Food

Here you will find articles on producing your own food, including hunting/trapping/foraging, as well as agricultural practices.

There will be extensive articles about gathering food on the ocean.

NB: Always check with local laws to make sure what you want to do is legal.

Using An Oven As A Food Dehydrator

David Crawford Food 05 March 2023

Dehydration and Why It's Useful

Dehydration is the process of removing water from food to extend its shelf life and preserve its nutrients. Water is an essential ingredient for the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage, so by removing it from food, we can prevent bacterial growth and spoilage. Dehydrating food also makes it more portable and convenient for storage and transport.

Dehydration is useful because it allows you to store food for longer periods of time without the need for refrigeration or freezing. This is particularly useful for outdoor enthusiasts, hikers, and campers who need lightweight, non-perishable food options. Additionally, dehydrated food is a great option for emergency preparedness kits or for those who live in areas prone to natural disasters where power outages can disrupt the food supply chain.

In addition to the practical benefits, dehydrated foods are also packed with nutrients. The dehydration process preserves the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in food, making it a healthy and nutritious option. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables, for example, are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients.

Overall, dehydration is a useful and practical way to preserve food while maintaining its nutritional value, making it an increasingly popular choice for home cooks and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

Vertical Gardening: The Future of Food Cultivation

David Crawford Food 11 February 2023

Gardening is a pastime that has been enjoyed by millions of people for generations, but with growing populations and limited space, the traditional way of gardening is becoming less and less viable. However, there is a solution that has been gaining popularity in recent years: Vertical Gardening.

Vertical gardening involves growing plants in a vertical tower, allowing for more plants to be grown in a smaller space. This solution is perfect for people living in urban areas where outdoor space is limited, or for those looking to grow more food in their backyard.

Hydroponic gardening is a popular method used in vertical gardening. This method involves growing plants in water, instead of soil. This method is not only space-saving but also eliminates the need for soil-based nutrients, as the plants are fed a nutrient-rich solution directly.

Building a hydroponic garden can seem like a daunting task, but with some basic knowledge, anyone can do it. There are many tutorials and videos available online that will help you get started, and you can even find detailed plans and drawings to help guide you. However, it's important to remember that a hydroponic system requires power and requires you to add nutrients to the water.

6 TOP Crops to Grow at Home to Save You From STARVING

David Crawford Food 10 February 2023

Here is a great video from Self Sufficient Me's channel. It's not only very informative, it's also quite humorous.

12.5 minutes that are well worth the time.

Low Cost Food Storage Ideas for New Preppers. Here’s How To Do It Yourself and Save!

Ben W Food 27 July 2022

Guest article by Ben W

In today’s economic climate, finances are a major concern for everyone, but doubly so for the prepper or survivalist. Not only are we trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy in our everyday lives, we are also attempting to put together a “kit” for another lifestyle altogether, a kit that will keep us alive when everything falls apart.

Generally, the first items purchased by a prepper are foodstuffs, and these preps can be made slowly and relatively inexpensively, over a long period of time, or one can bite the bullet and spend a fortune to “prep” quickly, and in today’s socio-economic climate, quickly is the byword.

This usually involves purchasing ready made and assembled food packs from some company offering a 5-gallon survival pail sufficient to feed you for anywhere from 3 weeks to six months, or by buying surplus MRE’s. Both of these are good options, but you are paying for convenience and there is a better and much less expensive option.

Having been a long time prepper, 25+ years, I was into long term food storage at a time when options were few: Foods packaged for campers, very expensive, and MRE’s, always surplus and also fairly expensive.

32 Long Shelf Life Foods to Keep In Your Pantry

David Crawford Food 26 July 2022

Long shelf life foods are pantry staples. Keep these on hand for years (or even decades!).

Don’t you just hate reaching into the cupboard and realizing that box of cake mix has expired or your favorite snack is past its prime? Certain pantry items just don’t seem to last as long as we like. However, there are plenty of long shelf life foods perfect for filling your cupboards. Foods like these are great to have on hand for everyday cooking, of course, but also times when you just can’t get out of the house.

Many foods with long shelf lives are the basics—think rice, grains and salt—but others can last for a long time because they’re dried or canned. These techniques can extend the usefulness of all kinds of foods.