If you are like many, living from paycheck to paycheck, it may not be possible to stock up on lots of food in a short period of time. It also may not be possible to can your own food like you see in the image at the left.
First, if you DO have an ability to spend about 10% of your paycheck or any amount on certain kinds of food you have a choice between canned/jars food for storage and dried food.
Choose dried foods first. They are easier to transport, store longer and are more easily hidden, if necessary, to secure the items from other aggressive foragers. I like to recommend dried soups containing dried vegetables as well as other nutritious ingredients. Soups will give you more flavorable bulk meals especially when combined with any other protein ingredients you may find or obtain through trade or foraging.
I don’t mind plugging a particular brand of soup named Bear Creek if you are in the US. They have an excellent product for this storage strategy. If you have obtained water and have a heat source,( including solar if you’ve learned that method), you will be able to make some tasty and nutritious meals with minimal expense. Any other similar brand can work too. The only drawback is Bear Creek sells pouches that are not resealable. In this case, obtain a cheap brand of resealable plastic freezer bags to store along with the soup bases.
As part of your MacGyvering strategy you will find it productive to take walks around your neighborhood. What you are seeking to add to your mental inventory are lists of locations where you can find plants in yards that are edible. Just in case such locations are vacant when challenges occur or even for trade with the homeowners if not vacant.
Seek out urban foraging videos and websites to teach you the many edible things you might not think about. Here is one example video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifsizV7GrnA
A common edible is the very easily identified dandy lion plant that grows wild everywhere. So many people treat this nutritious and tasty plant like a weed. It’s filled with vitamins, minerals and more. It’s a good medicinal property plant and can be used to make a coffee substitute or even wine! Here is a video explaining a small tidbit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCqNn2TKRnk
In your neighborhood walk look for fruit trees, nut bearing trees like oak, (learn how to process the acorns on YouTube.) , people who garden as they may be future traders for your soups. Also, look for pine trees as the needles are useful for many things including tea to extract vitamin c.
In the spring and summer months, or all year long in the warmer climate areas, dry any plants you find. This can be easily done by using a window screen or something like it.
The most simple device is to lay the screen horizontally on some bricks or better at least four feet off the ground on any kind of platform to keep insects and small animals from helping you eat. Here is a simple way to pre-make a dehydrator to practice with now using a pizza box.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhG7mGIc6qg Place thin sliced vegetables, herbs or other items on the screen to let the sun dry them. Then you can store the dried items in a variety of containers like recycled coffee creamer containers.
If you make these simple preparations in advance of any situation you will have more peace of mind knowing you have choices rather than panic.
The MacGyvering concept to understand herein is to watch the various videos available on food storage techniques, foraging and obtaining. Using those videos as a guide seek out DO IT YOURSELF also known as DIY videos for all the techniques. There are hundreds of videos and websites that will show you how to use things around the house and your neighborhood for assisting you with your food survival. Then, once you have those pieces of information stored in your mind you have something to trade in troubled times.
The next 2 posts will describe shelter and security.
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