The Conservative Cave
Interests => Living Off of the Grid & Survivalism => Topic started by: Mr Mannn on July 17, 2012, 12:44:14 AM
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But I would like your input too as to what you like.
I will soon have my 2nd Wise 60 serving bucket. The first was general entrees, this will be meat and rice.
After this I will be focusing on canned food, especially since I read that Hormel chili will last indefinitely as long as the seal is not broken.
I got one emergency ration bar for a taste test. its a 1200 calorie bar supposed to last you all day. The company is mainstay. I've not read many good reviews of these bars but I will get a 3 day supply for a bug out kit.
I've ordered a couple of #10 cans from Mountain House for a taste test. one is chicken and rice and the other is ground beef. Most importantly...have any of you tried these products?
I'm thinking I need to diversify my stock. my goal at the moment is to survive an interruption, not a total collapse...A private home is what is needed. I'm in an apartment.
The good news is All the supplies I've rcvd have come in boxes marked, Amazon.com. So not even my manager knows about this stock of mine.
Camping gear is being built up too. I have a backpackers mess kit, two Esbit stoves with the solid fuel tabs, a water purifier with two back up filters. Purification tabs. waterproof matches, real basic stuff.
I still don't have a backpack yet. Hopefully by fall I will OK for a few months if I need to.
Oh and does anyone know about bulk storage of rice? Do I just need to buy a bag and forget it, or do I need a special container?
Hopefully by this weekend I will have a few taste tests for you. The ground beef is what I'm worried about. But I will let you know.
***** and again, I would like to know what you have tried and like.
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But I would like your input too as to what you like.
I will soon have my 2nd Wise 60 serving bucket. The first was general entrees, this will be meat and rice.
After this I will be focusing on canned food, especially since I read that Hormel chili will last indefinitely as long as the seal is not broken.
I got one emergency ration bar for a taste test. its a 1200 calorie bar supposed to last you all day. The company is mainstay. I've not read many good reviews of these bars but I will get a 3 day supply for a bug out kit.
I've ordered a couple of #10 cans from Mountain House for a taste test. one is chicken and rice and the other is ground beef. Most importantly...have any of you tried these products?
I'm thinking I need to diversify my stock. my goal at the moment is to survive an interruption, not a total collapse...A private home is what is needed. I'm in an apartment.
The good news is All the supplies I've rcvd have come in boxes marked, Amazon.com. So not even my manager knows about this stock of mine.
Camping gear is being built up too. I have a backpackers mess kit, two Esbit stoves with the solid fuel tabs, a water purifier with two back up filters. Purification tabs. waterproof matches, real basic stuff.
I still don't have a backpack yet. Hopefully by fall I will OK for a few months if I need to.
Oh and does anyone know about bulk storage of rice? Do I just need to buy a bag and forget it, or do I need a special container?
Hopefully by this weekend I will have a few taste tests for you. The ground beef is what I'm worried about. But I will let you know.
***** and again, I would like to know what you have tried and like.
If I were you, I'd store any bulk rice inside food-grade plastic buckets. Grain beetles will find their way into your apartment. They did into mine, and I had to toss 20 pounds of the stuff. I was not pleased, but it was a valuable lesson.
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I try to shy away from canned food - or at least the pre-made meal type of canned food. I get component foods like tomato , tinned fish and chicken , noodles , mixed veg and so on. It gives me somewhat more flexibility with what meals I can prepare. Not to mention that I've yet to encounter a canned meal that was a pleasure to eat.
That said - I've still got a good 4 doz canned meals in the cupboard. I used to pick one up every week with my groceries with the intention of rotating the older stock but can't bring myself to actually eat that crap so the pile grew until the point it's at now.
The freeze dried meals - make sure to stir them really well when adding the boiled water. I tested a couple of them out on my last fishing trip and didn't do that properly - ended up with a layer of dry crispy crap on the bottom of the packet. The taste still left a lot to be desired - and the salt content was nearly too much to stomach.
If you want a useful device - get one of the little single burner campstoves - they run on cans of butane that are about aerosol sized and are excellent devices. They retail here for circa $20 and you can get a 6pack of gas for about the same. One can of gas will last far longer than a packet of the hexamine fuel tabs, they are adjustable and you can use your regular cookware on them. The solid fuel things are a bit of a pain , impart that lovely hexamine taste and tend to burn a hole in whatever they're sitting on.
With rice - I'd break it up into lb or 2lb vac packed bags and then store them inside a airtight food-grade plastic container - preferably one with a screwtop.
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Taste test: Mainstay emergency ration bar 1200 calorie bar.
(for strenuous activity like bugging out, its suggested to go for the 3600 calorie bar)
This is standard issue for lifeboats. It stores in all temps and doesn't take a lot of room.
The bar is individually wrapped, and has three breakaway pieces. It looks like dough or fudge. light tan in color.
The expiration date was April 2017. This is vitamin enriched
BREAKFAST.
I broke off a piece/hunk and have nibbled about a third of it. It may look like dough, but it has the consistency of a cookie. It has a light lemon bar flavor. Slightly sweet. Its grainy, but doesn't make me thirsty. (I do have a 32 oz iced tea)
My goal is to see if this piece will last me until lunch. I'm down to half now and I don't feel very hungry at the moment. Its not bad, nor is it great, but this is an emergency source after all. But I think I'll be backing a few pouches if freeze dried meals in my bug out kit to supplement the bars.
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http://stilltasty.com/
This site should be a favorite in ever prepper's computer.
According to this, unopened, uncooked white rice will store indefinitely in pantry, fridge or freezer.
So now i need a good container and maybe an oxygen absorber.
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But I would like your input too as to what you like.
I will soon have my 2nd Wise 60 serving bucket. The first was general entrees, this will be meat and rice.
After this I will be focusing on canned food, especially since I read that Hormel chili will last indefinitely as long as the seal is not broken.
I got one emergency ration bar for a taste test. its a 1200 calorie bar supposed to last you all day. The company is mainstay. I've not read many good reviews of these bars but I will get a 3 day supply for a bug out kit.
I've ordered a couple of #10 cans from Mountain House for a taste test. one is chicken and rice and the other is ground beef. Most importantly...have any of you tried these products?
I'm thinking I need to diversify my stock. my goal at the moment is to survive an interruption, not a total collapse...A private home is what is needed. I'm in an apartment.
The good news is All the supplies I've rcvd have come in boxes marked, Amazon.com. So not even my manager knows about this stock of mine.
Camping gear is being built up too. I have a backpackers mess kit, two Esbit stoves with the solid fuel tabs, a water purifier with two back up filters. Purification tabs. waterproof matches, real basic stuff.
I still don't have a backpack yet. Hopefully by fall I will OK for a few months if I need to.
Oh and does anyone know about bulk storage of rice? Do I just need to buy a bag and forget it, or do I need a special container?
Hopefully by this weekend I will have a few taste tests for you. The ground beef is what I'm worried about. But I will let you know.
***** and again, I would like to know what you have tried and like.
You had better check with the Old Man in the Cave before using them, though...
(http://images.wikia.com/twilightzone/images/9/9c/5theoldman.jpg)
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freedumb...that reference is lost on me. It's prbably a movie, but I'm just not sure...
OK, what do y'all think of this? http://www.amazon.com/Case-Cans-Canned-Grain-White/dp/B005IPV646/ref=pd_sim_sbs_gro_1
Canned dry rice, already vacuum sealed, smaller containers.
Ya know maybe I really need a prepper forum to check on this stuff with.
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Mr Mann, I would recommend you look into Pleasant Hill Grain. We bought our canned meat from them & it is outstanding especially the pork. They also have a test pack so you can check them out. We have also bought other products from them & service & quality are great.
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Whole wheat nuts will last forever in a sealed container. You just need a mill to make flour. I have tried a few of the cheap hand crank mills. The best thing I could make with that was a bran muffin. Working on getting a better mill.
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Placing Dry Ice in the bottom of a dry food storage container is a very economical way to fumigate and store dry goods for an extended amount of time. Make sure the Dry Ice is not frost covered, as that will add moisture. Put one quarter pound of Dry Ice per five-gallon storage container in the bottom and then pour in the dry food. As the Dry Ice sublimates it replaces the oxygen in the container with CO2. Leave the lid on but not tightly sealed until the Dry Ice completely sublimates. (About 5-6 hours) Then snap the lid tight. Without oxygen neither bugs nor bacteria can grow. This process is good for seeds, grains, legumes, flower, powdered milk, etc
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Mr Mann, I would recommend you look into Pleasant Hill Grain. We bought our canned meat from them & it is outstanding especially the pork. They also have a test pack so you can check them out. We have also bought other products from them & service & quality are great.
I'm glad you mentioned that. I checked out the site, and they are a supplier to amazon.com as well! So I ordered a test can of freeze dried ground beef. Gonna taste test that can out in a number of ways, including mixing with spaghetti sauce.
I also got two #10 cans of Mountain House rice and chicken. I remember loving that when I was camping in AZ.
I was gonna open one to test, but I'm getting greedy and its going to be stored. I like the stamp on the bottom, best if used by March 2037. I did order a single package from Mountain House for a test.
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I'm glad you mentioned that. I checked out the site, and they are a supplier to amazon.com as well! So I ordered a test can of freeze dried ground beef. Gonna taste test that can out in a number of ways, including mixing with spaghetti sauce.
I also got two #10 cans of Mountain House rice and chicken. I remember loving that when I was camping in AZ.
I was gonna open one to test, but I'm getting greedy and its going to be stored. I like the stamp on the bottom, best if used by March 2037. I did order a single package from Mountain House for a test.
Never tried the freeze dried meat. I was talking about their canned "whole" meat. We did buy some of their freeze dried veges & milk (several sites say their milk is the best).
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Never tried the freeze dried meat. I was talking about their canned "whole" meat. We did buy some of their freeze dried veges & milk (several sites say their milk is the best).
Hmmm. Their canned milk is best? I better consult nadin on that one.
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Hmmm. Their canned milk is best? I better consult nadin on that one.
Good point, I will, of course, defer to her. We also got a lot of canned eggs & hashbrowns & such.
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WAIT! I was wrong. It was Mountain House #10 can of freeze dried ground beef. Silly Mannn, Trix are for kids.
(just going over my Amazon order. It arrives tomorrow.)
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WAIT! I was wrong. It was Mountain House #10 can of freeze dried ground beef. Silly Mannn, Trix are for kids.
(just going over my Amazon order. It arrives tomorrow.)
Fun project. when you go to the grocery store pick up some bags of dried beans, pinto, black eyed peas , whole peas, Lima beans, navy beans or any kind of kidney beans.
Take about a dozen out of the pack, soak them in water over night drain them and let dry a day or so. Soak them for just a few minutes, drain and by the 3 rd day the suckers have sprouted. They will have these little white tales growing out of them.
Now if you have no yard or garden, get a 2-5 gallon bucket and throw the dudes in half way, cover with a few inches of soil and water every day.
I tried this with black eyed peas and have a bucket full of them growing every day on my back porch.
Buying dried beans will feed you tomorrow when cooked, when just a few are planted they will feed you in the future.
All the food you buy for an emergency will be eaten up in time, take some time to take a few beans out , scatter them about and have food in the future.
I am wondering about dried corn, if it can also be hydrated and planted in the right season.
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Fun project. when you go to the grocery store pick up some bags of dried beans, pinto, black eyed peas , whole peas, Lima beans, navy beans or any kind of kidney beans.
Take about a dozen out of the pack, soak them in water over night drain them and let dry a day or so. Soak them for just a few minutes, drain and by the 3 rd day the suckers have sprouted. They will have these little white tales growing out of them.
Now if you have no yard or garden, get a 2-5 gallon bucket and throw the dudes in half way, cover with a few inches of soil and water every day.
I tried this with black eyed peas and have a bucket full of them growing every day on my back porch.
Buying dried beans will feed you tomorrow when cooked, when just a few are planted they will feed you in the future.
All the food you buy for an emergency will be eaten up in time, take some time to take a few beans out , scatter them about and have food in the future.
I am wondering about dried corn, if it can also be hydrated and planted in the right season.
It's less trouble to by the seed beans.
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It's less trouble to by the seed beans.
True but more expensive and some of the packets say the beans are to be planted not consumed. I would guess the seed beans and corn have been treated with some kind of anti fungus stuff.
The eatable beans will last years when vacuum packed. I have never counted how many in a 16 oz. bag but when I make a bean dish, taking out a dozen or more and sprouting them is fun and the possibility's are endless.
This time of the year the dried beans, peas and corn go on sale----80+ cents a pound. Weird little buggers, if I sprout them in the fall in a good size pot, came fall I just bring them inside and they grow like weeds in a sunny window.
I am going to try to sprout corn next, I found the last time I grew whole dried peas and brought them in my cats ate them all up before they could produce pods.
Oh yes couple of years ago I took half a bag of dried Pinto beans, put them in the blender and turned them into a kind of meal. Vaccum packed them and forgot all about them. Cleaning out cupboards months later I came across them and dumped them into boiling water, turned off the stove for an hour or so, then into a crock pot with some ham and spices. Delicious, thick and with bread and butter, took the chill off when it got down to freezing outside.
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I live in an apartment. No garden for me, Vesta.
If I did want a garden, I would spend the $30 bucks and buy heirloom seeds from amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Seed-Vault-Easy---grow/dp/B0051OA7QC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342744571&sr=8-1&keywords=heirloom+seeds
Pretty good price for non-hybrid seeds
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I live in an apartment. No garden for me, Vesta.
If I did want a garden, I would spend the $30 bucks and buy heirloom seeds from amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Survival-Seed-Vault-Easy---grow/dp/B0051OA7QC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342744571&sr=8-1&keywords=heirloom+seeds
Pretty good price for non-hybrid seeds
Watch out...there have been some grifters out there selling crap as non-hybrid.
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TASTE TEST:
Wise Cheesy Ground Beef: Its a packet from the Wise 60 serving meat and poultry supply..
It comes in a bucket all sealed up. All the servings are in mylar packets.
I followed the directions and it came out fine. tasted like a standard cheese burger without the bun,
serving size was a bit small. You will need a bowl to mix these servings in as the package did not have a bottom to stand up in.
Mountain house Rice and chicken #10 can. Turned out great. But I liked these when I was backpacking too!
Shake the can to mix well, and one cup to 2/3 cup of water. I used cold water on purpose, and nuked the finished product for a minute-didn't make all that much. Ended up eating 2 separate servings.
---> The rice and chicken had settled to where it was possible to just add the proper water to the can itself to make the whole thing at once.
Tomorrow I will try the Mountain house #10 can of ground beef.
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TASTE TEST:
Wise Cheesy Ground Beef: Its a packet from the Wise 60 serving meat and poultry supply..
It comes in a bucket all sealed up. All the servings are in mylar packets.
I followed the directions and it came out fine. tasted like a standard cheese burger without the bun,
serving size was a bit small. You will need a bowl to mix these servings in as the package did not have a bottom to stand up in.
Mountain house Rice and chicken #10 can. Turned out great. But I liked these when I was backpacking too!
Shake the can to mix well, and one cup to 2/3 cup of water. I used cold water on purpose, and nuked the finished product for a minute-didn't make all that much. Ended up eating 2 separate servings.
---> The rice and chicken had settled to where it was possible to just add the proper water to the can itself to make the whole thing at once.
Tomorrow I will try the Mountain house #10 can of ground beef.
Check out the sites on the web on how to dehydrate your own food, much cheaper and lots of fun. Some of the Prepper sites have all kinds of videos showing you step by step how to save a fortune if you DIY.
A controversy about what is better to dehydrate raw or cooked meat has been going on for some time. I find that left overs taste better then raw and are safer also. Watch the sales for those frozen juices, they make wonderful fruit roll ups. If you have never had dehydrated water Mellon slices you take one bite and may not want fresh again, so sweet like candy.
I have checked the prices of the pre packaged food and darn some is a big time rip of. You end up paying per oz for say dried beef stew about 8 bucks for a small package, 8 oz. Left over dried beef stew including the gravy per quart,costs about $1.00 including the cost of the vaccum sealed bags.
One more tip, when you buy those 3-4 month supply of food, for $800 bucks, you are charged for rice and beans the same price as the meats per pound. Darn if I want to pay $6.00 a pound for the dried beans I can get for less then a buck at the grocery stores.
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Yeah I saw that, but i'm not out to assemble several years worth of food, just enough to survive for a few months. Purchased stuff is way better than hours of work in a small apartment. and its portable too.
If I had a home I could play full out survivalist. Better yet, I should have married a farm gal who knows canning.
But I'm not psychic enough to foretell when its all gonna hit the fan. I will likely stumble into the realization at the last minute.
Living alone in an apartment, I'm pretty sure maintenance will search/loot my place when i am gone. These freeze dried packets can be hidden in a lot of places. A rental storage unit might be the ticket. I certainly won't be doing a whole lot of aromatic cooking in such a crisis, cold water can reconstitute a meal just as good as boiling water. I'm stocking up on rice instead of wheat kernels for just that reason, baking bread is a "Come and get it" beacon for anyone with a nose.
I'm thinking of getting a bean bag chair just to hide my freeze dried stash.
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Coincidentally, here's a review on a survival site I frequent:
http://modernsurvivalonline.com/taste-test-gofoods-western-potato-chowder/
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Yeah I saw that, but i'm not out to assemble several years worth of food, just enough to survive for a few months. Purchased stuff is way better than hours of work in a small apartment. and its portable too.
If I had a home I could play full out survivalist. Better yet, I should have married a farm gal who knows canning.
But I'm not psychic enough to foretell when its all gonna hit the fan. I will likely stumble into the realization at the last minute.
Living alone in an apartment, I'm pretty sure maintenance will search/loot my place when i am gone. These freeze dried packets can be hidden in a lot of places. A rental storage unit might be the ticket. I certainly won't be doing a whole lot of aromatic cooking in such a crisis, cold water can reconstitute a meal just as good as boiling water. I'm stocking up on rice instead of wheat kernels for just that reason, baking bread is a "Come and get it" beacon for anyone with a nose.
I'm thinking of getting a bean bag chair just to hide my freeze dried stash.
Don't forget to keep a hand hammered wok and stand on hand. In a pinch when no electricity one can cook anything in these baby's. If you have dehydrated food and no way to cook it the food is useless.
Many campers I know use the Wok as their only pan, I met a woman baking bread in one. Her family had to dig a small fire pit, thrown in dead wood and when the flames died down she put the stand into the hot ashes and could boil water, fry, bake, you name it. To clean the Wok she turned it upside down over the stand and the fire cleaned the pot. No dishes or utensils, they ate with fingers from the Wok itself.
You have a small apartment, a small dehydrator and a vaccum food saver takes up little room, can be stored under a bed or sofa when not in use. As far as time preparing the food, much can be placed in a dehydrator at night and forget about it until the next day as it will take a day or so to dry timing depending on the food.
If you have just 2 hours a week for hands on drying, preparation and packageing, in 4-6 weeks you can put up a month or so of food.
At this time I have Water Mellon drying, I did salt the Mellon as it seems to boost the sweetness, I do not rehydrate the Mellon, eat like beef jerkey.
Next project will be drying left over fried rice and left over take out Chinese food.
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Taste Test: Terriaki Chicken
From the Wise 60 meat entree bucket.
Its just powder and very fine diced chicken. Looks like oatmeal when reconstituted. But looks are not what you are looking for in emergency rations.
It tasted...OK. Kinda bland. I imagine when mixed with rice it would have been better. Instant rice is included in the bucket, I just didn't want to open it yet. These are just entrees and not full meals. the rice is supposed to make the difference. So this was just a snack.
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Taste Test: Wise Cheesy Lasagna.
This is from the Wise 60 entree emergency meal bucket for $100+
Glad I opened it. There are not 60 packages, but 30. Each package says, "4 adult servings."
It was average. Nothing spectacular. But filling. Taste wise, its more than you could ask for in an emergency.
Still its no where near four servings worth. I could see two servings for normal people. Me, I ate two thirds, so its an entree and a snack for later. It could have stretched to serve more people if I had rice to serve as well.
After a weekend of testing, I found out several things.
1) you can cook this with cold water.
2) you can nuke it just fine.
3) the freeze dried process is not aromatic at all. Good for when you don't want people knowing that you are eating a decent meal.
My conclusion. Freeze dried is fine for long term storage. But this is something you want to supplement with other sources of food as well, like cans.
and lastly, in an apartment style situation, rice is far better than bread. Its a good supplement for your other meals that can be prepared with cold water. It stores forever. It may be boring, but it can keep you alive and healthy.
Here's a question. Any long term vitamin storage?
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Taste Test: Wise Cheesy Lasagna.
This is from the Wise 60 entree emergency meal bucket for $100+
Glad I opened it. There are not 60 packages, but 30. Each package says, "4 adult servings."
It was average. Nothing spectacular. But filling. Taste wise, its more than you could ask for in an emergency.
Still its no where near four servings worth. I could see two servings for normal people. Me, I ate two thirds, so its an entree and a snack for later. It could have stretched to serve more people if I had rice to serve as well.
After a weekend of testing, I found out several things.
1) you can cook this with cold water.
2) you can nuke it just fine.
3) the freeze dried process is not aromatic at all. Good for when you don't want people knowing that you are eating a decent meal.
My conclusion. Freeze dried is fine for long term storage. But this is something you want to supplement with other sources of food as well, like cans.
and lastly, in an apartment style situation, rice is far better than bread. Its a good supplement for your other meals that can be prepared with cold water. It stores forever. It may be boring, but it can keep you alive and healthy.
Here's a question. Any long term vitamin storage?
Talk to at least 2-3 Pharmacists about this. Go to different drug stores as you want a second and third openion on this.
Some vitamins have an expiration date that is rather odd, I have a bottle of Centrum that has been hiding in back of cupboard for a couple years. Expiration date reads AUG 10. Does this mean they were good until Aug 2010 ? They have not yet begun to fall apart or go powder as Nitro will become powder in 6 months.
Aspirin, Bayer extra strength bought last June will expire on 4/13 Another think about is if the bottles remain unopened will they last longer then those opened.
We be talking complicated chemistry here. Check the expiration date on OTC pain or vitamins. I have no idea what the plastic coating on liquid vitamins is made of, Most instructions read to store in a cool dark place. Does this mean in the refrigerator or in a cellar ??
Some of this OTC is very explicit, NyQuil bought in Dec 2011 has a date of 10/20/14. Does this mean on
10/ 21/ 14 the stuff turns to crap ???
Good luck, in some cases medication and vitamins are more important then food to store and use for barter.
In a bad SHTF, a tube of baby Numb Zit to barter will be worth it's weight in gold for someone with an abscessed tooth. A small tube of or packages of Hemorrhoid suppositories ---People will not be eating normally and those Hemmies are a pain in the butt.
For the females after putting out for food, a bunch of anti yest infection medication. Old fashion Iodine. many uses for that.
Perhaps off topic maybe not. It is said in the old west the one person that had no fear of Indians or robbers were the traveling tinkers. Trade for the Settlers and Indians was their life line. To steal or kill a tinker would mean others avoid that area and without trade for necessity's the people as a whole would suffer.
A few months food for yourself is fine but what to do when the food runs out. Few can trade Aunt Nelly's table lamp for more food, but anything you have from needles and thread to sew up a wound to a bottle of Clorox to sanitize water will keep you fed.
Survival is more then filling your own belly for a short time.
Hubby came across a WW2 flight medical kit fully stocked. Interesting as there were cans of Ether, bottles of some kind of elixir, fishing hooks, fishing lines, a few surgical knives, old rotting rolls of gauze and tape. At one time boxes of water proof matches, a small mirror to signal distress and a couple whistles, tweezers, safety pins and needles and thread. Lots of stuff packed into a small box perhaps 18 "inches by 5-6 " As the kit was over 40 years old at the time and the included maps that we could still read we figured these kits were used in the South Pacific.
Check out the Military stores that sell and auction off no longer needed government property. Some of these medical survival kits are almost brand new and never used. When a base closes down everything goes, broke my heart when I saw winter survival tents for sale at $100 a piece, sleeping bags for Arctic use for $80.00
Only thing I bought was a jet pilots jacket with a wolf trim hood, best jacket I ever bought and the Ex Airforce men I worked came unglued when I wore it--------Where on earth did you get that Jacket ?????
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Conclusion:
For long term storage, Mountain House #10 cans are the best. 25 years storage, use only what you want,
and most importantly, Mountain House tastes the best. They are portable: just add water.
Also for grains, Rice in the large buckets, Rice will never go bad. and cooking it does not release the fresh bread smell in a hungry world....Nothing will bring the hungry quicker than the smell of cooking food.
I ordered a can of pilot bread. I think its a heavy cracker.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IPV10A/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&smid=A3QT5A3E30OMFB
Mountain House has a can at $20, but I'm going cheap to test this product $7 bucks!
This is another thing that you can buy by the case.
Has anyone eaten pilot bread before? what should I get to go with it? what do you prefer?
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OK, I tried pilot bread with dinner. by Future Essentials because it was cheaper than the others.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005IPV10A/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00
There is no plastic lid to reseal the can. wah.
Its not a #10 can. Couldn't see an expiration date.
The bread is a hard bread or a thick cracker. not crumbly or dry. Not salty either.
taste rather bland, but its a way bread: survival stuff, so I sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese, nuked it, and it helped a bit, but not much...it was a cheesy bland.
but hey, it was a taste test, right? I'm gonna eat the rest for breakfast over the next several days.
Peanut butter might help. Looks like there is at least 12 wafers of bread.
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Mountain house granola with blueberries. (and powdered milk)
I got the foil packet backpackers use. Just add a half cup of cold water. The blueberries stained the milk purple.
Didn't have high hopes, but this was surprisingly good! The milk was thick, the granola tasted like granola...
I loved it!
If you haven't picked up my theme by now, I like Mountain House the best for taste.
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New Test. I meant to do this a few days ago.
Wise Beef Stroganoff. From the big bucket O food. Its in a packet that feeds 4. It really only feeds two.
The product instruction says to add 4 cups of boiling water...No, tried that before and got soup instead.
I added 3 cups and it was fine. I used a bowl and not the package this time and i noticed an odd thing. There was barely any beef. Not to worry. I have Mountain House freeze dried ground beef #10 can open at the moment.
I made a cup of beef and added it to the thickening mix. Perfect.
taste was OK, the extra beef saved it. BUT. Heed my warning. Skimping on meat is bad manna for any company.
I'm not buying Wise products again.
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New Test. I meant to do this a few days ago.
Wise Beef Stroganoff. From the big bucket O food. Its in a packet that feeds 4. It really only feeds two.
The product instruction says to add 4 cups of boiling water...No, tried that before and got soup instead.
I added 3 cups and it was fine. I used a bowl and not the package this time and i noticed an odd thing. There was barely any beef. Not to worry. I have Mountain House freeze dried ground beef #10 can open at the moment.
I made a cup of beef and added it to the thickening mix. Perfect.
taste was OK, the extra beef saved it. BUT. Heed my warning. Skimping on meat is bad manna for any company.
I'm not buying Wise products again.
I went through my collection of canned meals (affectionately referred to as "Dog Food" - even though I'd never be so cruel as to feed it to a dog) to find that not one single can had more than 15% %meat% in it. Disappointing really.
Also - if you're going to mix those freeze dried meals with less water than advised , make sure you really give them a good mix when you add the water. I botched a couple of them - and had dry crispy bits in the bottom and soup on top with a couple when I was experimenting.
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I went through my collection of canned meals (affectionately referred to as "Dog Food" - even though I'd never be so cruel as to feed it to a dog) to find that not one single can had more than 15% %meat% in it. Disappointing really.
Also - if you're going to mix those freeze dried meals with less water than advised , make sure you really give them a good mix when you add the water. I botched a couple of them - and had dry crispy bits in the bottom and soup on top with a couple when I was experimenting.
Definitely good to know.
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I went through my collection of canned meals (affectionately referred to as "Dog Food" - even though I'd never be so cruel as to feed it to a dog) to find that not one single can had more than 15% %meat% in it. Disappointing really.
Also - if you're going to mix those freeze dried meals with less water than advised , make sure you really give them a good mix when you add the water. I botched a couple of them - and had dry crispy bits in the bottom and soup on top with a couple when I was experimenting.
That's exactly why I poured it into a big bowl instead of adding water to the pouch. The pouch is very tall, and it is hard to reach to the bottom with a spoon. Much easier to mix in a bowl.
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If I haven't stated before that I am not impressed with the Wise products, I will reiterate it now.
--I do not like Wise--
I have a tub of freeze dried meat packages and instant rice. The packages are individual sizes and I hate the rice.
I tried several meat and rice combos...and I hate them all. I threw away the unused rice. I have two of the wise tubs and don't intend to keep either now, except maybe as a decoy for looters.
after having uncooked rice and a rice cooker, the taste is 100% better than the Wise instant variety.
Beef is OK but Wise loads the tub with chicken-none of which I like.
Mountain House freeze dried ground beef is far superior to anything Wise has offered so far. To be honest I order the MH Beef for my regular meals and only one can is sitting back with my stash.
I'm going to try the canned meats Big Dog was talking about at Pleasant Hill Farms. They come in Tuna fish size cans, perfect for one guy. If any of you have eaten these I really wanna know how you like them-or a quick microwave meal you made out of one.
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If I haven't stated before that I am not impressed with the Wise products, I will reiterate it now.
--I do not like Wise--
I have a tub of freeze dried meat packages and instant rice. The packages are individual sizes and I hate the rice.
I tried several meat and rice combos...and I hate them all. I threw away the unused rice. I have two of the wise tubs and don't intend to keep either now, except maybe as a decoy for looters.
after having uncooked rice and a rice cooker, the taste is 100% better than the Wise instant variety.
Beef is OK but Wise loads the tub with chicken-none of which I like.
Mountain House freeze dried ground beef is far superior to anything Wise has offered so far. To be honest I order the MH Beef for my regular meals and only one can is sitting back with my stash.
I'm going to try the canned meats Big Dog was talking about at Pleasant Hill Farms. They come in Tuna fish size cans, perfect for one guy. If any of you have eaten these I really wanna know how you like them-or a quick microwave meal you made out of one.
Give me a break Mr. Mannn, when it gets to the point where we have to dip into stored food, we will not give a rats Ass what the heck it tastes like. Hunger is horrid, excruciating pain. one will eat ants, spiders, drink their own urine, there will be no thought as to how it tastes just to fill the belly and stop the pain.
Hard for us Westerners to understand hunger, the kind that causes us to eat our pets and the dead among us. TASTE is the last thing to worry about, even if the rice is crawling with maggots, it will be greatfully received and the maggots add protine to the meal.
Do a little boning up on hunger, it drives people insane, real hunger not just 3 days with no food is an eye opener.
I read this book written in the 1880's about an American on tour in Africa. At the time there was hunger in his area, the natives were fat starved. A Hippo had died and washed ashore and the people were going nuts and fighting each other to get into the body cavity's to eat raw the fat and meat.
Check out Russia in the early 1900"s starvation was so bad Keruchieef [Spelling] you know the Russian leader with the big shoe that was a hoot at the UN in the 1960's as a young army leader went up into Russia to report on the starvation.
His Bio tells of of his horror of walking into a hut and the family was salting down one of their dead children to eat.
Hunger has nothing to do with taste, We in the west have no idea what some parts of the world goes through.
Store food ,Rice and Beans, one can live on that no matter how bad it tastes in case of food shortages and or other problems.
It would not hurt to store 50 pound of salt also as you know salt was used to pay wages years ago for a good reason.
Screw the taste tests Mr. Mannn, when you are starving, a bowl of rice that smells and tastes like cat shit will become the best thing you have ever eaten.
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No Vesta. You've got it all wrong. I'm prepping so I don't have to get that hungry.
One of the things they say at prep sites is to stock food you like, food your family will eat.
If it ever comes to eating bugs, than that means I've run out of stored foods. I'm preparing for a govt collapse like Greece. Food will be scarce but still available. I may wait in lines, but I will do so rather than use up my stock that will be hidden by that time. No way I can prep for a nuke war, or the end of society.
The whole point of this taste test thread is to find the foods I LIKE. I will buy and store those foods.
I live in Iowa...big farm state. Lots of good water and farms everywhere. If things get bad I can sweep/scrub floors for a few eggs and a potato...I have NO plans to get THAT hungry.
There are a whole number of disaster scenarios. Not all of them involve the end of the world.
Vesta, there was no need to get all snarky.
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Sorry you think I was being Snarkey, MR. Mannn, I am just trying to be realistic about food shortage.
Many things can cause this besides war. A Union strike for truckers, A virus like Mad cow, or Hog Flu. Some kind of bird flu that takes away the hens and eggs for a year or two. [ The Irish potato famine had people trying to eat grass ]
Lately our biggest source of food Peanut butter is now being taken off the shelves, Arsenic found in Rice, vegetables and fruits removed for Salmonella, The next thing will be high readings of radioactivity in fish that migrate past Japan.
Check out N. Korea where with millions held in slave labor to work their farms for some reason half the country is still starving.
Never know when another dust bowl will happen due to Locus descending out of hell.
Then there are the poor Mormons that store a years worth of food per person in their family. They had best buy allot of guns and ammo as their homes will be a bulls eye for those that are starving. No food for a week but there is a Mormon family down the street that have food, 6 members in the family, 6 years of food for one starving monster.
Some new foreign insect arrives from another country, we head out to spray insecticide everywhere but the wild game eats this and now they are infected. no good hunting for wild game their meat will kill you.
You may be way too young to remember the Horror of Japan when somehow their staple, fish became infected with Mercury in the late 1950's
Germany in the war when a bowl of pea soup was a life saver for the civilians that had little to do with the war.
Ethiopia where people riot for food dropped by UN Helios that dare not land, mean while a few miles up the road grain is stored in piles so high most of it rots.
The world needs to eat to live, controlling the food source means to inslave not just humans but animals that hang out for the food. My problem with you is you have never been hungry, you are storing food for the Taste , reminds me of a woman when told the country was starving said " Let them eat cake "
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My problem with you is you have never been hungry,
No, Vesta. I have never been hungry. I doubt you have either.
A wise man sees a storm coming and prepares accordingly. I cannot make other people prepare. That they might go hungry is not my concern.
you are storing food for the Taste , reminds me of a woman when told the country was starving said " Let them eat cake "
I refuse to apologize for storing food that I will enjoy eating. I have the time now to stock up on what I like. There is nothing wrong with that, I don't know why you think there is. Mental health is 50% of survival. Good food is part of mental health.
That I chose to store one thing and not another is my choice and not yours. I'm posting my preferences here to help others with the same mindset as me. Obviously you do not share that mindset. I have canned cheddar cheese because I LIKE cheddar cheese. If I don't like Wise products, than that's my problem, not yours.
Other posters like canned meat over freeze dried. I didn't see you dissing them because they are stocking what they like. People with kids are stocking up on what they children enjoy eating. That's not a crime.
I do not understand your sudden criticism. I'm not turning up my nose at food that been given to me. I'm prepping with my money and I have the freedom to choose. Competing products are out there. It's not wrong to pick and choose while I still have time.
If you want tasteless food, fine: YOU buy it. But DON'T sell me some guilt trip over people in North Korea. I don't live there. I live in a land of plenty (for the moment). The wise prepare, and the foolish will go hungry. If nothing happens I will have 25 years before I donate my stock to the salvation army.
Bottom line, Vesta. Its my money, my choice. If you don't like my taste tests than you can post your own thread.
Thank you for your input, but it had nothing to do with the topic. (and thats TWO snarky posts now. BS given.)
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OK. back to the taste tests. CANNED MEAT.
I tried Hormel Beef Chunks in Gravy poured over rice, $4.50 at the store. It was OK. Nothing to crow about. The can was large enough for a single guy to use, but there was more gravy than beef. still the meal was fine.
The $4.50 price however is not justified. too expensive.
I tried another rice meal with canned chicken. I bought two tuna fish size cans at the store (don't remember the price). It took both cans to cover the rice. The chicken was packed in water.
The dish was a bed of rice smashed on a plate. a layer of chicken, and another layer of cheese.
It was OK.
If the price is right I will stock up on canned chicken. Taste is better and the can was full of chicken chunks.
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I've got some Mountain House freeze dried beef stew from the late 70's. I'll bet it still tastes like shit.
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I tried back to back Wise and Mountain House Chili Mac tonight. What a difference! Mountain House wins hands down, although the Wise was edible.
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OK. back to the taste tests. CANNED MEAT.
I tried Hormel Beef Chunks in Gravy poured over rice, $4.50 at the store. It was OK. Nothing to crow about. The can was large enough for a single guy to use, but there was more gravy than beef. still the meal was fine.
The $4.50 price however is not justified. too expensive.
I tried another rice meal with canned chicken. I bought two tuna fish size cans at the store (don't remember the price). It took both cans to cover the rice. The chicken was packed in water.
The dish was a bed of rice smashed on a plate. a layer of chicken, and another layer of cheese.
It was OK.
If the price is right I will stock up on canned chicken. Taste is better and the can was full of chicken chunks.
Can you share the brand names ? Thanks.
BTW: I appreciate this thread as I have recently started thinking about stocking emergency food. I'm still not totally sure if Obama is just nuts or really trying hard to destroy our country.
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What is the shelf life of say a Mountain House #10 can once opened?
The reason I ask, it that it's just my wife and I that I will be stocking up for.
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Prepared food is usually 3-4 days if refrigerated.
I suppose it helps if you don't mind eating the same thing every day for a week. I do that because I don't care to cook. The good thing is that reheating cooked food doesn't take a lot of energy (I use a 200-degree oven for 15-20 minutes).
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Prepared food is usually 3-4 days if refrigerated.
I suppose it helps if you don't mind eating the same thing every day for a week. I do that because I don't care to cook. The good thing is that reheating cooked food doesn't take a lot of energy (I use a 200-degree oven for 15-20 minutes).
When the shit hits the fan (hurricane etc.), the electric grid will be off line for a period of days or even weeks.. So I was wondering how long a #10 can of mountain house lasts once opened. I've never used any of their products.
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Can you share the brand names ? Thanks.
BTW: I appreciate this thread as I have recently started thinking about stocking emergency food. I'm still not totally sure if Obama is just nuts or really trying hard to destroy our country.
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Both.
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Can you share the brand names ? Thanks.
The canned chicken was Tyson. Got it at my local HyVee. I couldn't find canned meat so i had to ask. Very small section in the canned aisle. Not many people buy this stuff.
Mr Mann, I would recommend you look into Pleasant Hill Grain. We bought our canned meat from them & it is outstanding especially the pork. They also have a test pack so you can check them out. We have also bought other products from them & service & quality are great.
Now that can their own meat and sell samples. Look them up online. I got my 44 pounds of rice from them.
The meat is all in Tuna fish size cans. I haven't tried them yet, but most likely I will stock up with their canned meat rather than freeze dried.
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When the shit hits the fan (hurricane etc.), the electric grid will be off line for a period of days or even weeks.. So I was wondering how long a #10 can of mountain house lasts once opened. I've never used any of their products.
I use Mountain House Freeze dried Hamburger in every day cooking. I've stretched it out six weeks with no problem. I live in a fairly humid environment. Just keep it dry and the lid snapped on and you would be OK for 2 months in my opinion.
I am a bachelor. I nuke all my cooking. I add the hamburger to Kraft Delux Mac n' Cheese dinners, to spaghetti sauce, to rice and cheese, to instant mashed potatoes. It's great! 2/3 cup Hamburger in a paper bowl, add water, nuke for 1:45. Drain the excess water and eat. You would not know the difference between this and home cooked burger, the taste is the same.
You guys might laugh at me but for my style of cooking its great!
But back to your question. Mountain house advises to eat within 2-3 weeks after opening. My experience can go longer, but I take pains to keep it dry and sealed.
I have rice and chicken, which I love.
Lasagna with meat sauce--not tried but its for the shelf.
Scrambled eggs and bacon, no yet tried.
My staples are Pilot Bread and Rice.
I want at least 6 more #10 cans for meals like stew.
I also have a case of 12 foil packets of freeze dried refried beans. looks like 5-7 years for that case.
Freeze dried is reliable, but expensive. I'm going to work on cans for now.
Amazon sells Belga canned cheddar cheese, and i have a half case. I want more cause i'm a nut for cheddar.
Franksolich found a great maker of soup in the cooking forum. They are powder and sold in foil packets, and everyone said they taste better than canned soups! Bear Creek Soups, in the grocery store, Good for 7 years at least.
and if nothing happens, I can stock a cabin with all this food.
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I use Mountain House Freeze dried Hamburger in every day cooking. I've stretched it out six weeks with no problem. I live in a fairly humid environment. Just keep it dry and the lid snapped on and you would be OK for 2 months in my opinion.
I am a bachelor. I nuke all my cooking. I add the hamburger to Kraft Delux Mac n' Cheese dinners, to spaghetti sauce, to rice and cheese, to instant mashed potatoes. It's great! 2/3 cup Hamburger in a paper bowl, add water, nuke for 1:45. Drain the excess water and eat. You would not know the difference between this and home cooked burger, the taste is the same.
You guys might laugh at me but for my style of cooking its great!
Thank you. That is exactly the sort of info that I was looking for.
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For those that are planning on food storage to get you over the hump in a short term disaster...
Might I recommend alternate heating sources?
A coleman stove with several bottles of propane, a gas grill with spare bottles of propane etc?
You won't be able to run a microwave when the electricity is off line. Even those of us that have NG powered stoves won't be able to depend on the gas coming down the pipe.
Don't forget to store enough bottled water as well. When the grid goes down, you won't be able to depend on tap water being available/clean.
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http://www.amazon.com/Santa-Fe-Bean-Southwestern-7-25-Ounce/dp/B000FI701Y/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1353810370&sr=8-2&keywords=freeze+dried+refried+beans
This is the beans. $15 for a packet of 8. each packer is the equivalent to TWO cans of refried beans.
I made a dip with 16 oz of sharp cheddar cheese and a cup of freeze dried beef, (nuke till the cheese is all melty and stir real good) and it was a hit! (at home I will mix in some Taco Bell sauce packets)
Here is a review from Amazon
I think a few reviewers have gotten carried away (or maybe they just never had anything but canned before). These beans are a good value and definitely taste better than canned, but they're not going to change your life. The light packaging, long shelf life, and simple preparation make this a good product for camping or emergency supplies.
It's not easy to tell from the picture, but the bags are zip-lock type so you can make a portion of the package and reseal the rest. However, the instructions only cover the amount of water appropriate for the whole bag, so you're on your own to measure for a portion. Hint: start conservatively because it's easy enough to add more water later.
Overall nutrional values are better than average. I like to mix both cheese and salsa into my beans, but the result is fairly high in total sodium. Sodium level of the bean mix itself isn't too bad, but I wish they added less salt because anybody can easily add salt if desired, but you can't take out what they've already added. Since many people like to add things to their beans anyway, it would be ideal for the beans to start out with as little sodium as possible.
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My biggest concern is storing water. Bottled water has a relatively short shelf life so I have been looking for any long term solution. I found this http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_pn_E_WS%20P600_A_name_E_Canned%20Drinking%20Water
They say it can be stored for 30 years. As I'm new to this I wonder if anyone else has looked into this.
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For those that are planning on food storage to get you over the hump in a short term disaster...
Might I recommend alternate heating sources?
A coleman stove with several bottles of propane, a gas grill with spare bottles of propane etc?
You won't be able to run a microwave when the electricity is off line. Even those of us that have NG powered stoves won't be able to depend on the gas coming down the pipe.
Don't forget to store enough bottled water as well. When the grid goes down, you won't be able to depend on tap water being available/clean.
When I refitted my kitchen - I got a gas stove installed and plumbed out to behind the house. I "plug in" the 9kg bottles of LPG - go through one every 6 months or so. The same fitting is used for the outdoor gas BBQ. Three 9kg gas bottles (one for the BBQ and 2 for the stove inside) and you're sorted for at least a year - two if you're frugal.
The "grab and go" kitchen box has a 2 burner Priums stove , and a single burner cartridge stove. Get an adaptor for the primus stove and it uses the same gas bottles mentioned above.
As for drinking water - If at all possible install a rainwater tank. "Free" water. I've got 1000litres out in the backyard which is more than enough for a short term situation.
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My biggest concern is storing water. Bottled water has a relatively short shelf life so I have been looking for any long term solution.
Just because they print an expiration date on a bottle of plain water, it doesn't mean anything changes in the water inside. Basically the labeling and the bottle oxidize a bit over time and the label tatters or comes loose, and the bottle isn't up to as much rough handling as when it was new. As long as it's been sealed, there really isn't anything in it that can go bad. The expiration dates on bottled water are almost entirely for purposes of forcing stock rotation and for the legal protection of the bottler.
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Just because they print an expiration date on a bottle of plain water, it doesn't mean anything changes in the water inside. Basically the labeling and the bottle oxidize a bit over time and the label tatters or comes loose, and the bottle isn't up to as much rough handling as when it was new. As long as it's been sealed, there really isn't anything in it that can go bad. The expiration dates on bottled water are almost entirely for purposes of forcing stock rotation and for the legal protection of the bottler.
We use 2L soda bottles. The water picks up a taste from the plastic but if you pour it into a open pitcher the taste goes away in a couple of hours.
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Just because they print an expiration date on a bottle of plain water, it doesn't mean anything changes in the water inside. Basically the labeling and the bottle oxidize a bit over time and the label tatters or comes loose, and the bottle isn't up to as much rough handling as when it was new. As long as it's been sealed, there really isn't anything in it that can go bad. The expiration dates on bottled water are almost entirely for purposes of forcing stock rotation and for the legal protection of the bottler.
I had a couple of bottles of Tonic Water sitting for a few years, don't know exactly how long (didn't mix as many drinks as I thought), but some brownish-greenish stuff was floating around in it so I threw it out. I know Tonic Water has things other than plain water, but it made me cautious about storing water for a long time.
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I think that distilled water will store just about forever.
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Pure water is fine to store for thousands of years.
Any contamination will come from the decomposition of the container or impurities - both organic and inorganic - that weren't removed prior to storage.
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I ordered a sampler pack of Pleasant Hill canned meats. a sample can of belga canned cheddar cheese (I already own a case, but I don't want to open it yet), a can of bacon, and a can of pork sausage.
Should arrive after Christmas is my guess.
I forget who, but someone here said they have stocked up on Pleasant Hill canned meat. The freeze dried stuff is going way up in price.
My concern is if I like this stuff, I'll eat up my stock (especially with the canned bacon).
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My Christmas gift to me. I bought this today. After talking about it for a long time, I finally took the plunge and got my Rocket stove. It will be here in a few days, and then I will have to wait for Spring to test it out.
I have a backpackers mess kit, but I suspect this will take full size pots and pans.
I've got two little Esbit stoves with solid fuel tabs. So I can actually give a comparison test.
Now of course I have to do some REAL cooking. Won't be the same apart from a microwave. and freeze dried packets where you just heat water will be a waste with an elaborate set up like this.
any good outdoorsman cookbooks? Cooking over a fire ought to be the same with any camping stove.
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Pleasant Hill Canned meat sampler pack arrived today. Ground Beef. Beef Chunks. Boneless Chicken. Boneless Turkey. Pork Chunks.
Also in the box were the canned bacon, and pork sausage.
Tried the ground beef for dinner. Its packed in gelatin, not water. Didn't smell right, but that was likely the gelatine.
Its pre-cooked, so I added it to a bed of rice and cheese. simple basic. done it before.
The beef is OK. Nowhere near as flavorful as the freeze dried ground beef. But its OK.
Pleasant Hill said the can was tuna fish size. Nope, it's TWICE the size of a tuna can. so this would feed two people. Its a decent amount of beef with NO wasted space in the can.
for ground beef, my choice will be Mountain House #10 cans. I can cook as much or as little as i want.
If you have ordered the canned bacon, let me know. I'm gonna test it on Saturday.
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OK, here is the links to the Stovetec site for my Christmas gift to me:
The stove
http://www.zentg.com/stovetec/deluxe-wood-or-charcoal-metal-lined-2-door-stove/dp/4
The super pot
http://www.zentg.com/stovetec/stovetec-stainless-steel-super-pot/dp/8
The water pasteurizer
http://www.zentg.com/stovetec/stovetec-stainless-steel-water-pasteurizer/dp/3
The main site: http://www.zentg.com/stovetec/
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Belga canned cheese is wonderful! I ate half a can!
Made in Australia, its a white cheddar cheese. Packed in a tuna can you won't have the storage problems of a whole block. Just open both sides of the can and push the solid cheese through. Its not packed in water, it fills the whole can! Better than any cheese powder, or fake cheese substitute. I can survive zombies in style now!
This is probably the most pleasant surprise of my taste tests. You can order a single can to try it out yourself. I have a half case of 18 cans and just ordered another half case.
If you have tried it, post here and let me know how you like it.
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You mean Bega - not Belga.
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Yes! Bega.
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Mr Mann, have you tried any powdered eggs ?
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Not yet. In fact, I've never tried them.
and for the record, I've never had powdered milk either.
I suppose I should do so. Any favorite brands in you pantries people?
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Not yet. In fact, I've never tried them.
and for the record, I've never had powdered milk either.
I suppose I should do so. Any favorite brands in you pantries people?
These have some very good reviews but I have not as yet tried any myself.
http://www.campsaver.com/whole-egg-crystals-12-eggs-pouch
Reviews on Amazon;
http://www.amazon.com/OvaEasy-Powdered-Whole-Egg-4-5/dp/B00408XID4/ref=pd_sim_gro_3
One complained about the experation date so they purchased from manufacturer;
Manufacturer; http://www.nutriom.com/
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Yoder Canned pork sausage. I opened the can and it smelled awful. It looked raw. Packed in gelatin.
I just threw it away. Maybe I got a bad can...but I'm not trying pork sausage again.
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We just bought some powdered eggs and canned bacon...they were both good. The can of bacon was surprisingly good in fact. It's sliced really thin, but cooked already. All you have to do is heat it up. The powdered eggs, were good too. One cup of powder to one cup of water. I made omelets, scrambled eggs and even tried it with French toast, it all came out good.
We also tried some powdered butter, milk, cheese and a bunch of other stuff. It's amazing how well it reconstitutes. If you prepare it right...it's very tasty.
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We just bought some powdered eggs and canned bacon...they were both good. The can of bacon was surprisingly good in fact. It's sliced really thin, but cooked already. All you have to do is heat it up. The powdered eggs, were good too. One cup of powder to one cup of water. I made omelets, scrambled eggs and even tried it with French toast, it all came out good.
We also tried some powdered butter, milk, cheese and a bunch of other stuff. It's amazing how well it reconstitutes. If you prepare it right...it's very tasty.
What brand eggs and bacon did you try ?
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What brand eggs and bacon did you try ?
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We get ours from Emergency Essentials. The guy that owns that business is a VET. He actually hand wrote a personal letter of thanks to us for our purchase too. They've got just about everything anyone would want and quality goods.
http://beprepared.com/default.asp?&SID=GOOGLE&EID=GLB200703015&gclid=CKqE8buy27QCFUbf4AoddhcAKw (http://beprepared.com/default.asp?&SID=GOOGLE&EID=GLB200703015&gclid=CKqE8buy27QCFUbf4AoddhcAKw)
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Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce. Very good. Has some meat in it, but I added a half cup to freeze dried ground beef anyways. one serving like this almost filled me up. It would fill up a normal person. I ate a few crackers to finish it off.
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But I would like your input too as to what you like.
I will soon have my 2nd Wise 60 serving bucket. The first was general entrees, this will be meat and rice.
After this I will be focusing on canned food, especially since I read that Hormel chili will last indefinitely as long as the seal is not broken.
I got one emergency ration bar for a taste test. its a 1200 calorie bar supposed to last you all day. The company is mainstay. I've not read many good reviews of these bars but I will get a 3 day supply for a bug out kit.
I've ordered a couple of #10 cans from Mountain House for a taste test. one is chicken and rice and the other is ground beef. Most importantly...have any of you tried these products?
I'm thinking I need to diversify my stock. my goal at the moment is to survive an interruption, not a total collapse...A private home is what is needed. I'm in an apartment.
The good news is All the supplies I've rcvd have come in boxes marked, Amazon.com. So not even my manager knows about this stock of mine.
Camping gear is being built up too. I have a backpackers mess kit, two Esbit stoves with the solid fuel tabs, a water purifier with two back up filters. Purification tabs. waterproof matches, real basic stuff.
I still don't have a backpack yet. Hopefully by fall I will OK for a few months if I need to.
Oh and does anyone know about bulk storage of rice? Do I just need to buy a bag and forget it, or do I need a special container?
Hopefully by this weekend I will have a few taste tests for you. The ground beef is what I'm worried about. But I will let you know.
***** and again, I would like to know what you have tried and like.
Read an article just the other day about dry canning rice in Mason Jars. Seemed logical. Problem is one needs a vacuum sealer with the jar lid attachment. Wife and I eat lots of rice and have thought about trying it. Also read about canning ground beef in bullion broth as well. Possibly something you may wish to look into.
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Read an article just the other day about dry canning rice in Mason Jars. Seemed logical. Problem is one needs a vacuum sealer with the jar lid attachment. Wife and I eat lots of rice and have thought about trying it. Also read about canning ground beef in bullion broth as well. Possibly something you may wish to look into.
Just me , but I'd stick to using the plastic sheet normally used with the vac packer. The only real advantage I can see in using mason jars is their re-usability.
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Mountain House Lasagna with Meat Sauce. Very good. Has some meat in it, but I added a half cup to freeze dried ground beef anyways. one serving like this almost filled me up. It would fill up a normal person. I ate a few crackers to finish it off.
Mountain House has excellent dried foods that rehydrate really well. I love the powdered eggs...it's amazing how well they taste. I made some French toast with them too and it was really good. They also make a Scrambled eggs with bacon that's good too.
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Read an article just the other day about dry canning rice in Mason Jars. Seemed logical. Problem is one needs a vacuum sealer with the jar lid attachment. Wife and I eat lots of rice and have thought about trying it. Also read about canning ground beef in bullion broth as well. Possibly something you may wish to look into.
That's something that we bought a lot of was rice. We're storing it in those special five gal food buckets in mylar bags with the gamma seals.
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Hormel canned products are good long-tem storage, apparently.
"Can we serve a canned product beyond the “Best By†date shown on the container?
We recommend using our canned item by the date printed on the container for best quality, flavor and freshness. After this time, the product should be safe to use as long as the can has not been compromised (no dents, split seams or other container damage).
We recommend storing canned items in a cool, dry place to adequately preserve the flavor."
http://www.hormelfoods.com/search/~/link.aspx?_id=5A84C370E0CA4AE6A945E47E5AEA6AFE&_z=z
Buy on-line:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_seeall_1?rh=k%3Ahormel+canned%2Ci%3Agrocery&keywords=hormel+canned&ie=UTF8&qid=1363665861