Emergency Food Supply

[RamblingMad]

Freeze dried is actually quite different than dehydrated. Nearly all the water is removed, while a dehydrator might remove about 80-90% of the water.

Freeze drying is an industrial process and requires expensive equipment. It requires a vacuum to reduce the pressure such that the the ice turns straight into water vapor, like how dry ice turns straight into CO2 gas at normal atmospheric pressure.

But freeze drying is generally far better for taste and for something that reconstitutes closer to the original. But it's expensive. I remember my kid always wanted freeze dried ice cream, although it's not meant to be reconstituted.

I looked at freeze drying equipment. It's a couple of thousand dollars versus a dehydrator for less than $100. You can buy freeze dried ingredients. This is a much cheaper route.

 

[bcla]

I know that. Freeze drying your own foods would be fabulous if you had the equipment. The freeze drying isn't the problem with commercially available freeze dried foods. It's the ingredients and added chemical preservatives themselves.

Freeze dried foods can last a life time. That bit of moisture left in dehydrated foods is why it has limited life left out and needs to be in the freezer to get to lasting indefinitely like freeze dried.

I don't know if anything necessarily lasts that long without being sealed. The usual way is canning, but I've heard of irradiating food in the package. I thought that the primary reason why freeze dried was popular with backpackers is that it shaves weight and tastes OK once reconstituted. It also reconstitutes a lot faster than something that's dehydrated.

 

[mousefan73]

As another PP stated hygiene articles also are important. Weeks ago when it was in the news that a lot of the chemical bases are produced in China and there might be supply issues I kind of thought ahead and decided I’m gonna buy as much contact solution - chemical based items as I can right now that doesn’t expire within the next year or two. Now I’m not sure if that has anything to do with China, chemical, or other supply chains but things such as deodorant, toothpaste and contact solution are the three things that I cannot live without and also feminine hygiene products I totally stocked up on that stuff. Have about a year’s supply.

 

[HeatherC]

So would you dehydrate foods just to have more room to store them?

 

[AnnaS]

This morning, on Good Morning America Purdue said we should be okay with supply (with chickens?). They are re-packaging for supermarkets that would have normally been shipped to restaurants, etc.

They showed farmers having to dump milk out since it is only going to supermarkets and not restaurants, etc.

Farmers also clearing out lettuce not he ground and just leaving it on the ground since the demand is less.

It was also mentioned that perhaps it can be coordinated using it all for donations would be helpful.

 

[NYCgrrl]

So would you dehydrate foods just to have more room to store them?

If there was a need I would dehydrate certain vegetables for soups, stews, and braised dishes. Also dried fruits for a bumper crop. It can be accomplished in a regular home oven as long as the unit has lower temps (140-200).

I buy freeze dried shallots for home and camping use here:
https://www.thespicehouse.com/products/freeze-dried-shallotsThey also sell green onions/scallions

 

[AggieDizzer]

do you see it as 'hoarding' if it's a household's normal practice and the food is being consumed and replenished on a quarterly basis? that's not an entirely uncommon practice. i only purchase most canned and some dry good nonperishable items only once or twice per year, taking advantage of case sales. i only purchase paper goods on a quarterly basis, again timing it for target's sales. i generally only get cleaning products every other month on a trip to costco (and during the winter it may only be once every 3 months). i know how much my household uses, i don't like to shop so before all this happened i was able to do just a once a month trip to walmart or elsewhere to get dairy products (crazy long ultra pasteurized stuff up here), produce and the odd seasonal fresh meat (lamb in particular).

i'm not alone in this-i know of folks who do this b/c:

they shop on base, closest base is a couple of hours away,

live where winter road conditions make it safer to stock up in fall to get through the pass closures,

simply live on a quarterly vs. a monthly grocery budget.


i and many others who have this practice don't see it as hoarding, it's our years long practice and for many of us it's helped keep us out of the markets, lessening the demand for many items others seem to be searching wildly for.

No. I believe each household has to decide what their unique needs are. If what you describe above is standard operating procedure for your household, then by all means, do your thing. What I have a problem with is making the generalized statement that it should be SOP for every household right now. Which was what I took from the OP.

So I guess I fell victim to generalizing myself in saying that 3 month supply is always hoarding! But I do not believe that most households require such a deep supply of food stores, and suggesting they should would put tremendous unnecessary pressure on the food supply chain.

 

[AggieDizzer]

Not necessarily. Some if us have been doing this since Y2k. Plus, we have a garden, cows, catfish. All of that would help us 3 months and beyond. Not hoarding. Being prepared.

I have a garden and a cat....