Don’t forget to share what you were able to do this past week to have a deep pantry/food storage. Let’s encourage each other. And if you have a question feel free to ask or if you have the answer to a question feel free to answer. If you have a tip or idea you can share that also. As I said let’s make this a place where we can share and encourage others to get that deep pantry.
If you are having a hard time trying to afford filling a deep pantry, read my post on having a Deep Pantry on a tight budget.
A deep pantry a good thing to have.
Remember having a deep pantry isn’t just about having extra food on hand. It is also about having the means to survive in an emergency situation, having all the extra food isn’t going to do you much good if you can’t cook it when the power is out.
50 Pound Wheat or Flour / Toilet Tissue
50 Pounds of wheat or flour.
I don’t remember the exact price of flour at Wal-Mart, but I know it was right around 9.00 for 25 pounds. So a little under 20 dollars for 50 pounds.
50 pounds of flour or wheat, if you have a grinder you can get wheat, if not get flour. White flour will last longer then wheat flour in storage. If you live in a place that freezes during the winter get your flour now and you can store it out in a shed or somewhere where it will freeze. Just pour in a bucket, add a couple pieces of spearmint gum, and put the lid on. If it freezes real good for at least a few days, it will last a very long time (I opened some flour a few months ago from 08 and it was still good). If you don’t live where it freezes you will need to put it in some Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. If using Mylar bags you still need to put them in buckets, this will keep varmints from trying to chew through.
Toilet Tissue, This is definitely something you want to have on hand and not run out of. Even if you store a cheaper brand then what you normally use. I store bags of rags that I get for a dollar at the second hand store ( just a bunch of t-shirts, I wash in bleach when I get them home), these can be cut and used as family cloths if needed. You can read about the Family Cloth Here
How is the cooking from scratch coming along? Start with small things and work your way up to larger things such as making your own mixes, then working up to from scratch cakes and other not real detailed things and just keep working up, till everything you cook is from scratch. (you will save so much money and be eating so much more healthy).
Are you finding any alternative lighting?
If you putting back candles don’t forget matches and lighters, It would be very frustrating to have a bunch of candles but no way to light them. Also if using candles, you can put them in front of a mirror to get a little extra light in the room from them.
Put back some more water. Store bought or containers that you fill yourself. If you get store bought try to get the pba free bottles, they are better for you, and these you will be able to reuse.
Add more money to your money stash. Even if a small amount it all adds up.
What did I get done this week?
I got 7 quarts of dog food canned, we got most of the garden planted, bought two flats of strawberry’s, 2 gallons of milk I am going to try and make some yogurt, and mozzarella cheese ( tired of paying the high prices for these at the store. I think that is about all I got done, been busy trying to get yard work done.
What were you able to get done this week?
Hope you have a great week.
It’s been such a busy week and yet I’ve gotten very little accomplished. I had to thin the turnips, carrots and beets but the chickens LOVED it!! We’ve been on racoon look-out. One found a way to get into our coop and luckily only killed one of my chickens. Since then we’ve managed to diminish the herd of raccoons by 3. I’m not feeling a lot of love for this particular animal right now!!
I’ve been gathering chamomile and other herbs for drying as they become available and this week the red raspberries will be ripening and I will be picking them and freezing and making jelly with them
.
Sorry I have not gotten back with a mustard recipe. Here it mine:
The following recipe for mustard is the one my hubby likes and I add and subtract ingredients, like horseradish or whole roasted mustard seed, as it hits me. It’s not my recipe. It’s one I found years ago but recently found a similar one online at leitesculinaria.com
1 cup cold water
3/4 cup yellow powdered mustard
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 cup white vinegar
Place the water, dry mustard, salt, turmeric, garlic, and paprika in a small nonreactive saucepan and whisk until smooth. Cook the mixture over medium-low to low heat, stirring often, until it bubbles down to a thick paste.
Whisk the vinegar into the mustard mixture and continue to cook until it’s thickened to the desired consistency. (You may need to add a little more vinegar or water.)
Let the mustard cool to room temperature. Transfer the mustard to an airtight container, cover, and refrigerate.
*I put mine in a jar but if you have a mustard squeeze bottle you may wish to thin it out with water. Can also be canned but lasts a very long time due to the vinegar content.
By the way, regarding your note on toilet paper. I CAN’T EVER GET ENOUGH OF IT!!! I keep stashing but it just keeps disappearing!! LOL!!
Nina,
I am not a fan of raccoons either lol we don’t have them at this house but I had them in the house I use to live in, a lot of them they were always into stuff.They would always wipe out all my corn I had planted, in one night, just as it was ready to pick. And they can make such a mess. Thanks for the mustard recipe. I like a little spicy mustard but my husband doesn’t (the one who eats whole jalapenos lol) he wants it more milder like store bought, but pretty much all the recipes I have found are spicy. Guess I need to play around with one and see if I can get it less spicy.
I am planting more raspberry bushes this year the ones I had died ( I haven’t had very good luck with raspberry for some reason.).
Have a great week
Connie
I’m new to working on my pantry but I’m so much more aware today than ever before! In the past I have purchased a lot of canned goods but do see that doing things myself is a much better plan! I’ve ordered a wheat grinder so I will buy the wheat berries to store in case I need them. When I read this post and saw that you can dog food I thought I would ask if you will share your recipe. I have 8 dogs and worry more about feeding them than myself!
Jan,
I am so glad you are working on a pantry now, I really think it will come in handy in the future. I love my wheat grinder and being able to grind my own flour plus it is so much easier to store what then it is to store flour. I will be doing a post on canning dog food in the near future, not sure when but as soon as things slow down just a little.
Have a great day
Connie