The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

Floss

-taff said:

I had a pot of zero greek yoghurt in the fridge for nearly 7 months before I finished using it. It was fine...

Well I guess yogurt has already gone off...

Si_Clist

I bet you one factor is your soil's had pigs on it.  Mind you, on thinking about it I do believe that when we once grew Pink Fir Apple they didn't get slugged.

Now we're only growing them at home rather than on the allotment as well, I'll be getting back into doing my late evening slug patrols, especially if it's been raining. Most of the time I just chop 'em up with an old hoe which is kept sharp for this very purpose, then go back half an hour later when its mates have come to feed on the remains.  If they're on the path, though, and I have my wellies on, I've perfected the art of stamping on the back one-third of a slug.  It's amazing how far its insides can travel if I get it just right ... 

basketcase

LadyHarriet said:

basketcase said:

Does anyone know of a list of foods that are OK to ignore when OOD (unless, as you say, the bugs have moved in!) and those you really shouldn't use?  Fish, obviously.  Do nut products go off - if so, how?

Maybe one for the Cost of Living thread?  Or the no food waste?

There's a useful list here:
https://toogoodtogo.co.uk/en-gb/blog/what-food-can-you-eat-past-the-best-before-date

Thanks for the responses  - and the link, LadyH.  Interesting.

Never thought of freezing nuts (so to speak...)

silver-oldie

Hope no-one minds me joining in.
I've always kept a good supply of tins and packet food in stock, but now think long term storage is sensible, for several reasons
I'm sorry if these things have been discussed but I'm new to this.
Watched YouTube, think it's made me more confused, which is quite easy, not sure if to use food vacuum sealer or  Mylar bags, any thoughts?
Mylar bags, how easy are they to use. where do you buy yours, is there a difference in quality, what size?
Are the OA included and how do I know how many to add?
Never owned a vacuum sealer so no idea about them either.
Sorry to ask so many questions
Thank you 

Si_Clist

silver-oldie said:

 ... not sure if to use food vacuum sealer or  Mylar bags, any thoughts?
Mylar bags, how easy are they to use. where do you buy yours, is there a difference in quality, what size?
Are the OA included and how do I know how many to add?

We too were unsure of which to go for but the more we looked into it, the more it became obvious that the way forward for us was Mylar bags + OAs.  We get ours from https://www.mylarshop.com/ and find both the quality and the service excellent. Ten minutes mooching about on their site should answer most of your questions

FWIW we sealed our first batch using an ordinary domestic clothes iron, but we found that to be a PITA.  Before we did another lot we invested in a pair of those heated tongs for straightening hair, and that transformed the whole process into a complete doddle.

-taff

Hey @silver-oldie , haven't seen you for such a long time, nice to see you, hope you're doing well

Vac packing is good for anything not liquid although Lidls own brand one does do liquid as well. I've got their vac pack and got extra rolls from ebay where it was cheaper. I've put meat, fruit in the freezer with it, it works quite well. One thing I will say, if you're going to cut up cooked meat, use the soft setting on the vaccum, it won't squish it so much.

LadyHarriet

Si_Clist said:

silver-oldie said:

 ... not sure if to use food vacuum sealer or  Mylar bags, any thoughts?
Mylar bags, how easy are they to use. where do you buy yours, is there a difference in quality, what size?
Are the OA included and how do I know how many to add?

We too were unsure of which to go for but the more we looked into it, the more it became obvious that the way forward for us was Mylar bags + OAs.  We get ours from https://www.mylarshop.com/ and find both the quality and the service excellent. Ten minutes mooching about on their site should answer most of your questions

FWIW we sealed our first batch using an ordinary domestic clothes iron, but we found that to be a PITA.  Before we did another lot we invested in a pair of those heated tongs for straightening hair, and that transformed the whole process into a complete doddle.

Just popped over to the mylarshop site and they are closed due to excessive demand until tomorrow! 

I used to use mylar bags for the foot salt soaks and bath soaks that I used to sell as part of my natural soap and skincare business - hair straighteners are perfect for sealing them!

silver-oldie

Si_Clist said:

silver-oldie said:

 ... not sure if to use food vacuum sealer or  Mylar bags, any thoughts?
Mylar bags, how easy are they to use. where do you buy yours, is there a difference in quality, what size?
Are the OA included and how do I know how many to add?

We too were unsure of which to go for but the more we looked into it, the more it became obvious that the way forward for us was Mylar bags + OAs.  We get ours from https://www.mylarshop.com/ and find both the quality and the service excellent. Ten minutes mooching about on their site should answer most of your questions

FWIW we sealed our first batch using an ordinary domestic clothes iron, but we found that to be a PITA.  Before we did another lot we invested in a pair of those heated tongs for straightening hair, and that transformed the whole process into a complete doddle.

Thank you,
Can't see how you know how many OA's you need, how do you calculate, as I assume it's not only the size of the bag, but what's in it.
Thought I would start with flour,  oats maybe milk powder. 

silver-oldie

-taff said:

Hey @silver-oldie , haven't seen you for such a long time, nice to see you, hope you're doing well

Hi thank you.
Things have been a bit tough, but I'm doing my best.

euronorris

Well, our big flour order arrived this morning, so I am pleased with that. Now I just need to find somewhere to store it!

When I defrosted the big freezer last weekend, I also did a stock take of the contents. I haven't finished my project of stock take of all food in the house, due to illness etc, but I have started it and have planned meals for the remainder of the month to make good use of what we have, avoid wastage, ensure nothing exceeds it's use by date unnecessarily. I should also be able to keep our grocery spend very low this month as a result.