Food Storage and Prepping

[Roy]

It takes Reverse Osmosis to even start on this water. I spent a lot of time researching this and gave up. If you don't do it right, you are just wasting your money.

The water is not as full of minerals as sea water, but thinking about sea water gives you the idea of how useless a Brita would be.

I have learned a lot about water, since I got here. Water access is becoming a passion of mine.

I guess I would be trying to rig a distiller of some sort if my water was that bad off.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

I think soaking beans in water with a very high mineral content can make them tougher than never having soaked them at all.

If I pay for cans of juice or broth to cook the dried beans, that will defeat the savings of money and manpower to carry them and even still make as much trash, that would be saved by using canned beans? Lugging water would at last save trash, but I still have to pay for the fuel to cook them.

Lack of water brings me full circle over and over. I had to live this to appreciate how impossible it is to claw out of poverty without water. With water, you can suck it up and work harder. I have done that, and do that now, at least for cleaning. But lack of water for drinking and cooking bring me to a full-stop.

I am lucky. My body is small and there is just me. It doesn't take much to fuel and hydrate it.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

I guess I would be trying to rig a distiller of some sort if my water was that bad off.

I spent days and days researching creative options. And I gave up. I don't think I am going to be here that long, and I think I need to live some things fully enough to later on have stories, and write about them, and help problem solve group community solutions.

Now, sometimes I watch my life more than try to continue to force awkward solutions. I have learned the importance of just simply experiencing things long enough to know what it is like to walk in a specific set of shoes.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

I was video chatting with a friend that lives just outside the city I was living in before the pandemic. We went to college together. He is beside himself over the water thing. He tried to have some water shipped to me, and the delivery people refused to deliver to my neighborhood. I had to fess up to him how bad this neighborhood is. He is not a happy camper. LOL.

When I moved, here, and was just going about my business walking around and doing my errands to settle in, one of the guys that lives here stopped me, and asked, "Do you know where you are???"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Him: "Do you know? Where. You. Are!?"
Me: "I think so," looking at him confused.
Him: "Aren't you afraid?"
Me: "Should I be?"
He started laughing and said, "I don't know." and walked away shaking his head.

Stupid water delivery service people! What babies! I don't care about the water. I am fine with lugging it. I'm just annoyed that grown men are too chicken poop to come to my neighborhood.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

I stocked up on Libby Vienna sausages tonight. They were our version of Bologna sausages on the island, when I was a child, and I am used to the taste. I opened a can and made a sandwich for supper. I really don't mind them. No water or fuel required. The cans are roach proof, and shelf-stable. An 18-count box of cans is $7.99. I am going to grab another box tomorrow.

 

[JonC]

I stocked up on Libby Vienna sausages tonight. They were our version of Bologna sausages on the island, when I was a child, and I am used to the taste. I opened a can and made a sandwich for supper. I really don't mind them. No water or fuel required. The cans are roach proof, and shelf-stable. An 18-count box of cans is $7.99. I am going to grab another box tomorrow.

You lost me at "Libby's" .

I grew up on Armour Vienna sausages. You may feel the same, but for me any brand other than I grew up eating just does not taste right.

My favorite is deviled ham.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

We ate all brands of canned meat: American and UK and Danish and I have no idea what else. I think 99% of the food was imported and it was cheaper to do it by boat than airplane. Fresh meat was a luxury item and not always available during hurricane season.

Canned Mandarin oranges and canned chocolate pudding were some favorites.

I totally gross out friends when I mix some room temperature water into some dried milk and just drink it. LOL.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

I cannot find a recipe for grilled spam burgers the way we had them. The spam was made into a meatloaf like mixture, and then made into patties and grilled.

 

[Roy]

Y'all shut up and eat your beans. You are grossing me out. BTW, I am ok with powdered milk mixed with distilled water. Tap water gives it a funky taste. Powdered milk is good for cooking also. It is a good storeable food.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

What we eat as a child changes what we can tolerate as an adult. Sometimes having eaten a food as a child can make us NOT able to tolerate it as an adult.

Food is weird sometimes.

 

[Roy]

Sodium nitrite is a food preservative to look out for. It is present in most processed foods, like hot dogs and bologna, and it is a known carcinogen. I understand that colon cancer was off the charts in the 20s and 30s because of sodium nitrite. Its' use has been reduced since those days but remains a problem. I don't know if vienna sausage has that preservative in it or not. It is my understanding that colon cancer is nearly non existant in countries where processed food is not available.

Sorry if I sound like I am preaching. When you are in a pinch, you eat whatever you need in order to get by. I have a weakness for junk food. Shame on me.

 

[kathleenmariekg]

Sodium nitrite is a food preservative to look out for. It is present in most processed foods, like hot dogs and bologna, and it is a known carcinogen. I understand that colon cancer was off the charts in the 20s and 30s because of sodium nitrite. Its' use has been reduced since those days but remains a problem. I don't know if vienna sausage has that preservative in it or not. It is my understanding that colon cancer is nearly non existant in countries where processed food is not available.

Sorry if I sound like I am preaching. When you are in a pinch, you eat whatever you need in order to get by. I have a weakness for junk food. Shame on me.

I appreciate the warning!

 

[Hannahande]

Sodium nitrite is a food preservative to look out for. It is present in most processed foods, like hot dogs and bologna, and it is a known carcinogen. I understand that colon cancer was off the charts in the 20s and 30s because of sodium nitrite. Its' use has been reduced since those days but remains a problem. I don't know if vienna sausage has that preservative in it or not. It is my understanding that colon cancer is nearly non existant in countries where processed food is not available.

Sorry if I sound like I am preaching. When you are in a pinch, you eat whatever you need in order to get by. I have a weakness for junk food. Shame on me.

Thank you @Roy for an informative post. Glad that we already avoided processed foods. Living life right now is ain't healthy as before.

 

[Benjamin]

Sodium nitrite is a food preservative to look out for.

When grocery shopping I rarely but anything at all that has preservatives. That can be rather difficult to even do! I will pick up a can of something like beans and look at the back shake my head and grumble that it has preservatives in it, often even 2 or 3. Bread probably gets on my nerves more than anything, because it is hard find ANY without preservatives and a large paragraph of additives in it!. If I can crush a piece of bread into a small hard ball, it is NOT bread! Imagine putting something into your body on a regular basis that kills molds and stops the natural breakdown of food, sometimes for years! No thanks!!

A saying of mine fits in here:

"I relish my body craving hunger because I worked it out vigorously and subsequently I yearn to nourish it with food that would naturally spoil." ~ Benjamin

 

[kathleenmariekg]

When food is already prepared and paid for, I choose the healthiest foods; but when reality hits, I get overwhelmed, and don't choose the healthiest food.

 

[Roy]

A saying of mine fits in here:

"I relish my body craving hunger because I worked it out vigorously and subsequently I yearn to nourish it with food that would naturally spoil." ~ Benjamin

You are wise beyond your years, Benjamin! I think you are on to something here. Eat food that will naturally spoil. Some foods have natural anti oxidants in them. In eating them, the hope is that the anti-oxidative elements will work to keep our body parts from breaking down prematurely. A preservative that keeps the food from breaking down during the digestive process would be something to avoid.

 

[Hannahande]

When food is already prepared and paid for, I choose the healthiest foods; but when reality hits, I get overwhelmed, and don't choose the healthiest food.

That's me sometimes