Preparedness Part 6 – Food Management Considerations

Preparedness Part 6 – Food Management Considerations

Don Hodge for 4^thTriage

in collaboration with Will Stewart

Look if you are serious about disaster preparedness and saving money, you have to start with the concept of a “pantry”. Not a few kitchen cabinets where you hap-hazardly put contents from the grocery bags you just brought in. No, you want an organized food storage place. You need to commit to eating what you store and storing what you eat.

So you have to find the space for storing. You probably will need to add shelves. You have to protect from heat in the summer and freezing in the winter. There are many designs for shelving which save you time, space, and work. If you put your new purchases in on the same side every time and take out what you are going to use from the other side of the shelf, you’ll automatically have rotation without examining all the cans/packages to see what is oldest. That makes rotation work – without a penalty in time to do it. If you have two sets of shelves each with the output side facing each other on a common corridor, then the “harvesting” of your pantry will be that much more efficient. If you slant the shelves downward with the “in” side on top and a “lip” on the bottom (“out” side), you will save work on pushing the food forward when you add new supplies to that part of the shelf by letting gravity work for you. There are many ways to have efficiency here so put on your thinking cap.

This also means you are going to need to analyze what you like to eat and what you are eating now. You are going to have to make lists – and shop by them. Grocery stores arrange products to encourage impulse shopping. Their goal is to have you buy as much as possible – that you can pay for. Yes, they provide you a service and make it easier for you to get what you can’t grow, raise, or have the facilities to process. If you stick to carefully thought-out lists, you’ll save money. If you buy bulk containers, you’ll save money. One method for using bulk foods efficiently has been on Dr. James Dobson’s “Focus on the Family” radio program several times. This involves planning all the menus for a period (say 2 weeks or a month), breaking down each item into necessary ingredients, buying all of the ingredients, and setting aside the next day or two to prepare and cook the menu items. The final step is to place individual portions into baggies, label the contents (with date), and put in the freezer. When you are ready to eat pull the number of pouches you need for the meal, put in a pot with water, and boil for 15 minutes. Extra people at the dinner table? No sweat, pull out a few extra pouches. This can save tons of money. This saves a tremendous amount of time in daily cooking and cleaning up. Make it a joint exercise with some neighbors.

What about special sales and “targets of opportunity”? Absolutely! Particularly meats. Here again, lists (a special list of items which come up regularly on sale that you are interested in) and have capacity to store. If it’s frozen, do you have the freezer space? Chest type freezers keep cold air from draining out when you open them. A freezer or two is a great investment. Keep them in a cool place where they won’t be flooded. Have a backup generator for them. If you lose power for a few days, you can suffer a tremendous financial loss. The generator will not have to run continuously to save the contents of your freezer(s) – only a few hours at a time.

The Basic Four Survival food supply for one adult for one year is: bulk hard red winter wheat (400 lb.s), powdered milk (50 lb.s), honey (100 lb.s), and salt (8 lb.s). Use Chart 2-5 (pg 19) ”Computing Family Factor” from Stevens’ Making The Best Of Basics to calculate the total amount needed using the adult male as your base.

Adult male = 1.00; Adult female = 0.85; Teenager male = 1.40; Teenager female = 0.95; Child male = 0.95; Child female = 0.75; Infants (1-3 yrs old) = 0.50 .

Have ample supplies of any special foods needed for infants, elderly persons or persons with special dietary needs.

Store vitamins and any supplements you use. Store cooking oils (there are powder versions), salt, pepper, spices, any seasonings you use, sugar, salsas, soy sauce, tabasco, ketchup, mustard, etc. Have a large selection of comfort/stress foods - cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, chocolate, cocco, coffee, tea bags, etc. Use these to reward yourself and family upon completion of some task – or as a general “pick-me-up” treat.

Include seeds for sprouting. Sprouting does not even need light. Swish water in the jar a couple times a day – then use water in soup. This gives lots of fresh greens.

Two other points about disaster preparedness that are really important: 1) be sure to have several manual can openers; and 2) COOKING INDOORS WITH FIRE CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS.

Safety and sanitation are prime considerations – especially when trained medical treatment may be difficult or impossible to get in a timely manner. Here are some very important “Do”s and “Don’t”s.

“DO”s -

• Do keep food in covered containers.
• Do keep cooking and eating utensils clean.
• Do keep garbage in closed containers and dispose of it outside.
• Do keep garbage away from animals. Composting - or burying garbage if necessary.
• Do keep your hands clean when dealing with food by washing them with soap and water that has been boiled or disinfected.
• Do discard any food that has come into contact with contaminated floodwater.
• Do discard any prepared/cooked food that has been at room temperature for two hours or more.
• Do discard any food that has an unusual odor, color, or texture

“DON’T”s -

• Don’t eat foods from cans that are swollen, dented, or corroded, even though the product may look safe to eat.
• Don’t eat any food that looks or smells abnormal, even if the can looks normal.
• Don’t use powdered formulas with treated water.
• Don’t let garbage accumulate inside (or especially at an evacuation camp) - for fire, sanitation, and wild animal reasons.

General thoughts to keep in mind -

• Thawed food usually can be eaten if it is still “refrigerator cold” (that’s 40 degrees F).
• It can be re-frozen if it still contains ice crystals.
• Commercially canned food may be eaten out of the can without warming.
• If you want to heat a commercially canned product: Remove the label; Thoroughly wash and disinfect the can. (Use a diluted solution of one part bleach to ten parts water.); rinse; and open the can before heating.
• Remember, “When in doubt, throw it out.”
• Plan out a “sample” menu for a week or two. Try substituting a week of that “emergency” menu for a week of your normal living. You’ll find some changes you want to make.

Means of cooking -

• DO NOT USE GASOLINE TO START FIRES.
• For home in times of emergency, methods include wood stoves, propane and charcoal grills, pot-belly stoves, fireplaces, candle warmers, chafing dishes, and fondue pots.
• For fueling wood stoves, fireplaces, etc. you can make “logs” out of tightly rolled newspaper, bound with wired, soaked in water and dishwashing soap in the tub, and dried. This makes the “logs” expand and burn longer.
• Some stoves are multi-fuel burning “pellets”, corn, and/or coal. Check carefully if thinking about coal as some coal burns too hot for some stoves.
• Electric hotplates (stoves, etc.) if you have a generator, solar photo voltaic, wind turbine or other means of producing electricity.
• For evacuation it is best (from weight and space considerations) to use camp, multi-fuel backpacking stoves (Coleman®, MSR®, Peak®, etc.), camp fires (be very careful you don’t start a wildfire), and small habatchis/charcoal grills. These are for outdoor use only.
• To build a camp fire –
  • Select a sheltered spot protected from wind gusts. Remember there will be sparks floating upwards, so be careful.
  • Clear a space and put rocks around the space where the fire is to be built. Do not use rocks that have been in water (streams, lakes, etc.). When the fire gets hot, they may explode.
  • Gather wood (as dry as you can get). Avoid green/living wood. Wet wood often has a dry core of material that can be used as kindling. The outer wood can be dried over the fire and burned eventually.
  • Stack away from fire pit with sticks/logs in piles roughly by diameter. If wet, stack wood closer to fire to partially dry out.
  • Separate out really small diameter pieces (twigs and sticks) to: 1) build a small teepee open on one side and 2) add when fire first gets going.
  • Shave off a pile of wood chips. Place them inside the teepee. You can add other tinder (dry grass, small bits of bark, paper, cotton balls soaked in wax). Leave plenty of space for air to get in. No air, no fire. Have extra.
  • Magnesium fire starter bars will start fires even out of wet material. Shave off a few small shavings onto tinder then strike with knife on striker bar to get sparks. Other good devices are waterproof matches and cigarette lighters.

Storage guidelines -

• The lower the temperature and the less the humidity, the longer the items stored will keep. Keep storage temperature at least under 70 degrees F.
• For every 10 degrees F above 70, you reduce your storage life by half. For every 10 degrees F under 70, you double your storage life.
• Note that 3 to 4 feet under ground the temperature is 50 – 55 degrees F all year round.
• Do not eat from containers that are rusted, bulging, or dented.
• Secure containers up off floor from flooding, vermin, and insects.
• Metal containers lined with a plastic bag are best. Bulk grains usually come in 5 gal. plastic buckets (with liners).
• Stack buckets and containers so it’s easy to inspect them regularly. It would be a good idea to allow a cat or two to have free access to your storage area.
• If placing bulk items like grains in buckets at home, remove as much oxygen and moisture as possible. Oxygen can be removed by forcing it up and out by heavier gases like nitrogen and carbon dioxide (by placing dry ice in the bucket). This will also kill insects. Close bucket with a tight fitting lid.
• There is a tool at Emergency Essentials that makes removing the lids much easier when you want to get into them.
• Select a variety of foods and storage methods.
• Storage methods include -

• Commercial cans, i.e. “wet pack”, stores for 6 months to 2 years. Bulk (restaurant) sized cans are cheaper per serving.
• Home canning in mason jars for fruits, vegetables, and meat. Stores for two years and more – perhaps much more. You can grow your own food or buy “extra”. You don’t have to have a large garden to do canning. There are many roadside stands, farmers’ markets, and neighbors with extra.
• Home dehydrating (usually solar) and smoking. After you remove the water, vacuum seal, and store.
• To save meats in your freezer from spoiling if you lose power – make jerky. See Dr. John Raven’s excellent article “Jerky: It’s not just for Christmas anymore” on the basics of making jerky at: www.texascooking.com/features/dec2002makingjerky.htm
• A summary of Dr. Raven’s steps to make jerky:

• Cut meat into thin strips (roughly ¼” thick, ½” wide, and 6” long - removing extra fat.
• Marinate (using his quick-cook or cold method) and/or season with salt, pepper, spices, chili powder, sauces, etc. – use your imagination. Flavor to your taste.
• Place on racks (or hang), separating each piece.
• Keep temperature at 140 degrees F for 6 to 8 hours in a smoker or an oven (keep oven door cracked open).
• Hanging in sun will take several days (cover with cheesecloth to keep insects off) and bringing inside at night.
• Jerky is done when blackened - and when bent will crack but not break.
• Place in baggies and/or vacuum seal.
• Commercial Freeze Dried Foods. Usually in large #10 cans or pouches (often called MREs – Meals Ready to Eat). Stores for 5 to 10 years. Tests suggest much longer shelf life.
• Commercially packed bulk grains (and vegetable seeds) in 5 gallon buckets (or #10 cans). Stores for 5 to 10 years. Tests suggest much longer. You’ll need to have a hand powered grain mill.
• Irradiated foods. Controversial. Canadian irradiated milk will stay good for two years on the shelf without refrigeration.
• Unless you have a generator, solar photo voltaic, wind turbine or other means of producing electricity, do not depend on a refrigerator or freezers to store a lot of food.
  • Once the temperature in a refrigerator rises above 40 degrees F the food starts spoiling. You have four (4) hours to save it.
  • Without power, freezers will only keep food for several days at very best. Chest type freezers where the cold air can’t drain out will keep food frozen for several days without power - if kept closed except for very brief openings once or twice a day.
  • Use dry ice. Twenty-five pounds of dry ice will keep a 10-cubic-foot chest type freezer below freezing for 3-4 days. Use care when handling dry ice. Wear dry, heavy gloves to avoid frostbite.
  • Generators may be run for short periods of time to provide power for freezers and refrigerators. Fuel storage longer than 4 to 6 months may be a problem without additives.
  • There are refrigerators and freezers which run on propane and/or natural gas – including refrigerators in RVs.

A final note for home disaster preparedness, you can extend your food supplies in a more sustainable and self-sufficient manner as follows -

• Learn the wild foods in your area. Harvesting will stretch your supplies.
  • Many look like weeds.
  • Some like cattails will surprise you. (The pollen is a flour extender. The roots are best edible in early spring. Cattails filter out harmful pollutants and are safe to eat even growing in polluted water.)

• You can grow your own food (fruits, berries, nuts, vegetables, herbs (including medicinal), grains, chickens, ducks, catfish, tilapa, rabbits, pigs, goats/sheep, etc.) and that is always a plus – particularly with all of the contamination, chemicals, toxic additives, and hormones that we are finding in commercial products (domestic and foreign).

• Ecology Action (http://www.growbiointensive.org/) can show you how to grow all the calories an adult needs for a year in as little as 800 square feet.
  • They can show you how to turn rock dust into rich organic soil in 7 years – 60 times faster than nature. John Jeavens and his crew (based in Willits, CA) have been doing this over 35 years in over 140 countries.
  • John Jeavens’ book “How to Grow More Vegetables, Fruits, and Nuts than you thought possible” (2007 edition) is a must have.

• Include seeds for growing vegetables. Usually in vacuum packed containers which last 5 – 10 years.
  • Hybrid seed have higher rate of germination, but will not breed true if you save seeds from the plants you grow.
  • Modern hybrids usually produce a larger crop and are more resistant to diseases and blight.
  • Open pollinated or heirloom seeds are older varieties which always breed true and produce the same qualities/taste.
  • Many open pollinated breeds are more tasteful than modern hybrids.