LONG-TERM STORAGE, MONTH 5: BEANS

Last night I mentioned to my 12-year-old that you can buy refried beans in a can.  He made a face that indicated he did not believe me.  I cannot even remember the last can of beans I bought.  It has been a really long time.  Once I learned how to cook dried beans, it has been a great source of nutrition for my family.  We eat beans a lot--at least once or twice a week, and my kids do not even know that you can buy beans any other way.

I hope you all are doing the Long Term Food Storage challenge.  Remember, the goal is to have a year's supply of food by May 1, 2019.

This month, we will focus on Beans!

Dried beans are cost-effective and easy to store.  The health benefits of beans are huge!  They provide a great source of protein, are high in folate, and are a great antioxidant.  Those who regularly eat beans are less likely to have heart disease and cancer.

The list of beans is long:  lima beans, black peans, kidney beans, lentils, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, red beans, soy beans, navy beans, pinto beans...pick a favorite!

The minimum recommendation for storing beans is 60 lbs per person.  For my family, that is a total of 570 pounds.

The most-oft question I am asked is "How do I cook dried beans!"  My favorite method is to use my crock pot.  Let your beans sit in warm water overnight, then in the morning turn on your slow cooker (either low or high is fine, it usually depends how fast I want them cooked).  Be sure water is covering the beans at all times.  They can take anywhere from 3-4 hours all the way to 8-9 hours.  The biggest deciding factor is how old your beans are.  I have found that the older my beans, the longer they take to cook.  Plan to check them every 2 hours or so to test done-ness.  I typically cook an entire crock-pot at a time. I usually do not need that many beans in a single meal, so I freeze the rest.  1 1/3 cups of cooked beans equals a 15 oz can.  I typically freeze 3 cups in a quart size freezer bag, so it's about the equivalent of 2 cans per bag.  Then, I have beans ready and on hand for the next meal.

I challenge you to use this month to get your bean storage.  Store they kinds of beans your family likes to eat and find new recipes to use your beans on a regular basis.  

If you would like to add other items to your storage, here are some suggestions for this month:
     Medical Supplies:  Tylenol, band-aids, antiseptic
     Paper Supplies:  Toilet paper, Kleenex, Napkins, Paper Plates, Paper Cups, Plastic utensils
     Pasta and Rice:  Restock!

Previous monthly challenges can be found here:
     Month 1
     Month 2
     Month 3
     Month 4
   

BUILDING A 3-MONTH MEAL PLAN

We have been asked to "Build a small supply of food that is part of your normal, daily diet." I do this by choosing recipes my family likes and buying 3 to 6 times the amount of non-perishable ingredients. I have one of these recipes for you to try out! CREAMY CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP (12 servings) 4 cans (10oz each) RoTel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies 4 cans (14/5 oz each) Chicken Broth 1 can (30 oz) Refried Beans 1 can (15 oz) Corn 2-3 cans (12.5 oz each) Chicken (or use frozen chicken breast and cook, if desired) optional: Fried corn tortilla strips or chips Shredded Cheese 1. Combine tomatoes and broth in large saucepan. Stir in beans and corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. 2. Add chicken; heat through. 3. Top with Tortilla strips and cheese. If your family will eat this twice a month; this is what you will need to buy for a 3 month supply: 24 cans RoTel Tomatoes 24 cans Chicken Broth 6 cans Refried Beans 6 cans Corn 12-18 cans Chicken Challenge: This week, pick your own recipe and buy all the non-perishable ingredients needed 3-6 times the regular amount to build your 3 month supply! If you have a good "food storage recipe" to share, leave it in the comments!

Bread

I love homemade bread. I remember when my mom made it when we were kids, we would devour at least a loaf or two just after it came out of the oven. It's not too much different now.

I try to make bread every week to ten days. I make it whole wheat, with fresh-ground flour. I have a fabulous wheat grinder that works great. I'm glad I have it: I can imagine lining up my kids with mortars and pestles to grind the wheat...well maybe not. I took a sabbatical from making bread for several months after David was born, as I didn't quite have the stomach muscles to knead it. Funny things, those C-sections.

Yup, this is me, Sarah grabbed the camera and caught me in the act.


I really want one of these. I've been saving money from Birthdays and Christmas in a little jar to someday get this handy-dandy bread maker. I think I'm at about $100. Maybe I can get some $ from our food storage budget too, now that Christmas is over. But for now, it's my 2 hands that make this bread thing possible.



Fresh, hot from the oven. Luckily, I was able to freeze a few.


Is there anything better than fresh-baked bread with homemade strawberry freezer jam? Well, maybe if it's covered in honey instead.


Bread anyone?