Back To Basics - Preparing and preserving on a budget

 

Preparing on a budget

During every conversation I find myself in, this is typically one of the first concerns I hear. This is a legitimate concern currently. More American's are finding their budgets getting smaller every day. Our wages are not keeping up with the cost of even the bare necessities. 

Naturally, if you are independently wealthy, keep your household prepared is simple. For the rest of us, it becomes a large challenge as the pennies we rub together, keep getting thinner. One basic thought I have heard, is purchasing 5 shelf stable items each week. This way of doing some preparation, will average $5-$10 per week. This is a great option for those living with extremely limited income. Just remember that even shelf stable items need to be rotated. I have personally started writing the expiration dates, in a location I can clearly see, so I know when I need to rotate them out. This is not something you will do once, and you're done. This has to be a life style change, in part. The pricing on items today, is significantly higher than they were 5 years ago, when I began really talking about this. However, having items on your shelf, for an emergency situation, is beyond important. Another area that I personally do... fresh produce that I purchase. Many times, I am not able to get it used up before it starts getting nasty. I have learned, through the years, how to handle this. Even though I got away from it for a period, I have gone back to basics myself. Peppers, onions, mushrooms, fresh spinach, lemons, limes, carrots, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. can all be froze! Either the day I purchase these types of items, or shortly after, I wash/cut and package them. They have really handy square snack baggies and most stores like Walmart. They hold the perfect amount to put into whatever I may need them for when cooking. Example:  half a pepper and a quarter to half an onion, into one of these bags goes into my meals when I cook. So, I will put that amount into the bag, seal it up and put it in the freezer. Celery is another one...a stalk of celery, cut up in a bag and into the freezer. Berries, the amount needed for a recipe in a bag, and in the freezer. This helps me to avoid wasting money and produce. Bananas, as they start to get over ripe for eating, can be mashed(for the amount required for a recipe) put in a bag, and froze. I have personally found, that using thawed bananas make my banana bread sweeter that using fresh bananas. None of these ideas, requires any specialized equipment or really much in the way of knowledge...you have it now. 

Think about what you use. My lemons and limes, I freeze some into ice cubes...especially, when I have more than I can use fresh. Frozen pieces of watermelon, are especially good and are great when you put frozen watermelon into a glass of water or even try something like lemonade. Another area I learned the hard way, some dry goods...they do not always fare very well when they sit on a shelf for extended periods. I have begun putting a lot into jars and using a hand pump sealer to keep them fresh for longer periods of time. You can also put many into the freezer. Dry/powder goods(flour, pancake mix, bisquick, etc) will get little bugs, even in sealed packages. You can avoid that using the freezer or sealing into a glass jar. I purchased my hand vacuum sealer through Amazon for about $26. I put stuffing mix, pancake mix, bisquick, rice, dry beans, instant potatoes, etc. all into jars. There are times that those types of products can absorb the scents around them...spices and even dust. They can also get stale much quicker. One note here:  make sure if you take something out of its original packaging, you keep the instructions also! 

Avoiding having food go bad, is a huge priority! American's waste so much, because we have had a lot of years without concern. You can freeze cooked food! Although, I have not had good luck with frozen cooked pasta, I personally freeze a LOT! While I do a lot of pressure canning, not everyone is willing to do this...and realistically...it's not cheap to get started. You can preserve foods without that, you just need to be willing. Cooked meat, is super simple....once it has cooled, you can put it in a Ziploc freezer bag, squeeze the air out, seal it and put in the freezer! It is really that simple. My own experience here, freezing bread and buns, I found if you put a paper towel in the package before you freeze it...it will not get dried out or hard when you thaw it. 

If you have decided to learn and purchase the items to pressure can or water bath can....this opens up a lot of options. Like I said, these options are not cheap if you are working on a limited budget. I will also warn if you purchase these items used...be sure they are in good working order. There is a slew of hazards when you work with pressurized anything, let alone working with one in a small area like a kitchen. I will highly recommend the Ball Blue Book of Canning and Preserving. That book is the life blood for preserving. Learning the foods that can be preserved by just hot water as opposed to having to use pressure is a necessity. High acid foods can be preserved with hot water bath, lower acid foods require pressure. For me, I water bath pasta sauce, pizza sauce, chili sauce, tomato juice, most jellies etc. On the other hand, I pressure green beans, soups, stews, meat, pickled beets, etc. Having the canning book, or a reliable/informed person you can ask advice is invaluable! I freeze everything possible, however, sometimes freezer space is limited; that's when I start canning. I can always add more shelves, or stack boxes of labeled jars in a corner. 

As I mentioned in the prior blogs pertaining to back to basics...You have to make a list of what you personally use. Being prepared, is more than just food. Knowing your own life style and needs is imperative. Food, water, pet needs, medicines, OTC's, paper towels, toilet paper, other special needs, baby supplies, clothing, blankets, tools, vitamins, spices, printed recipes, even so much as physical books on herbal/holistic treatments. I have found a lot of useful books and cookbooks, at yard sales and second hand stores, many for a quarter! 

Part of learning to be more self-reliant is learning to be thrifty. This means many things, and is different from person-to-person. To me, it means utilizing those yard sales, second hand stores, researching online(while I can) and keeping copious amounts of notes and recipes that I have hand written. It means growing my own gardens, or purchasing local grown produced when need to and preserving it. It has meant cutting out wasted time watching the mind numbing noise box, and instead learning something useful. I still have a wise lady I can call if I have questions, or need some old time knowledge; but not everyone has that. Right now, we still have access to millions of sources online. If you have a friend that does a lot of these types of things, most likely...they will be willing to help you too. 

I know some find this type of information repetitive and even crazy...I've actually heard people say that the government will help if it got as bad as I believe it will get. What I believe is this: we already have millions of people in our country struggling to eat or have a roof over their heads. Our government is bankrupt and has proven they will help every country but ours. I've heard the argument that God will take care of us. While I believe that to be true, God also expects us to be warriors and NOT just sit on our butts. I will be the first to tell you to pray with everything you have! Then, get off your knees and get busy helping yourself, your family and your loved ones. Trust in God's word, but being a sleuth IS one of the deadly sins. We don't get to pick and choose what verses or passages of God's word we should listen to. 

Pray, prepare, be peaceful but not complacent!