Today While The Sun Shines: 10 MORE THINGS

Food Storage Amounts

1 gallon = 7 lbs wheat, rice or sugar
1 gallon = 5 lbs powdered milk or flour
1 gallon = 4 lbs macaroni
1 gallon = 3 lbs potato flakes, oatmeal, or instant milk
5 gallons = 35 lbs wheat, beans, rice, or sugar
5 gallons = 25 lbs powdered milk or flour
5 gallons = 20 lbs macaroni
5 gallons = 15 lbs potato flakes, oatmeal, or instant milk
55 gal drum = 400 lbs wheat, beans, rice, or sugar
55 gal drum = 275 lbs powdered milk or flour
55 gal drum = 225 lbs macaroni
55 gal drum = 160 lbs potato flakes, oatmeal, or instant milk

Substitutions

Cream Cheese: cottage cheese blended smooth with butter or milk

Eggs: 1 tbsp soy flour and 1 tbsp water or 1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp water

Milk / Cream: 1 cup milk = 1/3 cup dry milk plus 1 cup water or 1/2 cup evaporated milk plus 1/2 cup water

1 cup buttermilk = 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make 1 cup, let stand 5 min

1 cup heavy cream = 7/8 cup whole milk plus 1 1/2 tbsp butter

Sugar: 1 cup granulated sugar = 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar or 1 cup packed light brown sugar or 3/4 cup honey

1 cup brown sugar = 1 cup sugar plus 2 tbsp molasses

Misc:
1 pkg yeast = 1 tbsp bulk yeast or 1/2 cake compressed yeast
1 tsp baking powder = 1/4 tsp cream tartar plus 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp lemon juice = 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1 cup butter / margarine = 7/8 cup vegetable oil
1 cup dark corn syrup = 3/4 cup light plus 1/4 cup molasses
1 chopped onion = 1 tbsp instant minced
1 clove garlic = 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup tomato sauce = 3/4 cup tomato paste plus 1 cup water
1 tbsp prepared mustard = 1 tsp dry mustard plus 1 tbsp water

Thursday, February 11, 2010

10 MORE THINGS

10 Things to Know About Food Storage

Learn from others mistakes and others wisdom. That is always the best possible way. Why do we always think we know better? This article comes from www.preparednesspro.wordpress.com I am summarizing the article and also adding my own wisdom and learning curves. Don't make our mistakes, do better!!

Yeast does last indefinitely if stored in the freezer. On the shelf, it doesn't have much longer than a one year life, but in the freezer........forever!
Food storage is out there to get for really cheap or free even if you look around. Don't be afraid to ask people for those apples falling off the tree, or for excess produce in their garden. Most are more than willing to share. Be willing to work for food. I have had many opportunities to work for food. Offer to weed for a day at a market garden in exchange for produce. Offer to barter whatever services you have for food. You will be surprised how well this can work for you. Look for opportunities to glean food, they are out there always.
Learn to can with a pressure canner. I am always surprised how many people are afraid to use them. But once you get the knack of it, you will find that it is your best friend. Ask someone to show you how. You will love it. You can can meats, beans, and absolutely anything if you just cross this bridge and learn how. You can put up all of those free foods that you have worked so hard to gather. One of my favorite things that I have canned it potatoes and carrots together. They are so nice to just dump into a batch of cooked hamburger, or beans, or chicken or whatever, and you have an instant very tasty meal. And the potatoes and carrots can be free!
Learn to make your own things like cheese! There are so many things that can be made from your own basic food storage items, you just need to learn how. Food storage doesn't have to be yucky stuff, it can and should be delicious.
Learn how to use your food saver! If you don't have one, you might want to get one. It is a great investment. You can preserve all of the short term storage items, like chocolate, for many years, if you ahve them sealed in a jar or in a sealed bag. I have many ready made meals in jars and sealed bags, as well as spices, and things sealed in jars, that will have an 8 – 10 year shelf life instead of a one year life, simply because they are vaccum packed and sealed. Awesome invention!
I know they say – ONLY store what you eat – but my theory is this – definitely store what you eat – and learn to eat and use what you should be storing. Learn how to use the survival foods. Just learn it and do it – practise it and make it a way of life for you. Then when time comes to live off of it for survival – you will already be doing it. There is a real thing called appetite fatigue and it can kill people who are not used to eating certain foods and then are forced to eat them. JUST LEARN IT AND USE IT! You may think that you would never eat wheat anyways, but reality is.....if that is all there is to eat, you will eat it, and you will get sick off it, because you didn't learn to eat it when you should have.
Make your preparations now for your easy meals, your easy recipes, and make things readily accessible so that you can rotate and use what you store. Get a binder or notebook and put your favorite food storage recipes in it, and make it readily accessible. Also add to it, possible food storage substitutions, and other information. The use it!!
Food storage tools like, solar ovens, wheat grinders, food savers, pressure canners and the like are worth every penny we invest in them. And in these situations, for these tools, cheaper is not always better. Buy quality, and you will never disappointed. Buy cheap things, thinking you are getting a great deal, and you will likely be frustrated and disappointed.
Your food storage containers are so important. If you can't keep out the bugs, rodents, and moisture, you will lose alot of your food. These are your worst enemies. Keep your food dry. Keep is sealed. Don't spend thousands of dollars on food storage and then not take the proper measures to store it. You can find free or cheap buckets at restaurants or ice cream shops or other places like this. People are often more than willing to give them away. Just do a little foot work and you can be assured your storage is safe.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Ask friends and neighbors. Ask people who have knowledge. And most importantly ask Heavenly Father to help you. I have a firm testimony that if you ask HIM, you will see miracles happen that you would never have dreamed of. Are you brave enough to ask..........and then act?