Why people will starve in a TEOTWAKI

[Well-Prepared Witch]

My brother brought my 6 year old niece and 7 year old nephew for a visit yesterday.  They were very excited to see the chickens and play with the dog, etc. and a good time was had by all until supper time.  My nephew got the leg of the chicken we roasted and he freaked out when there was "red" meat - that dark meat around a leg that you get when a chicken that was butchered young was frozen and thawed before cooking.  He refused to eat another bite because of the "blood" in the chicken.  He was more used to all-white chicken nuggets than a whole chicken.

Now, he's seven and he was tired having refused to nap earlier, etc.  He was certainly hungry enough to eat the cookies we made later. Haha!  But it got me thinking at how many people - myself included - get seriously squeamish about things that aren't familiar.  It takes time and deliberate effort to learn to eat things that aren't familiar. 

I'm not talking about preferences, either.  I can't abide onions and would have to be starving to deliberately eat one.  But, how many people try Brussels sprouts or Lima beans?  Or know how to roast - just cook, not even the whole growing/butchering bit - a whole chicken instead of buying boneless, skinless chicken breasts?  Or would turn up their nose at cheese that had a little mold on it?  How many people know how to make macaroni and cheese that doesn't come out of a box? 

We're so spoiled here in the first world.  Even people who work as cooks in many restaurants (I'm thinking chains on down to fast food, which likely outnumber nice restaurants) don't really learn the basics of cooking.  They learn how to prepare certain dishes and often the food comes pre-made, like hamburger patties or ground beef with sauces or spices already in the mix. 

Fewer people are cooking at home, and even fewer grow or prepare from scratch any of the ingredients.  We have no idea how to eat seasonally, either.  I saw sweet corn, butternut squash, lettuce, and green peppers in the grocery store produce section all at the same time and for a moment I was floored by the magic and privilege of that happenstance.

We need to learn to eat again, not just fussy, slightly spoiled children (I love my niece and nephew and I know I'm one of the worst offenders in spoiling them! ).  We need to understand where our food comes from.  We need to learn to grow our own food (and don't get me started on the wankers who say "in a TEOTWAKI I'd go out to the country and grow my own food" - I've been trying for four years and haven't had a good harvest yet, and I'm doing it in the best of circumstances), and not rely on grocery stores alone.  I think cooking and gardening are two of the most important skills a prepper can have.

ETA: While I was out mowing the lawn it came to me that I missed a critical skill - preserving food.  If you do manage to find/grow food, if you can't preserve and keep it you could still starve through a hard winter.

[JoJo]

 No they don't know how to cook today. I have a 51 yr old step daughter with a 21 yr old daughter also a 27 year old granddaughter and none of them can cook. My wife is a fantastic Italian cook. We keep asking them to come and visit so she can teach them but it looks like she will take her recipes to the grave with her. 
 

[JohnyMac]

Good background story and comments Wellie. 

Yes JoJo, I know people who NEVER cook at home. Boston Mkt is their main stay for dinner substance.

MrsMac is a retired chef; consequently I do most of the cooking in our household today which I do not mind doing. She is also one of the most even tempered individuals I know. This is due mainly to all of the different people and situations she has experienced in many restaurants around the country. My point being, it drives her CRAZY that most people she comes in contact with think, hamburger comes from a grocery store wrapped in cellophane not from a furry sad eyed bovine.

Anyway I digress.

Like you Wellie I have been growing vegatables in earnest for four years now. I have never had a good harvest. A good harvest to us is producing 80% of our veggie needs. With that written last year was our best with about a 50% harvest. Believe it or not I am anal enough to keep scrupulous notes. The notes include what I did, what worked & didn't work and yields. Yes I do weight every thing that comes in out of the garden, even lettuce. Harvest seeds from successes and not from failures. 

One night as I lay in bed next to MrsMac with carrot, potato and tomato yields dancing through my head, I asked out loud, "Wouldn't it be just easier to buy the produce we grow and can from a wholesale dealer?"

I didn't know MrsMac was awake and she said, "Nope! Practice, practice, practice." Then she told me that my fretting was keeping her awake. Grouch!

Like everything in life we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes.

Getting back to your subject Wellie...Can you just imagine the millions and millions of little boys and girls that will be very thankful, in even just a partial collapse or grand depression for a chicken leg - Bloody or not. It's a sad state of affairs we find ourselves in today.

We are in our third year of canning and one thing we have learned is canning isn't easy and it is time consuming. Plus the start up costs are not cheap. Lets see, a good 21 qt caner can run you $100- and up. If it is just the two of you and you buy into the food pyramid (Protein, vegetable & starch) 'thang'  180 days (half a year) means 180 pint jars of beans, carrots, tomatoes, et cetera for two people. Then add to that 90 + quart jars of protein. I suspect that electric freezers will not be working in a SHTF scenario. Except of course in the winter, out on the porch.  Starch is easier as you have potatoes, winter squash, et cetera if you have a cool, dark and dry cellar for storage.

The above paragraph is just for two people. What happens when aunt Sally or uncle Jim come to your house because they know you have saved food. Lets say you do but do you have enough caning jars for the next years grub? I hope you see the magnifying affect when it comes to food. 

Thanks Wellie for starting this subject. It is good that we discuss this subject and offer suggestions. After all of that earlier blabbing, my one contribution is...Practice, practice, practice!

[voyaginator]

To continue on the subject of canning, I am currently looking for a canner that can also be used as pressure cooker.
If possible, not too big to use on a small RV cooking plate, but good quality as I intend to use for a while.
Any recommendation for a good canner/pressure cooker ?   
Thanks

[JohnyMac]

Voyage,

We have two pressure cookers. One for cooking - One for caning.

The caning pressure cooker we use is a Presto 23 qt. Model 01781.

The cooking pressure cooker is a 6 qt Pedrini that I picked up at the local grocery store.

The challenge using a small pressure cooker to can is you will only be able to can 1-3 pint jars and at most 1 qt jar (if you have the height). For me at least it takes one hour from start to finished product to can a batch of 8 jars (6 qt) with the 23 qt cooker.

Now with that all written, one of my most used pot in the house is the Pedrini pressure cooker. I use it exclusively for root vegetables (Turnips, rutabagas come immediately to mind) which cooks them to perfection. If time is of the essence I use the Pedrini for complete meals for example:

Pot roast

- Brown a peppered 2 1/2 - 3 # piece of chuck in 2-3 tbs of olive oil in the pressure cooker. If I have the time I will insert
   quartered toes of garlic all over/ both sides of the roast.
- Once browned I will pour over top of the browned meat 1 packet of Good Seasons dry Italian salad mix, a similar size
   of dry Ranch Dressing and a packet of dried pkg of brown or mushroom gravy mix. 
- Add a diced large onion.
- Finish it with a can (14.5 - 16 oz) of beef broth.
- Seal pressure cooker and turn on heat high. Once you see a steady stream of steam coming out of the vent pipe seal
   with weight. Once weight starts to jiggle turn down heat to medium or just enough to keep the weight rocking softly.
   Cook for 45 min.
- Once done cooking, run cold water over top of pressure cooker till the safety valve recedes.
- This can be served with the pan dripping's or; strain, separate dripping's (Broth from fat) using a separator. In a
   sauce pan make a rouge using 4 Tbs butter (Or if you have enough fat from the roast use that) 4 Tbs of flour and
   then add the broth (2 C) stirring constantly. If you do not have enough broth from the cooking make up with broth or
   reconstituted beef broth. Once your gravy is the consistency of heavy cream, it is done.
- Serve with steamed veggies and mashed potatoes that you cook while the pressure cooker is doing it's thing.

Total cook time from start to eating 75 minutes. I use this recipe when unexpected friends come by as it is fast and good. Serves 5-6 people depending on the size of chuck you use.

Voyage, welcome to the site. Please make sure you do a short intro in the Introduction board.