Pandemic hoarding

[Roadrunner53]

Imma, in my case, I don't have city water. I have a well and if we lose electricity, the pump in our well will not pump water. With winter storms, tornadoes or hurricanes, many parts of USA have been without water for long periods of time.

I do have a generator that can be used in a pinch but that also needs gasoline to make it run so we have to stock up on that too. But if electricity goes out in my area, the gas stations can't pump gas. So, we do try to keep some gas on hand to use for the generator. You can only do so much but it is best to do all you can. Expect the worst and if it doesn't happen, wonderful!

Here is an article that might help determine water needs. Also, within the article is another link to good food ideas to keep on hand.

https://www.primalsurvivor.net/how-much-water-emergencies/

[Imma]

Imma, in my case, I don't have city water. I have a well and if we lose electricity, the pump in our well will not pump water. With winter storms, tornadoes or hurricanes, many parts of USA have been without water for long periods of time.

I do have a generator that can be used in a pinch but that also needs gasoline to make it run so we have to stock up on that too. But if electricity goes out in my area, the gas stations can't pump gas. So, we do try to keep some gas on hand to use for the generator. You can only do so much but it is best to do all you can. Expect the worst and if it doesn't happen, wonderful!

Here is an article that might help determine water needs. Also, within the article is another link to good food ideas to keep on hand.

https://www.primalsurvivor.net/how-much-water-emergencies/

Thanks, that's a good resource!

I guess I'm spoiled, living in a small country. Everyone is connected to the public water system here, even in rural locations. I suppose in a large country like the USA that's simply impossible.

Thankfully, the Netherlands is a rainy place. We have a rain barrel for the garden and we could absolutely get water from it for flushing. It's not really

Maybe this is a very stupid idea, but don't you have a hand pump on your well? I suppose that doesn't generate enough water to really run a household, but it could help with basic needs in case of an emergency. I know my family's farm was connected to the public water system even before WWII but they always kept a well because it was cheaper to pump their own water for the animals. It was connected to an electric pump but there was a hand pump too. We had a 1000 gallon diesel tank too (for farm equipment). Farm is no longer in the family, unfortunately. In an urbanized country like the Netherlands land is extremely expensive, so for most people, including my family, farming doesn't make sense financially anymore. At times like this I wish I still had a farm!

[Roadrunner53]

Imma, I think most cities in USA have public water but in the rural areas not so much. In my town, they seem to expand the water system as large scale projects are built. Such as a shopping center, condo complex. If the water line passes your house, whether you want to hook up or not, you have to pay for the lines to come to your property. We have lived in our house for years and years and no new lines have ever come to our area.

As far as putting a hand pump on our well, I am sure anything can be done but our well is 420 feet deep, and the pump is down 200 feet. I wouldn't have a clue how you would put a hand pump in place. I have actually been on a survival website and did see a pump that can be used in emergencies but never looked into it.

My grandparents also owned a farm and hand pumped water from a well. They did it for survival, not for emergencies. What a hard life.

We are all spoiled! I can remember using a dial phone. Then later on we had a phone on the wall (so modern) with a short cord. I think of kids today with cell phones and if they ever had to go back to corded phones! They would lose their minds!

[Cranky]

I *think* that water treatment and pumping has gotten more complex? I know that I’ve read that there is concern about that being a target of cyberattacks. So I really don’t know how vulnerable the water supply is in a prolonged power outage, but having grown up in a hurricane vulnerable area, I always stash some water away if it seems like an emergency is imminent, though for me, I’d fill up all the canning jars and pitchers and buckets we’ve got.

Also, in a water emergency, you want to have a gallon of bleach handy for disinfecting.

How much of Europes electricity comes from generator plants that use natural gas? That makes the electric grid a bit more vulnerable, too.

[Poundwise]

@Imma, have you considered getting a solar pasteurizer or cooker?  I have had a SunOven for several years, and though I don't cook with it regularly, it certainly would be a way to save on fuel, and as a backup if the grid goes down.  And, solar cookers can be constructed inexpensively. 

Low tech water pasteurizers and filters might also be a good investment.

https://solarcooking.fandom.com/wiki/Introduction_to_solar_cooking

https://solarcooking.fandom.com/wiki/Water_Pasteurization_Indicator

[Imma]

I *think* that water treatment and pumping has gotten more complex? I know that I’ve read that there is concern about that being a target of cyberattacks. So I really don’t know how vulnerable the water supply is in a prolonged power outage, but having grown up in a hurricane vulnerable area, I always stash some water away if it seems like an emergency is imminent, though for me, I’d fill up all the canning jars and pitchers and buckets we’ve got.

Also, in a water emergency, you want to have a gallon of bleach handy for disinfecting.

How much of Europes electricity comes from generator plants that use natural gas? That makes the electric grid a bit more vulnerable, too.

I've done some googling and it's true that water treatment plants are a known target of cyberattacks. They are doing a lot to try and prevent it but it's never impossible, of course.  I did find an article online about a man who succesfully hacked into a water treatment plant in Florida and had tried (and failed) to poison the water, so it's definitely something that could potentially happen. But honestly, if we're talking about cyberattacks, most of the Netherlands is below sealevel, if I was planning a cyberattack I'd go for the systems that keep seawater out and flood the country.

The sources of energy vary massively from country to country - I believe in Scandinavia they're almost 100% renewable, some countries like France still have a lot of nuclear plants. For the Netherlands I've only found figures from 2019: 45% of electricity comes from plants running on natural gas, 32% comes from plants running on coal, 13% renewable, 2% nuclear. According to the news, in 2022, 20% of our energy is supposed to come from renewable sources now but I can't find official statistics. We are working on getting solar panels but they've been hard to get since the pandemic. We have a contractor lined up but I'm afraid they won't be installed until next year.

The Netherlands is actually pretty rich in natural gas, but we've recently stopped drilling for it, since the process of drilling for it is so extremely damaging for the environment on the surface. We've been getting a lot of earthquakes on the surface above the gas field.  We'd rather import gas from Russia so other people are stuck with the earthquakes. In case of emergency, I do expect our government to start extracting more gas again, although it's probably not going to be cheaper (since the people living on top of the gas field need to be compensated for the damage).

@Poundwise those look really cool! But are probably not a real solution in a country where it's always rainy and overcast. For many people in the world this looks like a very good solution though. I remember my grandma telling us she used to do something a bit similar, she'd bring a pot to the boil on the coal stove, then she'd take it off the stove and wrap it in blankets and that would keep the temperature high enough to cook the food. It would just take a bit longer so they had the start the process as soon as they got up in the morning.

[Roadrunner53]

Here is an interesting list of foods to 'stockpile'. Not suggesting you fill up your basement with this stuff, just an interesting read.

https://happypreppers.com/37-food-storage.html

[Cranky]

An unexpected shortage - the lunches at the little boy’s school have not been sticking to the prepublished menus. There’s only a few things that he likes, so he’s been upset he’s 5!) So his mom contacted the school, and they said - it’s supply chain issues!

It’s all prepackaged stuff from a central kitchen, but they aren’t getting what they order, so they are having to improvise.

[RetiredAt63]

Brain weasels after shortages are a thing.  My favourite TP was on sale last time I shopped, and it took major will power not to buy any.  Because I have plenty already.  But the urge was strong.   ;-)

[GreenSheep]

Here is an interesting list of foods to 'stockpile'. Not suggesting you fill up your basement with this stuff, just an interesting read.

https://happypreppers.com/37-food-storage.html

That was... interesting. Aside from the atrocious writing, I wonder if whoever wrote that has ever been camping or spoken with a dietician. Also... the smell of curry might attract human predators? Wow... way to offend an entire subcontinent all at once. (I know, I know, curry is a British invention, but it was created to try to mimic the flavors of Indian food.) And yet somehow all those other spices they list won't attract anything...

(Also wondering... does "human predators" mean "predators who are human" or "predators who prey on humans"?)

[Just Joe]

Bought half a cow. Grocery stores here are stocked a little thin. Fewer choices in some cases.

Our purchase was intended to get a better quality of beef into our home but also avoid inflation this year.

We know the farmer and how he raises his animals.

Cost is normally a little more than grocery store prices but this week the cost is nearly the same.

We'll ignore the cost of the freezer and electricity. ;)

[GuitarStv]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

[SunnyDays]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve been thinking the same thing.  I’d be more worried if I lived in Europe, but with supply chains, we could be affected somewhat too.

I had eaten down my freezer and pantry throughout Covid and had been planning to keep things on the lighter side, but I’m reconsidering now.

[Roadrunner53]

I buy a lot of meat from Butcher Box and the meat isn't low cost but I kind of compare it to if I ate at a restaurant what would a dinner cost me with a certain piece of meat. Restaurants have to charge more for overhead with their operation. I can get excellent meat and have no overhead. With the covid outbreak I do not eat out at all. So, I have no problem buying superior meat, at a somewhat higher price because it is still far less expensive to eat at home than go to a restaurant. Mr. Roadrunner and I feel we eat restaurant quality at most meals. There are enough recipes online and YouTube to find great upscale recipes and you don't have to be a professional chef to do so.

GuitarStv I am guessing you are trying to be funny but we all should be aware that certain supplies might not be available during trying times. We all should keep some basic supplies on hand. Doesn't hurt to have some canned proteins, beans, peanut butter and bottled water on hand. Even if we don't have a war going on, we all have experienced tornado's, hurricanes, snowstorms and other weather-related events. Tell your friend to stock up a little.

[Cranky]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

[FIRE Artist]

Brain weasels after shortages are a thing.  My favourite TP was on sale last time I shopped, and it took major will power not to buy any.  Because I have plenty already.  But the urge was strong.   ;-)

I think I mentioned this in very early days.  Hoarding of resources, once started is a really hard habit to break.  I lived in the jungle in Sumatra for a few years and there were constantly shortages of staples (like randomly not able to purchase salt), so I would start taking stock up trips to Singapore and stocking up on stuff when it was available locally.  Add to that things like buying shoes in bulk when back in Canada because you couldn’t buy women’s shoes for my size 10 feet in Asia, the hoarding bug got deeply instilled.  I think it was about 5 years into moving back to Canada that I finally stopped buying everything in bulk.  I finally wore out my last pair of sandals from the period just last summer.  For the pandemic, I made certain to not stock up on anything beyond what I could use in 6 months…except art supplies, one must always have enough art supplies on hand to survive the apocalypse!

[MudPuppy]

I think that’s why the “prepper” movement had gotten a fair following. It’s so easy to get started innocently because it seems so practical.

[RetiredAt63]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely. 

[Abe]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

If it's a nuclear war: you are unlikely to survive, and if you do, you may wish you didn't. So probably not. Maybe hoard liquor to handle the pain from the fallout and/or burns.

If it's a conventional war: not really, unless you really like electronic gadgets? Those microchips are all going to be diverted to military use. No iphones for anyone. In all seriousness, food and gas prices will go up but nothing that would break a Mustachian's bank.

[GuitarStv]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely.

I live near enough to the Pickering nuclear plant that they sent everyone in our area potassium iodine tablets in case of a nuclear problem . . . so we've actually already got a couple boxes in our medicine cabinet.  :P

[Imma]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely.

I live near enough to the Pickering nuclear plant that they sent everyone in our area potassium iodine tablets in case of a nuclear problem . . . so we've actually already got a couple boxes in our medicine cabinet.  :P

Oh I'm jealous!! We live near a nuclear plant as well but local government has only sent the free tabets to minors! We are supposed to be able to buy them but I've never been able to find them since shops didn't stock it. And when they started to do so a few weeks ago they were immediately sold out.

[OtherJen]

Should we start hoarding in case this Russia thing breaks out into a world war scenario?  Asking for a friend . . .

I’ve taken a good look at our emergency supplies, stocked up on cat food and chicken feed.

Dd has ordered potassium iodine tablets, which seems a bit extreme …

A source of clean iodine is essential for babies and young children if there is a nuclear leak.  We were lucky in North America with Chernobyl, we didn't get much.  I remember because I knew someone who had just had a baby and she and the pediatrician were monitoring Strontium 90 levels very closely.

I live near enough to the Pickering nuclear plant that they sent everyone in our area potassium iodine tablets in case of a nuclear problem . . . so we've actually already got a couple boxes in our medicine cabinet.  :P

Oh I'm jealous!! We live near a nuclear plant as well but local government has only sent the free tabets to minors! We are supposed to be able to buy them but I've never been able to find them since shops didn't stock it. And when they started to do so a few weeks ago they were immediately sold out.

This is interesting. Some of my cousins live near the nuclear power plant in the next county. I should ask whether they've been given those tablets.

[Polaria]

Well, I’m living 8 km away from NATO headquarters. What could possibly go wrong? s/

Semi-joke aside, I have plenty of food and beverages everywhere in my flat under the sofa-bed, in the closets, in boxes in my living room (I’ve been trying very hard to eat up their content, but here I am refilling them), might get some water bottles though.

The Belgian authorities are saying absolutely nothing about prepping, but it is well known they are always over optimistic and under prepared… Just see wtf they’re doing about energy price hikes and welcoming the Ukrainian refugees.

Really from one clusterf*ck to another, the current one making the former one look like a picnic in the park.

[Roadrunner53]

I had home delivery by Instacart from Costco recently. I am stocking up on potatoes. Bought two 10 lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes and so far have made about 6 lbs of French Fries wedge potatoes. This is a work in process as I have not gotten the final cook down (after frozen) yet. Seems these potatoes need higher temps than I am cooking them at. I see 450F for about 30 minutes seems to be what is suggested. I will try that next. I used the air fryer and it only goes up to 400 degrees. Next time will be the oven. I also made some great mashed potatoes we had for dinner two nights. There is a little still left. Now I have the other 10 lbs of taters to cook. I have found a scalloped potato recipe that looks good. I might make some regular French fries too. I have my French Fry cutter machine to do that. The only drawback is that these potatoes are pretty small and the fries will be 'shorties'. We shall see. I plan to save about 5 potatoes for my corned beef this coming Thursday. If I don't make the shortie French fries maybe more French fry chunk wedges.

Then I have two 5 lb bags of onions. Will use one for another batch of caramelized onions in crockpot and the other will probably get chopped up and put into the freezer. Last time I flash froze them on a sheet pan in the freezer and that worked out great so they are not all stuck together. Just bagged them up and froze.

Too many times over the years, I have bought onions and potatoes and they go bad before I use them. I really hate that! So now I am trying to find ways to use them so I have them when needed. I have also baked Idaho potatoes, cooled and frozen them too.

Mr. Roadrunner made meatballs and meatloaf the other day! So good! I will be pulling out some of my garden tomato sauce from last year's garden and make spaghetti sauce. Will have some of the meatballs and will throw some of the leftover meatloaf into the pasta sauce. He made 24 meatballs and I froze them in packs of 4 or 5 per bag.

I also had two packages of mushrooms I threw into my crockpot with some butter and cooked them up this week and froze.

Mr. Roadrunner also cooked up 5 lbs of ground beef with onions. I let that cool and made 5 packages for the freezer. They come in so handy! I add them to chili, spaghetti sauce, poor man's stroganoff, stuffed peppers and other stuff.

Polaria, yes, it is better to be prepared. Do the best you can. Worst case, you will have extra food/water you can use up eventually or donate to a food bank, shelter or a goody bag for elderly neighbors.

[sonofsven]

I had home delivery by Instacart from Costco recently. I am stocking up on potatoes. Bought two 10 lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes and so far have made about 6 lbs of French Fries wedge potatoes. This is a work in process as I have not gotten the final cook down (after frozen) yet. Seems these potatoes need higher temps than I am cooking them at. I see 450F for about 30 minutes seems to be what is suggested. I will try that next. I used the air fryer and it only goes up to 400 degrees. Next time will be the oven. I also made some great mashed potatoes we had for dinner two nights. There is a little still left. Now I have the other 10 lbs of taters to cook. I have found a scalloped potato recipe that looks good. I might make some regular French fries too. I have my French Fry cutter machine to do that. The only drawback is that these potatoes are pretty small and the fries will be 'shorties'. We shall see. I plan to save about 5 potatoes for my corned beef this coming Thursday. If I don't make the shortie French fries maybe more French fry chunk wedges.

Then I have two 5 lb bags of onions. Will use one for another batch of caramelized onions in crockpot and the other will probably get chopped up and put into the freezer. Last time I flash froze them on a sheet pan in the freezer and that worked out great so they are not all stuck together. Just bagged them up and froze.

Too many times over the years, I have bought onions and potatoes and they go bad before I use them. I really hate that! So now I am trying to find ways to use them so I have them when needed. I have also baked Idaho potatoes, cooled and frozen them too.

Mr. Roadrunner made meatballs and meatloaf the other day! So good! I will be pulling out some of my garden tomato sauce from last year's garden and make spaghetti sauce. Will have some of the meatballs and will throw some of the leftover meatloaf into the pasta sauce. He made 24 meatballs and I froze them in packs of 4 or 5 per bag.

I also had two packages of mushrooms I threw into my crockpot with some butter and cooked them up this week and froze.

Mr. Roadrunner also cooked up 5 lbs of ground beef with onions. I let that cool and made 5 packages for the freezer. They come in so handy! I add them to chili, spaghetti sauce, poor man's stroganoff, stuffed peppers and other stuff.

Polaria, yes, it is better to be prepared. Do the best you can. Worst case, you will have extra food/water you can use up eventually or donate to a food bank, shelter or a goody bag for elderly neighbors.

I roast potatoes by cutting them lengthwise into 1/8ths (halve them, quarter them, then halve the quarters), tossing them in a mix of spices and olive oil, then into the oven on a baking tray @ 400* for 20 min, then flip them over and back in for another 15-20 min.
I've never tried freezing potatoes though. I grew them last year but the harvest only lasted two months. Of course fresh from the garden tasted much better than bagged from the store.

[FIRE Artist]

I had home delivery by Instacart from Costco recently. I am stocking up on potatoes. Bought two 10 lb bags of Yukon Gold potatoes and so far have made about 6 lbs of French Fries wedge potatoes. This is a work in process as I have not gotten the final cook down (after frozen) yet. Seems these potatoes need higher temps than I am cooking them at. I see 450F for about 30 minutes seems to be what is suggested. I will try that next. I used the air fryer and it only goes up to 400 degrees. Next time will be the oven. I also made some great mashed potatoes we had for dinner two nights. There is a little still left. Now I have the other 10 lbs of taters to cook. I have found a scalloped potato recipe that looks good. I might make some regular French fries too. I have my French Fry cutter machine to do that. The only drawback is that these potatoes are pretty small and the fries will be 'shorties'. We shall see. I plan to save about 5 potatoes for my corned beef this coming Thursday. If I don't make the shortie French fries maybe more French fry chunk wedges.

Then I have two 5 lb bags of onions. Will use one for another batch of caramelized onions in crockpot and the other will probably get chopped up and put into the freezer. Last time I flash froze them on a sheet pan in the freezer and that worked out great so they are not all stuck together. Just bagged them up and froze.

Too many times over the years, I have bought onions and potatoes and they go bad before I use them. I really hate that! So now I am trying to find ways to use them so I have them when needed. I have also baked Idaho potatoes, cooled and frozen them too.

Mr. Roadrunner made meatballs and meatloaf the other day! So good! I will be pulling out some of my garden tomato sauce from last year's garden and make spaghetti sauce. Will have some of the meatballs and will throw some of the leftover meatloaf into the pasta sauce. He made 24 meatballs and I froze them in packs of 4 or 5 per bag.

I also had two packages of mushrooms I threw into my crockpot with some butter and cooked them up this week and froze.

Mr. Roadrunner also cooked up 5 lbs of ground beef with onions. I let that cool and made 5 packages for the freezer. They come in so handy! I add them to chili, spaghetti sauce, poor man's stroganoff, stuffed peppers and other stuff.

Polaria, yes, it is better to be prepared. Do the best you can. Worst case, you will have extra food/water you can use up eventually or donate to a food bank, shelter or a goody bag for elderly neighbors.

For small potatoes I like to make cornmeal bbq roast potatoes, I make a big batch on the weekend and have them through the week.  I assume they would freeze beautifully.  Preheat the oven to 450, and line a sheet pan with parchment.  Wash and chunk up the potatoes into bite size pieces, size doesn’t matter too much but you want them to cook evenly so keep them more or less the same size.  Put the potatoes in a big bowl and drizzle with some olive oil, very little is needed here, don’t drown them.  Toss the potatoes to coat them with the oil, then add a good amount of BBQ spice (I use Clubhouse brand mixes, pretty much any spice mix can be used to change it up), and a good amount of corn meal (basically you want as much spice and corn meal as will stick to the potatoes).  Toss to coat the potatoes then dump them onto the pan in a single layer.  Roast for 20-25 minutes for potatoes up to 1” size.  Stir half way through. 

[FIRE Artist]

For the onions you could try the slow cooker caramelized method mentioned somewhere earlier in this thread, or you can also dice them up and freeze them uncooked.  Frozen diced onions is actually how I purchase onions for cooking now. 

[Roadrunner53]

I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

[FIRE Artist]

I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

With the bit of oil the potatoes will get crispy no matter what, but I find the cornmeal dusting adds a different texture and a bit of flavour.  Try a small batch and see how you like it.  I rarely make roast potatoes any other way now, and never bother with fries at all.  I like to make a simple aioli to go along with them, add the same spice mixture to some mayo with a bit of lime juice and some lime zest. 

[sonofsven]

I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

With the bit of oil the potatoes will get crispy no matter what, but I find the cornmeal dusting adds a different texture and a bit of flavour.  Try a small batch and see how you like it.  I rarely make roast potatoes any other way now, and never bother with fries at all.  I like to make a simple aioli to go along with them, add the same spice mixture to some mayo with a bit of lime juice and some lime zest.

I'll try the corn meal. I use a mix of salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder, with a little olive oil. I'm basically trying to recreate gas station jo jo's, which are a "thing" on the west coast, at least.

[FIRE Artist]

I have tried growing potatoes before and it just wasn't worth it for the amount of potatoes I got out of it. I bought a special bag that was a potato grow bag and had to fill it with potting mix. In the end, I only got a small amount of potatoes. I give up! So, I buy my Yukon gold potatoes from Costco for $6.42 for 10 lbs. and $9.75 for a 15 lbs. of beautiful Idaho potatoes.

Thanks sonofsven for the tips and also FIRE Artist.

Does the cornmeal make the taters crispy?

Yes, I will dice up onions this time. Last time they were kind of like strips and worked out well. Still have a bunch in the freezer!

With the bit of oil the potatoes will get crispy no matter what, but I find the cornmeal dusting adds a different texture and a bit of flavour.  Try a small batch and see how you like it.  I rarely make roast potatoes any other way now, and never bother with fries at all.  I like to make a simple aioli to go along with them, add the same spice mixture to some mayo with a bit of lime juice and some lime zest.

I'll try the corn meal. I use a mix of salt, pepper, chili powder and garlic powder, with a little olive oil. I'm basically trying to recreate gas station jo jo's, which are a "thing" on the west coast, at least.

I think those have a seasoned flour or corn starch dusting on them which really needs to be deep fried to taste good.  The corn meal might be the oven crisp alternative you are looking for. 

[Roadrunner53]

sonofsven, I am going to try your combo with corn meal.

I am also thinking peanut oil might make the potatoes crispier. I will try PO too. I don't have BBQ spice as FIRE Artist mentioned.

[SunnyDays]

I never knew you could freeze raw onions, so I'm going to try that.

Mashed potatoes can be frozen pretty successfully too, just don't add too much milk because they thaw out a bit watery.  Keep them on the dry side and they'll be just right.

[Roadrunner53]

Freezing onions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6kJWtyrliQ

[K_in_the_kitchen]

I never knew you could freeze raw onions, so I'm going to try that.

Mashed potatoes can be frozen pretty successfully too, just don't add too much milk because they thaw out a bit watery.  Keep them on the dry side and they'll be just right.

Using cream cheese (if you can find it) works great for making mashed potatoes for the freezer!  It's starting to warm up and soon we won't be able to get through 15# of Costco potatoes, so we'll switch to eating more rice.

My new freezer is full -- too full to move the baskets around easily -- so I can't really add more to it.  I can take out the 50# of wheat berries and move those to bucket storage, but I should keep the space in the freezer available for continuing to freeze grain as it comes in, as in our climate this is the best defense against weevils.  I'm trying again for popping corn from Azure, and I might order more wheat berries.  Making cornmeal mush (or mealie pap as our house guest calls it) this week reminded me of how versatile corn is.

I've decided not to cancel ButcherBox, but I'm not planning to order more than the small custom box and then to get my free ground beef and NY steaks.  We have plenty of meat in the freezer and I'm finding the "deals" aren't nearly as good as they were on Black Friday/Cyber Monday or right after Christmas.  With the current economic, political, and pandemic situations, we'll cut back on how often we eat meat.  I considered buying either a full or half beef before the rancher we use starts charging for shipping, but I would have to buy another freezer too, and I don't think we really need that much meat.

But more than that, I think we need to start cutting back in all areas, to prepare for what might come our way.  We've gotten a little soft lately, probably because we wanted to soothe ourselves during the pandemic.

[Roadrunner53]

K_in_the_kitchen, have you ever bought pork butt from Butcher box? I bought a few and they were really good. Then I bought one that was like total blubber and we were lucky to get enough meat off it for two people for one dinner. I contacted them and they were good and gave me another one for free. Well, we tried it and it was just as horrible. I am not ordering any more. Don't understand what happened there! Then for the New Year, we decided to buy two really big Rib eyes and they were super expensive. I didn't mind because we have not eaten out for probably two years and just wanted to celebrate the New Year with a super nice meal. Well, instead of getting two huge rib eyes, they sent 4 rib eyes. There are the normal ones you can get any week. I was pretty furious. I emailed them and they said I got the same amount of weight of the 4 steaks as the two steaks I had ordered. I said yes that might be true but what I got was like apples and bananas. Not what I wanted and would not have agreed to what they sent if they had contacted me. They grumbled a bit but refunded me the cost. I have been pleased other than these issues. What also gets me is that they offer something and they seem to run out. I got in on the large rib eyes and then they ran out. So, let's say they had 200 of them and I put in for them before they sold out, what happened to my steaks? They let me choose it, charged me for it and then substituted something else.

[sonofsven]

sonofsven, I am going to try your combo with corn meal.

I am also thinking peanut oil might make the potatoes crispier. I will try PO too. I don't have BBQ spice as FIRE Artist mentioned.

I hope you enjoy them; I just dip in sour cream.
I'm going to try a little corn meal next time, but I think I'll stick with olive oil. I don't add much, like FIRE Artist, just enough to make the spices stick.
I buy big jugs of OO at costco so I use it for everything oil related.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

K_in_the_kitchen, have you ever bought pork butt from Butcher box? I bought a few and they were really good. Then I bought one that was like total blubber and we were lucky to get enough meat off it for two people for one dinner. I contacted them and they were good and gave me another one for free. Well, we tried it and it was just as horrible. I am not ordering any more. Don't understand what happened there! Then for the New Year, we decided to buy two really big Rib eyes and they were super expensive. I didn't mind because we have not eaten out for probably two years and just wanted to celebrate the New Year with a super nice meal. Well, instead of getting two huge rib eyes, they sent 4 rib eyes. There are the normal ones you can get any week. I was pretty furious. I emailed them and they said I got the same amount of weight of the 4 steaks as the two steaks I had ordered. I said yes that might be true but what I got was like apples and bananas. Not what I wanted and would not have agreed to what they sent if they had contacted me. They grumbled a bit but refunded me the cost. I have been pleased other than these issues. What also gets me is that they offer something and they seem to run out. I got in on the large rib eyes and then they ran out. So, let's say they had 200 of them and I put in for them before they sold out, what happened to my steaks? They let me choose it, charged me for it and then substituted something else.

I got one pork butt from ButcherBox, but it wasn't great so I decided not to try that again.  You're right -- it was very fatty and I didn't get nearly as much meat from it as I expected.

I did buy two of the thick ribeyes, but we haven't eaten them yet.  I also got 20 of the regular ribeyes; I ordered a big box in January and that was the first time I'd seen ribeyes, and I have a ribeye lover.  But they're just okay, not fantastic -- we like the NY steaks better.  But you are so right -- cooking method is so different for the thick steaks vs. the thin ones.  The thin ones cook to medium rare in 8 minutes on my grills straight from the fridge.  I bought the thick ones because I want to try them with sous vide.

I also bought cod (6# for $40) and it has been a slog to get through.  No matter how I cook it we don't like it.  The salmon is fine and the halibut was quite good.  I think there are 6 pieces of cod left and I'm going to cook it for the dogs.

First couple of tri-tips we ate were good, next couple were only okay.  Sirloin cap (culotte) has been better.  Top sirloins weren't worth it.

Oh, and I bought 6 packages of the thick cut bacon back when they were on the Black Friday sale, and they weren't good either.  Their regular bacon is better.  They only sent 5 packages of the thick cut bacon, but I called and they credited me $9 for the missing package, saying they had run out and didn't have anymore to send.  That was a weird box, which arrived open, and was also missing a 2# bag of salmon.  The customer service rep was really great and had me check everything over, and when I found a small puncture in a pack of NY steaks they added a package to my next order at no charge, and also sent the missing salmon.

I will say this though: I've ordered grass-fed beef for 14 years now, and the quality is always hit or miss.  I think ranchers don't have as much control when the animals have to feed themselves, lol.  They're at the mercy of the weather and other factors affecting the pasture.  The best pastured pork I've gotten is from Stemple Creek, and the bone in chops were amazing.

I've gotten better at figuring out the true cost of what they offer as choices in the custom box, and now I won't choose the meats I know they sell for a lot less.  They sell whole chickens for $15 (or less), but the "value" of each item in the custom box is $26.50, so chicken isn't a good choice.  Or they'll offer 1# of breakfast sausage as a choice, when it costs $4.20 per pound when on sale (5# at $21).

We have a few things new to try this month: the breakfast sausage and the apple gouda sausage (Niman Ranch).  We tried the grilled chicken breast and it's quite good although very peppery.

[SquashingDebt]

We inadvertently did some pandemic hoarding today.  Our local warehouse store had a deal for buy $100 of P&G products, get a $20 coupon.  But - the only products we actually buy off the eligible list were toilet paper and paper towels.  So good thing we just got a new shelving unit for our garage because now we have 3 giant packs of toilet paper and one of paper towels.  My partner did the shopping and felt pretty awkward!

[K_in_the_kitchen]

We inadvertently did some pandemic hoarding today.  Our local warehouse store had a deal for buy $100 of P&G products, get a $20 coupon.  But - the only products we actually buy off the eligible list were toilet paper and paper towels.  So good thing we just got a new shelving unit for our garage because now we have 3 giant packs of toilet paper and one of paper towels.  My partner did the shopping and felt pretty awkward!

I kind of want to stock up on toilet paper but it does seem like it will feel awkward.  I'm not worried about shortages so much as not wanting to have to think about it for a year or more.

[GreenSheep]

Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.

[Abe]

Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

[jnw]

Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.

[TomTX]

Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.

Instant Pot works well for cooking beans.

On the fatty pig parts issue: The last ham I got had a fair amount of fat - so I trimmed it as we worked through the ham and saved it. At the end I rendered it down and got close to a quart of lard.

[SunnyDays]

Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.

I have been feeding my dog a mix of two different kibbles for a while now plus some canned with each meal.  This provides her with a good combination of flavours and nutrients and has the added benefit of being easier to add in other brands or kinds if the need arises without it being a drastic change.
I do the same for my cats.  Of course, none of them are terribly picky eaters.  That’s the benefit of adopting strays - they’re just happy to get any meal at all!

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.

I really wish I could do this, but my picky German Shepherd balks at eating food that isn't very fresh -- I suspect he is hypersensitive to rancidity.  We've taken to keeping one extra bag and he's quite fussy about it because now his food is always one month less fresh than it used to be.

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.

Instant Pot works well for cooking beans.

On the fatty pig parts issue: The last ham I got had a fair amount of fat - so I trimmed it as we worked through the ham and saved it. At the end I rendered it down and got close to a quart of lard.

That's a good amount of lard!

I bought a pork butt at Aldi last month and trimmed off so much fat  -- a full pound -- that I decided to grind and freeze it, and I'll render it into lard once I trim the fat from the second pork butt I bought.

I save all of our cooking fats to use in other ways, like using chicken or beef fat for potatoes, bacon grease for eggs, lard in pastry, etc.

[FIRE Artist]

Dog fanatic chiming in here to say... don't forget about your pets. We usually keep one open/in-use bag of dog food and one as a backup, but these days we're keeping 2-3 backups just in case of a delay in shipping, a supply problem, etc. Most dogs don't do well if you just suddenly switch them to a new food.

I have been feeding my dog a mix of two different kibbles for a while now plus some canned with each meal.  This provides her with a good combination of flavours and nutrients and has the added benefit of being easier to add in other brands or kinds if the need arises without it being a drastic change.
I do the same for my cats.  Of course, none of them are terribly picky eaters.  That’s the benefit of adopting strays - they’re just happy to get any meal at all!

I do the same for my cat since there started to be supply chain issues with her foods.  The cat seems to like the variety just fine and it doesn’t upset her stomach so I might keep it up even if things settle down on that front. This is what I get for buying her an Australian food brand in Canada.

[TomTX]

Stockpiled more beans of various types, and canned vegetables to prevent scurvy. My ancestors ate beans, vegetables and rice for millennia, so I can probably get us through a nuclear winter or two with them.

I assume that’s what we are talking about? Or price arbitrage for short-term? It’s hard to tell.

We got a 40lb bag of beans here lol.  About a year old.  We better start going through this bag.. Soak and cook and freeze.   I am not sure how logn they last.  I guess when we get half way through it we'll buy another bag.

Instant Pot works well for cooking beans.

On the fatty pig parts issue: The last ham I got had a fair amount of fat - so I trimmed it as we worked through the ham and saved it. At the end I rendered it down and got close to a quart of lard.

That's a good amount of lard!

I bought a pork butt at Aldi last month and trimmed off so much fat  -- a full pound -- that I decided to grind and freeze it, and I'll render it into lard once I trim the fat from the second pork butt I bought.

I save all of our cooking fats to use in other ways, like using chicken or beef fat for potatoes, bacon grease for eggs, lard in pastry, etc.

Interesting. Does the grinding make rendering faster or something? I just put the random-sized fatty chunks into a skillet and heated til they rendered/crisped up. Cracklins! :D

[Dicey]

We inadvertently did some pandemic hoarding today.  Our local warehouse store had a deal for buy $100 of P&G products, get a $20 coupon.  But - the only products we actually buy off the eligible list were toilet paper and paper towels.  So good thing we just got a new shelving unit for our garage because now we have 3 giant packs of toilet paper and one of paper towels.  My partner did the shopping and felt pretty awkward!

We did that deal at Costco last year. I'm about teady to stock up again. Who has the deal working now?