Store It Foods

With investments tied up in stocks, bonds and mutual funds, it is always disheartening when stock prices fall, banks fail, or so-called “corrections in the market” take place.  “Disheartening”, in fact. may be too mild a term to describe the feelings that arise in those most affected.  The experts don’t like to use words such as crash, crisis, or meltdown to describe these kinds of scenarios, but for the non-experts who are watching savings fly out the window, those seem to be very apt descriptions.So, is the financial sky falling?  Is there anything we can do about it?

Unfortunately, there is not a great deal that most can do.  When these incidents arise, we are told to ride out the storm, that things will get better, and generally that is what happens.  Hopefully, it will continue to happen, although sometimes one wonders.

Perhaps, though, this can help to remind us that we should not be trusting entirely in our bank accounts and stock portfolios.  Inflation, recession, job loss, economic downturns, and those awful “adjustments in the marketplace”, can do terrible things to such resources.

 It can be a belt tightening time, and it can be a time when things like food storage suddenly becomes a very useful, alternate resource.  This food storage is often looked upon as an emergency preparedness choice to be used when power fails, floods isolate, or some other act of nature deny us access to normal sources of groceries.   Yet, our home storage can also stand us in good stead in the face of manmade disasters.  It can, indeed, help us to cope with the bad times, and to provide us with some shelter when the sky begins to fall.

Activated charcoal system. Charcoal filters are used to filter out minerals, improving taste. According to one report, however, “This type of solution works especially well in urban areas or regions where water comes from a treatment plant. But it’s not recommended if you draw your water from a well.” If the water is laden with bacteria, they can actually begin to breed in the filter.

Ceramic Filters. This is the most common type of water filter. Ceramic filters are impregnated with tiny quantities of silver that kill off harmful bacteria. Often a charcoal filter is also a part of such filtration systems, with the carbron filter removing particulates and the ceramic filter ridding the water of micro organisms. Such filters need to be replaced from time to time.

Reverse Osmosis. This is an excellent filtering system, but also rather expensive. These systems work by forcing water through a small membrane which collects and contains bacteria and minerals. Unfiltered water stays on one side of the membrane. Filtered water passes through to the other side.  

 Distilled water systems. Although not really a filtering system, this is a common way of purifying water. Water is heated to the boiling point with the resultant vapor then allowed to cool and condense back to a liquid form. That leaves behind all minerals and bacteria. Home distillers, however, are electrically powered, which could be a serious disadvantage if your home is without power

Vacuum sealers are certainly a useful tool for those who like to freeze leftovers, but they have a variety of uses that make them an effective gadget for just about anyone. On the food front, they do keep food fresh up to three times as long as traditional storage methods. For this reason, even if you live alone, you can buy your food in bulk and save a good deal of money. Just freeze the leftovers and keep them for months at a time.

But what else can these tools do? For one, vacuum packaging is great for something as simple as resealing an opened bag of chips. It can also seal matches or survival gear needed for an outdoor trip, protecting your items from water exposure and damage.

You can even seal pictures, collectible cards, or documents that you want to protect. Locking them in an air-free environment will stem much of the damage that they would usually sustain.

Exposure to air can also lead certain jewelry metals to tarnish or discolor. If you have jewelry that you don’t wear on an everyday basis, but you want to keep it in pristine condition, try using simple vacuum packaging equipment.

As people become increasingly conscious of health issues, items such as wheat grass are filling the shelves among various health food stores. It is also showing up more and more in healthy homes through the use of personal wheat grass juicers. But why drink wheat grass juice?

The benefits are many. Wheat grass is mostly fiber and chlorophyll, which are natural aids for digestion and regularity. Some people even claim the powerful juice can serve as a natural solution against a sore throat.

Beware of excessive praising of wheat grass, however. Some people tout it as a cure all for illnesses such as cancer, AIDS, even insanity. These exact claims were actually made by Anne Wigmore, and it resulted in a lawsuit. Falling back on her first amendment right, however, she ended up winning the case against the Massachusetts Attorney General.

Still, as a consumer, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Wheat grass is certainly healthy, but it won’t alleviate all your serious health problems. If you’d like, add it to your diet, just be realistic about what it can do for you.

The number of families and individuals interested in canning, dehydrating and other food storage methods is growing. More and more people are becoming aware of the advisability and, in some cases, the necessity of a good food storage program.

There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is a good sign that many are taking a serious look at food storage as something more than a hobby and as more of an investment in future well being. The same can be said of emergency planning with all sorts of governments and organizations promoting the use of 72 hour kits and emergency preparedness in general.

With this growing interest, there is growing difficulty, on the part of manufacturers, to keep up with the growing demand for their products. Unfortunately, this means it is now becoming increasingly common for key items to be on backorder, or listed as “out of stock”. Factories, which must plan their production runs months ahead, simply did not anticipate the very high demand that is now there for their emergency lanterns, food bars, canning kits, sauce makers, pressure canners and the like. They simply have not been able to keep up.

For firms such as Store-It Foods this is an inconvenience which, of course, is an inconvenience that must be shared with our customers. Sadly, the delays which are resulting are delays which sometimes of more than the usual few days’ duration. Delays of a month or more, which once were extremely rare, are now not yet the rule, but are now known to happen from time to time. So how do you cope with this? Well, there are a few options.

1. If you can, order early. If you expect to be doing some canning in two or three months’ time and know thay you are going to be needing a new canner, then order it two or three months early. You are much more likely to receive prompt delivery before high demand arises and makes availability a problem.
2. Simply be patient. If you encounter an out of stock situation, Store-It Foods and other reputable firms are just as anxious as are you to effect delivery. We will ship as soon as we possibly can.
3. Cancel or reselect. At Store-It Foods we are sympathetic to the problems that a backordered item might cause. If, as a result, you find it necessary to cancel, you may do so without penalty.

If it is of any consolation, please be aware that if you are conftronted with an out of stock item, then you are not likely alone. In all probability, you will find many others who have an intrest in canners, dehydrators, or sauce makers who are similarily waiting.

What is going to happen during an emergency?

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could answer that question beforehand?  Unfortunately. that is not usually the way it works.  If we knew exactly what was going to happen during an emergency, then it probably wouldn’t be much of an emergency.  We could prepare well before the event, knowing exactly what was going to be needed to cope.

Still, we can do some anticipating.  If you travel during the winter in northern climes then your preparations for being stuck in a snowdrift somewhere or other would probably inlcude having a shovel in the vehicle and warm clothes and blankets ready at hand.  It only makes sense.

It also makes sense to have those items on hand that will likely be needed during an emergency, no matter what the emergency might be. Consider the electricity upon which we all have become so dependant.  Whether it be flood, storm, earthquake or whatever else, a loss of power in such times of trouble is a common loss.  Thus, it might be wise to keep some candles, a few flashlights, propane for the BBQ and other such items available for use when needed.  When gathering these things together, however, do it with some thought.

Maybe something you haven’t yet considered should be included.  How about a can opener, and not just any can opener, a hand operated can opener?  You may have a pantry full of canned goods ready for that emergency, but without power, that handy, dandy, wall mounted, electric can opener might just not do the job.  Obvious?  Of course it’s obvious, but if you hadn’t thought about it, the obvious might be easy to miss.

There are probably lots of other examples.  Perhaps you should give it a thought. Or is it possible you don’t plan on having any emergencies with which you might need to cope?  If so, you need to be informed that the choice is not always yours.

Whether you are shopping online or shopping at a “brick and mortar” store, it’s wise to give a little thought to your purchase.

That may sound like a rather obvious thing to do.  After all, if you’re shopping for something, you’ve already given some thought to what you want to buy.  How many times, however, have you purchased something that ends up being seldom if ever used?

Sometimes you have simply bought the wrong item — a spur of the moment decision that you later regret.  Sometimes you have purchased the right product, but the wrong model.  That’s where the product footprint can often come into play.  Simply put, the product footprint refers to the space that that product occupies. 

Consider a pressure canner.  A large, 41.5 qt. (liquid capacity) pressure canner far outperforms its smaller brothers and sisters with its abiltiy to can up to 32 pint jars at a time.  But if it is so large that you cannot fit it into your cupboard, and have to store it in the basement, inside the garage, or tucked away in your apartment storage room, then how often are you going to bring it out to do the canning of those 32 pint jars?  Inconvenience often translates into non-use. The same thing can happen with smaller appliances.  

A vacuum sealer, for instance, is not overly large, and can be a great addition to any household.  Many families use these handy little food storage appliances on a very frequent basis.  Yet, if space is limited and only the smallest vacuum sealers can conveniently be left out on the counter where they can easily be reached at any time, should preference be given to something like the palm sized “Frisper” with its small footprint?  Will having them that handy really make a difference in how much they are going to be used?

Yes, size should be given serious consideration if a “yes” or “no” answer is going to be an important factor.

There are a lot of food dehydrators out there, and sometimes it can seem overpowering when you’re planning on purchasing.  Here are a few simple, and basic guidelines to assist in making your food dehydrator selection.
Entry Level Food Dehydrators.

Entry level food dehydrators still dehydrate effectively.  They are generally characterized by lower price, smaller size, and slightly (and sometimes significantly) longer drying times. Keep it in mind that a lower priced food dehydrator is not necessarily a poorer quality food dehydrator, but it will likely have lower power and fewer features. This might be the type of dehydrator to consider if space is a serious consideration, or if the intended uses will be undemanding and infrequent. Prices of such units are usually very attractive, and are often below fifty or sixty dollars.
Mid Level Food Dehydrators.

The mid-range dehydrators are slightly more expensive than the entry level food dehydrators, but they are also generally more powerful, and have greater capacities.  They tend to be a little more user friendly, and are better for slightly more ambitious dehydrating and food storage projects. Watch for higher wattages which translate into faster drying times.  Expect to be spending in the sixty to one hundred dollar range.

Full Featured Home Dehydrators.

To go to a full featured home dehydrator is not a matter of simply adding “bells and whistles”.  Yes, that dehydrator is likely to be a dehydrator with more features — automatic timers, digital settings, and so on, but those features often translate into faster, more efficient, and more even dehydrating.  These are usually the dehydrators for those who recognize the worth of food dehydrating, and plan to make use of them on a more frequent and regular basis. Their features make it easier for you to fine tune your dehydrating with precise temperature and timing controls.  These are also great machines for those who dabble in food dehydrating, but who want quality, speed and simplicity when they do make use of them.  You’ll likely be spending $100 or more.

Commercial Food Dehydrators.

Here you will find food dehydrators that are built for durability.  Stainless steel construction is common.  As might be expected, they are designed for continuous, heavy duty use.  They may not have many more features than some of the better home models, but their life expectancy is much longer when put to this kind of demanding usage.  These food dehydrators, however, are not inexpensive, generally costing several hundred dollars.