Emergency food pantry if you mostly eat fresh?

[alysee]

We have never been able to figure out how to have an emergency Pantry, even when there was food shortages. Talk of food shortages again has us thinking how can we realistically if we mostly eat fresh or frozen food(like frozen fruit, veggies). 

I know we would probably have various beans and lentils, salsa, crackers, peanut butter, jam, pasta sauces(alfredo/tomato), tortilla chips, veg broth, taco shells and canned pineapple and mandarin oranges but what else? My kids have never eaten canned vegetables, instant mashed potatoes or canned soups. 

[Katy]

We have some canned foods for emergencies but we frequently cook with frozen. I’d start there. Or just forget adjusting and keep a few weeks of planned meals in a bin in your pantry. The fact is if your kids are hungry enough they’ll eat it. 

[Selkie]

We have

a large variety of legumes and whole grains

 nuts and seeds 

shelf stable tofu

soy curls

shelf stable soy and nut milks 

dates and figs

sea vegetables

canned tomatoes

vegetable broth

muesli

a small supply of convenience foods like healthier soups and A Dozen Cousins beans

[Laura Corin]

We buy tinned beans and chickpeas in bulk, so we could usually survive on those for some time. Son drinks soy milk, so we tend to have shelf-stable boxes of that. 

Just before Brexit I bought a lot of frozen veg. In general it's fine as part of a dish rather having a starring role.

Eta we also usually have shelf-stable tofu.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Laura Corin

[Pawz4me]

Some of it depends on what kind of emergency you're preparing for. Like if power outage is a concern you don't want to be stocking your freezer unless you have a generator and a reliable fuel source to keep it running. For potential shortages--I have a medium sized chest freezer and the vast majority of space is filled with frozen veggies and individual portions of home made soups.

As far as convenience foods--I agree that if your kids (or you) get hungry enough they'll very likely be happy enough to eat anything. But you might want to do just a little bit of experimenting to find things that are preferred. Like if I was going to stock up on instant potatoes I'd want the Idahoan brand because I think they taste very similar to really good home made mashed potatoes (and I had some home made mashed 'taters at Thanksgiving that were nowhere near as good as Idahoan instant). Things like nuts and seeds and dried fruit have reasonably long shelf lives.

My own approach to emergency preparedness is that . . well, it's for an emergency. That means life will be a little, and perhaps a lot, different. Being mentally prepared to deal with the different is as important as being prepared with tangible supplies.

[ddcrook]

Oats and shelf stable almond milk might be good to add to your list. Also, have you looked into freeze dried food?

[HS Mom in NC]

I agree that emergency items aren't about preferences, they're about survival.  When faced with the choices of not eating fresh vs. not eating at all, hunger will win. If you don't end up eating emergency rations because an emergency hasn't happened, only buy items with expiration dates a couple of years after you purchase them, then donate them in a year (leaving a year to consume them) to your local food pantry or other community food drive. You can make it a regular annual or semi annual part of your life.

Examples from my pantry/emergency items include:
dried fruits, berries, seaweed
nuts and seeds
jarred fruits in light syrup
canned veggies
canned wild caught tuna
medium grade bulgur (doesn't require cooking)
farrow
canned beans
lentils: French, black, red, brown, green
brown rices
couscouses
veg broth/ boullion cubes


 

[prairiewindmomma]

I would add foods that you are willing to eat—ie ingredients for recipes. It isn’t helpful to have dried chickpeas on hand if you don’t use chickpeas, iykwim. Chickpeas are lovely to add to a fresh salad now, but as a pantry ingredient could be made crunchy for a snack, or for hummus to break up the monotony of eating root vegetables, or as a meat substitute in tacos.

This is one of my favorite links: https://www.treehugger.com/pandemic-pantry-basics-how-eat-well-humble-ingredients-4847407

 

[KSera]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

My own approach to emergency preparedness is that . . well, it's for an emergency. That means life will be a little, and perhaps a lot, different. Being mentally prepared to deal with the different is as important as being prepared with tangible supplies.

This is my approach as well. I have a lot of canned goods in storage that are things we don’t normally eat—canned stews and chili Mac and other hearty canned goods like that. I was looking for canned items that packed the most calories. I also have a couple flats of (the horror) Top Ramen because it’s ultra cheap and only requires boiling water to make, which we could do even if we were in a situation of only having a backyard fire to cook on. If things were super dire, we would be fine on Top Ramen. I also have many of the things listed above: almond milk, rolled oats, canned fruit, canned fish and tuna. I try to include some kind of treat food in the supply like some chocolate (has to be rotated more frequently) or gummy candies, because if we were in a situation where we were having to eat from our emergency rations, I figure something special would help morale, particularly for the kids. 
 

I donate things before they reach expiration and buy new to replace them. 

[73349]

I haven't seen any persistent shortages of fresh vegetables. If it's similar in your area, from your list, it would be easy to make, say...

• black or pinto bean tacos with canned corn and chopped tomato and some kind of leafy green;
• a bean salad with whatever chopped veggies you can get (cucumber, etc.) and an Italian dressing;
• baked or roasted sweet potatoes with beans and a side of pineapple;
• roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli as a side for chickpeas with a dressing your family will like (or scrambled eggs, if you can get eggs);
• black bean "meatballs" with pasta and sauce;
• a curry dish (red lentils, tomato sauce, curry powder & other spices, a vegetable like cauliflower or carrots if available) over rice;
• chickpeas served in any sauce/spice you'd serve chicken in (maple Dijon, barbecue, teriyaki, etc.).

Edited March 3, 2022 by 73349

[Arcadia]

Our go to emergency ration is cans of sardines. They have the iron, protein, calcium and omega 3 that we need, and they are easy to bring along if we need to evacuate due to earthquake. They are also great for power outages. 

[Carol in Cal.]

We are like that.  There are very few canned veggies that we like, but corn is OK (although frozen is better.). We stock canned corn, a lot of dried fruits, dried wild mushrooms, and a few other hearty canned foods—DH likes canned chili so we have some of that.  We both like a mix of cans of cream of chicken soup and chicken with rice soup, canned clams for pasta, pork n beans, and black beans for tacos.  We keep boxed Mac n cheese around and also lots of kinds of dry pasta.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Carol in Cal.

[Idalou]

 You can buy dried or dehydrated vegetables in bulk. We have potatoes, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. A well made dehydrator is great, as long as you have the produce, time, and storage supplies.

[Danae]

27 minutes ago, KSera said:

This is my approach as well. I have a lot of canned goods in storage that are things we don’t normally eat—canned stews and chili Mac and other hearty canned goods like that. I was looking for canned items that packed the most calories. I also have a couple flats of (the horror) Top Ramen because it’s ultra cheap and only requires boiling water to make, which we could do even if we were in a situation of only having a backyard fire to cook on. If things were super dire, we would be fine on Top Ramen. I also have many of the things listed above: almond milk, rolled oats, canned fruit, canned fish and tuna. I try to include some kind of treat food in the supply like some chocolate (has to be rotated more frequently) or gummy candies, because if we were in a situation where we were having to eat from our emergency rations, I figure something special would help morale, particularly for the kids. 
 

I donate things before they reach expiration and buy new to replace them. 

Same.  The way I like to cook and we like to eat isn’t really conducive to long-term storage, so I made a plan for what we could eat and cook in an emergency and then rotate by donating the things I don’t normally use before they expire.

In March 2020 I rethought it based on “what if we’re too sick to cook” and added a lot of instant and easy to digest things like instant noodle soups, instant mashed potatoes, and jello.  Also a flat of Gatorade.  

[dsmith]

We have some freeze-dried fruits and veggies for extreme emergencies, as well as rice, beans, lentils, etc. I'm ok with certain canned foods so we stock what actually gets used. I also grow microgreens from Hamama and have quite a bit of extra seed mats. We have a lot of freezer space and stock up well, but if we didn't have power we could only keep running them if we can get fuel. During Sandy that was difficult and we lost a large and small freezer full of food, probably about $500 - 700 worth. 

[Clarita]

I mostly cook frozen or fresh too. After Mar 2020 when there was a brief moment when grocery shopping was hard to come by I bought a few canned goods (SPAM, vienna sausages, beans, jarred artichoke hearts, olives, canned tomatoes). We also got a deep freezer so there is more space to store frozen veggies and fruits. I also bought a container of dried mushrooms. 

During the craziness when we had fire season power shutoffs and a pandemic I caved and we did eat some canned green beans (it was not good I made a casserole even). My family complained but in the end we did survive.  

So, I suppose I would just keep some jarred/canned veggies, and canned meat just in case.  You can refresh the stash every so often. 

I do have rice, pasta, lentils and stuff in my pantry normally.

[regentrude]

I cook mostly fresh and eat mostly vegetables.

But there are some shelf stable foods we use, and those I stock up on for emergencies:
canned: tomatoes, chick peas, corn, beans; coconut milk, pumpkin puree
rice, bulgur wheat, couscous, pasta, flour, rolled oats, steel cut oats
nuts and dried fruit
shelf stable non-dairy milk

potatoes store well, as do root vegetables

[Arcadia]

3 minutes ago, Clarita said:

During the craziness when we had fire season power shutoffs and a pandemic I caved and we did eat some canned green beans (it was not good I made a casserole even). My family complained but in the end we did survive.  

My kids would eat canned sardines smashed with sriracha (or sambal chilli) with bread as a sandwich.

[heartlikealion]

I keep bagged soups on hand sometimes. That may be better than canned at least as far as stretching. I buy Bear Creek and the Lipton? brand. I add black beans to the tortilla soup and sometimes add veggies to the plain Lipton one. 

I don’t care for potato flakes but I like boxed scalloped potatoes. I keep some plain rice as well as flavored rice in my pantry sometimes (knorr brand). I have ingredients to make Spanish rice but I haven’t mastered it yet. So just buy the right seasonings/cans in case you need it. 

I like to keep premade pancake mix on hand in addition to flour etc. 

I freeze bread when I can (French loaves, sandwich bread, Hawaiian rolls). This is just a habit so when I need it I can defrost it. Not really a pantry item I guess but just an idea. I keep boxed milk in my cupboard. 

[Bootsie]

Preparing for "food shortages" and "emergencies" can be two different things.  Often when people talk about food shortages, the are not talking about lack of access to food, they are simply talking about difficulty in getting their preferred foods or the cost of those foods increasing.   

Emergencies can fall into different categories, and I plan for those differently:

1)  Someone in the family is ill and we can't get to the store--For this we keep some food we would most likely need, such as gatorade/pedialyte, saltines, chicken noodle soup, rice, pasta, canned fruit, applesauce. We also have some things on hand so that a child or an ill or caretaking parent can easily cope--instant oatmeal, box of mac and cheese, canned pasta sauce.  I also keep some soup and other comfort foods in the freezer that can simply be reheated.   

2)  Weather-related, like ice, and can't get to the store.  A well stocked freezer and shelf staples like rice, pasta, beans, flour, sugar. I don't live in a climate conducive to cellar storage--but I try to keep a supply of onions, potatoes, and garlic on hand.

3)  Emergencies where electricity is out:  canned and powdered milk, canned chicken, tuna, peanut butter, nuts, saltine crackers, canned chili and beans that could be cooked over a fire; keeping freezer closed if possible--but if extensive outage, then using up what is in freezer as efficiently as possible

4)  emergency where we must leave quickly:  water bottles, nuts, energy bars, canned chicken and grab any fresh fruit

In an emergency we may not have the best diet--I try to think what would be the most caloric and nutrient rich items that I can have on hand.  

[TheReader]

We added flour and other baking needs to ours, so we could make pastas, breads, pancakes, waffles, etc. when/if those things started running low in stores. 

We keep the things we do use on hand in multiples -- so, taco shells, gnocchi, store bought pasta, etc. 

If you can get loads of fresh stuff, and can get canning stuff, you can self-can which will help. We've done a little of that (we made lots of salsas, for instance). 

If you have freezer space for frozen, do frozen veggies/fruits. 

Or, if freezer space is limited, and you are prepping for shortages, not power outages/storms, do some make-ahead meals and freeze them. Several meals stored will take the same space (or less) as several bags of those same individual ingredients for that many meals.  This takes more time, but if it's a food shortage issue not a prepping for a storm issue, that's what I'd do. 

If you have space to garden, even in containers, and the climate for it, start that up. We haven't reached the level of being able to harvest enough to can/save ahead, but we have been able to supplement greatly. Ask at garden centers (not big box stores) &/or online for what grows well in your area, if you aren't sure where to start. I know we are fortunate to live in an almost year-round gardening area, and not everyone is/does, so if that doesn't apply forgive me. 

You can also do dried fruits/veggies; you could then either rehydrate them to cook, or do veggie-less meals and eat those as snacks to maintain nutrition. They are often more palatable than canned if you aren't used to canned.  And space saving. 

Experiment with canned to see what your kids will eat. Some of it, particularly if you cook it differently/add to it/find ways to enhance it really isn't bad. For ex, canned corn added to a chili or taco mix. Fresh herbs added to canned veggies. Blended/pureed and added to homemade soups or sauces. You'd still get the nutrition if not the same experience. 

Hope some of that helps! 

 

[heartlikealion]

Yes exactly! @Bootsie those factors make a huge difference. 

[heartlikealion]

This reminds me, I plan to buy some yeast and that’s a good item to have on hand. Instant or active. 

I like to keep oats on hand, too for oatmeal and as a binding agent in things like meatballs. It’s regional but I also keep a container of grits. I’m the only one that eats it here, though! Lol 

I can never have too much butter. I store in my fridge but you don’t have to depending on your humidity etc. Or use of butter bell. I buy both spreadable and sticks — both salted & unsalted. I go through it like old school Paula Deen. 

[heartlikealion]

7 hours ago, Pawz4me said:

Some of it depends on what kind of emergency you're preparing for. Like if power outage is a concern you don't want to be stocking your freezer unless you have a generator and a reliable fuel source to keep it running. For potential shortages--I have a medium sized chest freezer and the vast majority of space is filled with frozen veggies and individual portions of home made soups.

As far as convenience foods--I agree that if your kids (or you) get hungry enough they'll very likely be happy enough to eat anything. But you might want to do just a little bit of experimenting to find things that are preferred. Like if I was going to stock up on instant potatoes I'd want the Idahoan brand because I think they taste very similar to really good home made mashed potatoes (and I had some home made mashed 'taters at Thanksgiving that were nowhere near as good as Idahoan instant). Things like nuts and seeds and dried fruit have reasonably long shelf lives.

My own approach to emergency preparedness is that . . well, it's for an emergency. That means life will be a little, and perhaps a lot, different. Being mentally prepared to deal with the different is as important as being prepared with tangible supplies.

The free bag of Idahoan flakes with the thanksgiving Ibotta rebate were gross to me lol maybe the boxes are better than whatever bag I got. OP, maybe just test some out. If I do convenience mashed potatoes I prefer the Bob Evans in the cooler section (depending on store I’ve seen them by hummus or by beef). 
 

Another thing I suggest keeping on hand is a jar (or snack size cups) of apple sauce. Dd will eat it plain and I use it as a baking substitute for oil. 

[EKS]

Perhaps others have said this, but I finally decided that if there was an emergency and we couldn't get food, that the least of our problems would be if we were eating out of cans.  So we have a bunch of cans.

[Clemsondana]

At some point, a kid had to put together an emergency food supply for scouts.  We got some packaged stuff that we didn't usually get and let the kids try it.  It turns out that one likes canned soup, boxed mac and cheese, and ramen.  The other likes meat sticks, canned stews or bean-based soups, and those pouches of seasoned Indian food like lentils.  So, I keep all of those on hand.  The kids DIY lunch a couple of days a week, and while there are always leftovers or things in the freezer they sometimes choose something from those items, which keeps them rotating.  We keep large containers of dried beans, rice, flour, sugar, and pasta and we have freezers full of meat and veggies (we grow many ourselves), which is great for a food shortage like early covid but is not great for an emergency like a power outage where we can't cook and need to keep the freezers closed to keep them cold.  So, we keep canned beans, soups, cereal that can be munched on dry, nuts, dried and canned fruit, crackers, and peanut butter.  I also try to have a good store of items that we use that can be kept a long time or repurposed - tortillas, for instance, keep a long time in the fridge so there's always some bread around.  Sour cream is a shelf-stable dairy (edited to clarify that it's stable in that it keeps for months instead of days like milk, not that it can be kept in the pantry - buttermilk for cooking also falls in this category, as does yogurt/kefir) that we normally mostly use as a condiment but goes into casseroles that stretch basic ingredients (as do cans of cream-of soup) or can even be used to make biscuits.  We always have olive oil, yeast and baking powder/soda.  Stick butter and cheese can be kept in the freezer.  

What you should keep on hand depends on what sort of emergency you are most concerned about.  When the kids were little and spouse traveled, I kept a bunch of stuff that they could fix themselves or I could pop in the oven if I got sick while home alone with the kids.  As they got big and were growing, active teens, making sure that I could keep everybody full with large amounts of hearty food became my priority.  Because our house is fairly close to a hospital our power is usually restored quickly so I'm not worried about having lots of complete meals that don't need prep.  But, I've always tried to be prepared because I don't want to be needing to go to the stores when they are empty ahead of a storm - like, if it snows before my weekly shopping trip, I want to be OK to just wait another week if need be.  And, some of this will be determined by your space and shopping habits.  We have a good bit of storage that can be used for food, and I buy in bulk.  In our last house, that would have looked different because had I wanted to store a lot of food it would have needed to be in the garage, which is OK for canned stuff but not OK for some of the items that I can store in my basement.  

Edited March 5, 2022 by Clemsondana

[Bootsie]

I remembered another item I keep on hand for a number of emergencies:  canned pumpkin--it is high in fiber and Vitamin A and can be used in a number of ways.  If we have several days of ice which prevent getting to the grocery store and getting fresh fruits and vegetables, we add it to pancakes.  If someone is ill, it can be added to a number of items to increase nutrition--from muffins to breads to puddings.  It can also be used to make a soup..  

[itsheresomewhere]

35 minutes ago, Bootsie said:

I remembered another item I keep on hand for a number of emergencies:  canned pumpkin--it is high in fiber and Vitamin A and can be used in a number of ways.  If we have several days of ice which prevent getting to the grocery store and getting fresh fruits and vegetables, we add it to pancakes.  If someone is ill, it can be added to a number of items to increase nutrition--from muffins to breads to puddings.  It can also be used to make a soup..  

It is delicious added to chili and spaghetti sauce for extra nutrition. 

[mum]

My mother doesn't have emergency food (except for cans of beans) because none of it lives up to her exacting expectations (fresh, whole food, not in plastic, free of her ten thousand things, etc, etc). She entirely misses the point that emergency food is for survival. Preferences have no place. Food allergies DO. I have bought freeze dried "meals" from an organic place. Yes, they have onions in, which are on my "not so good for me" list. Will they kill me, no. If I need to suck it up and eat those meals, I surely will. I bought enough for a few weeks, they are freeze dried and mylar packaged and will last 15 years. I'm not planning on rotating it and eating them in normal times. They are in the cupboard and there they will stay, barring an emergency situation. But I feels REALLY good to have them. Of course I have my usual pantry that is always quite well stocked, but if we had to evacuate, there are only so many cans we can pack. 

[heartlikealion]

@Clemsondana where are you buying shelf stable sour cream? I’ve only ever purchased from the cooler and put straight in my fridge when I get home. Never heard of a shelf stable version. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

This has been a tough one for me too. I'm trying to shift the way we eat some to occasionally include more shelf stable foods. 

The kids and I have shifted to quick cooking oatmeal 3-4 times a week, we never ate oatmeal before. I have been adding in some freeze dried apples or peaches. Usually we would eat fresh fruit and eggs. 

I am trying to make one meal a week using canned chicken instead of fresh, never would have done this before. I need a shelf stable protein option though. 

I purchased the case of shelf stable oat milk at Sam's and we are using fresh almond milk but also mixing in some of this oat milk so we are buying and using a shelf stable option as well. 

I'm not really an expert by any means but I know we need to keep a small stock of supplies but we also need to eat and rotate those. The expiration on shelf stable items is usually so long, you don't have to eat that way every day. Just a time or two a week for each meal. The big thing is to make sure you rotate your goods so the older is used first. 

[heartlikealion]

1 minute ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

This has been a tough one for me too. I'm trying to shift the way we eat some to occasionally include more shelf stable foods. 

The kids and I have shifted to quick cooking oatmeal 3-4 times a week, we never ate oatmeal before. I have been adding in some freeze dried apples or peaches. Usually we would eat fresh fruit and eggs. 

I am trying to make one meal a week using canned chicken instead of fresh, never would have done this before. I need a shelf stable protein option though. 

I purchased the case of shelf stable oat milk at Sam's and we are using fresh almond milk but also mixing in some of this oat milk so we are buying and using a shelf stable option as well. 

I'm not really an expert by any means but I know we need to keep a small stock of supplies but we also need to eat and rotate those. The expiration on shelf stable items is usually so long, you don't have to eat that way every day. Just a time or two a week for each meal. The big thing is to make sure you rotate your goods so the older is used first. 

Curious what you’ve used the canned meat in? I haven’t had much success taste wise. I’ve used for chicken salad and chicken a la king, but don’t remember if it even came out very well. I’ve also thrown in soup but not sure it tasted right. 😬 

[Miss Tick]

6 minutes ago, heartlikealion said:

Curious what you’ve used the canned meat in? I haven’t had much success taste wise. I’ve used for chicken salad and chicken a la king, but don’t remember if it even came out very well. I’ve also thrown in soup but not sure it tasted right. 😬 

I've been using it in a cream-sauce-heavy chicken noodle casserole and a salad with a bbq/ranch dressing. In both dishes the sauce makes it popular. I'd never bought it pre-pandemic, and in the last 6 months I've been trying to thin out the pantry shelves a bit.

[Ann.without.an.e]

1 hour ago, heartlikealion said:

Curious what you’ve used the canned meat in? I haven’t had much success taste wise. I’ve used for chicken salad and chicken a la king, but don’t remember if it even came out very well. I’ve also thrown in soup but not sure it tasted right. 😬 

I only use it once a week and the Sam’s brand isn’t as bad as most. I use it in soups, stews, or for chicken salad. 

[heartlikealion]

30 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I only use it once a week and the Sam’s brand isn’t as bad as most. I use it in soups, stews, or for chicken salad. 

I buy that brand sometimes. Haven’t in a while though. 

[vonfirmath]

2 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

Curious what you’ve used the canned meat in? I haven’t had much success taste wise. I’ve used for chicken salad and chicken a la king, but don’t remember if it even came out very well. I’ve also thrown in soup but not sure it tasted right. 😬 

we like canned meat in pasta meals

[heartlikealion]

1 minute ago, vonfirmath said:

we like canned meat in pasta meals

I might be able to get away with it in chicken spaghetti. The sauce might be enough to kill any odd flavoring. 

[Clemsondana]

3 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

@Clemsondana where are you buying shelf stable sour cream? I’ve only ever purchased from the cooler and put straight in my fridge when I get home. Never heard of a shelf stable version. 

Not shelf stable, just longer-lasting than milk.  Our milk is usually only good for a week,  maybe 10 days, but sour cream can have a date that's 1-2 months in the future.  The same with kefir if people at your house like that.  It's not good to stock for the far future, but it's something that can provide dairy/calories/a food ingredient and lasts a long time.  I always keep yogurt on hand, too - for smoothies, I can use it in place of milk.  I had always kept some of this in case of a snowy week or illness that kept me from going out for a few days, but when covid led to shortages it was helpful for staying out of people's way in the stores.  

[Faith-manor]

3 hours ago, heartlikealion said:

Curious what you’ve used the canned meat in? I haven’t had much success taste wise. I’ve used for chicken salad and chicken a la king, but don’t remember if it even came out very well. I’ve also thrown in soup but not sure it tasted right. 😬 

I have used canned chicken breast with cream cheese as a spread on celery for picnic/quick lunch. It is a nice spring lunch snack. I have also used it in a pinch in pasta Alfredo and other things where there is a heavily herbed broth to help carry flavor. It isn't my favorite thing by any stretch. But along with canned tuna, I keep it on hand on case electric goes out for more than a few hours. I figure they can add some of my canned salsa, and stick it in tortillas or eat it on tortilla chips as well. 

[Hilltopmom]

We buy canned pumpkin, beets, corn, baked beans,olives, cooked beans like black or chick peas, & recently added green beans too- not great but ok in a pinch. We used canned chicken in soups and chicken salad. And boxed milk, almond or coconut type.

Oh- also dilly beans and assorted canned fruits- pears, peaches, mixed, mandarin oranges get mileage here (we all prefer fresh or frozen but keep canned on hand)

Edited March 5, 2022 by Hilltopmom

[Grace Hopper]

If you home can a few familiar recipes (soups, etc) maybe the adjustment to not fresh would be easier. 

[KungFuPanda]

Potatoes and winter squash keep really well. I don’t know why you’d switch to instant potatoes. Maybe a garden would be more your speed in the prep department. Your kids would probably eat any soups or veggies you canned yourself.  A lot of canned or frozen veggies actually taste better than the fresh stuff that’s out of season. Dried beans and rice would get you pretty far. You could even dehydrate some things to store them longer. 

[alysee]

6 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

Potatoes and winter squash keep really well. I don’t know why you’d switch to instant potatoes. Maybe a garden would be more your speed in the prep department. Your kids would probably eat any soups or veggies you canned yourself.  A lot of canned or frozen veggies actually taste better than the fresh stuff that’s out of season. Dried beans and rice would get you pretty far. You could even dehydrate some things to store them longer. 

I definitely can things, mostly salsa, strawberry jam and chili sauce. I never thought to can veggies. In the summer we grow green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and zucchini. It's definitely an experiment to try this year! 

[Melissa in Australia]

capsicum are way better frozen than canned. you just slice up fresh and put into ziplock bags. then freeze. when you want to cook them you just hack some off the frozen lump do not defrost, just add to the cooking meal

Climbing green beans seem to freeze better than the dwalf varieties. Once again I don't blanch at all, just cut , bag then freeze. add to boiling water frozen to cook

I pickle the cucumbers. 

[Clemsondana]

I have canned in the past but these days freeze for convenience - we have a large chest freezer just for produce.  If one of the emergencies that is common in your area is long power outages during warm weather (like hurricane season in Florida) it's better to can so that you don't lose your stock.  But, freezing is easy.  We freeze tomatoes (I've tried different methods of cooking, but have settled on cutting into pieces and letting them drain in a colander, then roast with salt and pepper for 30 min-1 hr, and then using a large slotted spoon to put them in reusable quart and half gallon containers - having them be less watery works for our uses, but you may not need that much straining).  I blanch green beans or peas for 2 minutes, make freezer pickles, and just slice or dice peppers.  Winter squash keeps for months in a cool dry place or you can roast and freeze the pulp.  I've nevver found anything that we like to do with summer squash so we just enjoy them while they last.  Fruits like berries just have to be put in containers or can be made into jam.  Peaches can be sliced and sugared, as can apples for pies or fried apples, or, along with pears, the can be made into apple/pearsauce and frozen or canned.  I also sometimes make chili or soup as the veggies come in and freeze that so that we have some heat-and-serve meals.  

[KungFuPanda]

I like to shred zucchini and summer squash, freeze it in cup-sized blocks, then sneak it into everything until it’s gone. I have a serious “I grew it so they’re GONNA eat” it problem. My family is indifferent about fresh squash and they don’t even notice it in recipes. They really like my chocolate zucchini bread (it’s cake) but that’s really it. They are unaffected by my enthusiasm for this miracle veg. 🤣

[Clemsondana]

53 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

I like to shred zucchini and summer squash, freeze it in cup-sized blocks, then sneak it into everything until it’s gone. I have a serious “I grew it so they’re GONNA eat” it problem. My family is indifferent about fresh squash and they don’t even notice it in recipes. They really like my chocolate zucchini bread (it’s cake) but that’s really it. They are unaffected by my enthusiasm for this miracle veg. 🤣

My family likes zucchini cake, but we only need so much cake.  🙂  I roast pans of thin-sliced squash (sort of like chips, but not usually that crunchy) at least one meal a day and sometimes 2 for much of the summer, and last year I found a pasta dish that they like with cut-up zucchini, but neither of these prep methods work with frozen. 

[Drama Llama]

I have canned lentils, and jarred salsa or bruschetta sauce in my pantry, stir them together, serve with some crackers if I have them, and it's a decent complete meal.  

[KungFuPanda]

25 minutes ago, Clemsondana said:

My family likes zucchini cake, but we only need so much cake.  🙂  I roast pans of thin-sliced squash (sort of like chips, but not usually that crunchy) at least one meal a day and sometimes 2 for much of the summer, and last year I found a pasta dish that they like with cut-up zucchini, but neither of these prep methods work with frozen. 

I’m gonna give up on my people and eat at your house in the summer. I grew up eating seasonally like that and I love it. My husband and kids don’t manage meal repetition so gracefully.
 

I have successfully frozen zucchini fritters but I don’t usually want to put that much effort into storing summer squash. I am that person who will occasional drop a zucchini on your porch and run, but in general, I can use up the shredded portions in sauce, curries, stir fries, and desserts.  I have canned zucchini pineapple, and used it ALL, so I definitely need to do a lot more of that next time. 
 

Basically I’m serving zucchini that tastes nothing like zucchini and that feels wrong on some level. 

[Drama Llama]

3 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

canned zucchini pineapple

I need an explanation or recipe or something here.  

Thanks!