Feeding one person for a year $112.35 Options

[Centexan View Member Profile]

Trish - what does "GMO" mean?? Also, when you parch corn, are you talking about using dry kernels of corn or fresh, off the cob kernels? Please elaborate a little more about the process of parching, i. e. how hot, how long, how brown? Can it be stored long-term after parching?

[CrabGrassAcres View Member Profile]

GMO is genetically modified organism. GMO crops are engineered to tolerate really high doses of herbicides etc so have more chemicals in them. The genetics are also patented, so if you grow any of them out and the patent holder finds out, they can and will sue you. Best to avoid them.

Parching kills insect eggs and was an ancient method of keeping the grain usable for long periods. I don't think I would parch a lot for long term storage tho. It is so much easier to use a mylar bag and O2 absorbers.

I just spread the dried field corn on baking sheets and roast it in the oven till it is lightly browned. Do just a little at first and grind it after it cools to see how brown you want it. Parched, dried corn can be eaten without further cooking. The Indians would carry some ground parched corn with them for trail food.

Here is an interesting web site on parched corn:

(Thanks to Leah, this link has been fixed. However, I will also post the information in the Preserving forum so that it is preserved here, too.)
http://web.archive.org/web/20070711060334/...archedCorn.html






This post has been edited by Cat: Feb 12 2010, 03:06 PM

Reason for edit: fixed link

[still survieving View Member Profile]

I have to argue with farmers that say their crops are organic. A farmer down the road 2 miles has his farm certified organic.
For the past 70 yrs he has spread the same fertilizer, the same manure, greased his equipment with the same grease and lost as much oil on the land as the rest of us. his ground is no more organic then the rest of our lands.
to get the land certified organic, all we have to do is take a bunch of samples out to the county agent for inspection, who knows where the samples came from.

I've seen many loads of veggies come into their farm from other areas, repackaged in a package that says organic, so the difference in those veggies is the package.

the real difference is the city people that are willing to pay a quarter for a carrot that says organic grown and a local person that is willing to pay a couple cents for the same carrot.
I've also seen super markets that have an organic section run out of an item and seen the produce gal just open a pack from the regular stuff and put it in the organic section..

all i'm saying is don't be fooled by all that fancy organic talk. everyone wants to eat good food but the only way you're guarenteed it has never been peed,walked on or spilled on a slimey floor, you would have to grow it your self.
the name of the game today is money, just look at the meat and other food recalls in the past few yrs.
I have hauled onions out of Arizona to Upstate NY where they were repackaged and sold as if they were grown locally.

the statue of limitations is over for this one and the inspector is dead now so here goes,, we had a smoke house and meat packing place down in the village for yrs(it's closed now) the government inspector would leave his stamp with the guys in the smoke house so they could inspect their own meat, then the inspector would go tend bar all day and get paid for both jobs..

[Mt_Rider View Member Profile]

StillSurvieving....it's these kinds of stories that motivate me to Grow My Own as much as possible. Makes the hair on the back of my head stand up. I've seen enough to have no trouble believing this does happen.

CGA, I've been pondering this since you posted. This is the very thing many people could afford to do. Get just a few basics and maybe garden seeds for the rest. Even many Urban folks can grow some greens. Definitely not fancy and one would get pretty sick of the limited diet after what we're used to now. But its FOOD if it all goes very bad. 'Course I don't digest corn well at all...so I'd have to substitute. (Oddly, I don't have trouble with popped corn.) It's better, of course, to get the variety but starting with basics that will give you a great deal of calorie/nutritional count is important. Good thread.


MtRider

[JCK88 View Member Profile]

I can't do corn! So I'm storing oats and whole buckwheat.

Everyone who hasn't added seeds to their stores should put that on the list NOW!

(If you do a google search on front-yard gardening..you'll find a gold mine of info on how to integrate veggies and herbs into your front yard in a way neighbors won't think you've gone off your meds.)

Also, starting a bean cookbook will keep the bean and rice diet from being too boring. If you store beans, you must be using them--so learn to do all kinds of things with them besides just boil them. http://americanbean.org/soups-and-stews-bean-recipes/

http://americanbean.org/main-dishes-beans/

The americanbean.org site has tons of bean recipes, including desserts!

[CrabGrassAcres View Member Profile]

Originally Posted By: Mt_Rider

StillSurvieving....it's these kinds of stories that motivate me to Grow My Own as much as possible. Makes the hair on the back of my head stand up. I've seen enough to have no trouble believing this does happen.

CGA, I've been pondering this since you posted. This is the very thing many people could afford to do. Get just a few basics and maybe garden seeds for the rest. Even many Urban folks can grow some greens. Definitely not fancy and one would get pretty sick of the limited diet after what we're used to now. But its FOOD if it all goes very bad. 'Course I don't digest corn well at all...so I'd have to substitute. (Oddly, I don't have trouble with popped corn.) It's better, of course, to get the variety but starting with basics that will give you a great deal of calorie/nutritional count is important. Good thread.


MtRider

Yes, exactly! Beans and a grain will see you through many bad times. My daughter can't eat corn, and has celiac disease so I store rice (cheap) and instant potatoes (not cheap) for her.

I really would like to have enough for my sister and her family and since I do not have a lot of cash, I'm getting more beans and corn. We can grow veggies. You can grow collards or other greens without much space and you don't have to worry about a short season with them. The grains can take a lot of space and work to grow so why not stock up while they are reasonable and available?

[PureCajunSunshin... PureCajunSunshine View Member Profile]

This is a really great thread. I am nominating it to be in the Best of MrsSurvival...

If you like this thread, go here and cast your vote!

http://www.mrssurvival.com/forums/ubbthr...ge=1#Post187625

[PureCajunSunshin... PureCajunSunshine View Member Profile]

Originally Posted By: still survieving

I have to argue with farmers that say their crops are organic. A farmer down the road 2 miles has his farm certified organic.
For the past 70 yrs he has spread the same fertilizer, the same manure, greased his equipment with the same grease and lost as much oil on the land as the rest of us. his ground is no more organic then the rest of our lands.
to get the land certified organic, all we have to do is take a bunch of samples out to the county agent for inspection, who knows where the samples came from.

I have heard that there are a few organizations of ill repute that will certify anything as being 'organic'...for a price (membership fee).

Reputable organizations actually send field service employees out to physically take soil samples, and examine every nook and cranny on your property...

Also, I understand those so-called loose 'organic' certifications will not qualify to be sold in most grocery stores, and that most states have regulations that approve certifications only from a list of selected few companies that certify 'organic'.

In the herbal market, companies with good reputations subscribe to the same stringent qualifications. On the other hand, I suspect that some 'bargain herb outlets' are not as choosy...

While there is corruption in everything under the sun, I don't think the business of 'organic' is as loosely regulated as what you depicted...

[herbal View Member Profile]

hello just wondering if it is possible for the person who gave this wonderful life saving info of goods to buy if they could gift us of a month run down of what they did.This would be so valuable and would be easier to start practicing now.... wish list this is so important

[Mt_Rider View Member Profile]

Hi Herbal. Welcome to MrsS!!


Are you looking for menu plans for a month using these basic ingredients? As was noted, food fatigue would be hard to avoid...esp. for those of us who are used to incredible variety and off-season accessibility of nearly anything in the world. BUT we're talking basic fill-up and nutrient solution, not opulence, huh? And as much variety in how to prepare these ingredients would be helpful.

There are many books out about cooking with the basic ingredients of wheat, honey, oil, beans, powdered milk. But I'm not so aware of ones using corn as the grain. [grain + legume = protein]

MrsS has a gazillion recipes in Kitchen forum but if anyone knows of some threads that address these ingredients, maybe they'll help out.


Or maybe I have misunderstood your request?



MtRider

[CrabGrassAcres View Member Profile]

I'm not sure what you are asking for?

[cookiejar View Member Profile]

Originally Posted By: herbal

hello just wondering if it is possible for the person who gave this wonderful life saving info of goods to buy if they could gift us of a month run down of what they did.This would be so valuable and would be easier to start practicing now.... wish list this is so important

Need it a wee bit clearer what your asking for her chica...

[herbal View Member Profile]

okay lets say this is all the staples I have.The day comes and I have to prepare meals with only these ingedients I would hate to start practicing when under stress.Yes I agree about selection but I would like to learn with these basics .... tools under my belt so to speak as Im not a real kitchen person if you know what I mean and getting this info from someone who did it would be valuable

[CrabGrassAcres View Member Profile]

OK, first learn to make cornbread. Cook up a pot of pinto beans using only salt for a seasoning. I've eaten it this way many a time and it is ok, but boring. Some pepper sauce will help. Go out and gather some greens from your garden or the pasture or the woods. Cook up a mess of them. If you have nothing but grass in the yard boil that up for soup, but take the grass out before serving. You will have to drink it, but it is nutritious. Make sure it is not grass that has been sprayed with anything and wash it well before cooking.

Next look for recipes using "polenta". It is nothing but ground cornmeal mush, but polenta is chic and mush isn't so the recipes are for polenta.

Try parching the corn before you grind it. Bake it in a slow 250* oven till it is very lightly brown. Grind it when it is cool. Do only a small test batch at first till you know how brown you like it. You can make mush with it and it will have a different flavor than the mush you make with unparched meal.

Soaking the dry corn in lye water will make hominy. You can google for directions to do it. This frees up the b vitamins so the corn is healthier. It also gives it a different taste. You can grind it into a fine meal and use in any cornmeal recipe. You can use it in corn chowder or you can fry it in fat until crisp and salt it for corn nuts.

There are tons of recipes for pinto beans, from chili to soup, tacos, burritos etc. You can even use them for baked beans. You can also grind them up and make pinto bean pie or pinto bean candy. Just google for recipes.

I would suggest you get the yr's supply of beans and corn, then as time and funds allow, start collecting other ingredients to make them more interesting. If you can do a garden, that would be great. If nothing else, start some greens and some tomatoes in buckets.

I've found that nearly everywhere I've lived, there is something that can be gathered wild or grown that will provide vitamins and 'boredom relief', but usually there are not enough calories in those things and never enough fat, to sustain life on their own.

Hope this helps.

[kappydell View Member Profile]

hey Crabgrass you are so right. Learn to cook the basic stuff now, before you have to use it under advserse conditions. (Heck, you may hate the stuff, then what??) There is more to corn than cornbread, tho that is the first thing most folks try, as did I. But think about it...how 'bout cornmeal mush, then fried mush, polenta, parched, hominy, hoecakes, cornmeal pancakes, indian pudding (yummy), tortillas, taco shells, cornmeal gravy, cornmeal soup, cornmeal cookies, cornmeal pasta, or cornmeal dumplings (great with chili beans, with or without meat). Most of my recipes for these take no or very little flour, and taste just fine. Beans?? Don't get me started...of course the most interesting recipe I just found for beans was a clam chowder using lima beans instead of spuds. I'm trying in on Friday, it looks fascinating. Hope this gives somebody ideas on how useful corn can be, and they try it.

[Fritz_Monroe View Member Profile]

That's exactly why we bought a couple of the "cooking with storage" cookbooks. We've gone throught and made up a couple dishes, but not all that much yet.

[PureCajunSunshin... PureCajunSunshine View Member Profile]

Great post CGA!!

Originally Posted By: CrabGrassAcres

Soaking the dry corn in lye water will make hominy.

A note to the uninitiated...she is NOT necessarily talking about commercial lye-from-a-can. The traditional way is a much weaker organic version made with wood ashes and water. (Until you get the hang of how it tastes and how to use it, try using canned hominy before you attempt making it 'from scratch'.)

An excellent book that zeros in on all the things that CGA mentioned (and then some!) is The Encyclopedia of Country Living: An Old Fashioned Recipe Book by Carla Emery.

It should be in every prepper's library. For more info, check out the wonderful reviews about this book (and ordering info too.)

http://www.amazon.com/Encyclopedia-Country...e/dp/0912365951

[CrabGrassAcres View Member Profile]

Thanks, PCS! Yes, do get Carla's book. It is excellent.

[herbal View Member Profile]

Man this is just the group of people I need to be around thanks for your ideas I just bought a pressure canner and I am trying to get that started .I have a few hours to fit life and these things into but this is a priority hope to try some of these soon .I will start by putting these ideas on my recipe cards.Thankyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu so much for your info will let you know how this goes.Never thought of boiling grass for soup..I am aware of most herbs but my brain never thought of this such simple things can make the world of difference when needed.

[cookiejar View Member Profile]

Originally Posted By: herbal

Man this is just the group of people I need to be around thanks for your ideas I just bought a pressure canner and I am trying to get that started .I have a few hours to fit life and these things into but this is a priority hope to try some of these soon .I will start by putting these ideas on my recipe cards.Thankyouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu so much for your info will let you know how this goes.Never thought of boiling grass for soup..I am aware of most herbs but my brain never thought of this such simple things can make the world of difference when needed.

Just take it easy chica, no one is expecting you to be an expert overnight. Easing into changes in cooking and stocking routines is a good idea. So is stocking up on great how-to books like PCS and Trish mentioned.

You'll see lots of basic *getting started* sections through all these forums and never be afraid to ask. If it's been done before someone will direct you to a good past post.

Try buying a couple of cans or bags of sugar or salt the next time you shop. You can ease into this and before you know it your a prepper.

Just becareful about Canning your own goods. No, I don't the equipment...I mean the canning folk. Once you mention your ready to try it the canning CULT from the forum further down will kidnap and make you one of theirs!!!!

Hugs and good for you folks, for going for it and to those willing to coach you along.