Can Food Storage and The New Prepper, Part 2 of 2

Part 1 of 2 https://livingprepared.blogspot.com/2019/07/bucket-food-storage-and-new-prepper.html shows the typical basic dry bulk foods that most everyone has or should have in storage. It is these basic dry foods that partner very well with supermarket can foods. The dry bucket foods are added to the can foods to double and sometimes triple the serving size of one can.

#10 Cans and Camping Pouched Meals:

Another area, where the New Prepper becomes confused, is the stocking of #10 Cans and Camping Pouched Meals. Because you are stocking can goods of vegetables and meats you don’t need to stock #10 cans of the same foods. Yes, they are good for 20-25 years but that is a timeframe I don’t prescribe too. A two to three (2-3) years is more realistic in today’s environment. This is plenty of time to wait out a changing government like the Venezuelan’s are doing, where the people could use two or three years of supplemental meals. During a disaster, you can make smart decisions to wait out the disaster or relocate to a better country or remote area of your country to become self-reliant.

Stored Food Rotation:

With dry bulk foods there is no problem to keep them in stock for 20-25 years. Can goods however on average have a 2 year ‘best by date’. I regularly exceed that by another year or two. Also, I prepare meals at least every weekend using our stored can and dry bulk foods. Doing this is like an automatic ‘rotation’ so very little food will pass their expiration plus we get practice experimenting with new recipes using stored foods.

Recommended #10 cans of food:

#10 Cans do have a place with food storage such as Cheese Powder, Tomato Powder, Butter Powder, and Egg Powder. I use these four foods and they are surprisingly great tasting.

          Cheese Powder; for Mac & Cheese or any dish you would use cheese in.

Tomato Powder; all tomato sauces, spaghetti, pizza, juice, Sloppy Joe’s.

Butter Powder; any dish where you need butter, even a grilled cheese sandwich.

          Egg Powder; Scrambled eggs or any dish that needs eggs.

Pouched Entrees’ such as Mountain House etc:

These are good for your 72-hour bug out bag but that’s all. The down-side is the cost. They are terribly expensive to stock in your long term foods and they limit the serving size. It is common that users of a pouched meal that indicates two servings, they say the serving size is too small which leads to opening a second pouch to complete the meal.

Which can foods to stock:

First I suggest you review the Wal-Mart links below, they will lead you to hundreds of choices many entrée’s you never see in stores before to pick from. Buy and stock what you’re familiar with and use, including something that sounds good that you intend to test before buying in quantity.

How to prepare the can foods:

1. If feeding one person, then one can per day (30 days, 30 cans) is a good place to start. On average figure 1 can per person per day.
2. Let’s say you want a can of Campbell’s Chunky Soup which by itself equals 2 cups total.
3. Then you want to bulk it up with rice (or beans or pasta). From your bucket stock, you measure out one cup of rice (or beans or pasta) and then cook it.
4. The rice (or beans or pasta) will after cooking, double in volume to two cups.
5. Now add to the cooked rice the can of Campbell’s Chunky soup and heat.
6. You now have a total of four (4) cups ready to eat!
7. Serve yourself a single serving of two (2) cups and refrigerate the remaining two cups for your dinner.

How many cans of food to stock??

1. Within your initial three buckets of dry bulk rice, beans and pasta is a total of 240, cups uncooked (80 cups per bucket).
2. “You need a one cup portion of dry for each can you have in stock”.
3. Each bucket contains 80 cups dry food and can support 80 cans of food.
4. Within your three buckets of rice, beans, and pasta you have 240 days of eating lunch and dinner providing you have 240 cans of supermarket food in stock to combine the bucket food into.
5. For breakfast, you’ll probably eat oatmeal or pancakes and not can food.

Summary:

• This is not “5-Star dining but hard core survival eating”. But it can be prepared with camping gear, campfire, rocket stove or RV.

• One can of supermarket food plus your bucket food per day per person is all you need to stay alive.

• Start you stock with 30 cans per person and increase it monthly until your comfortable that you have enough to last through your typical area disasters.

• Yes you can use more or less of your bucket food to suit your eating needs.

• The cost for the can food is about $60.00 per month.

• The cost for the initial buckets is $205.00

• Total cost for your first 30 days and buckets are $265.00

 Wal-Mart!

My favorite, but not exclusive source to buy all my Prepper foods both dry and can, is Wal-Mart, via the internet. Why Wal-Mart? Because of the vast selection of dry and can goods to choose from and you can order all of it online and it will be shipped to your favorite Wal-Mart store location for free! Plus the sell all of the Augason Farms dry bulk foods in buckets and #10 cans.

However, shop your local supermarkets for sales. Our store has regular “Buy One Get One Free” sales and you can’t beat that at Wal-Mart.

Note on Can Prices:

When checking the can prices online sometimes their web site shows what appears to be a price range such as $4.00 - $8.00. However $4.00 is for two cans and the $8.00 would be for four cans. You have to click on what you are viewing to get the correct pricing.

Wal-Mart links I Use:

Auguston Farms #10 cans and buckets:

https://www.walmart.com/search/?cat_id=0&page=1&query=augaston+#searchProductResult

Can Meats:    https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=canned%20meat&cat_id=976759&typeahead=can

Can Soups:

https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=canned%20soup&cat_id=976759

Can Soups and Meals:

https://www.walmart.com/browse/dry-soup-mixes/0/0/?_be_shelf_id=32341&_refineresult=true&facet=shelf_id%3A32341&page=1&search_sort=100#searchProductResult

Note:

1. Be sure you have an unlimited source of drinking water. All your drinking, meal preps and baking require water. Two gallons a day would be reasonable.

2. Not mentioned are your preferred spices you already have in stock including salt, sugar, yeast, chili pepper, oregano and others that suit your taste. Add to them as you grow your stocked foods.