Using mostly freeze dried ingredients, this is an easy dish to prepare for the pantry, ready when you need to pull a great meal together in less than half an hour. Meal in a Jar! Imagine that. LOL *when my kids were little, one of our favourite story books to read was STONE SOUP. A hungry traveler convinced uncharitable villagers that he could make Soup from a Stone. Curious villagers contributed assorted ingredients, shaking their heads and musing “Soup from a Stone! Imagine that.” Well it wasn’t that long ago that the idea of a shelf stable Meal in a Jar was just as novel and just as curious to me. Now its a way of life, and I always have several on hand in the pantry – for times that a quick hearty meal will make the day go better, or when I want to send a meal out to someone who could use a lift.
Servings: 6 Time: 15 mins Layer ingredients into quart sealer in this order:
1 quart of home canned tomatoes or 1 796 ml can of tomatoes (your choice of type) 4 cups water
Directions:
if preparing a Meal in a Jar (MIJ), layer all ingredients in the jar. I like to arrange very neatly so that it looks nice. End with the corn – and put as much corn as you can to fill the jar.
Put the lid on and label with name, date and brief instructions.
Store in pantry for up to a year. It’s okay if you pass a year, but shoot to use it within a year. This is no longer long term ‘food storage’, it is intended for the convenience of a kitchen pantry. For up to 5 year storage, insert an oxygen absorber and vacuum seal.
Dump contents of jar into a pot and refill the quart jar with water to add. Stir to combine thoroughly and dissolve spices. Add quart of tomatoes.
Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to gently simmer approximately 20-25 minutes until beans are tender. Remove from heat and let sit 5 minutes.
if you prefer to have chili soup, just add another 2 cups of water.
If preparing meal straight in the pot (without a jar), just put all dry ingredients in the pot, add water and canned tomatoes and follow directions above.
Serve with dollop of sour cream on top and corn chips. Or cornbread (see recipe for cornbread mix).
When I try a new recipe, I make the recipe once into the pot, and again into the jar. That way I can check the measurements that fit into the jar, and sample the soup to know how much I’d like to store. After we finish dinner, I know if I’d like to make a few more. I’ll make up to four jars to store of a recipe that we enjoy, to keep on hand in my pantry or to share.
using mostly dried ingredients, this is an easy dish to prepare straight from the pantry
Servings: 6 Time: 20 mins Ingredients:
1 + 1/2 cups freeze dried chopped or diced Chicken hydrated in water to cover (I use the bouillon here) 1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil 1-2 cloves minced or 1 Tbsp freeze dried garlic 1/4 cup freeze dried Sliced Onions 1/4 cup freeze dried Diced Green Chilies 1/2 cup freeze dried Green Peas 1/2 cup freeze dried Green Bell Peppers 1/2 cup freeze dried Red Bell Peppers 1 tsp Garam Masala 1Tbsp Yellow Curry Powder 1 Tbsp Chicken Bouillon 1 tsp Black Pepper 1 Tbsp Turmeric 1 Tbsp Cumin 1 Tbsp Paprika pinch of Cayenne 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar 3 Tbsp Tomato Powder 2 cans Coconut Milk 1/2 – 1 cup freeze dried Zucchini, Green Beans, or your choice of other vegetable
Directions
Pre-cook your favourite type of rice.
While your rice is cooking, place freeze dried chicken in a bowl covered with water and 1 Tbsp bouillon. Set aside to refresh 10-20 minutes.
Heat a large skillet with sides, to medium-high heat. Add the olive oil heat. Saute garlic, onions and chili peppers in the oil. Add the chicken (with water used to refresh), and saute until the chicken is tender and warm.
Add all of the seasonings and stir to mix well, continuing to simmer.
Add the coconut milk, tomato powder and brown sugar and stir well to completely dissolve tomato powder and brown sugar.
Add the peas and zucchini and any other freeze vegetable you want to use. Don’t be afraid to add a little more water if needed.
Simmer till warmed through, then remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes Serve over hot rice.
for Meal in a Jar: 1. layer in dry seasoning – one at a time; I like to put the smaller amounts against the glass so that they show better. Top seasoning with the tomato powder, unless you’re using tomato paste later. 2. 1/4 cup each of freeze dried Sliced Onions, and freeze dried Diced Green Chilies, 1/2 cup each of freeze dried Green Peas, freeze dried Green Bell Peppers, freeze dried Red Bell Peppers 3. 1+1/2 cup freeze dried chopped or diced chicken 4. Top the jar up with 1/2 cup of your choice of Zucchini or Green Beans, or your choice of another vegetable. Add as much as you can till jar is full. 5. Put the lid on, label and date, put it away in your pantry to use within a year. Store away from light. For best results, don’t push the shelf life passed a year. 6. To prepare – cook your rice ahead; pour jar ingredients into a fairly large skillet and add 2 cups water. Stir to combine well, while bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add coconut milk, stir well to combine. Lightly simmer till chicken is tender, then remove from heat. Let sit covered for 5 minutes and serve over top rice.
Pro Tips: – if you don’t have tomato powder, use tomato paste (not in the jar – at the time of cooking) – if you don’t have all those spices (other than curry), not to worry; just use what you’ve got. CURRY however is important. If you don’t have curry – don’t make the dish. – to simplify the preparation I spoon the spices into a small (1/4 pint) jar, arranged beautifully. I save this seasoning mixture in my spice cupboard to add all together when preparing similar dishes later.
Food does not last forever. It must be properly cared for and rotated or you will lose it. And what a waste of money and resources that is! The idea of permanent food storage – or food that lasts indefinitely needs to be discarded. It’s ridiculous. Food will deteriorate even under the best conditions. The secret to success is to work within the facts, to take advantage of the best storage-ability of nutritious (excellent quality) foods, and to make a habit out of USING it, and continually replenishing – “Rotating” – to keep it at its best. That’s the secret in a nutshell; if you live by it the rest is a breeze.
Our early years of storing food
Shortly after Dan and I were married, we began to give serious attention to establishing our own food storage (such as it was possible in a small 2nd floor apartment). And we took more than our fair share of ribbing about it (especially me), from friends and family. Some family members were like minded, some were not – but respectful, and some outwardly ridiculed. And you know what? That’s just the way some people are – no use losing sleep over, adjusting your priorities for, or being offended because some people see life differently (no matter how rude they are).
“Food Storage was never meant to be an inheritance for your grandchildren.”
What is food storage?
I think a good way to explain what food storage is, is to understand what it is NOT. Food storage does not involve ‘panic buying’, and does not involve ‘shelf clearing’, buying on credit or hoarding. It does involve INTENT, coming up with a plan, working on that plan, priorities, budgeting, strategies, vision, some sacrifice , short term inconvenience in the beginning which transitions into long term convenience, satisfaction, comfort and peace of mind. It also requires some dedicated space. It does not have to be accomplished quickly, in fact it shouldn’t be – for a number of good reasons. It doesn’t have to be a whole lotta money upfront – quite the opposite, it can save you a lotta money. It can be accomplished one day at a time. Starting Right Now.
Food storage is all about preparing for adversity by having a basic supply of food, water and necessities on hand. There are two types: short term food storage – 3 months (which is usually just the first stage of a bigger plan) long term food storage – 1 year+ A critical component of any good food storage plan is WATER – for drinking and also household use. I am not including ‘water’ in this post, but only for the sake of room. It will be its own discussion.
Panic buying is based on FEAR, and it causes us to do things that we later might regret with regards to what we purchased or how we purchased it. When we haven’t planned ahead, and are suddenly faced with an emergency, we can find ourselves being very self centered. In that scarcity mentality, we may buy too much, and we may put our perceived needs ahead of every one else’s. We clear shelves. We think we deserve something more than somebody else might, simply because we got there quicker. When Covid first became a thing, we saw items flying off the shelves, people taking much more than they needed with no regard for others. The behaviour was a symptom of fear, but was completely avoidable with a little forethought and planning.
First of all, we are not the most important person in the world – even though we may think we are. And we are not more deserving than any one else. When we remove FEAR from the equation, it changes everything. That scarcity mentality becomes an abundance mentality. Go ahead and shop the sales as you can afford them – in times of plenty. There really is enough for everyone.
8 Hints for Success
Don’t buy more than you can afford
Start small
Picking up an extra can or two when you’re able (and they’re on sale) adds up soon and is Visibly satisfying
Re-allocate a few dollars where you can. In many cases, saving $ from one impulse fast food stop on the way home could be enough to add a case of some food-storage essential.
Be open to try new things. Open your eyes and you mind.
Rotate items to prevent them from expiring.
The freezer is NOT food storage. It is convenient and important, but not dependable in an emergency. It depends on a resource you cannot control: electricity.
Remember, for the most part, electricity is your best friend, and it will not let you down. But there are times it will.
So WHY food storage? That’s the big question . . . .
It seemed that in 2022 more people have opened their eyes to the idea of food storage. Some who may previously have only given it a cursory thought, and others who have never felt the urge or even saw the wisdom of food storage before now – were suddenly getting on board.
For years, governments on all levels, communities, social agencies and even religious organizations have urged people to prepare themselves by storing extra food, water and other necessities at home. With the recent changes we’ve all seen in these unsettling times, the wisdom of doing so is becoming more and more apparent to many of us. There is no replacing the peace of mind that you have when you know you’re prepared. And that doesn’t have to mean the radical preparations of a doomsday prepper. It can mean something as simple as not having to go out for groceries for a week when you’re sick, or for a month when you’ve been laid off. It can mean something as simple as being prepared to live with less income than you currently are.
The sad reality is that when we receive a few days warning of an impending hurricane or blizzard or other disruption in services, stores are crammed with people trying to get the last loaf of bread, the last bag of apples, the last jug of milk, or that last package of toilet paper because they’re not prepared. Or as we’ve all seen, hoarding those commodities preventing others from buying them – out of some sense that “WE” need it more than “they”. But truthfully, without warning, each one of us may face a personal emergency in our own lives. A job loss. A health crises. A death in the family. A pandemic. Let’s face it, life’s emergencies can be sporadic and unpredictable. Being prepared to weather these storms is not as difficult as you might think. What if you could relax, take that veritable load of worry off your shoulders? You can of course. It simply requires a plan, some focus, and some intentional action working toward the goal.
Food Insurance
Food is usually the second largest expense in any family budget, coming in a close second to the cost of shelter. And I’m sure you figured out that food prices only go up, increasing at a shocking rate these last few years. I can’t see that changing any time soon. Can you?
You’d be hard pressed to find someone without household insurance. Most of us agree that life insurance is important, and it’s mandatory to have car insurance. We buy travel insurance when we travel, and medical insurance. So why not for something as important as food? Food insurance! That’s pretty much what food storage is. But its surprising how many of us fail to protect our family with the most basic insurance of all – protection against an interruption in our ability to buy groceries. And with the recent Covid pandemic fresh in our minds, and subsequent shortages in nearly everything, we’ve all seen first hand, things we didn’t ever think we would.
The big difference of course, is that Food Insurance doesn’t disappear at the end of the month like fire insurance. We eat it. For the cost of “insuring” our family against the unthinkable, or simply against an interruption in our income, we can literally BUY peace of mind in the area of food. “Full Coverage Food Insurance“, ready when we need it. And no insurance broker to deal with LOL.
Building your food storage may seem daunting at first, both in effort required and the financial investment. Here are some steps to get you started.
1. Where to start?
When I was a little girl, fruits and vegetables in food storage were in cans or bottles. They were stored in our cold room and brought up daily for meals. Meat was stored in the freezer. Flour and sugar were stored in pails. And pasta was stored in cardboard boxes. (we always had lots of macaroni). When my kids were little, it was more of the same with the addition of more dehydrated foods (more than just raisins), a lot more home bottled fruits, vegetables and even meats, and a bigger variety of grains and beans. These days, I keep some of those same foods, with a few adjustments, improvements, additions and editions I’ve learned over the years.
When you’re just starting out with Food Storage, there is always the question of *Where on earth do I begin(?). And then the follow up questions of *What to get? *How much to get? *Where to get it from? *How to afford it? *How to store it? *Where to store it? *How long will it last? *How to prepare it? *Where to find the time to prepare it? *How to rotate it to keep it ‘fresh’? *How not to waste it? *And will my family eat it?
Nowadays, we have a new player in the food storage game. Ironically, it is not so new, its more a matter of more people becoming increasingly aware of it. And its the answer to all the above questions. FREEZE DRIED FOOD. Nutritious. Convenient: easy to use. Tasty. And get this – shelf life of 25 years. It adds “SMART” to traditional food storage of cans and bottles.
STORE WHAT YOU EAT.
Having a Food Storage may be one of the smartest things you do for your family. But there is one very important rule that everyone must follow. Your Food Storage may not look like mine or anyone else’s, and it shouldn’t. You need to Store what your family eats! Foods you like, that are easy to prepare but more importantly, that your family is used to, and will enjoy. In our younger years, there were often times that we relied on our food storage. Groceries were the only flexible thing in our tight budget, but I never wanted my children to feel that life was harder this month than last month. I wanted every day to be comfortable and normal. So we ate the same way, in good months and difficult months. If I could not buy groceries in any given month, or my budget was reduced for some reason, I didn’t want my kids to notice. I cannot emphasize the rule of “storing what you eat and eating what you store” – enough. When life is hard on so many levels, it is soothing to know that your family has good food that they’re accustomed to, on the table. Store what you eat, but then EAT what you store.
MAKE room.
That’s different that having room. Most houses these days offer no accommodation for food storage, but they’re also bigger than houses of yester-year. Ironic isn’t it? If you can’t find room, then MAKE it. Be creative. You’re the boss. Ideally it should be in the basement where it is cooler, but if you don’t have a basement, convert a bedroom, or a storage room or a portion of your garage if you must, or even a closet. Think outside the box. If possible, keep everything together. When we moved into the house we currently live in, it took us a few years of experimenting with where to put our food storage before we finally ‘found’ the room. We had to put up a wall and create a small room where there wasn’t one.
AFFORD. Never, ever ever EVER invest in something as important as food storage with money you don’t have. It doesn’t matter how good that bargain was, if you’re paying 25% interest on it, its a bad deal. Shift your budget if you need to, do without something else if needed to add $100 a month to your food storage, but do NOT buy it on credit. Debt is contrary to the principle of being prepared. Debt is the quickest way to either lose everything you’ve got, or to be held hostage by it. Preparation can be accomplished on a budget.
ROTATE. Everything has a shelf life, even you! Trying to stretch food too far past it’s recommended shelf life will result in an inferior product – especially in its nutritional value. An important part of using the food in your storage is ‘rotating’ it. First in, first out. Replacing it as you use it keeps it current and puts your ‘food storage’ into the same category as ‘groceries’, which normalizes it. Rotating also gives you experience using the food you’re storing, and lets face it, sometimes we can use the practice right? The shelf life of food varies widely, but here are some basics that might help you estimate.
CANNED FOOD (home canned or commercially canned) has a shelf life of up to 2 years. If your canned food gets too old, you’ll end of discarding it, and that is a sad waste of money.
FROZEN FOOD has a shelf life of 3 months to one year – depending on what it is. So yes, its convenient, but don’t count on it for the long term. And of course we all know that frozen food is 100% dependent on our access to electricity – which may be disrupted without notice. DEHYDRATED FOOD has a shelf life of up to one or two years. If you’ve ever kept raisins longer than two years, you know they’re not very good. Too dry and crystalized.
FREEZE DRIED FOOD has a shelf life of 25 years (sometimes more). Not sure how anyone can beat that, but even 25 years doesn’t mean forever. You’ll be surprised one day to find out how quickly that time has slipped by. But when you’re using the food, and constantly replenishing – it is completely without the stress of worrying about its shelf life. Once you open it, most freeze dried foods will last a year if properly sealed and protected from the moisture in the air.
TODAY. It’s true that those who began investing in Food Storage many years ago, are advantaged. They simply maintain what they’ve been doing all along. But as Maya Angelou once counselled “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, DO BETTER.” I love this simple piece of advice. It is wisdom to me, and I have adopted it as my personal motto. It reminds me not to beat myself up for mistakes I made in the past, and opportunities I’ve neglected. I did the best I knew how with the resources I had at the time. But now, I know better. And my obligation is to act on my new knowledge and awareness. I am accountable for my actions based on what I understand. Truly the best time to get my food storage together was a long time ago. But if I didn’t, I didn’t. It can’t be changed. The point is, that I can start NOW. The next Best time to do better is always right now. TODAY.
2. What to get?
When I was a young girl, my mother answered that questions with the same answer my grandmother gave – “whatever fills the hollow spot“. She gleaned that philosophy from being a child of the depression and war years. While I respect the practical experience, I’d like to think that we have a more enlightened perspective of nutrition nowadays that would influence the question of what to invest in.
When you’re in a situation where you’re living on your food storage, you want the best nutrition for your family. In fact, if letting “food be thy medicine” was ever important, it will be critically important in times of need. Nutrition is key. Make sure the food you buy has something more to offer than calories. Having said that however, calories will be very important too. Calories are where energy comes from, just make sure they’re super nutritious calories.
All produce (fruits and vegetables) begins to deteriorate in the hour it is harvested, so eating fresh from the garden is of course optimal. But as lovely as that is, most of us cannot do it consistently, at least not all year round. And food storage generally consists of preserved food, so lets look at options. Rule of thumb to remember when choosing the type of food for your food storage: * Canned food (whether home canned or commercially canned) retains about 40% of it nutritional value. This is not the original food value of what it was in the hour it was picked. It represents 40% of the nutritional value of the food when it was put into the can or bottle. When I first learned this, I was very disappointed because I canned fruit all my parenting years, and we relied on canned fruit all winter long. But I was not surprised.
If you’ve ever canned peaches, you know that those peaches are in a hot water bath of 212 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Of course nutrition is going to be affected. And of course, when we buy those peaches (that were picked green before all the nutrients were fully developed), we usually have to wait a few days till they’re fully ripened and perfect for canning. This time means further nutritional loss. Still 40% is better than no peaches in February right? And home canning is still the easiest and most reliable way to preserve food long term at home. So let’s just be mindful of its pros and cons. * Frozen food retains about 60% of its nutritional value and is generally flash frozen very quickly after harvesting. It’s biggest draw back is the limited shelf life. * Dehydrated food is difficult to pin down for nutritional retention, as there are so many factors involved in dehydration. Was it commercially dehydrated? Or dehydrated at home? Sulfur dioxide is a preservative often used in commercial dehydrating. Most raisins, prunes and apricots contain it, and while this sulfite extends the shelf life of dehydrated food, but it is very bad for us. Generally you can count on dehydrated foods having close to 80% original food value, but for how long? And dependent on so many factors, it is difficult to have confidence in it. * Freeze dried foodretains up to 95% of the original food value. This is astounding, especially when considering its exceptionally long shelf life. Look for brands that guarantee their produce was picked RIPE and flash frozen within hours of harvest. This ensures the best possible nutrition right from the beginning. How is this possible? Here’s a good explanation in a nutshell . . . .
3. How much to get?
Following the SMART rules above will help you with most questions you might have, but . . . how much? How much is enough? And how much should you start with? My strong suggestion is to not bite off so much that you are overwhelmed and give up. There are two ways to start slowly:
Add extra Simple adjustments like – if you would normally buy two cans of tomato sauce, buy four. If you would normally buy three cans of tuna, buy six. If you would normally buy a box of cereal, buy two. And so on. Focus on non perishable items. Put them away, in your pantry or in your new ‘food storage’ area. Next time you go shopping do the same thing. Gradually these extras add up and you will be amazed to see the results after only a few months. *hint: always write the date you buy it in permanent marker on the package. This is a loud reminder of keeping it properly rotated.
Two weeks Think of seven meals your family enjoys – one week’s worth. Easy ones, with non-perishable food in them. Perhaps your list is something like this: spaghetti, chili with cornbread, potato chowder, chicken parmesan, lasagna, cheesy chicken and rice, sloppy joes, Italiantuna salad with orzo, refried bean burritos, Indian dahl . . . . whatever your family enjoys. SEVEN meals. Multiply by two – to make fourteen meals. Break each meal into a recipe shopping list like for instance, your recipe for spaghetti might call for one package of spaghetti, two cans of tomato sauce, a pound of ground beef, an onion and some herbs – write it down. Multiply that by two. Add double of each of those ingredients to your shopping list. Go to your next meal. Perhaps your recipe for lasagna calls for one package lasagna noodles, one large can of tomato sauce, one pound of ground beef, one onion, garlic, one pound of mozzarella cheese, one container of cottage cheese and some spinach. Multiply that list by two. Two meals down.
What other meals does your family enjoy? Write up your shopping list, and as you can afford those ‘extra’ items necessary to make the meals, purchase them. Easy peasy. You’ve got two weeks worth of dinners stored. Add breakfast items like porridge, pancake ingredients, juice, etc.
Either of those methods are a great place to start small. But don’t stop there. Once you’ve got two weeks packed away, reset your goal to one month, Then three months. Then six months. Then one year. It’s a process. Celebrate each milestone, and then push toward the next goal. I promise, you’ll feel great about your progress and success. This is easier than you thought.
4. Where to get it from?
For the most part, you’ll want to buy the majority of your food storage items wherever you normally buy your groceries. That is where you’re comfortable. You know what they have, and what you like. Bulk stores or wholesale outlets are good resources for those items you want to buy in larger amounts.
Ask around. There might be places around that you don’t necessarily frequent. Open your eyes and your mind to try new things and new sources. You might find some great resources on line, to have delivered right to your door. While I am all about shopping locally, there are some food items I cannot buy locally. Those, I am happy to be able to order them in.
The industry leaders in the freeze dried world is undoubtedly THRIVE LIFE. They are the largest company in North America, with the biggest variety. Available in United States and Canada at this time.
5. How to afford it?
You afford it by starting small. You buy when you’re shopping already, a little here and a little there, just add a few more cans. Make whatever sacrifices you need to in order to ‘afford’ it. If you’re eating out once in a while, consider how much you could have added to your food storage with what that meal cost you. If you’re in the habit of buying junk food, consider how much real food that bag of chips or candy could have been converted into. Affording important things sometimes requires adjustments. Do what you need to do to accomplish your goal.
Investing large chunks of money will bulk up your food storage of course, but you don’t have to spend a lot to build it up. Just spend with a purpose, and spend differently. Using the illustration above, let’s assume my food budget was $600 a month. By re-allocating 1/3 of that budget into freeze dried foods (beginning with those I often waste), and continuing to spend the remaining 2/3 in my usual way, I slowly begin to introduce food that has zero waste, and long shelf life. As I began substituting the food I used to waste for freeze dried food that I will never waste, my grocery dollar started going a lot further. Within only a couple of months I noticed that by no longer wasting food, I actually saved money. No trim, no spoilage, no waste = saved money. More to invest into more food storage.
Having said that, for most of our parenting years we received tax refunds in the spring. We most often used those lump sums to bulk up on food storage – always watching the sales of course.
6. How to store it? and Where to store it?
Ideally, most foods should be stored in relative cool, with little temperature fluctuation. A shed outside? Absolutely NOT! Unheated garage? Depends where you live. If you can find a place where you can SEE what you’ve got, it will be a lot easier to use it, keeping it properly rotated. Underneath your stairs? Convert a closet?
Frozen food is not food storage. Yes, it is convenient and I wouldn’t want to do without my freezer, but anything that is as dependent on something completely beyond your control – like a freeze is dependent on power, is not something you can count on. Resist the temptation to invest a lot of money in frozen food.
*for more information on storage ideas, click here
7. How long will it last?
Go with accepted shelf life recommendations, and yes, I know you can push them a bit when they’re “best before” dates. But use those dates as a good guideline for trying to consume the food within. Frozen food – 3 months – 6 months – up to a year at most for some items. Canned food – 2 years. Dehydrated food – 1 to 2 years. Freeze dried food – 25 years.
8. How to prepare it? and Where to find the time to prepare it?
If you’re using food you generally use every day, you’ll have that pretty well sorted out. If you’re trying to incorporate some more shelf stable foods, then I highly recommend you start using them today to have all that figured out before a time of need. Remember – Store what you eat, and EAT what you store.
If time is an issue for meal prep now, welcome to the club. Preparing a meal with traditional food storage items like wheat and dried beans can be difficult when utilities may not be available. Using canned and dehydrated foods may be easier and less time consuming. Freeze dried foods are very quick to refresh and to prepare. Freeze dried meals that require only water to prepare, can be ready in about 10 minutes. That’s NO cooking. Very convenient in emergencies.
* a little about Freeze Dried Food It wasn’t that long ago that it was so new most people had never heard of it. Today it is readily available, being a fast growing industry in the food world. It IS the future. I firmly believe it is the answer to the problem of food waste in North America, and it is the vehicle people can use to secure a high quality, nutritious, long term food storage.
9. How to rotate it to keep it ‘fresh’? and how not to waste it?
Proper rotation is critical to a good quality food storage. So many buy food storage specifically for “food storage”, never intending to eat it. They say “Food storage is food storage and groceries are groceries.” The problem with that philosophy is, that your food storage gets dated while you’re not paying attention. And pretty soon, its nutritional value is questionable. You must pay attention. And using the food regularly ensures you stay on top of it. Storing it in the boxes, under beds and tucked away in closets makes rotation difficult. Remember the rule – Store what you eat, and EAT what you store. Abiding by that rule will keep your food fresh, and reduce any potential for waste.
Buying emergency food with the intention of sticking it in a hole in the ground in case of some zombie apocalypse is a good way to waste a lot of food, and a lot of money. No food will last forever. And there are a lot of real life emergencies that happen in the process of living, that can be relieved by a simple, well managed food storage. Imagine not having to worry about buying groceries for a week, or a month! Wouldn’t that take a lotta stress out of an already difficult situation?
10. Will my family / children eat it?
Some believe that when our kids are hungry they’ll eat anything. I suppose if they really are THAT hungry. But let’s hope we never get there. What about when you’re just trying to navigate a temporary interruption in income? Trying to make the best of a less than ideal situation? Familiarity is precisely why we should incorporate food storage items into our daily meals.
I discovered freeze dried foods when most of my children were already grown and gone, so most of them learned about it from an arm’s length distance. Some of my grandchildren however, have learned more up close and personally. My favourite example of this is my grandson Charlie.
When Charlie was a year old, he began spending a few days a week at our house while his mom worked. As he began eating finger foods, freeze dried blueberries were a healthy and delicious food to start out with. He loved them, and ate a lot! At one point, his parents wanted to increase the amount of calcium in his diet so they asked me to give him a glass of milk with lunch. One day while I was feeding him – with a glass of milk nearby, I thought about other excellent sources of calcium. Foods like fish, nuts, kale, eggs, broccoli . . . BROCCOLI. I had some freeze dried broccoli in my pantry. Whether he would like it or not remained to be seen – its a far cry from tasting like blueberries.
I retrieved the broccoli and showed it to him. I opened it up and took a piece out, ate it while he watched, then showed him the contents of the can and offered it to him. He took one and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, I half expected him to spit it out – I wasn’t even sure how many teeth he had. But he did not. When he finished it he asked for more. I gave him more, and he asked for more. And then more. And more. It was the beginning of a good thing. I encouraged his appetite for freeze dried broccoli, including it with every meal. I began calling him “Broccoli Boy”, and I even gave him small cans of it to eat in the car and at home. Those early exposures helped him develop a taste for freeze dried food, which is perfect, because its here to stay.
The point is, that Broccoli Boy wasn’t born on a different planet, transported here to become Broccoli Boy. He was molded and formed to become one, right here on earth. I created that alter ego, by introducing him to that wonderful, crunchy source of calcium early on. It made the perfect companion to his enjoyment of other ‘crunchy’ freeze dried fruits and vegetables.
Will your kids like the food? I think you can take it from Broccoli Boy. They will.
Learning to use foods that are less familiar to you – like freeze dried food, will make all the difference. Your family will be surprised to find out how delicious and satisfying it is. Exposing your kids to it early is very helpful. They get used to it. Again, its that ol’ familiarity thing right? Freeze dried food is easy to use, but it does require you to flip a switch in your brain. So flip the switch! Get used to it. It is the perfect food to insert into your Food Storage.
I’d love to hear ideas that worked for you when you first started out with your Food Storage. Or some of your favourite food storage items and or recipes. Or if you haven’t started yet, I’d love to hear about your journey. You can comment below.
A few years ago I discovered “meals in a jar”, and at the risk of sounding overly dramatic, it kinda changed my life. In a good way. What exactly IS a meal in a jar (MIJ)? Its a good, healthy meal, ready in a matter of minutes, prepared ahead for such a time as this. The variety of options is endless, limited only by your imagination. If you’re short on imagination at the moment, scroll down. I’m giving you a few of my favourite recipes below, with some suggestions for adjusting as seems appropriate.
6 different MIJ – Meals in a Jar
Food storage has been a way of life for me, all my adult years. Why? Because it’s the SMART thing to do, that’s why. I saw the example in varying degrees throughout my childhood, but Dan and I took it to a whole new level as we practiced and learned, and increasingly saw the value of having a food storage. Not everybody’s food storage looks the same. With encouragement, suggestions, and the kinship one feels with other likeminded people, I developed my own plan that fit into our lifestyle. The best piece of advice I absorbed came from Spencer W. Kimball, who counselled “Store what you eat, and EAT what you store.”
When freeze dried food became more readily (and increasingly) available, storing high quality food became easier, and more nutritious. It also opened up a whole new world of possibilities for convenience. Yes, convenience and healthy, and long term shelf stable, can all exist on the same table at the same time. True, we generally focus on food storage as an emergency resource, but consider the innumerable minor emergencies that happen in the regular course of our week. Those days when you’ve been crazy busy, but the family still needs to eat supper. Those days when you just don’t have any good ideas or energy, but the family still needs to eat supper. Those days when you’re sick, and need to leave dinner up to someone else. Those times when money is short, and the fridge is bare, but the family still needs to eat. . . . You get the picture.
Meals in a jar (MIJ), properly sealed can last an easy five years, but personally I’m not interested in them lasting five years. With freeze dried food, I already have an excellent food storage that will last 25 years. What I’m looking for with MIJ – is convenience. I want a few meals our family will enjoy IN the pantry, close and handy for the day I need it. I want a few meals I know I can count on, that I can pass on to a friend or neighbour who could use a helping hand from time to time. But its gotta be healthy. That’s my one big criteria, my non-negotiable. No artificial additives. I still run with the motto “If you can’t say it, don’t eat it“, so homemade with ingredients I can trust is essential.
How long can you expect a MIJ to last with a good snug lid on it? Six months to a year is how long I keep mine, and I’ve never had a problem. MIJ are great options to keep on the shelf for THOSE emergencies! If you’re of a mind, and if you have a vacuum sealer, go ahead and seal them for longer shelf stability. But in the meantime, consider them part of your routine: your emergency dinner-to-the-rescue, to pull out when you need to get dinner on the table quick!
Sausage Corn Chowder on the table with broccoli cheese biscuit
Ingredients:
Most MIJ recipes require freeze-dried foods of course, with perhaps some dehydrated ingredients. These are ever more readily available in stores and to order directly. Truth is, not all freeze dried food is the same quality, so do your homework when picking a reliable source. Personally, I prefer the quality of THRIVE LIFE foods – just Simple, Clean Food. The quality of your MIJ and the confidence you have in it’s shelf stability, can only be equal to the quality of the ingredients you use, and the care and attention you give to cleanliness when packing it.
Equipment:
Containers: I use wide mouth quart jars for family sized meals, and pint jars for smaller meals. I like glass because you can SEE – easy to know what is in there, and that they are airtight with a good lid. Make sure they’re clean and DRY. And store in a cupboard away from light so the vibrant colours are not faded by the sun. Jar funnel: Not necessary, but sure comes in handy to get everything INto the jar. Measuring cups and spoons: Measurements are pretty important when you’re trying to fit it all into a jar. Label: just something to write basic information like the name of the dish and how much water to add of course, but I learned a good lesson about including directions. One day when I had some visiting grandchildren, I was not well. Dan was working during the day, but when he got home, he pulled out a MIJ to whip up a quick and easy dinner. Occasionally, if I am intending to give the meal away, I’ll also include a list of ingredients on the label.
How to create your own recipe:
Fill up these jars with different Meals to keep on hand. I usually make at least two of each recipe, and try to have 6-8 MIJ in the pantry at any given time
Once you have prepared a few MIJ’s, and have stored them and used them, you’ll become more familiar and comfortable with things you like about them. It will become easy to create your own recipes from existing favourite recipes. For instance: in a magazine while waiting to get my hair cut a few years ago, I came across some soup recipes that looked appealing. The one that caught my eye was for a “Bacon Corn Chowder”, using potatoes, corn, onions, celery, and bacon. As I reviewed it, I realized that I had all the necessary ingredients in my pantry (except the bacon). I could make this meal today, and better than that, if we liked it, I could create a MIJ for future meals. One of my favourite MIJ recipes came from adapting that one. I used Freeze Dried Sausage Crumbles instead of bacon. Perfect! When I try out a brand new recipe I’m developing for a MIJ, I make two. One meal goes straight into the pot for dinner today, and the other, straight into the jar. This accomplishes two important things: 1) I want to TRY the recipe to ensure we like it before I invest too heavily 2) I want to see how it all fits together in the jar, so that I can make notes as needed. Ideally, I can fill many future jars from that recipe, so I want to ensure I’m happy with it. Don’t forget a pen and paper to work out amounts and make corrections during the process.
* You can layer your ingredients in the jar in any order you want. If you put the bigger pieces in first, and end with the powders, you can shake the powder down through the other ingredients at the end and get more ingredients into the jar. Very practical but not very visually appealing. I’m all about ‘pretty’, so I prefer to begin my layering with the powders and then transition into bigger pieces as I get to the top. It looks much nicer. But, you be you; do what you want.
Recipes
sausage corn chowder
Cindy’s Sausage Corn Chowder This is the one that originated from that magazine recipe. Layer into a wide mouth quart jar: 1/4 cup Thrive Life Instant milk powder 1/4 cup Thrive Life Sour Cream powder 2 T Thrive Life Chicken Bouillon 1/3 cup Thrive Life Bechemel Sauce (or homemade cream soup base) 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, crumbled by hand 1/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried chopped onions 2 T Thrive Life freeze dried celery, crumbled by hand 2 T Thrive Life dehydrated carrots (*I’ve tried a few varieties, but Thrive Life is by far the best) 1 cup Thrive Life dehydrated potato chunks* 1/2 cup Thrive Life Sausage Crumbles Fill the remaining room with Thrive Life Sweet Corn Secure lid, label and store in cool dark place.
* do NOT use freeze dried potatoes as they’ll just fall apart in the length of time you’ll want to simmer this chowder
to prepare: Dump jar ingredients into a pot with 2 cups of water. Turn medium heat on and bring to a slow boil while stirring to prevent clumping or scorching. When everything is beautifully combined and is beginning to thicken, pour remaining 3 cups of water (total of 5 cups). Bring back up to a slow-low boil and then reduce heat to simmer till potatoes are tender – 15-20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent lumping or scorching as it thickens. When potatoes are tender, remove from heat and let sit for five minutes before serving.
Cindy’s Taco Soup in a Jar in a wide mouth quart jar, layer the following: 1/2 cup Thrive Life Tomato Powder 1 T taco seasoning 1 T Thrive Life’s Chef Choice Seasoning (or your fave all purpose seasoning) 1 teaspoon cumin powder (I always put in more, but you’re the boss, you do you) 1 teaspoon salt 1 + 1/2 cup instant red beans 1 cup Thrive Life ground beef 1/3 cup dehydrated or freeze dried chopped onions 1/3 cup dehydrated peppers 3/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried Sweet Corn Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place.
to prepare: Dump contents into 8 cups of water. Bring to boil, stirring frequently to prevent scorching bottom. Reduce heat, add up to 2 more cups water and bring to a and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes till beans are tender. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes to thicken. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar if desired and replace lid. Serve with corn bread or taco chips. Enjoy!
Zuppa Toscana in a Jar in a wide mouth quart jar, layer the following: 1/2 cup Thrive Life Sour Cream powder 2 T Thrive Life Veloute Sauce (chicken gravy) 1 T Thrive Life Chicken Bouillon 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 teaspoon freeze dried garlic 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional) 1/2 cup Thrive Life freeze dried Spinach 1/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried chopped onions 1 cup instant refried beans 1/2 cup Thrive Life Sausage crumbles 1 cup Thrive Life dehydrated potato chunks Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place.
to prepare: Dump contents into 8 cups of water. Bring to boil, stirring frequently to prevent lumps or scorching bottom. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes till potatoes are tender. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes to thicken. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and fresh bread on the side.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup in a wide mouth quart jar layer the following: 1 cup Thrive Life Bechemal Sauce (white cream sauce) 1 T Thrive Life Chicken Bouillon 1/4 cup Thrive Life Sour cream powder 1 T dried sage crumbled 1/4 t pepper 1 T parsley 2 T Thrive Life dehydrated carrots 1/3 cup Thrive Life freeze dried chopped onions 1 cup Thrive Life dehydrated potato chunks 1 cup Thrive Life chopped chicken 1/2 cup Thrive Life freeze dried peas 1/2 cup Thrive Life freeze dried sweet corn Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place.
to prepare: Add contents to 6 cups of water. Bring to a slow boil, stirring frequently to prevent lumping or scorching. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes stirring once in awhile to keep from scalding on bottom. Remove from heat and let sit 5 or 10 minute to thicken before serving.
what about meals that are NOT soups? no problem!
Shepherd’s Pie in a wide mouth quart jar, layer the following: 1/4 cup Thrive Life Bechemal Sauce (creamy white sauce) 2 T Thrive Life Tomato Powder 2 T Thrive Life Beef Bouillon 1 teaspoon freeze dried garlic 1 teaspoon crumbled dry oregano leaves 2 T Thrive Life dehydrated carrots 1/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried chopped onions 1/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried celery (crumbled by hand) 1+1/2 cup freeze dried vegetables of your choice (here I did a combination of freeze dried peas, corn, green beans, and butternut squash, but you can also add broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, spinach, asparagus, kale . . . etc) Top off the jar with a few more vegetables if needed. Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place.
This becomes the base of your Shepherd’s Pie. You’ll want to cover with a layer of mashed potatoes, sprinkled with shredded cheese of your choice.
to prepare: Pour contents of jar into casserole dish, add 2+1/2 cup boiling water and stir to completely mix everything evenly, and to refresh it. Spread evenly in pan. Make up some instant mashed potatoes according to package directions (Thrive Life makes the best and purest instant potatoes I’ve ever tried). Layer the mashed potatoes over top and sprinkle with shredded cheese. (Thrive Life also has shredded cheese) Bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes to heat through and melt the cheese.
Beef Stroganoff in a wide mouth quart jar, layer the following: ½ c. THRIVE Life Instant Milk ½ c. THRIVE Life Sour Cream Powder 2 Tbsp Cornstarch 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 Tbsp THRIVE Life Beef Bouillon ¼ c. THRIVE Life Butter Powder 1/3 c. THRIVE Life Chopped Onions 1/3 c. THRIVE Life Celery – Freeze Dried 2/3 c. THRIVE Life Mushroom Pieces – Freeze Dried 2/3 c. THRIVE Life Diced Beef – Freeze Dried 2 c. Elbow Macaroni , rotini, egg noodles – your choice Top off the jar with a few more vegetables if needed. Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place.
to prepare: Throw and Go. Add all ingredients to 6 cups hot water and bring to a boil. Stir a few times to prevent sticking. When liquid comes to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, and simmer 12 minutes. Stir from time to time to prevent sticking. When pasta is cooked, turn heat off. Stir and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken. *Option 1: For variety – substitute Egg Noodles for the pasta. Use a little less water and adjust cooking times slightly as egg noodles don’t take as long to cook. They also take a lot more room in the jar, which is why I usually use macaroni. *Option 2: For the vegetable lover, add ½ c. THRIVE Life FD Red or Green Peppers in the last minute of cooking. You don’t really need to cook them, you just want to plump them up and heat through. *Option 3: For a gorgeous Florentine Stroganoff, stir in ½ c. THRIVE Life FD Spinach after you turn off the heat. *Option 4: Substitute THRIVE Life FD Ground Beef or THRIVE Life FD Shredded Beef for the meat. * DO NOT use freeze dried pulled pork, as the shelf life on pulled pork is considerably shorter (it being a high fat meat).
When you pour your stroganoff into your serving dish, generously sprinkle with Parsley and freshly ground pepper, or better yet, THRIVE’s Chef’s Choice All Purpose Seasoning Blend. Enjoy!
Mac n Cheeseburger in a wide mouth quart jar, layer the following: ½ cup Thrive Life Instant Milk (the very best) 2 T cornstarch 3/4 cup Thrive Life Cheese Sauce 1 T Beef Bouillon 1/3 cup Thrive Life Freeze Dried chopped onions ½ cup THRIVE Life FD Ground Beef 2 cups elbow macaroni Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place.
to prepare: Pour contents of jar into 6 cups hot water in a ‘big enough’ pot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. When liquid comes to a boil, turn heat to low, cover, and simmer 10-12 minutes till pasta is tender, stirring once in a while to prevent sticking. When pasta is tender, turn heat off. Stir again, and let sit 5 minutes to thicken. *option: add 1/2 cup FD shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese for an even cheesier dish *option: add 1/2 cup FD peas about 5 minutes before pasta has finished cooking
Fresher than Fresh Berry Muesli This recipe has been adjusted to fit into a pint jar for a smaller, more portable serving. So quick and easy to prep, and portable to throw in your bag to take for lunch or eat on a road trip.
In a wide mouth pint jar, layer the following: 1/2 cup Quick Oats 1/4 cup Thrive Life dehydrated Applesauce 1/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried Blueberries 1/4 cup Thrive Life freeze dried Raspberries 1/4 cup Thrive Life Strawberry Slices Jar will not be completely full, which is what you want to be able to stir the apple juice in later. Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place. to prepare: Add 1+ 1/2 cup apple juice, and stir in to completely moisten everything. Let it sit aside for up to five minutes to assure everything is completely absorbed. Enjoy! – link to full recipe –
Smoothie in a Jar now smoothies can be totally portable! For a long time (before RUVI became available) , I would blend small amounts of freeze dried fruits and vegetables in the blender and make a “smoothie-in-a-jar”. Convenient and nutritious to take when I was on the run and didn’t have time for a meal. Those are the times you’re tempted to pick up fast food right? But that’s exactly what I don’t want to do. Did you know? 1 Tablespoon of powdered vegetable = 1 serving. ? I just add a little cold water, shake up the jar and drink it. 4 servings of fruits and vegetables with all the nutritional goodness they have to offer. What a gift. You can use any combination you want but my favourite was the following. 1 Tablespoon pineapple powder (made from Thrive Life FD pineapple) 1 Tablespoon peach powder (made from Thrive Life FD peaches) 1 Tablespoon spinach powder (made from Thrive Life FD spinach) 1 Tablespoon kale powder (made from Thrive Life FD kale) layer it or shake it up to mix. This is POWER in a Jar. The natural enzymes of pineapple, the vitamin C of the peaches (and pineapple). The vitamin A, minerals and antioxidants of spinach and kale.
* Did you know?Thrive Life peaches have 21 times MORE Vitamin C than so called ‘fresh’ peaches from the grocery store in the middle of summer. Not even kidding. You read right – 21X more. Wanna know why? Because unlike the peaches we buy in the grocery store, which are picked green, Thrive Life fruits are picked when they are completely RIPE and at the height of nature’s perfection, being nutritionally complete. Everyone knows that produce begins to deteriorate within the first hour after harvest, so eating it ‘fresh’ is ideal. Thrive Life ensures that not only are those peaches picked ripe, but they are picked, peeled, sliced and flash frozen within 6 hours of harvest. That is why they retain 95% (or more) of their original natural goodness. * Did you know? Spinach loses 100% of its vitamin C within 4 days of harvest! Yup, sad but true. When you buy so called ‘fresh’ spinach from the grocery store, there is ‘0’ (ZERO) vitamin C left in it. Thrive Life Spinach is picked, washed, chopped and flash frozen within 6 hours of harvest, retaining pretty much ALL its vitamin C plus a whole lotta other goodness. Up to 95%!
* hint: the natural sweetness of the fruits will eventually cause the fruit powder to compress. The vegetables will not, they’ll stay loose. So mixing up everything might not be as pretty, but it is more likely to stay loose. Your choice. You be you.
so what about desserts? Can you put those into a jar too? Absolutely!
Lemon Pound Cake from your pantry this cake is good for so many reasons, and for so many things: from a simple elegant lemon pound cake, to a gorgeous berry lemon trifle, and everything in between. And its the perfect choice for a MIJ (except its not a ‘meal’). Just add water.
measure the following ingredients into a clean dry quart jar 1+1/2 cups flour 2 t baking powder 1/2 cup Thrive Life Butter powder 3/4 cup white sugar 1 T Thrive Life classic lemonade – or up to 2 T for those exceptional lemon fans 1/4 cup Thrive Life scrambled egg mix 1/2 t salt 3 T Thrive Life Instant milk Secure lid, label and store in cool, dark place.
Blueberry Lemon Cake (made w the crumbled blueberries left in the bottom of a can of Freeze Dried Blueberries)
to prepare: preheat oven to 350 F. Dump contents into a mixing bowl and with wire whisk, gently mix all ingredients till thoroughly combined. Form a well in the center and pour in 1+1/2 cup water. Stir just until everything is moistened. Pour into greased 9×9 pan and placed in center of oven. Bake about 40 minute, until center is done. Test by gently tapping center, then by inserting clean toothpick. When it comes out clean, remove from oven and set aside to cool. Cut and serve. Enjoy.
* option: drizzle with lemon glaze while still warm. Mix 1 T classic lemonade powder with 3 T water and slowly cream in sifted icing sugar to desired consistency. Drizzle over top. Or use 3 T of fresh lemon juice. * option: add 2 T poppy seeds into dry ingredients * option: add 1/2 cup freeze dried blueberries and a little extra water
Do you make Meals in a Jar already? If so, I’d love to hear about your favourite recipes. It’s always good to share. If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll give it a try. If you don’t have enough freeze dried foods to get started, here’s what THRIVE LIFE has available. They are the biggest freeze drying company in North America, and their quality is second to NONE.
If you’d like suggestions of best ways to purchase, or if you have any questions on particular products, ask away – I use them ALL, and I can suggest best ones for MIJ.
