Food storage, a big story problem.

[LarnaE]

I would like to use my food storage in the most effecient way possible. I want to make it stretch. I think if we just eat it without some sort of a plan that it will not last as long. Also, all of the good stuff will be gone in the first month. I need my chocolate to last the whole year. I was thinking of taking each bag, box, bucket or case and dividing it into daily portions. That is going to be one big story problem. I hate story problems. What are you doing?

[Lucy]

Well, we finally inventoried everything so we know what we have. I'm headed out to the store to the case lot sale to fill in some holes. I know that I should just sit down and plan but I'm not sure quite how to do that because I'm not sure how many people will be here to share.

[cHeroKee]

I would like to use my food storage in the most effecient way possible. I want to make it stretch. I think if we just eat it without some sort of a plan that it will not last as long. Also, all of the good stuff will be gone in the first month. I need my chocolate to last the whole year. I was thinking of taking each bag, box, bucket or case and dividing it into daily portions. That is going to be one big story problem. I hate story problems. What are you doing?
Just a thought, it comes down to calories/day, I was thinking about caloric intake as a primary means of dividing my food. I have an excel spread sheet that makes the calculations for you. Is anyone interested?

[Julie]

Larne, I have been thinking the same thing. I think this is what I am going to do. If you have a written plan, it will bring a lot of peace to you. I am going to write up 3 months worth of menus. This includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. I plan to rotate these menus throughout the year. I plan to use what I store and then I can see to make sure I have enough of the items to make it through the year. I think if you know what you are going to make everyday and you have that assurance that you have the stuff to do it with, you will be a lot calmer. It will be one less decision to make.
Hopefully this made sense.

[TheSwally]

Anyone want to share their menus? I have lots of wheat, oats, powdered milk, rice, dry beans, and water...and no recipes :)

[cHeroKee]

Excellent Idea!!


Anyone want to share their menus? I have lots of wheat, oats, powdered milk, rice, dry beans, and water...and no recipes :)

[Equanimity]

Amazing Black Bean Brownie Recipe

For those of you who have a hard time tracking down agave nectar (which is becoming much more readily available) substitute honey 1:1 for the agave nectar. Ania's head notes encourage you to keep these brownies in the refrigerator, they will slice much better if refrigerated several hours or preferably overnight. I used instant coffee this time around, but you can find natural coffee substitute at many natural food stores.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups soft-cooked black beans, drained well (hs: canned is fine)
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
? cup (granulated) natural coffee substitute (or instant coffee, for gluten-sensitive)
? teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1? cups light agave nectar

Preheat the oven to 325?F. Line an 11- by 18-inch (rimmed) baking pan (hs note: or jellyroll pan) with parchment paper and lightly oil with canola oil spray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on high. Stir with a spoon to melt the chocolate completely. Place the beans, 1/2 cup of the walnuts, the vanilla extract, and a couple of spoonfuls of the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Blend about 2 minutes, or until smooth. The batter should be thick and the beans smooth. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the remaining 1/2 cup walnuts, remaining melted chocolate mixture, coffee substitute, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

In a separate bowl, with an electric mixer beat the eggs until light and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the agave nectar and beat well. Set aside.

Add the bean/chocolate mixture to the coffee/chocolate mixture. Stir until blended well.

Add the egg mixture, reserving about 1/2 cup. Mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining 1/2 cup egg mixture until light and fluffy. Drizzle over the brownie batter. Use a wooden toothpick to pull the egg mixture through the batter, creating a marbled effect. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the brownies are set. Let cool in the pan completely before cutting into squares. (They will be soft until refrigerated.)

Makes 45 (2-inch) brownies.

[Equanimity]

Theres a really helpful book called the "Bean Bible" that I love, you all should check it out if you can.http://www.amazon.com/Bean-Bible-Legumaniacs-Lentils-Edible/dp/0762406895

[LarnaE]

Ok, this is going to sound strange, but I am afraid to use my food storage. I do use some of it, but I have certain items that I just leave sealed up. I am wondering if I should be rotating everything.

I think I will try to do the menus using the calories per day. I will see if I can post them when I am done. Right now I am putting up pears. I am so sick of pears, but I will be happy that I have them.

anyone have any good ideas for storing potatoes and carrots. Freeze them, dry them, pressure cook them ? what is the best method?

[mirkwood]

I'm the same. I use a checking and savings account analogy. The savings account food gets left alone for future need. Most of it has 20+ year shelf life too.

[signseeker]

I think I'd be alright getting about 10 days' worth of menus and rotating with those... 'course, that might be the laziness talking.:biggrin (2):

[Earthling]

I don't touch my long term storage i.e. wheat, powdered milk, freeze dried, powdered eggs, anything canned at the cannery, etc. I rotate my short term storage. So you're not alone!

[blake0808]

My family and I decided at the end of September that we would have October be our experiment month, too see how we would do on just our food storage. It is turning out to be a very interesting month. I can say, the good stuff is not going first:) I have three teenagers, and they have been getting into it really well. They ask what we are making for dinner from our storage tonight?? They have been very inquisitive about how we are making certain things without fresh products. My husband is actually the most "leery" about it. He is really enjoying it now, and asks what I "snuck in" this time. I have used beans, vegetable purees and dehydrated products a lot to stretch and make foods more nutritous. They are all very happy so far. Tonight I made chili with some soaked beans, some canned beans and a can of chili with no beans. It was amazing. So, add in corn bread made with dehydrated eggs and milk and it was a great dinner on our first day of snow in Idaho:)

[DavidA]

We probably should start rotating some of our old stuff. We have some Macaroni that is 30 + years old.:a0 (31): Hmmm maybe sawdust would be better.

As for goodies i.e. chocolate etc., if you are like my family, no matter how much self-control you try to have, it will still be gone in the first couple of weeks.:yummie: Remember, in some cases, trying is the first step to failure.:w00t:

Equanimity's recipe might save the day. I'll have to tell my wife to get on that right away.:o16:

[mirkwood]

We still need to get a pressure cooker for our beans. I wish I had bought rice instead.

[prairiemom]

I don't store anything we aren't used to eating and don't know how to use. So we pretty much rotate all our food. In case of real need, you will be very hungry if you don't know how to use wheat, honey, etc or don't like beans, powdered milk, etc. Rotating it not only helps me keep better track of our inventory, but gets us into the practice of good rationing and maximum use of our food.

Several yrs ago I helped my in-laws move after having lived in the same house for 30+ yrs. They had dozens of 10lb bags of sugar that were crystallized and 100's of lbs of soybeans that had never been touched. The sugar was an unnecessary loss. If they'd been rotating the sugar would have been used before hardening. I asked MIL what she was going to do with all the soybeans. "Why take them to the new house, of course!" Why? Do you even know how to use them? Do you even like them? "Because this is what the church has told us to do and we will be protected and blessed for our obedience." That's what I call too much emphasis on food STORAGE and not enough on provident LIVING.

Just this week I taught Bean Cuisine through our local adult community ed. This is the 6th time I've taught the class, had 9 students this time. I tell them how to buy beans in bulk and store them for long term use. Every class I get 1-2 "converts" to food storage. Slowly I'm helping people in my community see a reason to store food in bulk. I teach Bean Cuisine II 2 wks from now. I've attached the two cookbooks that I give out at the class. It includes some yummy desserts. (I just finished the second one, so let me know if you find any typos or something doesn't look right. Thanks!)

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[waif69]

We still need to get a pressure cooker for our beans. I wish I had bought rice instead.

Is there some reason for the pressure cooker other than faster rehydration and cooking?

We have used dried beens in a lot of our cooking and we just toss them and water in the crock-pot first about 8 hrs before the rest of the meal that we are making. We really like our crock-pot.:thumbup:

[mirkwood]

Just faster cooking of the beans. I don't want to have to do 8 hours if I don't want/need to.

[prairiemom]

Yes, shorter cooking time, which is important if you have a power outage or are otherwise needing to economize.

[phylm]

If you can grind your beans for bean flour, they are great for soup thickeners, and can be added to baking recipes, substituting some for wheat flour. When I was conducting my intensive prep classes a few years ago, I had been trying to impress on the sisters that a grain--wheat, corn, rice, etc.--and a legume--beans, peas, lentils, etc.-- made a perfect protein, replacing meat if necessary. One of the sisters brought in a batch of chocolate chip cookies in which she had used one cup of bean flour for one cup of the wheat flour in the recipe. They were good. I held one up and announced: "See, sisters! We can live on chocolate chip cookies!"

When I finish my diet and go back to baking again, I'll add bean flour to my bread recipes. Invisible nutrition.