Several people have asked if we REALLY eat that much okra. I think it looks like a lot to those who don’t try to store food from one season to the next but here’s how I look at it. With 52 weeks in a year, by the time the okra for this year stops producing, we’ll probably have 40 or 42 weeks until next year’s garden starts producing.
If we have okra just once a week, I need at least 40 jars of okra to last us til next year’s crop. If we eat it twice a week, I need at least 80 jars of okra.
Let’s say we eat five meals at home per week with two veggies per meal and because we don’t grow everything we eat so a lot of it is storebought, I’m just going to calculate 5 (days per week) x 52 (weeks per year) x 2 (veggie servings per meal). That’s 520 different vegetable dishes we need per year. Of course, we don’t grow that much and I don’t can or freeze that much. The veggies are often potatoes, carrots, dry beans, fresh things like kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts and things like that.
Freeze dried foods will supposedly last 25 years. I doubt we put anything to that test and almost all the okra I’m putting up is freeze dried so I don’t feel like it’s a waste to put up as much okra as I can get my hands on!
Since I’m fairly confident we’re never moving again and IF we do, it will be to a place where I’m not the one cooking the food, and since I enjoy canning and freeze drying, I don’t think I could ever have too much preserved food on hand. If the need ever arises, I’d be happy to have enough to share with family and friends.
Roberta says
In gardening I’ve always found there is a feast one year and a famine the next. Always good to have a two year supply of veggies. AND with freeze drying your jars will be lots lighter if you do have to move again!!!!
Judy Laquidara says
Don’t even think about us moving again! Just 4-1/2 months ago, Vince said “We are NEVER moving again!” I think he misses living in the country but I don’t see us moving again. Prices are outrageous now and I think we are past the time when it’s feasible for us to live way out away from others and medical care.
Linda in NE says
I was just reading a couple of days ago that Facebook has branded those of us that preserve our garden produce as “extremists.”
Judy Laquidara says
Isn’t it crazy? That’s why I don’t say a lot about what I’m doing or how much I’m doing, even on here. i once did but no mare.
Twyla says
My thought about canning, storing foods is: What if I am unable to do it next year? Then it is still there for us. Or maybe there might not be an abundance of a vegetable next year so it is already in my pantry.
Judy Laquidara says
Exactly. As far as buying the veggies, once I get what I want stashed, then it’s simply keeping up with what I’m using and replacing those few cans/jars and it’s easy. As far as canning garden produce, I’ll share with those I know appreciate it but I don’t stop canning til it’s all done . . except the last year in Texas when I’d probably never have been able to can all that okra!
Liz says
Whenever the weather guys predict an ice or snow storm, the markets are crazy packed. I did that once and hated to wait in line for a few items. After being in one hurricane (at my aunt’s home in Florida), I realized the use of having an expanded pantry. My pantry/storage increased slowly – enough for 72 hours, then two weeks, then a month, etc.
An advantage is that you can take advantage of sales to stock up. With Covid, I’m in the mode of major grocery buys every 4-6 weeks. And, I’ll do a fall/winter restocking soon. As I get older, I dislike going out in storms. It takes a while for one of the icy streets to clear up in my neighborhood – a hilly east/west street that gets little direct sunshine in the winter.
Only a few friends know that I have an expanded storage.
Judy Laquidara says
Yes, that’s how I learned my first lesson in being prepared – trying to shop after the hurricane was headed our way, then there were ice storms and tornadoes that knocked out power lines, then snow and ice storms that had streets completely shut down. So amny things can go wrong.
LIz says
I remember one of your posts where you showed a picture of lots of canned tuna, stating that you buy while on sale. I started doing the same since I like tuna salad and it is a fast lunch to prepare.
But, every time that I buy tuna on sale, I still think of you and wonder if you are still getting those cans of tuna. And, you taught me that “storage” is more than just food. One has to remember the basic living supplies.
Judy Laquidara says
When we lived other places, there were always grocery stores that ran sales – Kroger, United, Foodland, etc. Here, we have Walmart and Harps. Harps is out of the way so any savings is eaten up by the time and gas to get there so no, I don’t even watch sale ads any more since the main places I shop don’thave big sales. Aldi may but I don’t worry about it any more.
I do love tuna and that’s what I made for lunch today! Fresh bread, tuna salad, home grown tomato . . doesn’t get much better than that.
Thanks for thinking of me.
Twyla says
I buy tuna on sale and about 3 boxes of tuna Helper when they are $1.00box. So when our post office has it’s food drive (in May?) I can put out the 3boxes of helper and 6 cans tuna. It is not much but I feel like I have contributed a little at a small cost.