Hi, welcome back. As promised, here are some tips for being prepared for anything. I heartily recommend that you check out some of these websites. The first one especially www.survivalacres.comhas a wealth of information and links that you should definitely check out. Another interesting web-sight is www.frontiersurvival.net.
You should make up some test menus and extrapolate that out for however long you think you might need to have the emergency provisions. We are planning on helping our children if need be also. I find that most younger people think that they are invincible. I finally realize the old adage, with age comes wisdom.
We opted to not purchase the ready made meals, instead, we purchased flour, beans, dried vegetables, rice, and dried meat. We also purchased sprouting seeds so that we will be able to have fresh vegetables.
The mylar bags will need buckets to help keep out bugs. You really don't need to buy the special gadget that seals the bags. An ordinary iron will do.
This list is a general guide. Take your own tastes into consideration when selecting your own pantry basics. The links will take you to more detailed information on each of the condiments, including recipes:
Pantry Basics : Condiments
• Barbecue sauce• Capers
• Chili paste and sauce
• Chutneys
• Hoisin sauce
• Honey
• Horseradish
• Hot pepper sauce
• Ketchup
• Maple Syrup
• Marmalades
• Molasses: dark
• Mushrooms: dried or canned
• Mustards
• Oils: olive, canola, sesame, peanut
• Olives, black and green
• Pickles, sweet and dill
• Soy sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
• Tomatoes, sun-dried
• Vinegars: balsamic, cider, red wine, white wine, rice
• Worcestershire sauce
Herb & Spice Chart Here's a quick reference chart to help you choose herbs and spices for specific dishes.
Dried Beans - cumin, cayenne, chili, parsley, pepper, sage, savory, thyme
Beef - basil, bay, chili, cilantro, curry, cumin, garlic, marjoram, mustard, oregano, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme
Bread - anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, oregano, poppy seeds, rosemary, saffron, sage, thyme
Cheese - basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chili, chives, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, horseradish, lemon peel, marjoram, mint, mustard, nutmeg, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme
Chicken - allspice, basil, bay, cinnamon, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger lemongrass, mustard, paprika, rosemary, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme
Corn - chili, curry, dill, marjoram, parsley, savory, thyme
Eggs - basil, chervil, chili, chives, curry, dill, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, sage, tarragon, thyme
Fish - anise, basil, bay, cayenne, celery seed, chives, curry, dill fennel, garlic, ginger, lemon peel, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, saffron, sage, savory, tarragon, marjoram
Fruits - allspice, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, mint
Lamb - basil, bay, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry, dill, garlic, marjoram, mint, mustard, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme
Potatoes - basil, caraway, celery seed, chervil, chives, coriander, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, poppy seed, rosemary, tarragon, thyme
Salad Dressings - basil, celery seed, chives, dill, fennel, garlic, horseradish, marjoram, mustard, oregano, paprika, parsley, pepper, rosemary, saffron, tarragon, thyme
Salads - basil, caraway, chives, dill, garlic, lemon peel, lovage, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme
Soups - basil, bay, chervil, chili, chives, cumin, dill, fennel, garlic, marjoram, parsley, pepper, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme
Sweets - allspice, angelica, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, ginger, lemon peel, mace, nutmeg, mint, orange peel, rosemary
Tomatoes - basil, bay , celery seed, cinnamon, chili, curry, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, gumbo file, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme
The above list is meant to help you flavor your foods. Don't forget that salt is an important ingredient too, just be sure to not cook with it, and to taste your food before salting.
Dry your own herbs -
Drying herbs in the oven is very common, and a great way to shortcut the drying process into a short span. If you are pressed for time, or lack space to dry herbs on screen racks, this method may just work well for you! I do suggest, before you try drying your favorite herb this way, to research. Some herbs, like Sage, for example, will ignite at fairly low temperatures, and aren't recommended for oven drying. Other herbs, such as Chives, do not dry well in any fashion, and are better chopped and frozen into ice cubes.
To dry the herbs in the oven, you will need the following:
* a cookie sheet
* brown craft paper with holes punched in it, or cheesecloth
* Dark-tinted glass storage container
Once you are ready to go, here is the procedure:
1. line your cookie tray with your paper or cheesecloth. This prevents the herbs from touching metal, which can change the flavour or potency of some herbs. In general, you should stay away from processing herbs or preserves with metal utensils, in case a chemical reaction with the metal spoils all that hard work!
2. Lay your herbs out in a single layer on the lined cookie sheet, making sure you have lots of room between sprigs or petals.
3. Pre-heat your oven to around 150 degrees Fahrenheit, and place the cookie sheet on the middle rack. Leave the door open or crack it, so that humidity from the drying herbs escape.
4. Check your drying herbs frequently, and turn them if necessary. When I dry Thyme or Chamomile flowers, I tend to turn frequently to make sure all sides get even amount of time "up".
5. Remove your herbs from the oven when the petals of the flower feel dry and "crackle" when rubbed between your fingers. The same can be said for sprigs of herb like Rosemary.
6. Once your herbs are dried, store them immediately in your glass containers.
7. Check them for a few days, since any left over moisture can spoil the entire batch. If you see any moisture on the glass, you can always re-heat the oven, and place the herb in for round #2. Check for spoilage, and throw out any darkened or rotten herbs.
It's really that simple! Once you get the hang of it, you can dry lots of different herbs in the oven quickly, and have the same results as hanging them to dry, or using screens... only faster.
