ISO help/advice with earthquake supplies

[Robt]

I live in earthquake country. I want to find out how to precook meal ingredients so that when we do have a big shake and bake event, I can have predone [probably dried] foods that will not take much to re-hydrate and heat and serve. In that event getting a propane refill or having power or natural gas could be hard.

I have read in a back-packing article about cooking beans and drying because it would take very little to reconstitute for a meal which you would want to not carry any excess load. What I'd like to find is some sort of cook book... or method to learn more than just dehydrating cooked beans.

Any ideas where I should look?

 

[dragnlaw]

I believe you sort of answered your own question. Try Back Packing sites. I also suggest you purchase a lot of those freeze dried meals to see what texture and taste you will get. I don't know whether your supplies would be better freeze-dried or dehydrated. Nor do I know if you can freeze dry supplies yourself.

Don't forget - freeze-dried or dehydrated - you will need water to reconstitute them. And potable water can also be a main concern when it comes to disasters.

 

[GinnyPNW]

Hey Robt! I live a couple hundred miles to the south of you. Before moving to the PWN, I was born, raised and lived for many years in L.A., CA. Venice, to be more specific. Lots of shaking. Lots of times without power. Without freeway bridges. Without a lot of stuff!!

If you are not willing to go to one of the (many) prepper supplies places, then I would strongly urge you to consider going with canned options. Canned stuff survives well past their "best by" date and is pretty easy to use, if/when needed. It does NOT require anything much, other than a can opener. In other words, even a way to heat it is optional. And, "they" can just about everything you can think of!

 

[blissful]

If you learn the skills of dehydrating you won't have to carry books around.
Here's a good source I've used:

Dehydrating Food from A – Z | BackpackingChef’s Comprehensive Guide

Dehydrating food like a pro. Learn how to dehydrate vegetables, fruits, meats, starches, sauces, and whole meals.

www.backpackingchef.com

and

Home

The Purposeful Pantry is your go-to resource for practical tips, delicious recipes, and expert advice on dehydrating, freeze-drying and preservation!

www.thepurposefulpantry.com

If I'm canning beans (legumes) and they don't seal, I freeze them. Once I have enough in the freezer I thaw them and then put them on dehydrator trays and dehydrate at 135 deg F until they are crunchy, crisp, completely dry, to store. No need to freeze them first, it's just what I did.

Meals with beans, like beans and rice or bean dip or minestrone soup (found on the backpacking site) easily rehydrate and heat.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would encourage you to make or buy foods that you can enjoy as part of your regular meals instead of stockpiling unfamiliar foods and letting them sit for years in anticipation of an emergency.

 

[dragnlaw]

Exactly Aunt Bea! And while doing so just remember ROTATION! Although their shelf life may be huge - you should rotate them - buy new. Use your old ones, I think you'll be surprised at the end results not being what you thought they would be.
This will alos give you a chance to improve things along the way.

 

[Aunt Bea]

It might be a good idea to look at a few prepper cookbooks and put together a few emergency shelf meals.

If you and your family give them a thumbs up it will help you determine what your emergency pantry should contain.

There are many online articles and YouTube videos that might be helpful.

Here is a short article that might give you some food for thought.

Creating a Shelf-Stable Food Supply - Lehman's Simpler Living Blog

Learn how to create a shelf-stable food supply. No electricity needed, it's perfect for emergencies and power outages. Get started here.

blog.lehmans.com

How long do you anticipate a state of emergency lasting, 3 days, a week, a month?

Don’t forget to take into account the foods that you normally have on hand.

Even if you experience a power failure you should be able to use your normal supply of frozen foods over the first three or four days.

In today’s world a supply of cash and a full tank of gas may be more valuable if you are forced to leave your home.

Good luck!

 

[blissful]

@Robt
There are also groups on Facebook, Dehydrating Divas & Dudes, https://www.facebook.com/groups/937950979564072
and
Dehydrating Your Own Backpacking Food, https://www.facebook.com/groups/610904789060556
There's more of an emphasis on dehydrating whole meals instead of individual items.
Consider beverages, snacks, and meals. This picture is food for a 4 day hike.

 

[Robt]

I believe you sort of answered your own question. Try Back Packing sites.

You are dead on! Read a couple articles and found that lots of hikers had in deed provided what I was looking for. THX

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Army Surplus stores. You can pick up C-ration packs as well as Meals Ready to Eat (MREs). Search Amazon.com for MREs Genuine U.S. Military Surplus and Emergency Food Ration Bars.