Storing food in case of shortage

square_bear

Hi
Reading in the news that a food shortage may be imminent I would like to know any tips for long-term storing of fruit and veg.
I've started stocking up on tins and long-life milk etc but am concerned of the perishables.
Are those part-baked breads in plastic packets good to keep for a few weeks?

Many thanks

wort

You may want to look at the prepping thread. Might give you ideas.

Farway

square_bear said:

Hi
Reading in the news that a food shortage may be imminent I would like to know any tips for long-term storing of fruit and veg.
I've started stocking up on tins and long-life milk etc but am concerned of the perishables.
Are those part-baked breads in plastic packets good to keep for a few weeks?

Many thanks

Yes, just check the dates, but I've found they easily go past without harm to me or the bread [baguettes in my case]

FYI I bought two packs in the Co-op yesterday, on offer, 2 for £1.50. BBE is 13 Jan 2021

yksi

I think the biggest problem will be in highly-perishable foods which aren't produced in the UK - which from a glance around my workplace is fresh fruit and vegetables. Meaning that tinned fruit and veg is probably going to be the thing that gets stripped from the shelves in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Beef is another, as we have quite a lot imported from Ireland. You're also right that flour will probably be an issue which again will be the pasta.

I would predict that people will go silly with long-life milk again too, but that's all locally-produced so I don't really see that it's worth the time and energy stockpiling those. During the first lockdown farmers were milking their cows as always and then tipping it onto fields to rot because they couldn't sell it... the very opposite of a shortage.

cuddlymarm

Hi
I think we need to think about what are your priorities. If you need a particular food, for instance dairy free ( in the first lockdown soya milk was at a minimum) then theses are what you need to concentrate on. 

I keep a good stock of tins and packets and if push comes to shove I could manage for a few weeks before my fridge, freezer and cupboards are empty. As well you might need to get your head round not having all your usual foods, but as long as you and yours don’t go hungry that will be enough short term.
The first lockdown showed just how inventive we can be in extreme circumstances and don’t forget that we haven’t always had year round access to all the fresh foods we do now, eating seasonally can be just as healthy. 

purpleivy

square_bear said:

Hi
Reading in the news that a food shortage may be imminent I would like to know any tips for long-term storing of fruit and veg.
I've started stocking up on tins and long-life milk etc but am concerned of the perishables.
Are those part-baked breads in plastic packets good to keep for a few weeks?

Many thanks

YOu might be better off with a couple of bags of flour and some sachets of yeast!  FLour can then be used to make sodabread (sweet, fruity or plain) or pancakes of any type, scones....all with very little added to it. 

PipneyJane

purpleivy said:

square_bear said:

Hi
Reading in the news that a food shortage may be imminent I would like to know any tips for long-term storing of fruit and veg.
I've started stocking up on tins and long-life milk etc but am concerned of the perishables.
Are those part-baked breads in plastic packets good to keep for a few weeks?

Many thanks

YOu might be better off with a couple of bags of flour and some sachets of yeast!  FLour can then be used to make sodabread (sweet, fruity or plain) or pancakes of any type, scones....all with very little added to it. 

Remember, too, that you don't need to have 3 different varieties of flour in stock; just buy bread flour.  Use that to make bread, pizza, cakes, pasta dough, etc.  To make self-raising flour, add a teaspoon of baking powder per cup of flour.  In my case, I buy chapatti flour in 10kg sacks and store it in two of the largest sized Lock-n-Lock boxes.  (9L box, IIRC)  It gets used for everything.

- Pip

skogar

I'd go down the flour and yeast front - but as we normally make our own bread and don't buy it that may be just me. Alternatives may be worth looking at that  can be used instead of bread if you like any of them - krisprolls, oatcakes, crisp bread, ryvita type things last for months. I like them all except I'm not keen on ryvita. If you've got the room you could always stick a couple of sliced loaves in the freezer as well.

Wraithlady

PipneyJane said:

Remember, too, that you don't need to have 3 different varieties of flour in stock; just buy bread flour.  Use that to make bread, pizza, cakes, pasta dough, etc.  

I have had biscuits made with bread flour (by someone who really had never baked and didn't know there were different types of flour) and they were decidedly .... oddly textured. Not unpleasant just very chewy with a solidity one doesn't tend to get in a biscuit.

Wraithlady

Oatcakes are actually fairly simple to make - just whizz up some porridge oats in a food processor and you have oatmeal flour

MrsStepford

Please do read labels. Many Arla brand dairy products, including long life milk, come from Denmark. Listerine is made in Italy. Many household name chocolates are made in Poland. Lindt comes from Switzerland and Ferrero Rocher and Nutella, from Italy, Many (but not all) loo rolls come from Italy and pretty much 100% of dried pasta. HP sauce is made in the Netherlands. Many stock cubes are made in Germany. Since last year, Badoit stopped exporting their water to the UK. There will be many more products disappearing. Lidl might be a good place to find European food though.