ensuring easy access to fresh fruits and veggies during a crisis

This is the second post in my series on prepping. If you're just jumping in, see my prior post on the 5 inexpensive and versatile foods to stock first.

Once you've got the five most important foods stocked, you might decide that is sufficient for your anticipated needs, which is absolutely fine - these decisions are ones we all need to make based on our own criteria and priorities. If you do want to round out the assortment in your long-term pantry to further expand the foods you can make and ensure you are covering dietary needs, read on for next steps.

This next phase is really quite easy, and actions I'm sure you'll find helpful in your daily routine, not just during a period of uncertainty. It involves connecting with your community to find sources for fresh items and learning to grow a few things inside your house - not a garden and nothing that takes up more than a few inches of space, perfect for even small apartments!

Connect with people in your community to find a source for honey/maple syrup, eggs, meat, and fresh veggies and fruits. If you live in the country, typically you will see plentiful signs along the road advertising these items. Or, you can investigate to see if some local farms offer them. If you live in the city (and in the country too), look to join a CSA (community support agriculture). A quick search online will provide many websites listing active CSA's in your area or state, your neighborhood food co-op will likely have a board posting these, or check at your local farmers market. Farmers markets, in general, depending on how big they are, may provide everything you need. Fruit may be impacted by both weather and availability workers to pick them. So, check out berry picking farms near you. Many sell the berries as well if you can't, or don't want to, pick them yourself. Scouting these out ahead of a crisis, getting familiar with how they work, and incorporating them into your life will put you more at ease when the time comes where supply disruptions or shortages forces the necessity of these alternative means of getting fresh vegetables, fruits, and eggs/meat. The last few Summers, I have been visiting a farm two miles away from me that sells fresh vegetables, honey, maple syrup, jams, meat, eggs, strawberries, and blueberries. I passed their sign by the road for many years without paying any mind to what it was advertising. So, it pays to be on the lookout as they have been a fantastic resource since then! Two neighbors within walking distance from me also sell eggs, both duck and chicken, that I can get year-round. And, by visiting farmers markets, I have scouted out sources for honey, maple syrup, and fresh and dried mushrooms, all who deliver. 

 

 

The second suggestion I have for getting fresh veggies into your diet during supply chain or production disruptions, is to learn how to sprout. Anyone is able to do this on a kitchen counter with only a few inches of space - no grow lights or space for pots needed. If interruption to your daily life goes on for a significant amount of time, you will be craving fresh veggies. Sprouting provides that, and a lot of nutrition as well! The basic method of sprouting is to soak seeds in water for a number of hours and then rinse and tip upside down the mason jar with your seeds in it so it can drain. It takes just minutes out of each day to rinse and drain, and after just a few days you are rewarded with a jarful of fresh sprouts. A lot of people are familiar with the stringy sprouts most often offered at the grocery store. That is just one type. There are close to fifty types! Sprouted peas taste just like eating fresh peas from your garden and sprouted wheat can be turned into bread, just to name a few types! You need specific seeds for sprouting. These sprouting seeds are just like the seeds you plant, however, they have been tested for high germination rates and have been stored appropriately to suppress any mold. Sprout People is my favorite source for seeds. They are so passionate about sprouting, have built a solid network of seed suppliers ensuring quality, and provide detailed information on each page of their website to guarantee you are successful in getting your seeds to sprout to their full potential. They also have a range of mixes I have never seen offered anywhere else - a great way to take in a variety of nutrients and vitamins, rather than just eating one type of sprout at a time. Also, visit their Substack page, which has an immense archive of information. True Leaf Market is another great source. They stock the largest range of seeds I have seen and the quality has also been great every time I have ordered. While you're on their site, take a look at their stainless steel wide mouth sprouting lids as well. You'll typically be using a quart size mason jar to sprout, which you probably already have on hand (just make sure it is really clean to deter mold growth). And, you'll also need some sort of mesh lid for the jar, which allows water to slowly drain out in between your rinses. Buying the special stainless steel sprouting lids works well. Or, you can retrofit your own mason jar rings - cut circles to fit inside the ring out of window screen, fine hardware cloth, or plastic canvas (used for needlecraft). Or, place a double or triple layer of cheesecloth or muslin over the top of the jar and secure with the mason jar ring or a rubber band. I tip my jars upside down on a wood rack my dad made for me, but you can just set a bowl in a corner of your kitchen, leaning the mason jar against the wall/cupboard so it is tipped slightly and can drain into the bowl. No need to buy a special stand unless you want to. I will create a post specifically on sprouting, but I hope that gets you more familiar with the fun and ease of sprouting!

If you have a large South facing window in your apartment or house, you may be able to grow a medley of things successfully without any grow lights, heat mats, or humidity tents. Deep in Winter here in Minnesota, I have been able to grow a variety of lettuce, romaine, and corn mache as well as green onions. Additionally, I am testing out growing potatoes, red onions, garlic, and compact peas and peppers by this window, so I will keep you updated on how those progress!

What do you think about this phase? Do you think this sounds doable? And, even a little fun?!

the 5 inexpensive and versatile foods to stock first if you want to start prepping

Thinking about doing a little prepping? There is a lot of information out there! Everyone seems to have an opinion on it. In one aspect, it's good to read these differing view points and then come to your own conclusion about what will be right for you. However, all of the varying thoughts can also make it extremely overwhelming to decide which direction to head. 

Here, I will lay out the only five foods you need to get you started. No expensive generators, power banks, or solar ovens needed. Just some staple foods that will transform into so many versatile and varying meals. 

The five staple foods I suggest you focus on:

1) Flour - all purpose flour and bread flour

2) Whole milk powder

3) White sugar

4) Potato flakes

5) Beans - black beans and garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

With the above five items, you can make an astounding amount of diversified foods...

- All purpose flour and bread flour will provide fresh baked bread, sweet treats, pie crusts, pancakes, and thickeners for sauces. 

- Yes, with whole milk powder you will of course always have milk on hand by mixing it with water. But, you can also easily make it into yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, ice cream, buttermilk, sour cream, cream cheese and so much more using just a small amount of a few other ingredients you'll most likely already have in your cupboard.

- When properly stored away from humidity, white sugar can last indefinitely. Naturally, it can be used in baked goods "as is," but if you add corn starch you now have powdered sugar and if you add molasses you now have brown sugar. 

- Potato flakes provide a comforting food option that supplies high calories when food is scarce. And, just like the other items, not only can they be made into mashed potatoes, they contribute to an array of other foods, including being a substitute for bread crumbs in meatloaf, thickening soups, creating a crunchy coating for fish and chicken, and as an addition to rolls and tortillas.

- Black beans and garbanzo beans are the most widely used types of beans so that's why I chose them. You will have a protein in your diet just by cooking them up as a side. But, just like the other items, you can easily transform them into many things. Chickpeas can be turned into hummus or ground into flour, for example. 

In a future post, I will include some specifics for storing items both short and long term. But, at a simplified level, the above items can be stored for one or two years (and, in the case of the sugar, indefinitely) without any expensive mylar bags or special buckets. So, not only are they extremely versatile, they also are easy to store without purchasing additional expensive items or creating a special setup.

How much of the above items you buy and store is up to you. One key factor to decide this would be how many people are in your household. And, the second key factor, which might take longer to ponder, is what type(s) of things are you prepping for. Do you just foresee minor disruptions such as a short-term natural disaster that would knock out power for a few days to a week, shelves are bare, and gas may be scarce? Do you foresee a few months where there is a shortage of water, disruptions in the food and product supply chain, and gas prices are double the normal price? Do you foresee a year where the power grid has gone down, affecting communication as well, a war may have landed on our soil, and/or there is so much unrest that it is not always safe to go out? These scenarios sound crazy, and why the "prepper" term has gotten such a negative connotation. However, we're already seeing record droughts in the Western states this year and by 2030 the drought will reach large metropolitan US cities and continue progressing through other areas of the world. We don't like to think about it, but sooner rather than later, we will be faced with water rationing. Only a month into the Iran war, gas prices have already risen to record levels and airlines and airports are cutting flights and rationing fuel. This isn't meant to scare anyone, or cause anyone to not live in the moment and lead a fulfilling life. But, staying aware of some of the impending challenges by reading articles and taking small actions to prepare can help us all lead a better life when (not if) things continue to get more tricky to navigate. Therefore, determine what you believe will transpire, how it will affect your daily life, and what is reasonable to enact in order to prepare.

As one person (and a dog), I have stored away a 5 gallon bucket of each of the five items I listed above as most essential. I use daily some of what is stored away. And, then I replenish as needed, so I always have 5 gallons in long term storage available. I have practiced my skills so I now, by memory, can turn these staple ingredients into so many other things such as yogurt, artisan bread, soups, hummus, etc., and if needed can do these things over an open fire. 

I hope this gives you the confidence and nudge that with minimal effort and funds you can start feeling more empowered over your food security. And, that it won't be bland monotonous diet you'll have to be forced to rely on. Instead, just a few simple pantry items can be an inspiring jumping off point for nourishment.

Again, I'll be sharing in future posts additional details on storage, why I don't suggest purchasing some items that other preppers recommend, and some extra items you can layer on if you want to increase your self-sufficiency further. Look out for those shortly!

pursuit of the perfect artisan bread loaf

This past year, I've been working on my artisan bread making. Not from a sourdough starter. Just a simple bread flour, yeast, water, salt mix. Here are the two most important things I've learned:

1) You do not need to buy a single item. Not one. Nadda.

Here are some of the many things your friends, family, YouTubers, bloggers, or companies will say you will need...

Banneton basket - This is a single use item in your kitchen that takes up a lot of space. Instead use a mixing bowl you already have, drape a flour sack towel inside that has been dusted with a little flour. Or, use a round basket you already have laying around, lining it in the same way. (See a photo below of a basket that I picked up for $1.50 at a thrift store years ago that gets used on a daily basis to hold my onions. And, on bread making day, it gets used to rise dough).

 

Lamé - Again, this is a single use item in your kitchen. It doesn't take up a lot of space and sometimes you can pick one up cheaply for $10 (most are $25-40). However, why add something to your kitchen you don't actually need? Instead, score the top of your dough with kitchen shears, a loose razor blade you have in your hardware drawer already (not used and clean), or even a really sharp knife.

Dutch oven - If you already own a 5 or 6 quart dutch oven that you use for other things, great! You're all set. But, do not purchase a dutch oven just because you think you need one to bake artisan bread. I bought a clay baker, which is similar to a dutch oven in that its domed lid contains the high humidity and heat to create the perfect environment for rising and browning (see photo below). However, I regret buying a clay baker. It is heavy and takes up a lot of storage space in my kitchen when not in use. If I was to do it again, I would use a soup pot instead (ensuring I removed the plastic handles). There are also other methods that you can easily learn to create that humidity such as putting a pan of water in the bottom of your oven while baking. 

 

So, the point is...just get started. Don't get hung up on feeling that you need these things before you get started. Or, that your bread is not going to turn out as good without them. If you're ever in doubt about whether you need to buy something new, remind yourself of the bare bones kitchens of long ago - before electricity, while settlers were carrying their belongings in a wagon across the prairie or living in a rustic cabin, or even the French woman of today who prefer minimal gadgets!

2) You can create a wonderful bread without kneading, and with just one rise.

The result is going to be more like a really good sandwich bread versus being airy. You don't need to aspire to a holey sourdough crumb in order to enjoy really good bread. Keep it easy for yourself. You can make this bread frequently throughout the week, without having to adjust your schedule or stress yourself out feeding a starter and kneading and rising the dough multiple times. It only takes about 1 1/2 hours from start to finish so having the ingrained knowledge to make a simple bread allows you to throw it together when company is coming over as well. 

Simple Artisan Bread

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Equipment: medium/large mixing bowl, wooden spoon, flour sack towel (or any lightweight towel you have on hand), preferred vessel for rise (banneton, bowl, or basket), preferred cutting instrument for scoring (lame, knife, or straight edge blade, for example), preferred baking vessel (dutch oven, clay baker, soup pot, or baking sheet/soup pot combo)

Ingredients:

2 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup of very warm water 

3 cups bread flour (can sub out 1/2 cup golden wheat if you would like)

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups very warm water

Instructions:

1) Put 1/4 cup of very warm water (almost where it's getting too hot to touch) in the bottom of the mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Let sit for ten minutes or so to allow the yeast to bloom in the water while you get your other ingredients ready.

2) Add the remaining ingredients to the yeast water.

3) Mix with a wooden spoon. It will be shaggy and wet. If it does not appear wet, add a little more water, a few tablespoons at a time. (It will typically look drier when you use partial wheat flour as that sucks water up much quicker than bread or white flour). It's important to ensure it is wet enough at this stage because the rise is really dependent on the ability for the dough to flex and grow.

4) Use your hands to shape the dough into a loose ball. Place the dough ball into your rising vessel that you have lined with a lightly floured flour sack towel. Gently tuck the top of the towel loosely over the top of the dough, which will help it from drying out while it rises.

5) Place the rising vessel in a warm spot. My house is typically only sixty degrees fahrenheit, so I put it by a sunny window just out of the direct sunlight. If it is an overcast, or particularly chilly day, I have also put it in the oven with just the oven light on.

6) After it has doubled in size (takes 1/2 hour to 1 hour), you are ready to bake! Oil the bottom of your baking vessel or line it with parchment paper. Form the dough into a ball again (no need to knead) and place it on the oil or parchment paper lined bottom of your baking vessel. Put the lid on your vessel (or cover it with a towel) and let rise for another 30 minutes or so. Set your oven to preheat to 450 degrees, making sure you have moved the oven rack down to the second from the bottom ledge to give your baking vessel enough room.

7) After 30 minutes have passed, dust the top of the dough ball with a generous amount of flour, and score the top of the dough with your preferred scoring tool. (If you're having a hard time getting the tool to cut through the dough, you most likely need to add more flour to the top of the dough ball).

8) Put the lid back on your baking vessel and place in your preheated oven. Set a timer for 35 minutes.

9) After the 35 minutes have passed, take the lid off of the baking vessel, leaving the bottom of the vessel and dough still in the oven, and let it bake for another 6 minutes or so, keeping an eye on the darkness of the top crust to determine when it is ready to come out. 

10) Remove from the oven and let sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting. 

This seems like a lot of steps. But, actual hands on time is only about 10 minutes. Before you know it, you'll be baking bread without even thinking about the steps.

Note: if you aren't ready to bake your bread after the first rise, you can put it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just be sure to have it in a large enough bowl as it will rise more while it's in the fridge and you don't want it to spill out of whatever bowl you have it in. Also, make sure you have a tight fitting lid on your bowl, not just a towel, so the dough doesn't dry out. When you're ready to bake it, let it sit out for 15 minutes or so to warm up a bit. Then, shape it into a ball and proceed to step 6.

Let me know if you have any questions! Or, if you have your own bread baking tips you'd like to share!