{"id":90909,"date":"2013-11-12T23:22:51","date_gmt":"2013-11-12T22:22:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theorganicprepper.ca\/?p=2487"},"modified":"2013-11-12T23:22:51","modified_gmt":"2013-11-12T22:22:51","slug":"the-pantry-primer-a-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/the-pantry-primer-a-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pantry Primer: A Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

All it takes is reading the headlines for a few days with the slightest sense of awareness to realize that this country is in trouble. \u00a0With crises ranging from our crumbling economy<\/a>, an encroaching police state<\/a>, the devolution of civilization<\/a>, possible grid-down scenarios and cyber attacks<\/a>, and the risk of natural disasters<\/a>, a one year preparedness pantry is no longer just something that Mormons and those crazy preppers do. \u00a0It is a logical answer to the threats that we face every day, and as prices escalate, the time to get it together is NOW.<\/p>\n

Putting a rush on preparedness can be overwhelming, but when you thoroughly understand the process, you can streamline the acquisition of your one year pantry. Over the past 3 months, I’ve rebuilt my one year pantry from the ground up and documented it in my series, The Pantry Primer<\/a>. \u00a0This is a quick review and summary of the steps I took.<\/p>\n

1.) \u00a0Getting Started<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Every journey starts with a single step, as they say, so I began by making a list<\/a> and going on\u00a0\u00a0a\u00a0\u00a0shopping trip<\/a>. \u00a0I purchased enough basics to get us through a week, and made a few purchases that would increase my ability to cook from scratch (like flour, dried beans, baking powder, and peanut butter). Because I started out with no pantry basics, I had to get a few things I wouldn’t normally purchase, like boxed cereal, some canned organic soups, and ready made crackers. \u00a0
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

2.) Meal Planning<\/h3>\n

While building a stockpile, meal planning<\/a> takes on a different focus. \u00a0You have to break down your shopping into two categories: the stuff you need for the week and the additions to your stockpile. \u00a0So, that bag of rice might serve both purposes, but the green pepper you’re getting will only serve one. \u00a0Also remember that the meals you make right now can add to your stockpile. Take, for example, a roasted whole chicken. After you enjoy a couple of meals from that, you can take the remaining meat and bones and make a homemade stock, then can that stock to add to your pantry. \u00a0The same holds true for a huge pot of chili or soup. \u00a0Be sure to stick to your budget! I use the envelope method to keep myself on track.<\/p>\n

3,) Stretch Your Budget with Home Preservation<\/h3>\n

Lots of times you can find better deals on items that are fresh, but marked down. I often purchase meat and produce this way. \u00a0By using simple home preservation methods<\/a> like canning and dehydration, you can add these high quality additions to your stockpile at a much lower price. \u00a0Combine the bargains into soups and stews and pressure can them. \u00a0Dehydrate vegetables and fruits to reconstitute for a boost of vitamins and minerals in your freshly made casseroles.<\/p>\n

4.) Adding Larger Purchases to your Stockpile<\/h3>\n

Weekly grocery shopping is not the best way to build your stockpile. \u00a0Once you’ve established a base of groceries, you can eat from this small stockpile for a few weeks to save enough money to make some larger purchases<\/a>. \u00a0Not only do larger purchases add more quickly to your supplies, but generally speaking, they save a great deal of money from those smaller packages that come from the grocery store shelves.<\/p>\n

5.) Building the Ultimate Pantry<\/h3>\n

People create food storage stockpiles for many different reasons, and because of this, there is no “one-size-fits-all” formula for doing so. You must figure out what your goals are and develop a road map towards achieving them.\u00a0There are three basic types of food supplies<\/a>: the Bunker Pantry, the Agrarian Pantry, and the Bargain Hunter’s Pantry. Learn about these food storage ideologies and then take the most applicable strategies and combine them to create your own version of the Ultimate Pantry.<\/p>\n

6.) Building Your Protein Stockpile<\/h3>\n

Because\u00a0meat is so perishable (and also expensive) protein is often the most neglected frontier of the one-year pantry. Particularly in a disaster situation, you may be called upon to perform much harder physical labor than you are accustomed to. \u00a0It is a necessity to provide your body with the building blocks it needs to repair\u00a0itself and become stronger. Consider vegetarian sources of protein, buy in quantity, and learn to preserve meat to build up your protein stockpile<\/a>.<\/p>\n

7.) Stocking Your Supply of Fruits and Vegetables<\/h3>\n

A major challenge when living from your stockpiled foods is getting enough fruits and vegetables<\/a>. \u00a0Without produce, your family can be at risk for nutritional deficiency diseases like scurvy\u00a0and their immune systems will be compromised. \u00a0A minimum of 5 servings per day is recommended.\u00a0Supplying your family with produce that will provide the necessary nutrients that their bodies need to thrive is a twofold process. \u00a0Not only should you preserve the summer\u2019s bounty for the winter ahead, but you should also come up with ways to add fresh greens outside of the growing season.<\/p>\n

8.) Stockpiling the Basics for Scratch Cooking<\/h3>\n

To be efficient, every pantry requires certain basics that allow for\u00a0scratch cooking<\/a>. \u00a0A good pantry should have everything you need to whip together a pie, a loaf of bread, or a batch of biscuits with no trip to the store required.\u00a0Many of these basics, like baking items, sweeteners, fats, and other miscellaneous staples,\u00a0can be purchased in large quantities.<\/p>\n

9.) Stockpiling Grains<\/h3>\n

Food storage\u00a0<\/a>calculators recommend\u00a0300 pounds of grains\u00a0per person<\/em><\/a>\u00a0for a one year supply. For a family of four, that is a whopping 1200 pounds of grains that you should store if you are trying to build a one year pantry! \u00a0That sounds like a really daunting number until you remember that it is divided over many different items.\u00a0Most grains can be purchased in very large quantities at a greatly reduced price.<\/p>\n

10.) Where to Stash Your Stockpile<\/h3>\n

A very common question for preppers is, “Where on earth do you store all of that food?<\/a>“\u00a0\u00a0Unless you have a pantry the size of a master bedroom suite, it won’t take long to exceed the limits of your available kitchen storage. \u00a0But don’t despair! There are lots of little nooks, crannies, and storage areas around most homes that will allow you to discreetly put away a year’s supply of food for your family. It’s equally important to devise a system to help you find the items that you’ve stashed away.<\/p>\n

\u00a011.)\u00a0Maintaining Your Stockpile<\/h3>\n

Now that your stockpile is built, you must maintain it<\/a>. \u00a0You don’t want to end up back at square one a year from now. \u00a0You must rotate items into use in your kitchen, store them for the longest possible lifespan, and replenish them at the best prices available, which will entail tracking of sales cycles, couponing, and bulk purchasing. \u00a0A careful inventory should also be maintained, so that you don’t drop too low in any one item.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

If you’ve followed these steps you should be well on your way to acquiring a one year supply of food by now. \u00a0This is your key to maintaining your independence in the midst of a crisis, whether it is economic, natural, or man-made. \u00a0Whatever happens, you can feel confident that you will be able to nourish your family without waiting for a handout.<\/p>\n

You can easily apply these principles to acquiring other preparedness items that you need. You’ll save money, prepare for crisis, and ensure your family’s independence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Those of us who prepare for the difficult times ahead are the ones who stand between the total domination of the powers that be and the freedom that they would take away from us. \u00a0By understanding how hunger can be used against us, and then taking the initiative to prepare for that grim day, we can\u2019t be controlled as easily as those who have spent years accepting the handouts and trudging along with the herd.<\/p>\n

By making intelligent choices to ensure our survival and that of our children, we can resist. \u00a0Every meal that you put away keeps you a little bit safer from tyranny. \u00a0Every seed you plant hardens you against threats and bribery. \u00a0Your self-sufficiency is what will keep you free.<\/p>\n

In case you missed them, here are the other articles in this series:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Pantry Primer: How to Build a One Year Food Supply in Three Months<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Grocery Outlet Victory<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Meal Planning While You\u2019re Building Your Stockpile<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Getting Started<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Building Your Pantry on a Budget with Home Canning<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Adding Larger Purchases to Your Stockpile<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: 12 Strategies to Build the Ultimate Pantry<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Building Your Protein Stockpile<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Stocking Your Supply of Fruits and Vegetables<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Stockpiling the Basics for Scratch Cooking<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Stockpiling Grains<\/a><\/p>\n

The Pantry Primer: Where to Stash Your Stockpile<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0The Pantry Primer: Maintaining the One-Year Stockpile<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

All it takes is reading the headlines for a few days with the slightest sense of awareness to realize that this country is in trouble.  With crises ranging from our crumbling economy, an encroaching police state, the devolution of civilization, possible grid-down scenarios and cyber attacks, and the risk ofRead the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1228,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[461],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-90909","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorials"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90909","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1228"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=90909"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/90909\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=90909"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=90909"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=90909"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}