My grandmother raised six kids more-or-less on her own after my grandfather died in an industrial accident. She was born in the middle of the great depression, and lived in a very rural area of southern Indiana. She canned everything, and got that lesson ingrained in my dad. Dad hated the mess it made, so would plant enough tomatoes staggered out so that whenever he and mom had the weekend available to get it done, he could go out late one Friday evening, pick enough tomatoes to cover every flat surface that would see the sun rise in the morning, and once us kids were up and kicked out of the kitchen, they'd commence to juicing and canning tomatoes. At first, seven quarts at a time, then later fourteen once they remodeled the kitchen and got a slightly bigger range to hold two pressure canners simultaneously, they'd can a hundred quarts of tomato juice for our use, primarily in making chili. They'd also can another hundred to share around the extended family and trade for other things. All summer, we'd pick green beans and sweet corn and give them to the mail man, sell them to the grocery store, etc. Once Mom and Dad had divorced, and later Dad had lost his battle with cancer, I found some of their tax returns in a box. Their average annual income in the late 1980s combined was around $14k. On that, they raised three boys, all with hyperactive growth genes, largely by planting a garden that was 50'x150' at times, storing provisions from that garden, trading work for a local farmer during planting season and harvest for beef, etc.
Your patents were strong good people that knew they had to do it to survive and not just survive, survive well and keep the boys happy strong and well fed healthy 👍😉
I think an episode on food storage in this century would be interesting, how did they keep things safe from critters or mold? Did they use root cellars or raised store houses?
Cellars were used to store potatoes, onions, and other root vegetables. Rivers, creeks and spring houses could keep food chilled. My grandmother was born in 1898. She did things the way her family did. Grew crops, kept chickens, had a few cows and pigs. The Oklahoma territory was a challenge. Without forests they built homes and cellars into the sides of hills. A cellar area was deeper into the hill than the home her mother grew up in, accessible within the first room. I suspect that European mice and rats hadn't migrated that far, until trains got there. Their critter problems were the birds that helped themselves to the garden. My husband was puzzled on our first backpacking trip in Florida. I tied off the bottles of beer and lowered them into a fast moving creek while we set up camp and started dinner. Those bottles of beer were ice cold and very welcome after a 12 mile hike in the humidity. Grandma would lower her bootleg Coors into the well to keep them cold.
Necessities: Flour, sugar, salt. Products with long shelf life: Pastas. Dry beans and peas. Dried fruits and mushrooms. Cooking oil. Lard. Honey. Canned foods. Preserved fruits and vegetables. Storable vegetables: Carrots, potatoes, beets. Today we made 40 kilos of homemade sauerkraut for the winter. Our grandfathers taught us to have a store of all of mentioned products before every winter. Just in case.
Exactly what I was taught as well. I've always stocked up. One never knows when that day will come. But when it does & at some point statistically it will come, we are ready.
If you look into pressure canning, you can have vegetables year round, meat, and chili ready-to-eat, chicken soup, and potatoes that won't sprout on you!
Something very popular in England is the allotment. It’s a space of land with fertile soil that can be purchased for the purpose of growing whatever food one sees fit. I like growing carrots and onions as well as basil and thyme.
When I was growing up (1950's in Maine) we had a large book shelf and a large couch. If the couch was put in front of the book shelf the lower shelves were covered. It was there my mother put all the emergency food, water and other supplies. It was a habit she never lost even 50 yers later. I can recall several times we were snowed in for five days to a week... long enough to cause modern cabin fever.
Stocking necessities is a learned skill. There are ways to do it that aren’t going to break the bank and ways to maintain shelf stability. It’s something that takes time to do as well. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a years worth of food all at once. Build it up slowly. The important part is just getting started.
To that sound advice I would add,only buy food you know you will actually eat and get enjoyment from. Kidney beans may be nutritious,but after 3 days of kidney beans,energy drinks and co? Buy tinned versions of food you eat regularly! And dont stock up on cheap toothbrushes!
My wife and I don't have a root cellar, so we do a lot of canning of the things we grow on our trees and in our garden. This year our peach tree produced so many peaches that we gave them away, both straight off the tree and canned. Same with our chili pepper and tomato plants. We gave away a lot of homemade salsa and kimchi. It's a good feeling to share what you have with those you love.
My family was homeless when I was a kid, now I'm 40, well off, but I always remember to stock up and be prepared, no matter the abundance around me, just the basics, flour, yeast, garden, seeds. Brings reflection and gratitude toward any situation, but I understand not all people have this option. This video makes wholesome jealous of it
A lady friend was nosing around my kitchen for the first time, and she asked, "Why do you have so much pasta?" My initial thought was, "Doesn't everybody?" but I realized she didn't or she wouldn't have asked. It was a way of making sure I'd never be hungry again, and I hadn't realized I was doing it.
In the interest of seeds... I've been knee deep in horticulture for close to two decades now. Wouldn't mind trading sometime. I'm sure you understand the value of seeds and increasing garden biodiversity, as a fellow gardener.
I'm the exact same way, and had a childhood with a time period where we were homeless. I keep a lot of dry beans, rice, spices, herbs, and shelf stable foods. I can't honestly say I eat those items a lot, because I don't. But it makes me feel more secure with them there. Same thing with oil lamps, and a kerosene heater. I don't use them, but I've got them just in case.
Also: when something _does_ break, if you're the person who has 2 weeks worth of food in storage, you won't be buying up the limited quantities of food at the grocery store that other folks need.
I'm 61 now, so not as willing to wade into a crowd of desperate people looking for bottled water or whatever the crisis of the week happens to be. While they're doing that, I'll go to the river and filter my own. Same with food. I will also admit, having done the garden thing, and a ranch, I'm not willing to grow my own food any longer, so I just stack items up to the point we have 3 months worth. If things are down longer than that, the issues we'll be facing will be legion. But it does make me shake my head, that anyone in this nation would think 3 days worth of supplies is 'enough' for anything whatsoever. If everyone is focused on their own survival, it's not likely you'll have the support network to pull your chestnuts out of the fire. (I used 'you' to mean the average person. If you have 2 weeks worth, you're above average.) Rotate your stock items. It's not hoarding if it's used. Sticking something in a closet and not knowing if it's still usable is hoarding, and that's just foolish. Folks really do need to go through their supplies with an eye on what's not going to be easily replaced if supplies are cut off. That bottle of Calamine lotion from 2010? Yeah, time to let go, bro, and replace it.
I was having a big ole chat with my 90 year old grandmother a little while ago. We talked about all sorts of things. Somehow, preppers/prepping came up. She asked what that meant. I explained. She said, oh, so normal life. She went on to explain the things her parents did when she was young. They prepped. Even down to buying silver with their spare money at the end of each week as they didn’t trust the economy. Was rather mind blowing. This was in Australia too, so no snow and you can grow some veg right through winter, but still they stored food and prepped.
Smart to actually have that talk. So many took things for granted, and when that gold mine of information is no longer available to consult, harsh lessons have to be relearned. In the middle of a crisis that's a steep learning curve. Well done.
@@durgan5668 thanks. We got into the topic because I’d been making bread and had been using a big zip loc bag to store the loaf in which was bugging me as it is so wasteful, so I asked her how they stored their bread (wrapped in a tea towel) and it developed into this huge 2 hour conversation about all sorts of things. Crazy how a simple question can lead to such a great chat about so much that I can apply to life now. It’s one of the things I’ll remember fondly when she’s gone. Actually, the majority of those are when she was teaching me something.
@@moniquem783 OF all the people I've known in my 60 yrs. My grandparents taught me more than anybody else. Down to earth and practical people they witnissed so much in life.
I learned from my grandmother. She always had a small garden and always canned the left overs. I don't can, but I do keep the pantry stocked. There's no reason not to have a months worth of food - beans rice and canned goods aren't that expensive.
Seal rice up in an airtight container (or some heavy-duty Ziploc bags) with a desiccant and oxygen remover and you can turn a $5, 20-pound bag into long-lasting stocks. Add in some bouillon cubes and you've got weeks' worth of simple meals for less than $10 that pretty much never go bad.
@@Maria_Erias, or just buy popcorn and ditch the rice. Rice has very little nutrient value. Whereas a little popcorn goes a long way. It is full of good stuff including iron, magnesium, Vitamin B6 and dietary fibre. Popcorn will fill you ; rice will not. Popcorn is cheap and stores well.
@@Dragons_Novel Rice + beans make a complete protein. Since both are easy to store, it's a good (and inexpensive) alternative to trying to preserve meat.
A big bag of rice, flour, cereals and a dozen cans of beans will get you through months if need be. Storing months worth of the very basic stuff isn't hard, expensive or require much space :)
@@russellmoore8187 In what way? How is it our collective responsibility to ensure that everyone is prepared for the worst, whether they're making an effort to be prepared or are simply sitting around waiting for someone else to come "save" them if there happens to be an emergency? I'm not being facetious, I'm truly interested in why you consider it a collective responsibility.
I started a garden 5 years ago and every year my knowledge grows and so does my garden. If I could offer any advice to someone overwhelmed with options of what to garden it would be to pick one thing and just plant it. Once you feel confident in your abilities try growing two things that accompany each other well and keep it going.
One of the best episodes yet. I really enjoy the little “frank conversations” Jon occasionally films. I obviously like the other content, but these little moments are so significant and important in these chaotic times. They bring great peace of mind and clarity for me. Thank you, Townsends & Crew.
Well done video. “For peace of mind” is a solid reason to put back provisions. Also liked your perspective that “something always breaks!” True words. A gentle reminder to look after oneself and the loved ones by having a store put aside. Thanks, Jon!
I live on the Gulf Coast and, as a precaution, I keep what I call "Hurricane Buckets". Literally buckets with twist-off lids that I store shelf-stable food in. Canned food, dried pasta, spam, canned chicken, grits and/or oatmeal, molasses, honey, peanut butter, crackers, a rice and bean prepper soup I learned about and vac-packed; things like that. I also keep a bottle or three of hot sauce around to add a little heat to whatever I might make out of the buckets. For full disclosure, I just moved from Houston further inland (and further north), but still Texas, so I don't actually have to worry overmuch about hurricanes anymore. Now my worry is tornadoes and ice storms. Guess I'll have to rename the buckets. 😉
I've been helping my parents getting stocked up in the freezer and pantry to get at least 2 to 3 months for the winter to avoid the icy roads.It's also a time and headache saver when I can make last minute meals for myself and save money each month then ordering out.I've been into emergency predarness ever since getting hit by superstorm sandy hit the New York area many years ago. I took those lessons form experiencing two weeks without power and I will never forget that.
This channel has been instrumental in helping me choose a plan for putting by for the winter and developing a more homestead way of living. We took some ideas from the 18th century and some from more modern permaculture methods. We've taken advantage of our wooded yard to grow native shade plants that also provide food including lots of berries, ramps, wild ginger and more. The little sunny areas are now sites for a fall, winter, spring garden bed (summer is too brutal for me here) and a medicinal and edible and very bee-friendly wild flower garden. The simpler our responses to basic needs gets (heat, food, light, etc.) the more we find ourselves looking to the colonists ways of combining knowledge of the native edibles with some gardening, butchering, and non-electrically derived food preservation. Suddenly that "stockpiling" mentality turned into just a simpler and gentler lifestyle. More physical labor? Sure, but at 62, I find myself getting stronger and more healthy every day and the less we need to buy, the less I have to work away from home. Thank you for all your wonderful videos!
It IS a beautiful time of year in Charlottesville, VA and throughout the Shenandoah Valley. We have colorful maples and even colorful oaks with bright red leaves! Last week and next week, I was and will be out in my small raised bed garden plots, loosening the soil and raking in worm castings, kelp meal, peat moss, and composted chicken manure. These beds should be ready to go next spring! I ENJOY your videos from the cabin too! It must be especially fine inside since the new roof is on!
In Alberta, the majority of the leaves on the trees are gone. They fell off in early October. I do love colourful maple trees. We have some in Edmonton. They are nice to photograph. There are some Russian poplars that are still green, and that's about it. All the other trees are bare. Fall is a wonderful time of the year. Cheers! ✌️
Nice video. Because of where I have lived in the past, keeping at least one month ahead was the bare minimum, I've been in the situation where I could not go into the village for six weeks due to weather I, I usually keep at least three months ahead, I rarely go in more than once a month even now. It's quite comforting to know that I've got fresh milk, eggs as long as the hens are laying and some cured pork hanging, mutton on the hoof along with a good supply of fresh, dried veg, a nice variety of pickled veg and home canned stuff from the garden.
.... and dried apple slices on a string near the fireplace, strung green beans, and peppers, with a a needle and tread, through the stems. Look up how. Herbs in small bundles hang upside down. Smoked meat for winter, some even did that right in the fireplace. As seen in old paintings. Many living in the country had a smoke house, and killed one or two pigs late in the fall, to have meat over the winter months. Native populations far north smoke salmon, for the cold season.
I tend to cook in a pretty old fashioned way. When my daughter grew old enough to notice some of the differences between us and her friends families, she described it like this; we didn't have 'food' in our house, we had the raw ingredients of it. No cereal, cookies, or crackers, but grains, flours, sweeteners, salt and etc., boxes of apples, potatoes and other roots down cellar....( : D )
Isn't that the normal way of cooking? I just don't understand these ready made mixes. They're expensive and annoying to use because it's harder to take things out than add.
@@Tsuchimursu - I think it's generational. I'm 55, and learned how to do most things from my Grandparents- who grew up without boxed, 'instant', and 'reddi-made' things themselves. My own parents thought convenience items were a godsend, and they had the money to buy them. For my daughter and her friends, there is something of a return to older ways, partially for economy, and partially as an appreciation of quality.
Wow the light just went on. My kids would go into the pantry and say “but there is nothing to eat”. That’s because I baked and cooked from scratch. I never realized that their friends had prepared food in their pantries. DUH
@@floydblandston108 im 25 and I was brought up making food together with the family from when I was first able to hold a potato peeler and put water to a pot with pasta :)
The farm where I grew up had a brick out building. There was a lower floor that was several feet below ground level and used for storage and the water system equipment was installed there (pump, softener, etc.) The back room had shelves for canned jars and bins for other things. There was a separate stairwell to the upstairs with two more rooms that were once used to house transient help like the threshers who helped at harvest. Guess the funny joke we used to mess up people's brains was when we would talk about going upstairs in the cellar.
I grew up in Indiana and had Grandparents that lived through the depression. Thanks to my Grandma I have always seen the need to stock up for hard times, now more than ever. I preserve enough food to make it through till I can harvest again with plenty to spare for others just like my Grandma.
I love this comment! Growing, and preserving food is such a great way to help your community! I followed the example of my grandmother who provided for her family, too! This keeps you from being a victim!
Grew up gardening, but had gotten away from it in our busy lifestyles. Me and my wife have started gardening again and shes learning preservation techniques. We've also been buying extra flour,lard,sugar,salt,and canned goods.
The best thing I have ever gotten out of this channel is the one on egg preservation. Bought a 50 lb bag of slaked lime, and damned if it doesn't work. I'm eating eggs with zero issues that my chickens laid over a year ago. The consistency of the yolk gets a little lame after that amount of time, but they're still perfectly edible.
I got into the habit from reading and watching historian James Burke in the 1980’s. He wrote the book and television series “Connections” about just how fragile our massively interdependent modern civilization truly is. I keep enough food, water, energy, waste management, medicine, and other supplies to tide me over for a few months. But I certainly don’t believe the nonsensical survivalist prepper fantasy, that I could live completely without modern society, or even survive beyond the two months I have planned for. People need to realize that we need to nurture and strengthen the bonds between ourselves, because we are never going to make it alone.
Jealous, i love home made jam but live in an apartment, i wana get an acreage for being able to do that but even if i have a house withbsmall property i am totally doing gardening
@@ilenastarbreeze4978 You may be able to pick wild berries in a park nearby. I have picked elderberries and crab apples, both make good jelly. Hope this helps.
@@dp4313 i used to be able to pick black berries where i was, they grew wild EVERYWHERE, but where i am now i havnt seen any, but it is a very good idea thank you!
Right on Jon with storage! My Great grand parents talked about the Great Depression and the hard times and how hard it was to come by food. They lived in a suburb and had to have food ration stamps and wait for the train to stand in line for the food. My Great grandma would tell us they did this because of the interruption to the normal supply of goods.
I think it's really important that we focus more on food waste and how much we can save from preserving or getting the "ugly" produce and make it into food immediately to save it. We aren't treating fresh food as precious as it should be
I have always had two years worth of dried food in storage. We use to regularly have winters here in England where food was scarce and we needed to store foods
It’s always a great time to grab a chair and learn the old ways of food preservation by canning or other means. Listen and practice (or at least have the know how) by your grandparents. Canning was big in my family and yes I have the know how and means too do so. Have you seen food prices? Gardening, even in a few pots, is also a good simple way to save costs and know what your eating. Start from good seed and learn how to save seed for next year’s crop too! Chickens are tons of fun and absolutely hilarious, and they are egg factory’s too.
Dear Townsend, I have just discovered your channel and love what I have seen so far. I am age 80 and blessed with several Revolutionary War soldiers in my family tree. I enjoy learning what their life may have been like during those difficult times. You make at all so real and yet applicable to us in the 21st century. Yes, supply storage is a personal responsibility, I believe. Being self reliant is comforting to know that your family has enough food and supplies to get through the "winter", whatever that may be for each of us. And to be able to assist others if/when the need arises. Thank you for creating this channel. Very enjoyable.
The last 2 years taught a lot of people that you cannot always depend on being able to get whatever you want from the store. It pays to have some flour, corn meal, beans, and canned goods on hand just in case.
I grew up in the 1950's and 1960's, which many have called the "Age Of Prosperity", and for some then, it was. For our family, at times, it was. But, my family fell upon hard times, losses, some tragic, some not so much, but those losses were monumental and life-changing, and character-forming. My maternal Grandmother, who lived through World War I, the Spanish Flu epidemic, The Great Depression, and World War II, knew what it was like to live and raise a family through great hardship and shortages. My Mother also had that instilled into her from a young age. I, growing up when I did, always was taught to "be prepared" for hard times, "for one never knows when they can happen". During my formative years, there was The Cold War, The Cuban Missile Crisis, then the Vietnam War, Oil Crisis I & II. And here we are now nearly two years after "fifteen days to flatten the curve", "the toilet paper crisis", and now "The Supply Chain Crisis" and rampant inflation with food and energy prices increasing exponentially practically overnight. One can go to stores and see empty shelves where back only five years ago, there was no sign of any shortage of any thing. It is always good to be prepared, and still to this day, I do prepare. I can and preserve foods for future use. I always think ahead to have the things that I and my family will need, because I was taught that concept sixty years ago. We need to be prepared for anything, always. We who are able to have a little more in storage for future days, weeks, and months, perhaps years, need to do so not only for ourselves, but also for our friends and family who are not able to do so, for financial or other reasons. Be prepared. Be not afraid of your surroundings and future, but be wary. Be very wary, be very alert, be very aware.
I am so grateful you’ve breached this topic! I hear many others in specific circles discuss this daily, but many in “mainstream” still scoff. Thank you for opening the door for emergency readiness!
I grew up on a small farm with my parents and grandparents. We used all kinds of preservation techniques. We had a root cellar for easy access, but we buried the remainder of the root crops outside. Since the ground could get frozen over in winter we didn't want to have to rely on having to dig up the frozen ground to get to our potatoes, carrots and onions. The back of the house was all storage. Jars of all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Some things in brine, in syrup and some things fermenting. Also dried beans in good quantities. You had to have enough for the whole winter, with plenty to spare for planting in spring. Life had a seasonality to it. Spring was for planting, summer for growing, fall for harvesting and winter for preparing for next year. I've gone through some lean years recently, but it has gotten me back in touch with my food gathering and preservation skills, even though I'm doing ok now, I still keep a good amount of food stored, despite my tiny accommodations.
Thanks for this video. A small chest freezer and ample pantry shelf spaces allow me several weeks' worth of 'self-sufficiency', if not longer. I don't do any actual canning, mostly cuz I'm too lazy - lol - but canned and dry goods holding purt near everything edible are abundant in my local supermarkets. Therefore I keep my shelves stocked sufficient to my needs. Being 72 years of age has not meant having inherent 'wisdom'. but it has allowed me a powerful 'perspective'. Relative self-sufficiency is NOT hard to accomplish in this day and age, and is surely a simple task compared to the struggles of our ancestors.
I love watching your videos, sir. They bring back memories of a simpler time, when the entire family pitched in to store food for the winter. And we always had enough to share with those who were suffering hardships. I will always be grateful to my parents for raising us with their values. Didn't care for it too much at the time, but it instilled in us a way to make sure we could provide for ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Townsend.
I'm only 60 years old, but just 40 years ago it was rare to have all the variety of fresh produce year-round as we see today. I remember as a child being overjoyed to see citrus fruits in the A&P produce aisle, because it meant Christmas was near. We always had an orange in our Christmas stockings. The only year-round fruit was apples, and the only year-round vegetables were potatoes and onions. All the others measured the seasons. I do think it's a good thing to have fresh berries any time of year, but the downside is that the luxury is lost on the young. People under 40 don't have the conservation mindset because they're so used to having anything they want at any time of year that they take it all for granted. Whereas I'm still tickled pink to have access to all the variety, younger people are less happy, less appreciative, and more demanding. It's not their fault, being that it's just human nature that when childhood is filled with luxury, children grow up to regard luxury as their right, and perhaps to look down on those who didn't always enjoy the luxury.
I'm in my late 50's and remember. I had not thought about it for years.. thank you for reminding me how blessed we truly are. I also agree that people under 40 for the most part don't get it. I've tried hard to instill the lessons my parents and grandparents lived and taught me.
I'm 35, and I remember my grandma telling me about not getting lemons anymore during part of the year since she didn't live in California anymore. I was taught to put away a portion of what I had. Harvest what I could and store it for when it wasn't in season. Oddly enough, this mentality has seemingly faded in my parents, who think I'm a hoarding, paranoid, conspiracy-theory believing idiot. The only things they gather in season for later are shellfish.
@@NeilCWCampbell Water fountains are extinct. You have to buy bottled water unless you eat in a restaurant that gives you tap water, and many will refuse to do that.
Love this channel! Speaking about winter, could you do a video sometime about lumber collection and the time it took to collect and store wood for the entire winter? Thanks for all your content!
My husband jokes that we have enough food to survive a nuclear. Winter! I rarely cook processed foods and my cupboards are full of staples. These days the best way of storing food is freezing, so I cook in large batches and freeze. I also have a good supply of store cupboard essentials..different flours, pastas, herbs and spices, pulses etc. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to know that I can provide good meals for my family in any circumstances.
Freezing is certainly amazing, but I would advise not relying entirely on it. Just in case of a long-term power failure, you see. It's unlikely in a developed country these days, thanks to several back-ups, but it can still happen. And by long-term, I mean more than a day or two, since really that's all it takes for a lot of frozen food to be lost. I see you have "certain cupboard essentials", which is great; if you don't have any, consider adding canned beans or dry lentils, and canned fruits & veggies to your stockpile. This will provide protein and vitamins in case you lose refrigeration.
I've been a fan of the channel for years, and this idea is central to what attracted me to your work. I'm an avid camper, and was initially attracted by discovering techniques for food preservation that didn't require refrigeration - allowing me to spend a couple weeks in the bush while staying well-nourished. I didn't have a lot of money growing up, and learned food preservation as a means to stretch the grocery budget - and your channel provided a number of new and helpful ideas. The story doesn't stop there, though. As a younger person, I worked a number of entry-level jobs - which could be whisked away with very little notice. Preppers talk about the "SHTF" scenarios - but it's worth remembering that it doesn't take a civil disturbance or natural disaster for things to go wrong; they can go wrong on a personal level, and be just as daunting. At times when money was tight, having a couple months of food put away was an almost-literal lifesaver (certainly a lifestyle-saver, keeping a roof above my head). When COVID-19 had us all panicking and loading up on groceries, my family was saved a lot of stress by the fact that we had (among a number of other things) pemmican made from the recipes on your channel. In truth, my thought has always been: *why not* have a few extra bags of rice, lentils, flour, sugar, salt, dried meat and canned fruits put away? Why not learn to forage, and turn one's lawn and neighbourhood into a salad bar? Maybe even go a bit bigger and buy a pressure canner, to lay away hard-to-store items like meat in Mason jars. By keeping an eye on sales (and, for that matter, taking into account escalating prices of goods), it will pay for itself in short order. With the techniques available to us today, there's no reason *not* to keep at least a few months' supplies in advance. However, sometimes it's just as important to remember the old ways - because you never know what could happen. That having been said, I'm still not storing any stockfish...
The truth is, having more food in the pantry (and freezer) to last a month is a good idea not only in the time of global crisis but also in normal circumstances. Sometimes life happens and having one less worry in a time of personal crisis can be a blessing. Being it a broken leg with no way to go to the store, or a spouse losing job and not having that extra income for some time, having extra (shelf stable or frozen) food is never a bad idea.
I've been living for 3 months now off of long-storage food products and workplace cafeteria food, due to a financial situation upheaval. I'm recovering, and I'm not going hungry. My mother thinks I'm insane for stocking up and looking into practical skills.
We've got grocery stores with everything we need - till they don't, and the shelves are empty. I keep at least 3 months on my shelves, and I didn't have to panic at the start of the Covid lockdown.
I live back in the mountains of Idaho, I have learned the lessons of having food storage nearest town is 22 miles away nearest city 80 miles, rockslide took out the canyon and it snowed side roads are shut down not going anywhere, have food wood for the woodstove still have power so yes I agree food storage is very important
Last year during the Great Toilet Paper Shortage I realized that the 18 roll pack I bought just before it hit is actually a 6 month supply for me. Nice to know
same here . i use a wet washrag after i get up from the toilet . i just bought 36 rolls and out of curiousity i made a notation in my google calender . i expect it to last for years .
We LIVED in a world where we could just go down the the store whenever. This has already changed but we haven’t figured it out yet! I love your channel both from the perspective of looking back but also learning lessons that might become useful in the near future!
This channel is a national treasure. Combining gastronomy with historical exploration, woodworking and literary references. There's really nothing quite like it. The first Townsends video I ever watched was the video entitled "Everything Is Going To Be Fine," dated 11-2-20, where Jon invites viewers into his cabin for some food and a fireside chat and reminiscences. Relaxing and educational.
One of my favorite pancakes from a rather heavily used Joy of Cooking from the 1960’s, is a version of those cornmeal journey cakes. Love that taste. You are right about storage. My mother and grandmother (who survived the Great Depression) both had gardens and large pantries. I use a closet i no longer need in my apartment (as a retired person) and my front porch and a bit of front lawn as a container garden. Though i winter some things and grow salad goodies in front of a huge front window, a well stocked pantry is great for me as an older person, since i choose not to do a lot of winter driving, and mass transit is thin on the ground in a small village. Love the show, by the way. Thank you!
I am close to your age group and remember my grandmother and mom's gardens. We canned, preserved all kinds of food. Today we have lost our way but it doesn't mean we cannot re-learn those ways. Thank you. I have to make those Johnny cakes.
My dad grew up on a farm in SE MO during the Great Depression and WWII. They had no indoor plumbing or electricity. The farm was not huge, and his father had a job in town…but they grew all the crops they needed, and raised animals for meat, dairy and eggs. He told me that family members who had no job available during the Depression, would work on the farm, and they shared their crops with those family members. They did have an ‘ice box’ and an ‘ice man’ would come and deliver giant blocks of ice so they could keep some things fresh in the kitchen. They also had a large root cellar and would preserve potatoes and other root vegetables in there, with straw between the layers. They also had a smoking shed so they could smoke pork for ham or bacon. My grandmother would can any extra that couldn’t be stored, so they had plenty of food all year, and especially through the winter. He said they would buy flour and sugar, salt, pepper and a few other items, but for the most part, they were self-sustaining. It was always fascinating to listen to his stories! And, gives me good ideas for how to manage things better in these challenging times (although, I live in the city, I have room for a garden…will start in the spring) and plenty of places in our house for good storage for items we grown and/or can. I know we’re struggling, but these types of videos are really helpful, because in the 1800s, they didn’t have Instacart to bring food to them, and had to be self-sustainable. We’re not able to be totally that way, but we can do our part in the vegetable area and some fruits as well. Thanks, I always enjoy your videos!
Having experienced shortages and supply chain breakdowns in the California fires over the last few years and having to evacuate multiple times. I have the experience to say everyone should stock up at least 4 weeks worth of food and have an emergency bag to grab if they need to evacuate immediately. From my own experience I would say build up your pantry by getting a few extra things that you eat that can be stored longer term each trip to the store. Make sure it is things you would normally eat so that you are cycling it into your regular meals. It's silly to store 50lbs of rice and beans and expect to live off of that.The malnutrition alone would get you. Just have more pastas, canned chilli, canned veggies, canned fruits or pasta sauces. You know what you and your family will eat stock up on that. Things you should have in your go bag: two outfits one for cold one for warm; three pair underwear and socks; any medications you need or regularly use; some cash; a flashlight; water and ready to eat foods like a couple of granola bars; a couple of Mylar emergency blankets; a couple of disposable ponchos; a back up drive with all important documents and pictures on it in a waterproof case; a first aid kit; a bic lighter; last but not least a radio preferably solar or crank. You don't need all the outdoor survivalist crap you'll see many preppers talk about on youtube, odds are you will be going to a friend's or family member's house or potentially a shelter or hotel not to live a new life in the woods like in a movie. Sorry for the super long comment remember this is just my opinions you surely will have different needs so customize any safety preparations to your own needs.
I have a dehydrator and a pressure canner and I can wholeheartedly say that having homemade quality food that can stand on the counter is amazing. People really take for granted the commercialism of todays society in the developed world. Being able to step back and say "if my power goes out and the roads are iced so I cant drive, I still have meals ready that I made myself" is something that gives me a lot of pride. I'm not a doomsday prepper or anything but having supplies stored away for harsh times takes a large weight off my mind. Pairing that with the survival skills from this channel makes for a lot of fun hobby time that might be really useful sometime in the future. Life is tough and keeping the practices and traditions from the peoples who lived through the worst of it is really important. Thank you for all your hard work Jon.
I'm a Brit and after the food in the cupboards and cans, I tend to keep 4 months food minimum of dried foods chosen to get a balanced diet and sugar/flour for calories.
Yep stockpiling even back then wasn't called prepping. Rather it was just everyday life. But with the world today, I'd recommend stockpiling at least a months worth of food. I'm a butcher and the prices just keep getting higher and supplies are harder to get. Get the food and supplies now. Because the cargo and shipping crisis is only going to get alot worse Edit: butcher
They call it prepping today because it's outside the norm of how modern society lives, so it needs it's own name. I find the res of your comment very fear mongering
@@Konarcoffee despite whatever you call it or think it is. Don't come crying to your neighbors and family because you didn't heed the signs from society and the world around. Better to have it and not need it. Then to need it, and not have it.
@@Konarcoffee I'd rather be called crazy for letting people know, and not have anything happen. Then to have something happen, and having alot of people come to my door asking for advice/supplies because they didn't listen.
I keep huge stores of dry goods like flour, rice, oats, beans, spices, yeast, herbs, lentils, etc. Initially I did it to save on plastic packaging and some money, but now I’m glad that I always have those supplies on hand. You just never know.
Last year there was about a month where we were running out of food here in the tea. Meat was being rationed, canned goods were completely sold out as was dried pasta, milk, fruits and vegetables, it was a bit frightening. So I planted fruit and nut trees on my land, started a garden and bought dry foods that store forever. Your channel is great and I appreciate your message that we should all try to be a little more self-sufficient instead of panicking when things aren’t going as they usually do.
The last couple of years have taught me to always keep a month or two's worth of supplies on hand, just in case of lockdowns. Dry foods (beans, rice, flour, oats, pasta), canned foods (Not really a thing where we live, but pasta sauce and tuna), pickled stuff, medicines, and cleaning supplies are now something that I keep a STOCK of in my house. And now that the shipping crisis is starting to hit Korea (Seriously, our grocery store looks like Armageddon sometimes.), I'm very glad that we've been doing this.
For health reason, both physical and spiritual, we have gone to producing and storing as much of our own food as we can. This includes making as much as possible from as raw a state as possible. That includes making our own butter, breads, and so on. We do use modern methods such as a dehydrator, but it is so satisfying to know that we are more connected to the land around us but also less reliant on others and on systems that can fail.
You know John, I love your videos so much! I love your personality as well. My wife and I enjoy watching all of your videos. Thank you for all that you post on here.
from now (November) until green edibles is a long time--early April here, some years still snow...better to have food for 5 - 6 months. Fall harvest and root cellars go together--have you considered a root cellar episode? a lot of food can be set aside there potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips, also krauts and pickled foods. I'd love to see you build a root cellar and discuss how they were used in the 18th century.
I keep a root cellar. Up here, we call them cold cellars. Most of the old houses up here have them built into them. Last year I got a book on it and learned how to operate one, takes practice with maintaining temperatures and humidity.
A year later your video reminds us of how de-skilled we have become. The loss of skills as well as the loss of local food production, local artisans who can do things if the supply chain really falters.....we are disconnected from the sources of our food, from the rhythm of our seasons.....I like your videos - food grown and prepared oneself is so much better.
I have found an important part of long term storage is keeping mice out of dry staples. I had various beans, rice, flower and sugar stored in what seemed to be a tightly sealed cabinet. Mice found a way in and ruined several months worth of stockpiles. Metal or sturdy plastic containers that seal tight are needed.
In addition to being prepared, when you put your own food by, you know exactly what went into it. And since I've heard a number of people expressing their concerns about the contents of the things they consume just recently, this seems especially timely. Thanks Jon.
I live in a small village in rural New England - the nearest grocery store is 20 minutes away, which is also the nearest gas station. It would be down right irresponsible to drive home without more than a half tank of gas and keep dry wood for the wood stove, fresh water, and enough food for AT LEAST a week. It is only an emergency if you're not prepared for it, it's not a secret that weather happens. It is not a question of if but when the next storm will snow us in for a few days and take out the power. Or flooding from a summer NorEaster. I think it's absolutely wild that we stopped preparing for very predictable, guaranteed events.
I love the point about peace of mind. We keep a full pantry, ways to cook besides the kitchen, and put up food when it is available. Thanks for this calm message.
What a wonderful message of self reliance and hope. I am so grateful to have Townsends in my life. Well done sir. I think I will go make some Johnny cakes right now.
This is my most favorite video. I LOVE saving our can goods and food. Mr. Jon after I've watched how you made your Jonny Cakes I tried the recipe and they were just amazing! My father and son likes them too. I'm gonna teach my wife when she gets off of work today. I just ate them for breakfast!
What a great video. I love fall and the harvest. How I wish I could walk out the door into the 18th century. I'd do it in a heart beat and not look back. Have you ever read the book by Ben Ames Williams, "Come Spring"? It's post revolutionary war on the frontier of Maine. Just like you were talking about putting up food. We have two seasons in Maine, winter and preparing for winter. As a dairy farmer I know that all to well. Thanks for the vid. Cheers.
That huge Texas snowstorm back in February has taught me that I need to keep at least a weeks worth of food and water ready in case something like that happens this winter, hopefully I won’t need it though.
I think we tend to see a similar attitude during the opposite end of the year, down here in hurricane country. If you’re lucky enough to not need to evacuate, you still need to be ready to be self sufficient for a few weeks. More importantly, if at all possible, you want to be ready in June when the season starts, so you’re not rushing to the store when a storm’s imminent when those who don’t have the luxury of preparing “just in case” need to get in there.
Food storage is amazing, being prepared is peace of mind. I grew up with food storage. What I don't like is fear mongering. Yes be prepared, but please don't max out credit cards or spend everything you have.
I grew up in rural Arizona and my dad and I went shopping in town once a month, yes he was the rare single dad and he was great... I didn't know it at the time, but we would have been considered poor, and we had a pantry, and it was always full (of the cheap foods we ate), because exactly when we were going into town to shop again, well it was always give or take a week. And today, I still make sure my family has our own pantry stocked up, even though we can go to the store every day if we wanted to, because you never know when you might not be able to go to the store again.
When I was growing up my family fell on hard times and since I became an adult i think I have always tried to keep a well stocked store cupboard. I used to do the shopping but I am no longer able to drive and my husband took control of things . He always teased me about being a prepper, saying the shops are just down the road. But I always had on of laura ingles wilder's books in my mind if you know the stories, as she grew up she always described how the family prepped for winter and there was always enough . However in the book The Long Winter she told how they moved into the town and they didn't prep for winter because " there was a store where they could get supplies ". And they got snowed in and the train, carrying supplies couldn't get through. Everything can be peachy until the supplies are cut off for whatever reason . Even in this day and age. And maybe especiallyin the days we are facing. Iwant to be in a position where I can help others notbe a drain on other peoples resources in a difficult situation.
Growing up we canned and presserved year- round. Normally we would raise/hunt our own meat and can/dry/freeze. But you can watch for meat specials and presserve.
I wonder how many people have had Johnny cakes. The cornmeal is a different taste when you are expanding modern day pancakes. Learning how to cook foods using basic ingredients is a great skill to have these days. It saves money, is satisfying and fun, too. That’s why I like the recipes on the Townsend RUclips channel!
When I was just a wee boy this became a very important lesson during the ice storm of '98. Much of Maine couldn't restock for months, grocery stores would often only be able to get in shelf-stable items and even then only occasionally, and even unaffected areas in northern Maine were cut off. Some stores pulled all their produce and had local families can and pickle it to donate to food pantries and churches, many of those families are indeed from that great depression era and have the supplies to do so on hand just in case. And we've seen it come around again. Two to three weeks of quarantine isn't really that big a deal with a well stocked pantry and freezer, no need to have someone drop off groceries for you and risk going out when they don't have to.
Another good reason for preserving food is that you can decide what you want to put in there. YOU decide the amount of sugar, vinegar, preservatives...whatever. Also, doing it yourself bring great satisfaction. I opened a jar of plum jam from our own trees the other day. It was from 2014, and still as good as if it was made yesterday.
My grandmother raised six kids more-or-less on her own after my grandfather died in an industrial accident. She was born in the middle of the great depression, and lived in a very rural area of southern Indiana. She canned everything, and got that lesson ingrained in my dad. Dad hated the mess it made, so would plant enough tomatoes staggered out so that whenever he and mom had the weekend available to get it done, he could go out late one Friday evening, pick enough tomatoes to cover every flat surface that would see the sun rise in the morning, and once us kids were up and kicked out of the kitchen, they'd commence to juicing and canning tomatoes. At first, seven quarts at a time, then later fourteen once they remodeled the kitchen and got a slightly bigger range to hold two pressure canners simultaneously, they'd can a hundred quarts of tomato juice for our use, primarily in making chili. They'd also can another hundred to share around the extended family and trade for other things. All summer, we'd pick green beans and sweet corn and give them to the mail man, sell them to the grocery store, etc. Once Mom and Dad had divorced, and later Dad had lost his battle with cancer, I found some of their tax returns in a box. Their average annual income in the late 1980s combined was around $14k. On that, they raised three boys, all with hyperactive growth genes, largely by planting a garden that was 50'x150' at times, storing provisions from that garden, trading work for a local farmer during planting season and harvest for beef, etc.
Trading work has long been a staple of the rural farm economy. It is a fine way of maintaining a sense of community.
What a fine family you have. ❤️
Your parents did a great job with that. Though, it must be said, $14k in 1980 is about $47k today.
Your patents were strong good people that knew they had to do it to survive and not just survive, survive well and keep the boys happy strong and well fed healthy 👍😉
That is wonderful and honestly we are slowly moving back to the importance of a local economy and supply chain.
A full pantry and a tall woodpile are two of the most comforting things to have on hand in winter.
I think an episode on food storage in this century would be interesting, how did they keep things safe from critters or mold? Did they use root cellars or raised store houses?
If you look in his archives I think Townsend covered this. Smoked, candied, salted, pickled, dried
There were losses and disease related to spoilage and rodents. That was the real world. Also hypertension was rampant with all the salt.
Storing winter squash and pumpkins whole in the attic
Cellars were used to store potatoes, onions, and other root vegetables. Rivers, creeks and spring houses could keep food chilled. My grandmother was born in 1898. She did things the way her family did. Grew crops, kept chickens, had a few cows and pigs. The Oklahoma territory was a challenge. Without forests they built homes and cellars into the sides of hills. A cellar area was deeper into the hill than the home her mother grew up in, accessible within the first room. I suspect that European mice and rats hadn't migrated that far, until trains got there. Their critter problems were the birds that helped themselves to the garden.
My husband was puzzled on our first backpacking trip in Florida. I tied off the bottles of beer and lowered them into a fast moving creek while we set up camp and started dinner. Those bottles of beer were ice cold and very welcome after a 12 mile hike in the humidity. Grandma would lower her bootleg Coors into the well to keep them cold.
@@josephgagne4520 salt isn’t bad for you
Necessities: Flour, sugar, salt.
Products with long shelf life: Pastas. Dry beans and peas. Dried fruits and mushrooms. Cooking oil. Lard. Honey.
Canned foods.
Preserved fruits and vegetables.
Storable vegetables: Carrots, potatoes, beets.
Today we made 40 kilos of homemade sauerkraut for the winter.
Our grandfathers taught us to have a store of all of mentioned products before every winter. Just in case.
Exactly what I was taught as well.
I've always stocked up. One never knows when that day will come. But when it does & at some point statistically it will come, we are ready.
If you look into pressure canning, you can have vegetables year round, meat, and chili ready-to-eat, chicken soup, and potatoes that won't sprout on you!
I always buy extra oil when it goes on sale. Stores well in cool basement or even in freezer for long term storage. Doesn't take long to warm up.
Don’t forget baking soda and baking powder, plus vanilla, herbs and spices
@@Just_Sara or dehydrator! A bit easier for beginners and no special jars needed.
Something very popular in England is the allotment. It’s a space of land with fertile soil that can be purchased for the purpose of growing whatever food one sees fit. I like growing carrots and onions as well as basil and thyme.
People rent allotments from council. Genetically don't buy just rent
When I was growing up (1950's in Maine) we had a large book shelf and a large couch. If the couch was put in front of the book shelf the lower shelves were covered. It was there my mother put all the emergency food, water and other supplies. It was a habit she never lost even 50 yers later. I can recall several times we were snowed in for five days to a week... long enough to cause modern cabin fever.
Stocking necessities is a learned skill. There are ways to do it that aren’t going to break the bank and ways to maintain shelf stability. It’s something that takes time to do as well. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a years worth of food all at once. Build it up slowly. The important part is just getting started.
To that sound advice I would add,only buy food you know you will actually eat and get enjoyment from. Kidney beans may be nutritious,but after 3 days of kidney beans,energy drinks and co? Buy tinned versions of food you eat regularly! And dont stock up on cheap toothbrushes!
My wife and I don't have a root cellar, so we do a lot of canning of the things we grow on our trees and in our garden. This year our peach tree produced so many peaches that we gave them away, both straight off the tree and canned. Same with our chili pepper and tomato plants. We gave away a lot of homemade salsa and kimchi. It's a good feeling to share what you have with those you love.
My family was homeless when I was a kid, now I'm 40, well off, but I always remember to stock up and be prepared, no matter the abundance around me, just the basics, flour, yeast, garden, seeds. Brings reflection and gratitude toward any situation, but I understand not all people have this option. This video makes wholesome jealous of it
A lady friend was nosing around my kitchen for the first time, and she asked, "Why do you have so much pasta?" My initial thought was, "Doesn't everybody?" but I realized she didn't or she wouldn't have asked. It was a way of making sure I'd never be hungry again, and I hadn't realized I was doing it.
@@aarons3014 I have way too much rice in the cupboards :D
In the interest of seeds... I've been knee deep in horticulture for close to two decades now. Wouldn't mind trading sometime. I'm sure you understand the value of seeds and increasing garden biodiversity, as a fellow gardener.
@@PaulTheadra no such thing
I'm the exact same way, and had a childhood with a time period where we were homeless. I keep a lot of dry beans, rice, spices, herbs, and shelf stable foods. I can't honestly say I eat those items a lot, because I don't. But it makes me feel more secure with them there. Same thing with oil lamps, and a kerosene heater. I don't use them, but I've got them just in case.
Also: when something _does_ break, if you're the person who has 2 weeks worth of food in storage, you won't be buying up the limited quantities of food at the grocery store that other folks need.
A point often overlooked! We need the T-shirt 'I prep, you're welcome' ;-)
@@mdteders yeah don't do that, you'll be a raid target in anything worse than a tiny crisis
And then the people who prep still got blamed for shortages.
I'm 61 now, so not as willing to wade into a crowd of desperate people looking for bottled water or whatever the crisis of the week happens to be. While they're doing that, I'll go to the river and filter my own. Same with food. I will also admit, having done the garden thing, and a ranch, I'm not willing to grow my own food any longer, so I just stack items up to the point we have 3 months worth. If things are down longer than that, the issues we'll be facing will be legion. But it does make me shake my head, that anyone in this nation would think 3 days worth of supplies is 'enough' for anything whatsoever. If everyone is focused on their own survival, it's not likely you'll have the support network to pull your chestnuts out of the fire. (I used 'you' to mean the average person. If you have 2 weeks worth, you're above average.) Rotate your stock items. It's not hoarding if it's used. Sticking something in a closet and not knowing if it's still usable is hoarding, and that's just foolish. Folks really do need to go through their supplies with an eye on what's not going to be easily replaced if supplies are cut off. That bottle of Calamine lotion from 2010? Yeah, time to let go, bro, and replace it.
I was having a big ole chat with my 90 year old grandmother a little while ago. We talked about all sorts of things. Somehow, preppers/prepping came up. She asked what that meant. I explained. She said, oh, so normal life. She went on to explain the things her parents did when she was young. They prepped. Even down to buying silver with their spare money at the end of each week as they didn’t trust the economy. Was rather mind blowing. This was in Australia too, so no snow and you can grow some veg right through winter, but still they stored food and prepped.
You know, you can say 'prepared'
@@KairuHakubi well yes I could, but that wasn’t the discussion that we had.
Smart to actually have that talk. So many took things for granted, and when that gold mine of information is no longer available to consult, harsh lessons have to be relearned. In the middle of a crisis that's a steep learning curve. Well done.
@@durgan5668 thanks. We got into the topic because I’d been making bread and had been using a big zip loc bag to store the loaf in which was bugging me as it is so wasteful, so I asked her how they stored their bread (wrapped in a tea towel) and it developed into this huge 2 hour conversation about all sorts of things. Crazy how a simple question can lead to such a great chat about so much that I can apply to life now. It’s one of the things I’ll remember fondly when she’s gone. Actually, the majority of those are when she was teaching me something.
@@moniquem783 OF all the people I've known in my 60 yrs. My grandparents taught me more than anybody else. Down to earth and practical people they witnissed so much in life.
The videos where you talk about people toughing it out through the hard times are my favorite videos. The fact it's in the cabin, ever better.
I learned from my grandmother. She always had a small garden and always canned the left overs. I don't can, but I do keep the pantry stocked. There's no reason not to have a months worth of food - beans rice and canned goods aren't that expensive.
Seal rice up in an airtight container (or some heavy-duty Ziploc bags) with a desiccant and oxygen remover and you can turn a $5, 20-pound bag into long-lasting stocks. Add in some bouillon cubes and you've got weeks' worth of simple meals for less than $10 that pretty much never go bad.
@@Maria_Erias, or just buy popcorn and ditch the rice. Rice has very little nutrient value. Whereas a little popcorn goes a long way. It is full of good stuff including iron, magnesium, Vitamin B6 and dietary fibre. Popcorn will fill you ; rice will not. Popcorn is cheap and stores well.
got in the habit of pickling any left over veg after a cook. all it takes is water and salt for a simple lacto-fermentation.
@@Dragons_Novel Rice + beans make a complete protein. Since both are easy to store, it's a good (and inexpensive) alternative to trying to preserve meat.
A big bag of rice, flour, cereals and a dozen cans of beans will get you through months if need be. Storing months worth of the very basic stuff isn't hard, expensive or require much space :)
Preparing for the worst while hoping for the best is a individual responsibility for each household.
ruclips.net/video/rt1cA0jqamk/видео.html
Yes. AND, it is also society's collective responsibility to ensure that everyone is prepared for the worst.
@@russellmoore8187 Kinda depends on your methods of achieving that
@@russellmoore8187 In what way? How is it our collective responsibility to ensure that everyone is prepared for the worst, whether they're making an effort to be prepared or are simply sitting around waiting for someone else to come "save" them if there happens to be an emergency? I'm not being facetious, I'm truly interested in why you consider it a collective responsibility.
@@russellmoore8187 Society doesn't "owe" you a thing!. It's YOUR responsibility to take care of yourself and your family.
I started a garden 5 years ago and every year my knowledge grows and so does my garden. If I could offer any advice to someone overwhelmed with options of what to garden it would be to pick one thing and just plant it. Once you feel confident in your abilities try growing two things that accompany each other well and keep it going.
I gotta say, I really like the aesthetic of the fireside talks / cooking coupled with the fall/winter light coming into the window.
"I like to make them a little different every time."
Bet the nutmeg is a constant, though, Jon. :)
Some times he adds even more nutmeg
@@ezraclark7904 love that response!
One of the best episodes yet. I really enjoy the little “frank conversations” Jon occasionally films. I obviously like the other content, but these little moments are so significant and important in these chaotic times. They bring great peace of mind and clarity for me. Thank you, Townsends & Crew.
I love the fact that people still talk about things that have past and give hope for a future...simple things endure
Well done video. “For peace of mind” is a solid reason to put back provisions. Also liked your perspective that “something always breaks!” True words. A gentle reminder to look after oneself and the loved ones by having a store put aside. Thanks, Jon!
I live on the Gulf Coast and, as a precaution, I keep what I call "Hurricane Buckets". Literally buckets with twist-off lids that I store shelf-stable food in. Canned food, dried pasta, spam, canned chicken, grits and/or oatmeal, molasses, honey, peanut butter, crackers, a rice and bean prepper soup I learned about and vac-packed; things like that. I also keep a bottle or three of hot sauce around to add a little heat to whatever I might make out of the buckets.
For full disclosure, I just moved from Houston further inland (and further north), but still Texas, so I don't actually have to worry overmuch about hurricanes anymore. Now my worry is tornadoes and ice storms. Guess I'll have to rename the buckets. 😉
I've been helping my parents getting stocked up in the freezer and pantry to get at least 2 to 3 months for the winter to avoid the icy roads.It's also a time and headache saver when I can make last minute meals for myself and save money each month then ordering out.I've been into emergency predarness ever since getting hit by superstorm sandy hit the New York area many years ago. I took those lessons form experiencing two weeks without power and I will never forget that.
This channel has been instrumental in helping me choose a plan for putting by for the winter and developing a more homestead way of living. We took some ideas from the 18th century and some from more modern permaculture methods. We've taken advantage of our wooded yard to grow native shade plants that also provide food including lots of berries, ramps, wild ginger and more. The little sunny areas are now sites for a fall, winter, spring garden bed (summer is too brutal for me here) and a medicinal and edible and very bee-friendly wild flower garden. The simpler our responses to basic needs gets (heat, food, light, etc.) the more we find ourselves looking to the colonists ways of combining knowledge of the native edibles with some gardening, butchering, and non-electrically derived food preservation. Suddenly that "stockpiling" mentality turned into just a simpler and gentler lifestyle. More physical labor? Sure, but at 62, I find myself getting stronger and more healthy every day and the less we need to buy, the less I have to work away from home. Thank you for all your wonderful videos!
It IS a beautiful time of year in Charlottesville, VA and throughout the Shenandoah Valley. We have colorful maples and even colorful oaks with bright red leaves! Last week and next week, I was and will be out in my small raised bed garden plots, loosening the soil and raking in worm castings, kelp meal, peat moss, and composted chicken manure. These beds should be ready to go next spring!
I ENJOY your videos from the cabin too! It must be especially fine inside since the new roof is on!
In Alberta, the majority of the leaves on the trees are gone. They fell off in early October. I do love colourful maple trees. We have some in Edmonton. They are nice to photograph. There are some Russian poplars that are still green, and that's about it. All the other trees are bare. Fall is a wonderful time of the year. Cheers! ✌️
Nice video. Because of where I have lived in the past, keeping at least one month ahead was the bare minimum, I've been in the situation where I could not go into the village for six weeks due to weather I, I usually keep at least three months ahead, I rarely go in more than once a month even now. It's quite comforting to know that I've got fresh milk, eggs as long as the hens are laying and some cured pork hanging, mutton on the hoof along with a good supply of fresh, dried veg, a nice variety of pickled veg and home canned stuff from the garden.
Root cellar is a must have. They didn't just survive on preserves. They also hunted and fished in winter monthes.
.... and dried apple slices on a string near the fireplace, strung green beans, and peppers, with a a needle and tread, through the stems. Look up how. Herbs in small bundles hang upside down. Smoked meat for winter, some even did that right in the fireplace. As seen in old paintings.
Many living in the country had a smoke house, and killed one or two pigs late in the fall, to have meat over the winter months. Native populations far north smoke salmon, for the cold season.
I tend to cook in a pretty old fashioned way. When my daughter grew old enough to notice some of the differences between us and her friends families, she described it like this; we didn't have 'food' in our house, we had the raw ingredients of it. No cereal, cookies, or crackers, but grains, flours, sweeteners, salt and etc., boxes of apples, potatoes and other roots down cellar....( : D )
Isn't that the normal way of cooking?
I just don't understand these ready made mixes. They're expensive and annoying to use because it's harder to take things out than add.
@@Tsuchimursu - I think it's generational. I'm 55, and learned how to do most things from my Grandparents- who grew up without boxed, 'instant', and 'reddi-made' things themselves. My own parents thought convenience items were a godsend, and they had the money to buy them. For my daughter and her friends, there is something of a return to older ways, partially for economy, and partially as an appreciation of quality.
Wow the light just went on. My kids would go into the pantry and say “but there is nothing to eat”. That’s because I baked and cooked from scratch. I never realized that their friends had prepared food in their pantries. DUH
@@floydblandston108 im 25 and I was brought up making food together with the family from when I was first able to hold a potato peeler and put water to a pot with pasta :)
The farm where I grew up had a brick out building. There was a lower floor that was several feet below ground level and used for storage and the water system equipment was installed there (pump, softener, etc.) The back room had shelves for canned jars and bins for other things. There was a separate stairwell to the upstairs with two more rooms that were once used to house transient help like the threshers who helped at harvest.
Guess the funny joke we used to mess up people's brains was when we would talk about going upstairs in the cellar.
I grew up in Indiana and had Grandparents that lived through the depression. Thanks to my Grandma I have always seen the need to stock up for hard times, now more than ever. I preserve enough food to make it through till I can harvest again with plenty to spare for others just like my Grandma.
I love this comment! Growing, and preserving food is such a great way to help your community! I followed the example of my grandmother who provided for her family, too! This keeps you from being a victim!
Grew up gardening, but had gotten away from it in our busy lifestyles. Me and my wife have started gardening again and shes learning preservation techniques. We've also been buying extra flour,lard,sugar,salt,and canned goods.
The best thing I have ever gotten out of this channel is the one on egg preservation. Bought a 50 lb bag of slaked lime, and damned if it doesn't work. I'm eating eggs with zero issues that my chickens laid over a year ago. The consistency of the yolk gets a little lame after that amount of time, but they're still perfectly edible.
@@sage0925 I haven't tried that one,but that was a great video. I've got 10 hens,need to try it out.
I got into the habit from reading and watching historian James Burke in the 1980’s.
He wrote the book and television series “Connections” about just how fragile our massively interdependent modern civilization truly is.
I keep enough food, water, energy, waste management, medicine, and other supplies to tide me over for a few months.
But I certainly don’t believe the nonsensical survivalist prepper fantasy, that I could live completely without modern society, or even survive beyond the two months I have planned for. People need to realize that we need to nurture and strengthen the bonds between ourselves, because we are never going to make it alone.
I have a winter's supply of homemade jam, canned tomatoes and pickles. Grown from my backyard and preserved. Delicious. 😊
Jealous, i love home made jam but live in an apartment, i wana get an acreage for being able to do that but even if i have a house withbsmall property i am totally doing gardening
I have my stash too
@@ilenastarbreeze4978
You may be able to pick wild berries in a park nearby. I have picked elderberries and crab apples, both make good jelly. Hope this helps.
@@dp4313 i used to be able to pick black berries where i was, they grew wild EVERYWHERE, but where i am now i havnt seen any, but it is a very good idea thank you!
@@ilenastarbreeze4978 You can still make jam in an apartment.
Right on Jon with storage! My Great grand parents talked about the Great Depression and the hard times and how hard it was to come by food. They lived in a suburb and had to have food ration stamps and wait for the train to stand in line for the food. My Great grandma would tell us they did this because of the interruption to the normal supply of goods.
I think it's really important that we focus more on food waste and how much we can save from preserving or getting the "ugly" produce and make it into food immediately to save it. We aren't treating fresh food as precious as it should be
I have always had two years worth of dried food in storage. We use to regularly have winters here in England where food was scarce and we needed to store foods
It’s always a great time to grab a chair and learn the old ways of food preservation by canning or other means. Listen and practice (or at least have the know how) by your grandparents. Canning was big in my family and yes I have the know how and means too do so. Have you seen food prices? Gardening, even in a few pots, is also a good simple way to save costs and know what your eating. Start from good seed and learn how to save seed for next year’s crop too! Chickens are tons of fun and absolutely hilarious, and they are egg factory’s too.
Dear Townsend, I have just discovered your channel and love what I have seen so far. I am age 80 and blessed with several Revolutionary War soldiers in my family tree. I enjoy learning what their life may have been like during those difficult times. You make at all so real and yet applicable to us in the 21st century.
Yes, supply storage is a personal responsibility, I believe. Being self reliant is comforting to know that your family has enough food and supplies to get through the "winter", whatever that may be for each of us. And to be able to assist others if/when the need arises.
Thank you for creating this channel. Very enjoyable.
The last 2 years taught a lot of people that you cannot always depend on being able to get whatever you want from the store. It pays to have some flour, corn meal, beans, and canned goods on hand just in case.
And toilet paper. :)
@@Just_Sara Get a handheld bidet. Then you only have to worry about drying off.
Jams and pickles and jerky are both energy dense and amazingly shelf stable.
I grew up in the 1950's and 1960's, which many have called the "Age Of Prosperity", and for some then, it was. For our family, at times, it was. But, my family fell upon hard times, losses, some tragic, some not so much, but those losses were monumental and life-changing, and character-forming.
My maternal Grandmother, who lived through World War I, the Spanish Flu epidemic, The Great Depression, and World War II, knew what it was like to live and raise a family through great hardship and shortages. My Mother also had that instilled into her from a young age. I, growing up when I did, always was taught to "be prepared" for hard times, "for one never knows when they can happen". During my formative years, there was The Cold War, The Cuban Missile Crisis, then the Vietnam War, Oil Crisis I & II. And here we are now nearly two years after "fifteen days to flatten the curve", "the toilet paper crisis", and now "The Supply Chain Crisis" and rampant inflation with food and energy prices increasing exponentially practically overnight. One can go to stores and see empty shelves where back only five years ago, there was no sign of any shortage of any thing. It is always good to be prepared, and still to this day, I do prepare. I can and preserve foods for future use. I always think ahead to have the things that I and my family will need, because I was taught that concept sixty years ago.
We need to be prepared for anything, always. We who are able to have a little more in storage for future days, weeks, and months, perhaps years, need to do so not only for ourselves, but also for our friends and family who are not able to do so, for financial or other reasons. Be prepared. Be not afraid of your surroundings and future, but be wary. Be very wary, be very alert, be very aware.
I am so grateful you’ve breached this topic! I hear many others in specific circles discuss this daily, but many in “mainstream” still scoff. Thank you for opening the door for emergency readiness!
Having food storage that you make- pickles-jam-dried fruit and nuts!! Bake some bread!! Yum enjoy the good life.
I grew up on a small farm with my parents and grandparents. We used all kinds of preservation techniques. We had a root cellar for easy access, but we buried the remainder of the root crops outside. Since the ground could get frozen over in winter we didn't want to have to rely on having to dig up the frozen ground to get to our potatoes, carrots and onions. The back of the house was all storage. Jars of all kinds of vegetables and fruits. Some things in brine, in syrup and some things fermenting. Also dried beans in good quantities. You had to have enough for the whole winter, with plenty to spare for planting in spring. Life had a seasonality to it. Spring was for planting, summer for growing, fall for harvesting and winter for preparing for next year.
I've gone through some lean years recently, but it has gotten me back in touch with my food gathering and preservation skills, even though I'm doing ok now, I still keep a good amount of food stored, despite my tiny accommodations.
Thanks for this video. A small chest freezer and ample pantry shelf spaces allow me several weeks' worth of 'self-sufficiency', if not longer. I don't do any actual canning, mostly cuz I'm too lazy - lol - but canned and dry goods holding purt near everything edible are abundant in my local supermarkets. Therefore I keep my shelves stocked sufficient to my needs. Being 72 years of age has not meant having inherent 'wisdom'. but it has allowed me a powerful 'perspective'. Relative self-sufficiency is NOT hard to accomplish in this day and age, and is surely a simple task compared to the struggles of our ancestors.
I love watching your videos, sir. They bring back memories of a simpler time, when the entire family pitched in to store food for the winter. And we always had enough to share with those who were suffering hardships. I will always be grateful to my parents for raising us with their values. Didn't care for it too much at the time, but it instilled in us a way to make sure we could provide for ourselves. Thank you, Mr. Townsend.
I'm only 60 years old, but just 40 years ago it was rare to have all the variety of fresh produce year-round as we see today. I remember as a child being overjoyed to see citrus fruits in the A&P produce aisle, because it meant Christmas was near. We always had an orange in our Christmas stockings. The only year-round fruit was apples, and the only year-round vegetables were potatoes and onions. All the others measured the seasons. I do think it's a good thing to have fresh berries any time of year, but the downside is that the luxury is lost on the young. People under 40 don't have the conservation mindset because they're so used to having anything they want at any time of year that they take it all for granted. Whereas I'm still tickled pink to have access to all the variety, younger people are less happy, less appreciative, and more demanding. It's not their fault, being that it's just human nature that when childhood is filled with luxury, children grow up to regard luxury as their right, and perhaps to look down on those who didn't always enjoy the luxury.
I'm in my late 50's and remember. I had not thought about it for years.. thank you for reminding me how blessed we truly are. I also agree that people under 40 for the most part don't get it. I've tried hard to instill the lessons my parents and grandparents lived and taught me.
I'm 35, and I remember my grandma telling me about not getting lemons anymore during part of the year since she didn't live in California anymore. I was taught to put away a portion of what I had. Harvest what I could and store it for when it wasn't in season. Oddly enough, this mentality has seemingly faded in my parents, who think I'm a hoarding, paranoid, conspiracy-theory believing idiot. The only things they gather in season for later are shellfish.
Yes, as recently as the 70's. That mindset of the young may be a big problem for all of us before this is all said and done.
Although at least younger generation don't lose their minds when the wrong water fountain used;)
@@NeilCWCampbell Water fountains are extinct. You have to buy bottled water unless you eat in a restaurant that gives you tap water, and many will refuse to do that.
Love this channel! Speaking about winter, could you do a video sometime about lumber collection and the time it took to collect and store wood for the entire winter? Thanks for all your content!
My husband jokes that we have enough food to survive a nuclear. Winter! I rarely cook processed foods and my cupboards are full of staples. These days the best way of storing food is freezing, so I cook in large batches and freeze. I also have a good supply of store cupboard essentials..different flours, pastas, herbs and spices, pulses etc. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to know that I can provide good meals for my family in any circumstances.
Freezing is certainly amazing, but I would advise not relying entirely on it. Just in case of a long-term power failure, you see. It's unlikely in a developed country these days, thanks to several back-ups, but it can still happen. And by long-term, I mean more than a day or two, since really that's all it takes for a lot of frozen food to be lost. I see you have "certain cupboard essentials", which is great; if you don't have any, consider adding canned beans or dry lentils, and canned fruits & veggies to your stockpile. This will provide protein and vitamins in case you lose refrigeration.
I've been a fan of the channel for years, and this idea is central to what attracted me to your work. I'm an avid camper, and was initially attracted by discovering techniques for food preservation that didn't require refrigeration - allowing me to spend a couple weeks in the bush while staying well-nourished. I didn't have a lot of money growing up, and learned food preservation as a means to stretch the grocery budget - and your channel provided a number of new and helpful ideas.
The story doesn't stop there, though. As a younger person, I worked a number of entry-level jobs - which could be whisked away with very little notice. Preppers talk about the "SHTF" scenarios - but it's worth remembering that it doesn't take a civil disturbance or natural disaster for things to go wrong; they can go wrong on a personal level, and be just as daunting. At times when money was tight, having a couple months of food put away was an almost-literal lifesaver (certainly a lifestyle-saver, keeping a roof above my head). When COVID-19 had us all panicking and loading up on groceries, my family was saved a lot of stress by the fact that we had (among a number of other things) pemmican made from the recipes on your channel.
In truth, my thought has always been: *why not* have a few extra bags of rice, lentils, flour, sugar, salt, dried meat and canned fruits put away? Why not learn to forage, and turn one's lawn and neighbourhood into a salad bar? Maybe even go a bit bigger and buy a pressure canner, to lay away hard-to-store items like meat in Mason jars. By keeping an eye on sales (and, for that matter, taking into account escalating prices of goods), it will pay for itself in short order.
With the techniques available to us today, there's no reason *not* to keep at least a few months' supplies in advance. However, sometimes it's just as important to remember the old ways - because you never know what could happen.
That having been said, I'm still not storing any stockfish...
The truth is, having more food in the pantry (and freezer) to last a month is a good idea not only in the time of global crisis but also in normal circumstances. Sometimes life happens and having one less worry in a time of personal crisis can be a blessing. Being it a broken leg with no way to go to the store, or a spouse losing job and not having that extra income for some time, having extra (shelf stable or frozen) food is never a bad idea.
Yea, its quite sad that people who do this often get laughed on. But guess who will begging at my door for food!
I've been living for 3 months now off of long-storage food products and workplace cafeteria food, due to a financial situation upheaval. I'm recovering, and I'm not going hungry. My mother thinks I'm insane for stocking up and looking into practical skills.
Thank you guys for being warm and welcoming. Wish more people were this good feeling.
We've got grocery stores with everything we need - till they don't, and the shelves are empty. I keep at least 3 months on my shelves, and I didn't have to panic at the start of the Covid lockdown.
Nobody should have if it wasnt for the media blowing it out of proportion.
I panicked, because I work at a grocery store lol.
I live back in the mountains of Idaho, I have learned the lessons of having food storage nearest town is 22 miles away nearest city 80 miles, rockslide took out the canyon and it snowed side roads are shut down not going anywhere, have food wood for the woodstove still have power so yes I agree food storage is very important
Not only having food stuff available but also put thought into a way to cook/heat it.
I just love relaxing to your vids in fall/winter. Its like the perfect cozy up have some stew and enjoy a wholesome vid while it's cold outside.
Last year during the Great Toilet Paper Shortage I realized that the 18 roll pack I bought just before it hit is actually a 6 month supply for me. Nice to know
same here . i use a wet washrag after i get up from the toilet . i just bought 36 rolls and out of curiousity i made a notation in my google calender . i expect it to last for years .
Really enjoy the talk and the ambience of the cabin is always amazing!
When SHTF the guys and ladies from Townsend's will be the best dressed survivors.
Unless they had to do a bayonet charge, that's messy business and is hard on clothes.
We LIVED in a world where we could just go down the the store whenever. This has already changed but we haven’t figured it out yet!
I love your channel both from the perspective of looking back but also learning lessons that might become useful in the near future!
This channel is a national treasure. Combining gastronomy with historical exploration, woodworking and literary references. There's really nothing quite like it. The first Townsends video I ever watched was the video entitled "Everything Is Going To Be Fine," dated 11-2-20, where Jon invites viewers into his cabin for some food and a fireside chat and reminiscences. Relaxing and educational.
Would love to hear you do an episode on what the people would be growing in their gardens and why!
You are correct: it is perfect. A slow tutorial video of enjoyable entertainment revolving around fall...simple perfection.
One of my favorite pancakes from a rather heavily used Joy of Cooking from the 1960’s, is a version of those cornmeal journey cakes. Love that taste. You are right about storage. My mother and grandmother (who survived the Great Depression) both had gardens and large pantries. I use a closet i no longer need in my apartment (as a retired person) and my front porch and a bit of front lawn as a container garden. Though i winter some things and grow salad goodies in front of a huge front window, a well stocked pantry is great for me as an older person, since i choose not to do a lot of winter driving, and mass transit is thin on the ground in a small village. Love the show, by the way. Thank you!
I am close to your age group and remember my grandmother and mom's gardens. We canned, preserved all kinds of food. Today we have lost our way but it doesn't mean we cannot re-learn those ways. Thank you. I have to make those Johnny cakes.
My dad grew up on a farm in SE MO during the Great Depression and WWII. They had no indoor plumbing or electricity. The farm was not huge, and his father had a job in town…but they grew all the crops they needed, and raised animals for meat, dairy and eggs. He told me that family members who had no job available during the Depression, would work on the farm, and they shared their crops with those family members. They did have an ‘ice box’ and an ‘ice man’ would come and deliver giant blocks of ice so they could keep some things fresh in the kitchen. They also had a large root cellar and would preserve potatoes and other root vegetables in there, with straw between the layers. They also had a smoking shed so they could smoke pork for ham or bacon. My grandmother would can any extra that couldn’t be stored, so they had plenty of food all year, and especially through the winter. He said they would buy flour and sugar, salt, pepper and a few other items, but for the most part, they were self-sustaining. It was always fascinating to listen to his stories! And, gives me good ideas for how to manage things better in these challenging times (although, I live in the city, I have room for a garden…will start in the spring) and plenty of places in our house for good storage for items we grown and/or can. I know we’re struggling, but these types of videos are really helpful, because in the 1800s, they didn’t have Instacart to bring food to them, and had to be self-sustainable. We’re not able to be totally that way, but we can do our part in the vegetable area and some fruits as well. Thanks, I always enjoy your videos!
Having experienced shortages and supply chain breakdowns in the California fires over the last few years and having to evacuate multiple times. I have the experience to say everyone should stock up at least 4 weeks worth of food and have an emergency bag to grab if they need to evacuate immediately.
From my own experience I would say build up your pantry by getting a few extra things that you eat that can be stored longer term each trip to the store. Make sure it is things you would normally eat so that you are cycling it into your regular meals. It's silly to store 50lbs of rice and beans and expect to live off of that.The malnutrition alone would get you. Just have more pastas, canned chilli, canned veggies, canned fruits or pasta sauces. You know what you and your family will eat stock up on that.
Things you should have in your go bag: two outfits one for cold one for warm; three pair underwear and socks; any medications you need or regularly use; some cash; a flashlight; water and ready to eat foods like a couple of granola bars; a couple of Mylar emergency blankets; a couple of disposable ponchos; a back up drive with all important documents and pictures on it in a waterproof case; a first aid kit; a bic lighter; last but not least a radio preferably solar or crank.
You don't need all the outdoor survivalist crap you'll see many preppers talk about on youtube, odds are you will be going to a friend's or family member's house or potentially a shelter or hotel not to live a new life in the woods like in a movie.
Sorry for the super long comment remember this is just my opinions you surely will have different needs so customize any safety preparations to your own needs.
I have a dehydrator and a pressure canner and I can wholeheartedly say that having homemade quality food that can stand on the counter is amazing. People really take for granted the commercialism of todays society in the developed world. Being able to step back and say "if my power goes out and the roads are iced so I cant drive, I still have meals ready that I made myself" is something that gives me a lot of pride. I'm not a doomsday prepper or anything but having supplies stored away for harsh times takes a large weight off my mind.
Pairing that with the survival skills from this channel makes for a lot of fun hobby time that might be really useful sometime in the future. Life is tough and keeping the practices and traditions from the peoples who lived through the worst of it is really important. Thank you for all your hard work Jon.
I'm a Brit and after the food in the cupboards and cans, I tend to keep 4 months food minimum of dried foods chosen to get a balanced diet and sugar/flour for calories.
Love cooking in the cabin - comforting.
Yep stockpiling even back then wasn't called prepping. Rather it was just everyday life. But with the world today, I'd recommend stockpiling at least a months worth of food. I'm a butcher and the prices just keep getting higher and supplies are harder to get. Get the food and supplies now. Because the cargo and shipping crisis is only going to get alot worse
Edit: butcher
Bidenomics
They call it prepping today because it's outside the norm of how modern society lives, so it needs it's own name. I find the res of your comment very fear mongering
@@Konarcoffee despite whatever you call it or think it is. Don't come crying to your neighbors and family because you didn't heed the signs from society and the world around. Better to have it and not need it. Then to need it, and not have it.
@@Konarcoffee I'd rather be called crazy for letting people know, and not have anything happen. Then to have something happen, and having alot of people come to my door asking for advice/supplies because they didn't listen.
@@Konarcoffee not fear mongering he is stating facts.
Sorry to burst your bubble..
I keep huge stores of dry goods like flour, rice, oats, beans, spices, yeast, herbs, lentils, etc. Initially I did it to save on plastic packaging and some money, but now I’m glad that I always have those supplies on hand. You just never know.
Last year there was about a month where we were running out of food here in the tea. Meat was being rationed, canned goods were completely sold out as was dried pasta, milk, fruits and vegetables, it was a bit frightening. So I planted fruit and nut trees on my land, started a garden and bought dry foods that store forever.
Your channel is great and I appreciate your message that we should all try to be a little more self-sufficient instead of panicking when things aren’t going as they usually do.
Your hut is very cosy. Makes life good.
The last couple of years have taught me to always keep a month or two's worth of supplies on hand, just in case of lockdowns. Dry foods (beans, rice, flour, oats, pasta), canned foods (Not really a thing where we live, but pasta sauce and tuna), pickled stuff, medicines, and cleaning supplies are now something that I keep a STOCK of in my house.
And now that the shipping crisis is starting to hit Korea (Seriously, our grocery store looks like Armageddon sometimes.), I'm very glad that we've been doing this.
I absolutey love this format of storytelling + cooking. Beautiful. Please do more of these.
For health reason, both physical and spiritual, we have gone to producing and storing as much of our own food as we can. This includes making as much as possible from as raw a state as possible. That includes making our own butter, breads, and so on. We do use modern methods such as a dehydrator, but it is so satisfying to know that we are more connected to the land around us but also less reliant on others and on systems that can fail.
A dehydrator is a great thing to have. Boil and dehydrate sweet potato slices. Great snack when you are working hard.
You know John, I love your videos so much! I love your personality as well. My wife and I enjoy watching all of your videos. Thank you for all that you post on here.
from now (November) until green edibles is a long time--early April here, some years still snow...better to have food for 5 - 6 months. Fall harvest and root cellars go together--have you considered a root cellar episode? a lot of food can be set aside there potatoes, onions, carrots, turnips, also krauts and pickled foods. I'd love to see you build a root cellar and discuss how they were used in the 18th century.
Me too, actually. I wish I could have a root cellar!
Oh yes that would rule! I mean that'd probably be a big undertaking but they're so neat I'd love to see that!
That's a great idea to add on to the cabin! I'd love to see that.
Yes, please a root cellar episode
I keep a root cellar. Up here, we call them cold cellars. Most of the old houses up here have them built into them. Last year I got a book on it and learned how to operate one, takes practice with maintaining temperatures and humidity.
A year later your video reminds us of how de-skilled we have become. The loss of skills as well as the loss of local food production, local artisans who can do things if the supply chain really falters.....we are disconnected from the sources of our food, from the rhythm of our seasons.....I like your videos - food grown and prepared oneself is so much better.
As a good Midwesterner, I was raised to always have enough for at least a few weeks, especially in winter. You just never know what's going to happen!
I have found an important part of long term storage is keeping mice out of dry staples. I had various beans, rice, flower and sugar stored in what seemed to be a tightly sealed cabinet. Mice found a way in and ruined several months worth of stockpiles. Metal or sturdy plastic containers that seal tight are needed.
In addition to being prepared, when you put your own food by, you know exactly what went into it. And since I've heard a number of people expressing their concerns about the contents of the things they consume just recently, this seems especially timely. Thanks Jon.
I live in a small village in rural New England - the nearest grocery store is 20 minutes away, which is also the nearest gas station. It would be down right irresponsible to drive home without more than a half tank of gas and keep dry wood for the wood stove, fresh water, and enough food for AT LEAST a week. It is only an emergency if you're not prepared for it, it's not a secret that weather happens. It is not a question of if but when the next storm will snow us in for a few days and take out the power. Or flooding from a summer NorEaster. I think it's absolutely wild that we stopped preparing for very predictable, guaranteed events.
This subject just cries out for you to add digging a root cellar & storing food properly in it.
I love the point about peace of mind. We keep a full pantry, ways to cook besides the kitchen, and put up food when it is available. Thanks for this calm message.
What a wonderful message of self reliance and hope. I am so grateful to have Townsends in my life. Well done sir. I think I will go make some Johnny cakes right now.
This is my most favorite video. I LOVE saving our can goods and food. Mr. Jon after I've watched how you made your Jonny Cakes I tried the recipe and they were just amazing! My father and son likes them too. I'm gonna teach my wife when she gets off of work today. I just ate them for breakfast!
What a great video. I love fall and the harvest. How I wish I could walk out the door into the 18th century. I'd do it in a heart beat and not look back. Have you ever read the book by Ben Ames Williams, "Come Spring"? It's post revolutionary war on the frontier of Maine. Just like you were talking about putting up food. We have two seasons in Maine, winter and preparing for winter. As a dairy farmer I know that all to well. Thanks for the vid. Cheers.
That huge Texas snowstorm back in February has taught me that I need to keep at least a weeks worth of food and water ready in case something like that happens this winter, hopefully I won’t need it though.
Nice. I was always taught this was also a hedge against personal emergency or job loss. A few months of staples and a deeper pantry.
I think we tend to see a similar attitude during the opposite end of the year, down here in hurricane country. If you’re lucky enough to not need to evacuate, you still need to be ready to be self sufficient for a few weeks. More importantly, if at all possible, you want to be ready in June when the season starts, so you’re not rushing to the store when a storm’s imminent when those who don’t have the luxury of preparing “just in case” need to get in there.
I feel like owning your own cabin is more practical than modern life sometimes. lol.
Unless one gets injured by accident or a health issue.
Another nice video! I really love the videos filmed in the cabin!!
Calling those who store paranoid is like calling those who drives with a spare tire, jack, and wrench paranoid.
Well said! I'm going to remember this one!
Funny, since many if not most new cars don’t come with spare tires any longer.
That's pretty outdated today buddy.
@@CorvusRemalius You're so right; it's so much more trendy to be driving around with no spare nore tools to install it.
Food storage is amazing, being prepared is peace of mind. I grew up with food storage. What I don't like is fear mongering. Yes be prepared, but please don't max out credit cards or spend everything you have.
I grew up in rural Arizona and my dad and I went shopping in town once a month, yes he was the rare single dad and he was great... I didn't know it at the time, but we would have been considered poor, and we had a pantry, and it was always full (of the cheap foods we ate), because exactly when we were going into town to shop again, well it was always give or take a week. And today, I still make sure my family has our own pantry stocked up, even though we can go to the store every day if we wanted to, because you never know when you might not be able to go to the store again.
Townsends at it again with a well needed, and appropriate message for our brothers and sisters. Stay safe, prepare, and make sure to love your people!
When I was growing up my family fell on hard times and since I became an adult i think I have always tried to keep a well stocked store cupboard. I used to do the shopping but I am no longer able to drive and my husband took control of things . He always teased me about being a prepper, saying the shops are just down the road. But I always had on of laura ingles wilder's books in my mind if you know the stories, as she grew up she always described how the family prepped for winter and there was always enough . However in the book The Long Winter she told how they moved into the town and they didn't prep for winter because " there was a store where they could get supplies ". And they got snowed in and the train, carrying supplies couldn't get through. Everything can be peachy until the supplies are cut off for whatever reason . Even in this day and age. And maybe especiallyin the days we are facing. Iwant to be in a position where I can help others notbe a drain on other peoples resources in a difficult situation.
Growing up we canned and presserved year- round. Normally we would raise/hunt our own meat and can/dry/freeze. But you can watch for meat specials and presserve.
That's what I do. All year round.
I wonder how many people have had Johnny cakes. The cornmeal is a different taste when you are expanding modern day pancakes. Learning how to cook foods using basic ingredients is a great skill to have these days. It saves money, is satisfying and fun, too. That’s why I like the recipes on the Townsend RUclips channel!
When I was just a wee boy this became a very important lesson during the ice storm of '98. Much of Maine couldn't restock for months, grocery stores would often only be able to get in shelf-stable items and even then only occasionally, and even unaffected areas in northern Maine were cut off. Some stores pulled all their produce and had local families can and pickle it to donate to food pantries and churches, many of those families are indeed from that great depression era and have the supplies to do so on hand just in case.
And we've seen it come around again. Two to three weeks of quarantine isn't really that big a deal with a well stocked pantry and freezer, no need to have someone drop off groceries for you and risk going out when they don't have to.
Another good reason for preserving food is that you can decide what you want to put in there. YOU decide the amount of sugar, vinegar, preservatives...whatever. Also, doing it yourself bring great satisfaction. I opened a jar of plum jam from our own trees the other day. It was from 2014, and still as good as if it was made yesterday.