Stocking Up

[helwen]

Did some shopping and then some general figuring of amounts of food in stock. I think we have around 4 months' worth, but I didn't count everything, so it could be a bit more. And of course I didn't count the local stuff, like the milk down around the corner (I have non-fat dry milk here, in case we're snowed in), or the eggs from the chickens in the barn. Oh, or the applesauce in the freezer.... hm... maybe we have 5 months' worth of food... And I have to admit, it isn't all healthy stuff.... I do like hot cocoa in the winter... it was on sale... and I had a coupon... actually, several coupons...

Useful page for dry measures:How Many Cups in a Pound of...

I may buy some more supplies, but first I need better storage containers, so that's my next project. I kind of like the idea of not having to go out much during the winter months, I have to say!

***
Interesting note on shopping at Stop & Shop. Although we'll be doing more of certain kinds of shopping more locally, and more home grown foods too, since we're kind of new to doing this and the move changed some plans, I decided to stock up as much as possible at once, at Stop & Shop. I spent a little over $200 today, and got a gas coupon. I knew that you needed to spend $50 to get a gas coupon, but what I didn't realize is that they give you .05 off per gallon per $50 spent. So, I now have a gas coupon for .20 off per gallon... nice if you can spend a lot on groceries all at once.

Comments

Apple sauce

[flidaisairmid.livejournal.com]

How do you process your apple sauce to freeze ? I kind of went nuts with buying them , and i am concerned several will go bad before we can eat them. I no longer have canning jars, so the freezer is the way I will have to go. It just crossed my mind today that there was a possibility of freezing it , but I have not gotten any free time to check it out- so it is fortuitous that you posted about this !

Re: Apple sauce

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

All I did was simmer the apples a little further than usual, not as far as apple butter, but a little richer than sauce, and let it cool.
Apple sauce holds heat amazingly well.
Once it was cool, we poured it into those "Glad" typedisposable plastic containers which we re-use anyhow, leaving about a half inch of headroom.
It froze solid in about a day.

If you have smaller kids, I would consider freezing it in ice cube trays, then placing the solid cubes into bags and sucking out all the air possible.

It will last about 8 months in the freezer, longer if in an airless container.

Re: Apple sauce

[flidaisairmid.livejournal.com]

Thanks ! Absolutely a doable thing .I was not sure if it needed the inclusion of something like vitamin c or so on because of freezing.

Re: Apple sauce

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

If you wish, you can acidulate the water the apples wait in, which will also go into the cookpot.
We used about 1 part water for about 5 parts apples, and a bare hint of cloves with a good heavy two teaspoons ( I think? ) of cinnamon. We also used about 3 cups of sweeteners. ( mostly white sugar, maybe 2 tablespoons of maple ).

I suggested to Helwen in another comment on this thread that she can easily thaw out the bricks and can them without risk, which would free up her freezer and stabilize the product for longer term.

If you cook the apples for a good long time over careful heat ( I use the oven ) you can also concentrate it to apple butter. This is fantastic to reduce peanut use.

I love cooking, food, and apples! My apple today was a "ginger-gold" which actually did have a little flavor reminiscent of ginger.

Re: Apple sauce

[flidaisairmid.livejournal.com]

Ginger golds are new to this area and are fantastic ! I bought about 8-10 pounds of these this weekend and about 5-8 pounds of galas, and those are accompanied by about 3 pounds left over from last week. We eat a lot of apples here, but in the fall when the new crop starts coming in I think I go a little nuts. Normally we eat them fresh only and toss them in salads as well ( apple coleslaw is one fav here), but I use apple sauce in substitution for fat in certain baking applications. Apple butter had not struck me as a possibility , but I think I will try that. I like it , but it is my peanut butter loving son whom I would like to convert. I have a nut allergy to both peanuts and tree nuts, and I feel like every encounter with peanut butter is like a near brush with an allergy episode.Apple butter would be better on a lot of fronts.

Re: Apple sauce

[helwen.livejournal.com]

True, we could probably use the freezer space. Although we're okay at the moment. I have one container of the sauce in the fridge right now, which helps -- also, I really, really, wanted to have some of the sauce this month :)

The seasonings sound about right. And I suppose honey could be used as well? Would just need to cook a little longer, because of the added fluid.

[loosecanon.livejournal.com]

Please consider canning the apple sauce if you have the chance, for insurance against power loss.

What site are you using for guidance on grocery lists for long term?

[helwen.livejournal.com]

If I have the chance, yes. The farm's been pretty good about power for the past several winters fortunately, and some of the wiring has been re-done recently as well (to prevent power loss on our side of the equation). If I don't get the chance, we'll be eating a lot of apple sauce! And sharing it with other folks who are out of power...

At the moment, I'm not using any site for guidance on long term groceries/lists. I've poked around at the grain sites, and I found a bulk supply site that I'm considering ordering from, but there are a few other sites as well. Plus, I have to find one that a guy from Maine posted to the 90% list, for a wheat/grain source in Maine.

The preparedness sites I've found, but haven't looked at in great detail yet are:

http://www.closertonature.com/emergency/storing-grains-and-beans.htm

and

http://waltonfeed.com/grain/life.html

[prince-hring.livejournal.com]

Although my own larder would be hard pressed to take me past six weeks, I am more than passing familiar with long term food stowage.

Question 1: do you folks have a good (and I mean GOOD) root cellar at the farm? One with stratified storage? Bins? Dirt floor? Proper ventilation?

Question 2: are you (or will you be) growing the year 'round harvestables such as curly kale and Jerusalem artichoke?

Question 3: will you be growing different varieties of root crops? (i.e. several different types of potato, winter turnip, beets, different sorts of carrots, et. al.?)

Question 4: are you planning on growing a wide variety of brassica? (i.e. kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts...)

Question 5: have you devised a method of strict rotation? Stored foodstuffs do not last forever. You must eat the old and replenish. (Buried in that advice is to not let the "old" get so old that you wouldn't want to eat it.)

Question 6: what is your strategy to take care of Colorado potato beetle? (This little pest will eat you into starvation...)

Question 7: just for variety, how about a few MRE?

Question 8: bulk dry: flour, rice, et. al. Again, you need stable temperature for storage and a rigid policy of rotation.

Question 9: When can I come and visit?

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Q 1: ...Root cellar

Not at the moment. There's a room in the barn that used to be the root cellar, but needs re-vamping/restoration. Probably won't be happening this winter, much as I'd like it to.

Q 2: ...growing year 'round harvestables

Had curly kale, but didn't have time to move it. We harvested the tops & I'll start over. Might be able to order them from ediblelandscaping.com, along with J. 'chokes, which loosecanon also advocates, and which I'd been reading about on web sites. It seems like a natural for establishing somewhere on the farm, maybe a couple of spots.

I have a long-term plan of planting edibles in the woods on the hillside, not just in garden beds. Our woods need a bit more balance than they currently have, especially with some of the wild critters making a comeback and all. I'd like more food available in general, of which we'll be some of the benefactors.

Q 3: growing different var. of root crops?

Yes. We tried potatoes this year with great success. Grew carrots too, but didn't have a chance to harvest them. Will try carrots & parsnips next year. Beets are already grown here, mostly for the greens. I eat the whole plant, myself. Been interested in turnips but have never looked at recipes for them. I put some in a veggie pie that I occasionally make. I'll have to make it again soon, and try some variations. If they turn out well, I'll post the recipes. But not having a reliable root cellar right now, we have a limit on how much we can store this winter. I'm also interested in trying out sweet potatoes, and different varieties of regular potatoes, so that we don't develop monoculture issues. Although I have to say that I really like the Yukon Golds -- they're resistant to lots of stuff, and they have a thin enough skin to not need peeling before cooking. A plus for simplifying cooking and retaining maximum food value. I have to cook up the ones I grew this year, over the next month or so though -- I washed them all first, before reading the storage directions. *sigh* Next year....

Q 4: are you planning on growing a wide variety of brassica? (i.e. kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts...)

Not really. Kale, yes. L doesn't care for Brussels sprouts, although I have some tiny ones in the fridge that I aim to try out on him this week. Cabbage, maybe. I've put that in my veggie pie and he liked that, so we could grow a few I guess, or pick them up from the farmer's market next year. This year, I'll have to try Big Y (which does carry some local produce now) and see if they still have some. L doesn't do pickled foods, so slaw and sauerkraut are out. He is working on expanding his palette, but there are plenty of other things we can try before we get to pickled foods.

Q 5: have you devised a method of strict rotation? Stored foodstuffs do not last forever. You must eat the old and replenish. (Buried in that advice is to not let the "old" get so old that you wouldn't want to eat it.)

Working on it. At the moment, I'm just trying to get everything unpacked and on the shelf so I can see it. Older things are at the front, and if I have more than one row of things, I put the older stuff to the left and the newer stuff to the right, per type of food.

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Q 6: what is your strategy to take care of Colorado potato beetle? (This little pest will eat you into starvation...)

Okay, I had to look this one up, as we don't have it, either where we were growing potatoes in Holyoke, or in Ashfield. I had read that there were soil viral/bacterial things as well as beetles that could be a problem, so our current solution is crop rotation -- change the location every two years so that the bad guys have a harder time finding them. I think this year I was okay because it was our first year for potatoes, and because I didn't plant them until June (egg-laying tends to happen in May, apparently). We'll have to keep a look-out for them, and order B.t for treatment, if needed. Thanks for the heads up!

Q 7: just for variety, how about a few MRE?

Eh, maybe. Just a few -- they're pricey. OTOH, there was a sale on Chef Boyardee products, so I bought some ravioli and beefaroni. They're a little high on sodium, but having them once in a while is okay, and they essentially perform the same function as an MRE.

Q 8: bulk dry: flour, rice, et. al. Again, you need stable temperature for storage and a rigid policy of rotation.

We have around 25-30 lbs. of rice, 8 lbs. of rolled oats, and only about 15-20 lbs. of flour right now. And We got a grain mill this year, so my plan is to bulk order some whole grains so we can keep the flour as fresh as possible for as long as possible. We have a really nice pantry in the apartment. It does have a window at the far end, but faces north, so no direct light. I'm considering a lightweight curtain on the doorway (no door on it and no space to add one. Since we tend to keep the temp in the apartment fairly stable though, I don't think it'll be a problem -- it's cooler there even in the summer. But I'm considering installing a few coolers in there anyway, to add to the stability for some items. If we get the right size, or build one, we could fit a lot of more stuff in there.

Q 9: When can I come and visit?

Well, it's still a big mess right now, but I'd say any time mid-November on.

[dreda.livejournal.com]

What an excellent link - thank you!

[helwen.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! I was trying to figure out how much food we have stored, and did a quick search. Am also quite pleased that it's at a site I've been considering ordering some bulk spices from. They seem like very helpful people.