Preparedness for when

[Deleted User]

ALIBOBSY, you've got the monthly "Threat-O-Grams", and the occasional visits from the commission salesmen, to look forward to.

[Deleted User]

Not wanting to put a damper on things KAT360, but have considered how you would prevent the contents of your 300l chest freezer, from thawing, if the electricity went off?

kat360

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Not wanting to put a damper on things KAT360, but have considered how you would prevent the contents of your 300l chest freezer, from thawing, if the electricity went off?

!!!!!!, I hadn't thought of that! I guess it shows that I'm new to all this Any ideas? Its in a out building which stays quite cool.

hauxwell

Kat a decent freezer would be fine for up to 24 hours if unopened but I would suggest investing in a pressure canner. I ordered mine from US Amazon and it worked out to be about £80 delivered. (Mine is a presto 16 quart) Obviously you need to get the kilner jars to go with but I buy them in small amounts at a time to build up my collection.

A woman I watch on youtube had no power for several days (in Canada) last year and managed to save loads of meat from her freezer by canning it (using the bbq for a heat source) which would have been ruined.

They are perfect for 'canning' meats and some veggies. (stuff like courgette I dehydrate instead) I also can up dried chickpeas etc so I have them 'to go' much cheaper than tinned. Its also rather fun

VJsmum

I have 5 tellies in my house I sometimes think I don't belong on this thread One doesn't work though, and I rarely watch any of them.

There's definitely a spot of the ISP about me though, not least my language at times! :rotfl:

kat360

hauxwell wrote: »

Kat a decent freezer would be fine for up to 24 hours if unopened but I would suggest investing in a pressure canner. I ordered mine from US Amazon and it worked out to be about £80 delivered. (Mine is a presto 16 quart) Obviously you need to get the kilner jars to go with but I buy them in small amounts at a time to build up my collection.

Would something like this be sufficient?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Piece-Canner-Kit-Equipment-Preserving/dp/B002KHN602/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp

Sorry for all the questions

[Deleted User]

Only 2 options come to mind.

Option 1 is to adjust the types and quantity of stored food, to what you could reasonably use, before it went off.

Option 2 is a standby electricity supply, which would invariably mean a generator.

That, of course, would mean having/obtaining fuel (usually petrol or diesel, but possibly LPG), in sufficient quantities, to keep the generator running.

Gas generators have several advantages (such as longer running times per filling *, less noise, lower running costs), but are, of course, dependent on a regular supply of gas cylinders, which might not be available during a long-term SHTF situation.

47kg refills are around £60 each, so you are talking around £140pw. , maybe a bit less as, due to the on/off nature of a freezer, the generator won't be on load all the time.

If you happen to live in a remote countryside property (eg. a farm), then you could have an LPG storage tank installed (if you don't already have one), and run it off that, but I doubt you would be allowed one in the back garden of a town house.

* around 70 hours for a 2kva generator, on a 47kg cylinder.

Realistically, the only people who could run a generator long-term, would be those who live in a rural location, and have one of these in their back garden.

hauxwell

kat360 wrote: »

Would something like this be sufficient?

Sorry for all the questions

No that's a water bath canner which Americans use for water bathing jams etc (summat we don't even do here) It wouldn't get hot enough for most vegetables and definately not for meat. I can't post links yet but if you go to Amazon com not co uk and type in pressure canner you can see them. I have a presto.

You can get them on Ebay too.

nuatha

kat360 wrote: »

Would something like this be sufficient?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Piece-Canner-Kit-Equipment-Preserving/dp/B002KHN602/ref=reg_hu-rd_add_1_dp

That's what the Americans refer to as a water bath canner, generally used for jams, fruit butters and tomato sauces. They aren't suitable for canning meat or non acidic produce.
Pressure canners are basically over size pressure cookers (some look like they've escaped from a 60s sci fi film set, with a plethora or valves, guages and turn handles). A pressure canner can be used as a pressure cooker but the reverse is generally not possible.

Sorry for all the questions

Never apologise for asking questions

If your freezer is relatively recent, the manual should tell you how long its rated for without power.
A lot depends on how long you may be without power.
When I had a freezer failure earlier this year, everything was packed into a couple of igloo maxcold coolers and remained frozen for five days until I'd sorted the replacement freezer. Maxcolds aren't cheap, they boast that ice will remain frozen for up to 7 days (if memory serves its 5 days in desert conditions) We have them for camping use.

Bedsit_Bob wrote: »

Only 2 options come to mind.

Option 1 is to adjust the types and quantity of stored food, to what you could reasonably use, before it went off.

Option 2 is a standby electricity supply, which would invariably mean a generator.

That, of course, would mean having/obtaining fuel (usually petrol or diesel, but possibly LPG), in sufficient quantities, to keep the generator running.

Gas generators have several advantages (such as longer running times per filling *, less noise, lower running costs), but are, of course, dependent on a regular supply of gas cylinders, which might not be available during a long-term SHTF situation.

47kg refills are around £60 each, so you are talking around £140pw. , maybe a bit less as, due to the on/off nature of a freezer, the generator won't be on load all the time.

If you happen to live in a remote countryside property (eg. a farm), then you could have an LPG storage tank installed (if you don't already have one), and run it off that, but I doubt you would be allowed one in the back garden of a town house.

* around 70 hours for a 2kva generator, on a 47kg cylinder.

Both gas and petrol are likely to become scarce very quickly in a SHTF scenario. Gennys are noisy and attract attention.

Friends in Cambridgeshire have an LPG tank in their back garden (in the middle of a small town) so it must be feasible (or it may have been feasible, since regulations are apt to change)
HTH

[Deleted User]

Here you go hauxwell.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=pressure+canner

Some of them are a bit pricey, aren't they? :eek: