Food concept

Still doing trash .
So heres is a concept that keeps tickling my brain .
weekly I see people throw out canned food ( Lots of canned Food ) Patios beans Spam tuna there seems no end to cabinet cleaning
and yeah the dates will be from like 2011 2012 2013 but really there still good .
As it goes to trash truck, I say to my self starving people in the world and this is what goes on . I hits me each time and I think if SHTF WW3 Invasion happens and food shortages like mass America has never seen happens.
Those foods from 2011 could save your life If your starving to death, canned food 20 years old would be considered. Sure it's excessive talk here
but tell it to the people of the blizzard in NYC that never happened supermarkets sold off food like crazy , just imagine a never ending situation.

I also find old coolers good plastic Styrofoam . So here is the concept I load coolers with the canned food then silicone seal door shut with 50 or 75 year silicone . Then bury coolers under the frost line . The temperature is stable there .
I figure they could sit till dooms day . I should save the food some place, Not sure EPA would go along with the idea of under the frost line .
From what I read as long as there is no breach food will last . But some foods acidic in nature wont last cause metal will degrade the seal .
Foods packed in water last best . I also find plenty of bottled foods . Any how just thinking as food is key . 200 pounds of brass till the world reorganizes wont save you.

Hmm Interesting, it's most likely the preservatives that will keep the food longer in modern canned food. Some clean outs I have done I have seen cans unopened and empty, a little rusty but no visible hole.
Perhaps the acidic foods should be stored in mason jars, Generally the more acidic the less chance of botulism.

We have a root cellar which is the same as your frost line idea just easily accessible lol a door to the hole, great for storing canned goods and veggies for a good long time don't forget to rotate stock...maybe put the year on each cooler so you can only open one at a time if the contents are inedible or make someone sick.
I won't touch it if it is more than 2 years old...

As you say " I won't touch it if it is more than 2 years old " I'm actually considering dire conditions no food
there have been situation people eat the boiled leather of shoes as a soup . Sawdust flower bread . Trust me
if there was ZERO food you will investigate any source . You will boil your rotten bad taste food and live another day.
Look I don't think it's gonna happen but the world has seen famine . so never say never .
we can't live long with out food humans are kinda delicate 3 days no water 4 maybe and its over . Ever hear of the story of a dog or cat
abandoned in a home with no food or water 2 weeks they look bad but live. Humans we ain't so tough . You will eat the 10 year old sweet yams and be thankful to have it

I have food stores just incase so I say go for it any food trying not to be wasted is a good thing even in this county people eat cat food so they don't starve

The styrofoam coolers will decompose in the time "doomsday" comes. its a smart idea otherwise

CH, the way I look at it:

Its a bit like picking wild mushrooms. Ya gotta know what you are doing. And with 'shrooms, usually people adopt the "if in doubt, throw it out".

With older preserved food, then a person needs to know what to look for, what to smell, etc. I don't know if there is any way to tell if an opened container of X has botulism toxin, for example. I do know you always look for the "suck" of air when you open a can or a bottle of preserved stuff to tell that the seal hasn't been broken.

Things like rust on a can will eventually get through the can. Just makes it all that more important to look for the "suck" when you open it.

Aging deteriorates the quality of whatever is preserved. Canned fruit will discolour. Again, I don't know how far it can go before things start to get poisonous. Again, knowledge is your friend.

TSHTF scenarios aside, having a can of food you didn't have to pay for is like money in your pocket if you can use it. I would at least consider it. Your awareness level may be a lot higher than the person who threw out the can, and you use that knowledge to your benefit.

The downside is you don't get to choose what it is..."what, canned lima beans again?".

Jon.

If SHTF senario, I have a leg up
My gardens will still grow, the fruit trees will still produce, and it will take time to eliminate all the edible critters. green houses, cold frames, hoop systems, water saving systems, chickens, heirloom plants, edible nut and fruit trees were the absolute first thing to go on my property, although they don't look as nice as the perfect food in the stores it gives me pride to produce as much food goods as possible off my land
What I was getting at is being more self reliant and canning your own food, yearly. That way there is no need to eat old food that can Kill you without treatments that possibly won't be available in shtf senarios
I would think this knowledge would be more helpful and beneficial to yourself and the people around you. Than old food in the ground. just my opinion and like you said if your starving...
If I was starving I will make pine needle tee and eat edible forest greens like fiddle heads, Indian cucumbers,clover, chick weed, elderberry, wild berries like blackberry blueberry I picked two pints of strawberries out of my lawn last year the list goes on and on even bark and roots from certain trees is fine to eat... do you know which ones? Once again I have a leg up as I live in the woods and have many interests in what can and can't be eaten from them. It's good to know, not necessary, but to walk outside my house and have plentiful food all around me only based on knowledge is a good "backup" once again IMO

PLEASE, Don't let me discourage you in any way
You see a viable source of food and want to save it as a last resort, it very well could save lives.
For me that is a risk I am not willing to take with my or my family's lives as I have Made other options available first.
But if it really came down too it starving to death or eating, I would eat the old canned food...very little, but i would do it. was gonna die of starvation whats the worst that can happen right?

1. it takes 600 lbs of food per person to survive per year.

2. It takes 90 days for most gardens to be productive. Then there is Yankee territory and winter to consider.

3. Botulism has no odor.

4. If the SHTF hunting will be too dangerous unless you live in the middle of nowhere.

5. you need one tablespoon of animal fat or replacement protein per day.

I'v eaten 20 year old c rations.

But you forgot one thing, If SHTF you don't need too hunt... Place a big pan of grease outside on monday...Bear..pile of corn on tuesday probably a coon, hopefully a deer. If I really want go shoot a moose they have no fear and If you find them they will just stand there that's 800 lbs of meat in one animal. flocks of turkeys.. I pass three everyday on my way to work same time, same place.
1 week let loose with no enforcement of laws or regulations I can have more meat than we can eat in 5 or 6 years with.
Ever thought about netting across a river?
there will be NO lawn at that point all open land will be for food. Spinach is edible in 2 weeks after sprouting along with most greens and can be continually harvested instead of a single large harvest.
These are drastic measures but ones that are viable in a drastic situation.
And yeah I'm out there:))

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NHscrapman

But you forgot one thing, If SHTF you don't need too hunt... Place a big pan of grease outside on monday...Bear..pile of corn on tuesday probably a coon, hopefully a deer. If I really want go shoot a moose they have no fear and If you find them they will just stand there that's 800 lbs of meat in one animal. flocks of turkeys.. I pass three everyday on my way to work same time, same place.
1 week let loose with no enforcement of laws or regulations I can have more meat than we can eat in 5 or 6 years with.
Ever thought about netting across a river?
there will be NO lawn at that point all open land will be for food. Spinach is edible in 2 weeks after sprouting along with most greens and can be continually harvested instead of a single large harvest.
These are drastic measures but ones that are viable in a drastic situation.
And yeah I'm out there:))

---

Hell PLACE a 6 pack of beer OUTSIDE at least 125 lbs. or so for the taker1

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hobo finds

Hell PLACE a 6 pack of beer OUTSIDE at least 125 lbs. or so for the taker1

---

That would be compromising a precious commodity friend.
But I like your thinking;)
Don't you city folk have them zoo things.. that'd be pretty easy pickings:))

In our rural community, it was common for certain people to buy canned goods from farm/household auctions. Most of it was good of course. We've opened canned (jars) food that was up to 30 years old and like has been stated, do the vacuum test, check for rust and then the smell/taste test. I scrapped a car recently that had gov't issue canned fruit, juices and soups in the trunk. I brought it home and we used 90% of it. There was no question when opening a can as to its value.....the nose is a great informer.

I always said that if I was faced with starvation, I'd get rabbits again. They'll produce alot of meat/protein in a short time. City dwellers can even find room for a few rabbits unless you're in an apartment. Today, on the farm, we're enjoying our chickens. We produce our own grain and buy supplements for them. I understand that not everyone has the chicken option. Having a rooster to crow in the morning is icing on the cake.
:cool:

Yes olddude. When I was in the marine corps we ate c rats dated back to Korea. People throw away so much $hit it's a shame. I grew up on " waste not wont not ".

One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is the loss of nutritional value of stored food. In general after 2 years canned food starts to loose nutritional value as things start to break down. Most large scale food storage plans call for rotation of your stored food. As an example, you have 30 cans of spam, you eat a can of spam, you buy a new can and place it at the end of the line thus ensuring your supply is within the proper window. This will differ depending on the food and how its stored. Grains and other "dry" items usually are better for long term storage if stored properly bit still need to be rotated.
Growing your own food was mentioned.
Seeds should also be rotated yearly and need to be open pollinated heirlooms to ensure you will be able to save the seed from your first harvest. Also there are many common wild and ornamental plants that can be planted to ensure food security with little or no long term effort. Dandelions, asparagus, rubarb, apple, strawberries, raspberries pine trees (nuts), nut trees and the list goes on and on. You could have the nicest landscape in a gated community and have it all be food.

All that being said I would rather eat a can of 20 year old spam than sawdust flower any day.

To be clear I'm not naysaying at all. I think anything a guy can do to prepare himself for any outcome is the right thing. Preparation is always the key to independence.

Fellas, I've eaten some pretty rough stuff from being in the ranks, think the worst i ate was a RP About 10-15 years old. Tasted exactly the same as a brand new one......
Some solid points on here, I'm thinking of setting up a stock pile. I think preserve and pickling are the way to go, gardens will get tagged unless you are willing to shoot to protect them, same with any form of livestock.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by NHscrapman

That would be compromising a precious commodity friend.
But I like your thinking;)
Don't you city folk have them zoo things.. that'd be pretty easy pickings:))

---

Don't be silly. You shoot them before they open the beer!

Preserving and pickling take a lot of sugar and vinegar

I make sugar, but not vinegar..this would put me in a pickle.

Many good points here . First clearly knowing what wild plants tree bark can be eaten grasses could be your best knowledge .
That knowledge might make you valuable to have around for barter .

Ok so sure I have eaten foods from the refuse job . Sealed jars of salsa , tomato sauce . I once found a frozen Turkey the date was fine
smelled fine cooked it onions apples it was delicious . Fruits also some times I was working and hungry and there was a bag of oranges
a few had the soft rot & the others were perfect sweet best ever.
I feed my dogs particular the cats any meat I find ( and it can smell ) they eat it old cheese is the cats favorite . Once found 10 pounds of cod fish
the cats were having a field day . Nope didn't want to chance fish with the family . I find beer , wine , some snake bite Yukon jack
liquors .

This job I have yes I find scrap each week lots of wire . But clothing forget it . recently 8 pairs carhartt jeans my size jackets boots for the next 10 years
Carolinas rockies - boots that would cost $300 and after a week of use there mine . feet are dry warm , just found a pair of BOGS boots steel toe looked em up and new are $130 & there not worn out .
What is going on people must have money coming out of there A**H**** . I found holster pants not my size and sold them to Plato's closet for $26
Some how I know I have an Ebay business here the stuff is FREE . I can attest a used pair of $300 boots is better then new $60 .
I find the old expensive boots after 6 months are no older and the wall-mart brands have caught up and are older.
That could be my calling for dooms day have a bunker of clothes for barter .I live in the cold north these are great winter clothes
I don't have to buy clothes NADA

I'd call that a job with "benefits"!! I don't know if I'd bury canned goods just by themselves in the coolers. I'd bury sealed 5 gallon buckets of grains, soybeans, and other legumes as well. Kepp some of your cans in a greater "panic" pantry and rotate them every 6 months to a year or so. You'd have a lot more to draw on even after collecting for a single year than the average bear...