He worked more on fixing up my apothecary and I think (I think!) it's finally done except for some cleaning and stocking. He is just so awesome! I really won the husband lottery with him.

 

[nomifyle]

Moldy so glad today was a better day for you.

I opened another can from the disaster area, this time its quick oats, can not too too bad, and contents are perfect, even the o2 was soft, the can said it was produced in 08. I put the oats in mylar bag.

I'm not going to have enough buckets to put all these mylar bags in, is it okay to use totes? Fortunately I don't think everything is going to have to be repackaged. Thank God, because its a huge amount of cases of 6 cans each.

Our handyman is coming tomorrow and I'm going to get him to help me clean the cases out of the leaky shed. I'll take all the cans out of the cardboard boxes and the cans in good shape will go straight to my she shed.

Judy

 

[bcingu]

I am sure this is posted somewhere or an article similar. Just sayin.


Canned Food Shelf Life: Read This Before You Throw It Out
By Just In Case Jack 65 Comments

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Canned Food Shelf Life – Is It Really Safe One Day
And Then Bad The Next?
Are you getting ready to throw out that can of green beans just because it’s a week past its “best by” date?
Maybe you should.
Why chance eating something that could make you sick? If the label says it’s past its prime then IT’S EXPIRED. Right?
In normal times, that’s fine. I won’t challenge that logic. It’s hard to argue taking extra risks if the upside will only amount to a couple of dollars saved. I’m right there with ya.
But what about when times are not normal? Would you be so quick to toss your “expired” can of green beans if food was as scarce as water in a desert?
After SHTF, those “best by” date guidelines won’t matter. Trust me, extreme hunger will blur those lines.
What if that can of “past its prime” green beans was the only food you came across for 3 days. What if that same can of green beans meant food for your starving family?
You’ll still toss that green bean can in the trash, but it will be entirely empty of all its delicious contents. You will eat it and it will taste amazing.
And what about the chance of getting sick? There’s still that risk, but depending upon several factors, that risk is way overstated.

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Are Best By Dates An Exact Science?
The simple answer is NO. How can they be?
There are too many variables outside of a food manufacturer’s control to come up with a reliable expiration date science.
The 2 main variables that affect canned food’s storage shelf life are:
1 – Temperature exposure
Extremely high temperatures will compromise most foods. Unless you are turning grapes into raisins or actually cooking your food for consumption, you don’t want to store canned goods in high heat environments.
What’s worse is large temperature variations. Food left in high temperatures, then low temperatures, and then back to high temperatures, its shelf life will be compromised.
Unheated, uninsulated garages or attics = terrible storage locations.
2 – Can integrity
The second variable to watch out for is can damage. If a can was dropped, crushed, or dented in any way then the integrity of the can comes into question. Damaged cans may have seal issues.
If a can is damaged then the odds go up significantly of air penetrating the can. Organic matter (food) exposed to air will tend to mold. Moldy food is bad and can make you sick.
Of these two variables, the food manufacturer can only really control the second one. And only before it ships. Once it’s shipped from the canning factory, they no longer control this variable either.
For instance:

• A forklift could puncture the can during loading.
• Shifting pallets often crush the cans on trailers in traffic.
• A 17-year-old stock boy could accidentally drop it when distracted by a cute girl from his class saying “Hi”.
• Your toddler might decide to toss it out of your grocery cart, just for fun.

These are variables that food manufacturers have no way to control.
So if you were in the same shoes as the food manufacturer and you’d be held responsible (i.e. sued) for someone getting sick on your food after the “best by” date, would you choose a conservative or liberal label date?
Would you err on the side of a shorter date? Or would you err on the side of a longer one?
Yeah, exactly, you would err heavily on the side of a shorter date. The shorter the better.
Plus, by erring on the side of a shorter date the food manufacturers are helping to sell more.
That’s the definition of a Win/Win (for them).
How’s that? If people follow their “expiration” dates and those dates are short (a couple of years) then people will either:
1) Consume the product faster
OR
2) Toss out the old stuff and buy new
Either way, it will equal more sales of their product.
Let’s imagine someone purchases their canned food product and the label said it was good for 20 years. A lot of people would let that sit on their shelf for a very long time. If enough people did that, then the food manufacturers are hurting their repeat sales volumes.
Another clue that canned food shelf life dates are arbitrary suggestions is that they now don’t even say “Expiration Date”.
Nowadays the majority of canned food stamps “Best By” or “Best If Used By” labels on them.
This is a dead giveaway of the canned food expiration date hoax.
Of course, fresher food is always better. No one is arguing that fact. However, not being “best” and not being consumable are miles apart.

How About Some Proof From The Past
Did you know that the excavation of canned goods over 100 years old, proved to be completely safe to eat?
In 1865, a steamboat loaded with canned provisions left port for the mining camps in Montana. Unfortunately, it had too many provisions and the weight of the vessel caused it to sink early on in its journey.
It sat at the bottom of the Missouri River for nearly a century. Among the provisions were cans of plum tomatoes, mixed vegetables, peaches, oysters, and honey.
In 1974, several scientists at the NFPA checked the content of the cans. They found that the products still had significant nutritional value and zero microbial growth.
In fact, the chemists found that these canned goods were just as safe to eat in 1974 as they were to eat 100 years earlier.
OK so now you know expiration dates are essentially meaningless when it comes to canned food. Does that mean canned food can never go bad? No…they definitely can.
You must learn how to tell the difference between canned foods that safe to consume and those that are not.
Carefully Checking The Expiration Dates On Canned Goods At The Time Of Purchase
If you are stockpiling food for SHTF, then it is important to know which canned foods give you the most bang for your buck.
If you are going to invest in canned goods then it is best to check the “best by” dates when purchasing. As you might with a loaf of bread or gallon of milk.
Choose the cans from the back of the grocery store shelves that have the very furthest out “best by” dates.
This doesn’t mean that you have to discard them the day they expire. It’s just selecting the newest and freshest produce available at that time of purchase.

What Are Some Of The Longest Shelf Life Foods?
When preparing for long-term survival, you’ll want to choose the longest shelf life foods. In general, the canned meat shelf life tends to be the longest.
Meats such as beef stew, Spam, tuna fish, etc. tend to have quite long shelf lives.
In the canned food category, canned meat tends to last the longest. Meats such as beef stew, Spam, tuna fish, etc. tend to have quite long shelf lives.
I highly recommend the Mountain House #10 can series. Now a #10 can is a larger can for long-term bulk storage purposes.
A #10 can on average holds about 109 oz.
So these cans are larger than your regular grocery store #2 can.
But remember canned food shelf life has as much to do with how you store it, as which foods you choose to buy.
For example, you can significantly increase the canned food shelf life of soup by storing it correctly.

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Canned Goods Storage Tips
To prolong your canned food shelf life, focus on good canned food storage techniques. Keeping any food fresh past their typical shelf life depends on the conditions in which you keep these emergency food items stored.
1. To begin with, never buy the dented cans.
Sure, many people say there’s no issue to buy cans with dents. This is true if consumed quickly but if you’re stockpiling food goods, a dented can is a liability.
Don’t settle for cans or jars lids that have even minor damage. Cans with damage will lead to premature bacterial growth over time. This is often more important than the expiration dates label.
2. Canned food shelf life can be significantly affected by moisture.
You want to control the humidity in your storage environment.
Dry foods can pick up moisture that can lead to mold and bacterial growth. Moisture can also lead to the breakdown of packaging containers, such as aluminum or tin cans.
As these containers oxidize and rust, they can affect canned food shelf life.
3. Mid-range temperatures are best to improve canned goods shelf life.
Shoot for temperatures ranging from about 40 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
A study conducted by Brigham Young on wheat over the long term showed that wheat kept in cool storage, such as a basement, would be edible for years.
Wheat stored in a hot environment such as an attic would only be acceptable for consumption for five years.
On the flip side, canned food shelf life can be significantly decreased if items become frozen even if just for a short period.
4. The shelf life of canned food can also be negatively affected by direct sunlight.
While you may enjoy laying in the sun and baking, your canned goods won’t take very kindly to this process. The heat from direct sunlight will speed up the deterioration of the cans and the contents as well.

Canned Goods Expiration Dates
Canned food expiration dates don’t mean you have to throw the food out. Yet they can serve as a guideline to help you rotate your usage of these products.
They can also serve to let you know which products last longer than others. Using them simply as a reference can be helpful, as long as they are not taken too seriously.
You will not die if your green beans are a month or even a year past their expiration date if you are storing your canned goods properly to ensure that these foods last as long as possible.
But how do you know if the canned goods on your shelf are still safe to consume years past the expiration date?
There are some tell-tale signs if the shelf life of your canned food has truly passed.
The following are some signs that the food in those cans may become contaminated.
1. Don’t just look at the expiration dates on canned food.
Look at the cans themselves. Do they have dents, rust, or are they bulging?
These are signs that the food items contained in them have become compromised.
Also, the shelf life of canned food can be compromised in jars that have signs of corrosion on the lid and liquid seeping under the lid of the jar.
You should discard jars with this appearance.
2. The nose really does know.
Bad smell is a helpful indicator of rotten food. So if you’re uncertain about the shelf life of canned soup, for instance, simply open it up and take a big whiff.
A bad odor will serve as a good indicator and will let you know in most cases if the contents of the can are bad.
3. A few more signs to look out for.
Discoloration. Although by itself this might not be anything to fear, with any other signs of contamination present, it’s best to discard this food.
Don’t consume eggs that float in water.
Also, any can or jar that spurts liquid upon opening is a good sign that the food is bad.
Mold is another indicator that the food has spoiled.
The Bottom Line On The Food Expiration Date Myth
It is important to realize that the dates on canned goods simply don’t matter.
What really matters is what is in the can. If you store canned goods in ideal conditions and take good care of it, they can live well past the expiration on the can.
So when you ask yourself, “what is the shelf life of canned food?”
Keep in mind that the food is fine to eat for years to come. Using some basic common sense tips can go a long way in helping to feed your family through the tough times.
If you have concerns about the quality of the contents of a can of food you are about to consume then err on the side of caution.
It’s better to be safe than sorry.
But don’t hesitate to use your five senses to assess the shelf life of canned food. This is a better way to tell if canned foods are still safe to eat than any arbitrary date printed on the packaging.

 

[Digger]

We filled our 55 gallon barrel with off road diesel. It runs our tractor and generator.

We have added more canned goods and paper goods. I struggle with "do I need to buy more and that it will be a big nothing." Hubby is on board even if he thinks I an not rational at times. He ordered some belts and hoses for the trucks. He also got regular maintenance stuff for them.

One thing we are having trouble finding is lamp oil. We only have 2 bottles and I have opened one of them. I usually get it at Walmart, but could not find it the other day.

 

[Marseydoats]

We filled our 55 gallon barrel with off road diesel. It runs our tractor and generator.

We have added more canned goods and paper goods. I struggle with "do I need to buy more and that it will be a big nothing." Hubby is on board even if he thinks I an not rational at times. He ordered some belts and hoses for the trucks. He also got regular maintenance stuff for them.

One thing we are having trouble finding is lamp oil. We only have 2 bottles and I have opened one of them. I usually get it at Walmart, but could not find it the other day.

Digger, our small, local owned hardware store always has lamp oil. Maybe yours does, as well?
I figure, if I have bought some groceries ahead, that we will eat them anyway. I did re-consider buying much dog food since my dog is ancient and I don't know if we will replace her right away when she goes. The next one will be my last one.

 

[Digger]

Marseydoats, I am going to try our Ace hardware Monday.

I have had a hip bothering me for over 6 weeks. Yesterday I went to the chiropractor. He put the joint back in the proper position. It was better immediately. Don't wait too long to get a gimp in your get-along fixed.

 

[Hfcomms]

Picked up a new generator;

Expensive little bugger but it has an electric start. I have a 25 year old Generac that still works and a little Yamaha 1.8Kw inverter unit but it is so hard to start in winter when it gets below 15 degrees that you'll throw your shoulder out of joint before it runs and stays running or you got to bring it inside to heat up.

The Honda weighs #133 lbs and once I hooked it up and filled it was gas and oil it was a pleasure to turn the key and have it start without pulling on the cord for ten minutes. Now today I'm looking at solar panels and battery banks. It never ends. LOL!!

 

[nomifyle]

Picked up a new generator;

Expensive little bugger but it has an electric start. I have a 25 year old Generac that still works and a little Yamaha 1.8Kw inverter unit but it is so hard to start in winter when it gets below 15 degrees that you'll throw your shoulder out of joint before it runs and stays running or you got to bring it inside to heat up.

The Honda weighs #133 lbs and once I hooked it up and filled it was gas and oil it was a pleasure to turn the key and have it start without pulling on the cord for ten minutes. Now today I'm looking at solar panels and battery banks. It never ends. LOL!!

Nice, but I prefer a duel fuel generator, they use propane more economically than gas. Although we need one with an electric start, I can't get anything like that started and its getting harder and harder for DH. in addition to me not being able to start it, I also can not push the thing that turns the main off, weak old hands. So I'm SOL if DH is not here.

Judy