Prepping for job loss (in addition to everything else) is so important right now. We have had to use about 6 months of preps before due to a job loss. It was very handy. Being prepped also means you can go forward only buying things on sale
We need to remember to also stock water. Rather than buy individual bottled water you can buy it by the gallon or you can purchase 5 gallon water containers that you fill up yourself and can rotate using it by watering your plants (if you can’t drink it all). I would recommend storing the water supply on the floor of a room that has a drain - laundry room - as it is possible with time the store bought bottles of water might leak. A natural disaster can interfere with your fresh water supply. Great list, thank you for your post
Great information. I have a lot of rice. I put it in the freezer first to kill off any bug's, put them in bag's with O2 absorbers and used my vacuum sealer then put them in a 5 gallon bucket with bay leaves. You are a beautiful woman and I appreciate your insights.
People tend to stock shelves per like items . Better to store by year . This way you use everything in that year. Or date each item so you can see date it actually expires.
Yasss rice doesn't stay good forever. My parents are from Hong Kong. They are experts of rice hehehe. They went to China in the 70s and the rice stock was old stored rice. They store it in case of wars or famines. They have seen enough during World War II to want to store rice. So eating in a restaurant they could taste the difference. I even brought rice from Marks and Spencers here in the UK and it turns out it was old rice. Dad could taste it instantly. M&S is meant to be a mid range priced food seller.
Good info. Thank you! The one thing I can add is that I purposefully include my local food pantry in the rotation of my foods. If I've bought more than we can eat and it starts getting older it gets hauled over to those who can use it. I have also taken to buying a few extra large bags of staples (usually legumes, seeds and flour) in the fall. I don't open them, but I've got them if I need them. I don't usually use a lot of these, so I also have smaller bags of them for my "working" pantry. When fresh food comes available the following year I rotate the big, unopened bags to the food pantry before buying a new winter stash. I also have a separate "long-term" emergency stash of commercially canned meats and plain, freeze-dried items (big cans) from Walmart. I will rotate the meats to the food pantry if we never need them. A lot of the freeze-dried stuff will out-live me! This may seem expensive, but we do it as we are able and it ends up being no more expensive than eating out a few times. These things are separate from my daily use pantry.
New subscriber, 2nd video. Enjoying your videos and presentation! It's so important to have things stored. Suggestion..possibly think if you were to evacuate your area and you know where you'll be going(say family member/friend), see if there's a small area they can give up to store a few things, and you them.. this way if this were to happen, you and your family/friends will be prepared to be able to take care of things together without too much extra burden (although they/we love us/them:), we all want to be able to help, and maybe not have the resources at the time of need). Especially if you have special diet needed, picky eaters. Also add some simple past time things in the mix..coloring books, yarn/hooks..etc.. something you/children like to do..I have 15 grandchildren..Gramz getting her stash together for them that require no batteries/internet needed, lol.
You are definitely sharing the valuable information, Lisa. And also very importantly your beautiful smile seems to add more values to the information and creates the great optimism! Thank you. 😊
I have food stored and only have what I eat. Meat, vegetables, fruit, potatoes, rice, and pasta as well as dried herbs and spices. I have also stored mixes of all kinds. Cake, biscuit, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and all of these are stored first in freezer bags, Mason jars, then in food grade buckets with bay leaves (they deter bugs). I just bought oxygen absorbers and will put those to good use.
I've made cakes from outdated cake mix and find that the baking powder has deteriorated to the point that the cake doesn't rise as it should. I'm sure it could still be eaten, but it just won't be very appetizing in appearance! Also regarding the older dried beans, the instant pot is a great way to cook them. I'm enjoying your videos immensely - keep up the good work! Blessings, Janet
Okay, I have some dried Black Beans that are literally 10yrs old in my pantry - someone gave them to me when we lived in California! This week I am going to pull them out and cook them up. I'll let you know how they turned out. I'll try them "plain" and use the rest in a Chilie. Wish me luck. BTW - I just love your channel, Lisa - so glad I found you.
Yes, let us know how they are!! I appreciate your intrepid spirit! A friend of mine tried cooking some older beans and she said they took a fair bit of extra time to cook and soften up...my understanding is the nutritional value starts to degrade after three years as well...I am curious though as to how these will turn out! Keep us posted :)
I was hesitant to use anything in my stockpile, in case I couldn't replace it,, but I've begun using my preps before they reach a date I'm not comfortable with.. and I take advantage of great sales to replenish what I've used. As we all know,, the price of food will never be as low as it was,, I think the issue in the future will be availability, not just price.
Yes, Leelee, striking a good balance between using products to rotate and balancing future availability can get tricky. Great that you're taking advantage of sales and with price increases that's a smart move :)
I just cooked a box of rice that expired in 2015, thats 8 years pass the date and it tasted just as good as the new boxes. I just open a jar of peanut butter that expired in 2021 it smell’s fine and taste fine, since it’s just me I’m going to eat it and not waste it.
Excellent advice my friend! I had a good laugh when you talked about expiration dates. Just today Bill asked if we had cream of tartar. I said I think we do but I would have to check. I did. It was dated 1989! Needless to say, it’s in the garbage.
Well, I've alot of varies food preparedness. I have varies items to use in the pantry on stocked items to cook assorted meals. I also have a few long storage meals with items that are long storage staples. And have room to grow berries and veggies in my yard. I'm going to buy more lettuce seeds and make a cold frame so we can have lettuce in the winter.
i make soups , stews and chilis by the 5 gallons and freeze in smaller portions ...i believed the 'beans last forever' story, the beans never softened even after 10 hours+ slow cooking and pressure cooking after...these beans were stored properly and no nore than a year from the box store (came from india)...sure took a long time to eat that chili...great advice Mam...Yah bless...doug
I’ve seen Best By… and Use By dates on canned and bottled items and I’ve seen Sell By dates on things like fresh meats and fresh baked goods - anywhere else?
@@SpeakTruthBeKind I do mostly go by used by dates on fresh items such as meat, fish, bakery items, but sell dates on bottled and canned are mostly for rotation in the stores. Those things can last in your pantry for a very long time. But you do have to use and rotate. Don't just pile up and leave. Some people do. Anything dented in cans put in front in pantry. Their still good but need to be used first. I've worked retail and grocery all my life. I hope that helps and answers your questions.
Be careful with pasta, and don't leave it in the cardboard box if you plan to store it any length of time. I found out the hard way that leaves you open for problems. Even with being a diligent housekeeper, I found tiny "bug" parts/pieces floating in the water after opening a box to make macaroni and cheese. Airtight glass containers kept in a cool, dry, dark cupboard have helped put a stop to any further issues.
Great point...Something to be aware of for sure! Glass jars are one of the best ways to store dry goods...I haven’t had any issues so far but maybe I’ve just been lucky
@@donnabacon4681 I don't know if the bay leaf would deter pests. But I can't see that it would do any harm either. I keep my flour and cornmeal in their store bags, then inside Ziplock bags down inside the lower drawer of my refrigerator. I've had no issues with critters.
Does the nutrition level drop in unopened beans in #10 cans? I worry about boxed cake mixes that have expired for a long time may contain bugs. Thank you!!!
My understanding is that the oxygen absorbers slow the breakdown of foods but it's not indefinite...in terms of the cake mixes that are expired, just open the package and the mix is usually in a see through sealed bag so you can have a look...if it's been stored well, cake mixes are good well past the date :)
Do we really need to freeze flour and rice first? Some people say yes, some say why do that when you’re using O2 absorbers in Mylar bags or Mason jars...🤔
If you're using O2 absorbers then it's not necessary....if you're not storing dry goods long term (as in, you want to use them within a couple years,) freezing does help kill anything that may be lurking in there and a good step to take particularly if you live in a hot and humid climate
I kind of disagree about buying foods you enjoy for emergencies. If I enjoy a food, I'm going to eat it all before there is an emergency. For example, I don't like peanut butter but I could eat it in an emergency so I get some and store it away. As it nears its expiration date, I make cookies or something with it. Or I could donate it to a food pantry before it expires. I try not to get things that are too tasty but things I could eat if I had to. This way I'm sure to have food.
Applesauce can be used as a substitute for an egg in baking and so can 1 Tablespoon of flaxseed meal. Also applesauce can be a substitute for oil in baking but will change the texture so substitute oil by 1/2 and see how you like it. Google applesauce recipes for ideas. 😉👍🏻
I found 2 jars of prego with meat that has a best buy date of last November. I don't know if I can use it, because I've heard tomato sauce doesn't last long after the date and it has meat in it.
Prepping for job loss (in addition to everything else) is so important right now. We have had to use about 6 months of preps before due to a job loss. It was very handy. Being prepped also means you can go forward only buying things on sale
We need to remember to also stock water. Rather than buy individual bottled water you can buy it by the gallon or you can purchase 5 gallon water containers that you fill up yourself and can rotate using it by watering your plants (if you can’t drink it all). I would recommend storing the water supply on the floor of a room that has a drain - laundry room - as it is possible with time the store bought bottles of water might leak. A natural disaster can interfere with your fresh water supply. Great list, thank you for your post
Great tips, Susan! :)
Great information.
I have a lot of rice. I put it in the freezer first to kill off any bug's, put them in bag's with O2 absorbers and used my vacuum sealer then put them in a 5 gallon bucket with bay leaves.
You are a beautiful woman and I appreciate your insights.
All great ideas for packaging rice! Thanks so much for visiting :)
Always rotate your preps. Nothing gets too old. You are great.
Yes, rotation is key...though sometimes we get a bit behind, hence the cake mix lol!
People tend to stock shelves per like items . Better to store by year . This way you use everything in that year. Or date each item so you can see date it actually expires.
Yasss rice doesn't stay good forever. My parents are from Hong Kong. They are experts of rice hehehe. They went to China in the 70s and the rice stock was old stored rice. They store it in case of wars or famines. They have seen enough during World War II to want to store rice. So eating in a restaurant they could taste the difference.
I even brought rice from Marks and Spencers here in the UK and it turns out it was old rice. Dad could taste it instantly. M&S is meant to be a mid range priced food seller.
Good info. Thank you! The one thing I can add is that I purposefully include my local food pantry in the rotation of my foods. If I've bought more than we can eat and it starts getting older it gets hauled over to those who can use it. I have also taken to buying a few extra large bags of staples (usually legumes, seeds and flour) in the fall. I don't open them, but I've got them if I need them. I don't usually use a lot of these, so I also have smaller bags of them for my "working" pantry. When fresh food comes available the following year I rotate the big, unopened bags to the food pantry before buying a new winter stash. I also have a separate "long-term" emergency stash of commercially canned meats and plain, freeze-dried items (big cans) from Walmart. I will rotate the meats to the food pantry if we never need them. A lot of the freeze-dried stuff will out-live me! This may seem expensive, but we do it as we are able and it ends up being no more expensive than eating out a few times. These things are separate from my daily use pantry.
New subscriber, 2nd video. Enjoying your videos and presentation! It's so important to have things stored. Suggestion..possibly think if you were to evacuate your area and you know where you'll be going(say family member/friend), see if there's a small area they can give up to store a few things, and you them.. this way if this were to happen, you and your family/friends will be prepared to be able to take care of things together without too much extra burden (although they/we love us/them:), we all want to be able to help, and maybe not have the resources at the time of need). Especially if you have special diet needed, picky eaters. Also add some simple past time things in the mix..coloring books, yarn/hooks..etc.. something you/children like to do..I have 15 grandchildren..Gramz getting her stash together for them that require no batteries/internet needed, lol.
You are definitely sharing the valuable information, Lisa. And also very importantly your beautiful smile seems to add more values to the information and creates the great optimism! Thank you. 😊
Thank you so much, Susan, how kind :)
I have food stored and only have what I eat. Meat, vegetables, fruit, potatoes, rice, and pasta as well as dried herbs and spices. I have also stored mixes of all kinds. Cake, biscuit, cornmeal, flour, sugar, and all of these are stored first in freezer bags, Mason jars, then in food grade buckets with bay leaves (they deter bugs). I just bought oxygen absorbers and will put those to good use.
I've made cakes from outdated cake mix and find that the baking powder has deteriorated to the point that the cake doesn't rise as it should. I'm sure it could still be eaten, but it just won't be very appetizing in appearance! Also regarding the older dried beans, the instant pot is a great way to cook them. I'm enjoying your videos immensely - keep up the good work! Blessings, Janet
Yes, baking powder will lose efficacy over time so it can be added to the cake mix if need be...good tip on the instant pot ...thanks for the visit :)
This was so helpful, I'm new at stocking up and I get stuck figuring it out. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Keep bay leaves in your flours, rice, grains, etc to keep those little bugs and their webbing out! 💕
Great idea!!
Okay, I have some dried Black Beans that are literally 10yrs old in my pantry - someone gave them to me when we lived in California!
This week I am going to pull them out and cook them up. I'll let you know how they turned out. I'll try them "plain" and use the rest in a Chilie.
Wish me luck.
BTW - I just love your channel, Lisa - so glad I found you.
Yes, let us know how they are!! I appreciate your intrepid spirit! A friend of mine tried cooking some older beans and she said they took a fair bit of extra time to cook and soften up...my understanding is the nutritional value starts to degrade after three years as well...I am curious though as to how these will turn out! Keep us posted :)
@@asimpleseason2616 lol...they are probably just fibre at this point!
I purchased one of those (mason jar lid sized) vacuum sealer. I had plenty of mason jars left from my canning, so i had a good start.
I love your channel 💕💕 binge watching it
Yay! Thank you!
Words of wisdom😉
I was hesitant to use anything in my stockpile, in case I couldn't replace it,, but I've begun using my preps before they reach a date I'm not comfortable with.. and I take advantage of great sales to replenish what I've used. As we all know,, the price of food will never be as low as it was,, I think the issue in the future will be availability, not just price.
Yes, Leelee, striking a good balance between using products to rotate and balancing future availability can get tricky. Great that you're taking advantage of sales and with price increases that's a smart move :)
New sub here. I've only seen 2 videos but I'm hooked. Blessings!!
Welcome!! And thank you so much! :)
I just cooked a box of rice that expired in 2015, thats 8 years pass the date and it tasted just as good as the new boxes. I just open a jar of peanut butter that expired in 2021 it smell’s fine and taste fine, since it’s just me I’m going to eat it and not waste it.
Wow... that's amazing! I'm working on 2021 peanut butter also lol!
I'm a new sub and enjoying your content! Great tips on this video.
Thanks and welcome :)
Wise counsel !
Thank you so much
Great video.
Currently consuming peanut butter with a "Best Before" date of July 2021. It's fine.
Lol. Love it
Good advice...
Excellent advice my friend! I had a good laugh when you talked about expiration dates. Just today Bill asked if we had cream of tartar. I said I think we do but I would have to check. I did. It was dated 1989! Needless to say, it’s in the garbage.
Ahahaha!! That is epic! 😂It has to be some kind of a record
Well, I've alot of varies food preparedness. I have varies items to use in the pantry on stocked items to cook assorted meals. I also have a few long storage meals with items that are long storage staples. And have room to grow berries and veggies in my yard. I'm going to buy more lettuce seeds and make a cold frame so we can have lettuce in the winter.
Hi Lisa just SUBSCRIBED your channel !! Your advise is invaluable during these hard times!!!
I was wondering if you could just throw the beans in the ground & see if they will grow?
I once dumped a container of old pinto beans in my compost bin. They sprouted and grew because of the damp conditions. I was so surprised!
i make soups , stews and chilis by the 5 gallons and freeze in smaller portions ...i believed the 'beans last forever' story, the beans never softened even after 10 hours+ slow cooking and pressure cooking after...these beans were stored properly and no nore than a year from the box store (came from india)...sure took a long time to eat that chili...great advice Mam...Yah bless...doug
Also, items which are frozen in air free plastic bags will keep for more than 2 years and be free of freezer burn.
I love your wise words of wisdom!! Thank you!
I love your channel it always has great info!
Wonderful you are here, Samantha and thanks so much for the visit :)
I love this channel!! Thank you❤I am learning so much. This is Joanne from Ontario
I'm so glad, Joanne...Happy to have you here :)
Fabulous info!!!
Thank you 😊
You're welcome 😊
All good information and cautions.
Thank you and Hello! Lovely to see you here :)
The dates on pkgs are only sell by dates for the stores to move the products out to bring in new merchandise.
I’ve seen Best By… and Use By dates on canned and bottled items and I’ve seen Sell By dates on things like fresh meats and fresh baked goods - anywhere else?
@@SpeakTruthBeKind
I do mostly go by used by dates on fresh items such as meat, fish, bakery items, but sell dates on bottled and canned are mostly for rotation in the stores. Those things can last in your pantry for a very long time. But you do have to use and rotate. Don't just pile up and leave. Some people do. Anything dented in cans put in front in pantry. Their still good but need to be used first. I've worked retail and grocery all my life. I hope that helps and answers your questions.
Be careful with pasta, and don't leave it in the cardboard box if you plan to store it any length of time. I found out the hard way that leaves you open for problems. Even with being a diligent housekeeper, I found tiny "bug" parts/pieces floating in the water after opening a box to make macaroni and cheese. Airtight glass containers kept in a cool, dry, dark cupboard have helped put a stop to any further issues.
Great point...Something to be aware of for sure! Glass jars are one of the best ways to store dry goods...I haven’t had any issues so far but maybe I’ve just been lucky
@@asimpleseason2616 You've inspired me to spend today inspecting my pantry and making some much needed updates. Thank you so much!
I keep flour, rice, beans, pasta in the freezer; never a challenge. Would using a bay leaf with the dried pasta deter pests as it does with flour?
@@donnabacon4681 I don't know if the bay leaf would deter pests. But I can't see that it would do any harm either. I keep my flour and cornmeal in their store bags, then inside Ziplock bags down inside the lower drawer of my refrigerator. I've had no issues with critters.
Great video!
Thanks for the visit
Does the nutrition level drop in unopened beans in #10 cans? I worry about boxed cake mixes that have expired for a long time may contain bugs. Thank you!!!
My understanding is that the oxygen absorbers slow the breakdown of foods but it's not indefinite...in terms of the cake mixes that are expired, just open the package and the mix is usually in a see through sealed bag so you can have a look...if it's been stored well, cake mixes are good well past the date :)
Do we really need to freeze flour and rice first? Some people say yes, some say why do that when you’re using O2 absorbers in Mylar bags or Mason jars...🤔
If you're using O2 absorbers then it's not necessary....if you're not storing dry goods long term (as in, you want to use them within a couple years,) freezing does help kill anything that may be lurking in there and a good step to take particularly if you live in a hot and humid climate
Are we gonna find 3 people dead on the floor ?! Hahaha I love it
Thankfully, we all lived to tell the tale :)
Some times cake mix or baking mix can go rancid .
Yup, it can...especially if it's not stored in a cool, dark place with low humidity. always good to check if it looks and smells good :)
@Debbie Drake oh good to know. I did have some baking mix go rancid on me a few years ago.
@Debbie Drake great tip. Thank you!
I kind of disagree about buying foods you enjoy for emergencies. If I enjoy a food, I'm going to eat it all before there is an emergency. For example, I don't like peanut butter but I could eat it in an emergency so I get some and store it away. As it nears its expiration date, I make cookies or something with it. Or I could donate it to a food pantry before it expires. I try not to get things that are too tasty but things I could eat if I had to. This way I'm sure to have food.
Interesting point...you know yourself better than anyone else so it's good that you're aware of what system works best for you :)
I just don't know what Americans do with so much peanut butter 😄 Same for apple sauce.
Applesauce can be used as a substitute for an egg in baking and so can 1 Tablespoon of flaxseed meal. Also applesauce can be a substitute for oil in baking but will change the texture so substitute oil by 1/2 and see how you like it. Google applesauce recipes for ideas. 😉👍🏻
I found 2 jars of prego with meat that has a best buy date of last November. I don't know if I can use it, because I've heard tomato sauce doesn't last long after the date and it has meat in it.
How does the container look? If the lid isn't bulging or rusty it should be good!
@@asimpleseason2616 Looks good, they're in a glass jar. Thank you