A Vital & Key Component of Survival Food Planning

[411man]

I'm NO Physician nor Am I a Nutritionist BUT, why is it almost NOTHING is every posted about vitamins and minerals in ones survival food planning.

NO, I'm not talking about PILL Supplements.

No offence to the Beans and Rice adherents, but the best way I know to include adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals over the long term ( as in a SHTF type disaster) is to include canned fruits and vegetables in ones food plans. Both in terms of cost and shelf life this turns out to be the best method for a group to address this vital area of health maintenance.

Comments and suggestions?

[Arizona Highlander]

A reasonable observation, and proof again that canned goods are an important part of one’s preparedness program. Especially, since canned veggies often go on sale in the fall for almost giveaway prices (I recall canned corn, peas, potatoes, and string beans on sale at the local Safeway last year, for $0.33 a can. How can you go wrong)?

The great virtue of canned veggies is that they provide some balance to one’s diet. My rural place is overrun with wild rabbits, and were the SHTF, I’d have a ready supply of protein. But, since rabbit meat is almost pure protein (no fats, no carbs) I’d be in sorry shape if I tried to live on nothing but boiled rabbit for more than a week or so. My dogs might do okay with it, but the human body just isn’t set up for a pure-protein diet.

But, take that boiled rabbit, add some flour, and a can each of potatoes, corn, and peas to the pot, and you’ve suddenly got “rabbit stew.” :D

A minor vote, also, for experimenting with indoor gardening during the winter. I’ve tried this (with admittedly mixed results) but even so a couple of window boxes planted with fresh veggies is a surefire source of some valuable additional nutrition during the lean winter months. I've also got some hanging planters already sprouting little cherry tomato plants in the kitchen (cherry tomatoes, I've found, seem to be the only ones that do well for me indoors). Tomatoes, of course, are another terrific vitamin source.

And I still wouldn’t deride stocking some pill-form vitamins, either. They could help fill all the inevitable holes you’d find in a SHTF diet.

[Beprepared]

A well thought post.

I've started the family canning again, after a many year hiatus, mostly because I didn't want the excess of this years garden to go to waste, but I've come to remember the love of mustard greens I have, and having some all year round will be nice.

BTW along the same lines, Anyone have a good method for canning corn?

[SwampFox320]

Hey, I just wanted to make sure everyone knew not to go overboard and by the cans on sale if they have dents in them. Sorry if someone else said this, I'm just shooting this out before I leave work.

Anyway, one of the very few useful every day things I've learned thus far in college is from biology. There are tiny tiny organisms that can get in the cans before they seal them. They eat on the food and burn what air there is left in the can and when they use it all up, the vacuum from the used up air causes the can to dent. Now I know some of the cans are dented from rough handling but if you happen to get said with the bug in the can, it will make you very ill so I'd just avoid the dented ones.

Fox

[Bidah]

BTW along the same lines, Anyone have a good method for canning corn?

For Corn you need a pressure canner. We make Corn Relish, which has vinegar, which you can water bath. If you don't have it, the Ball Canning Guide is indispensable.

-Bidah

[Beprepared]

For Corn you need a pressure canner. We make Corn Relish, which has vinegar, which you can water bath. If you don't have it, the Ball Canning Guide is indispensable.

I have a water bath, the pressure cooker isn't that big, but I have that as well. I was refering mostly to how to remove the corn off the cob, sort of niblet-style. I'm not real fond of cutting it off with long strips.

[Bidah]

Ah, sorry, I did not get that part. If you go to Lehman's, you can get a Corn Cutter that makes it easy.

http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=1741&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=701&iSubCat=702&iProductID=1741

-Bidah

[411man]

My thanks for all of your input. Good information.

[RobertRogers]

And as someone may have mentioned, the ability to can your own veggies, fruits, berries etc can come in handy during times of harvest. That way you can preserve the bounty for use during lean times.

[411man]

Roger that !