Prepping for food shortages

[Binky]

Shortages occur almost always because people panic buy. I think during COVID it was baking powder or yeast which went scarce as lots panic bought bread making ingredients. Also loo roll I think.

Madness but it's what happens.

As for myself and my family, there's a natural build up of food supplies anyway so if things went south we wouldnt starve, it would just mean we'd be eating some odd meals.

I guarantee if a hoax news report went out about say a bread shortage there'd be queues around the block as everyone panicked. Then in 2 weeks they'd be throwing mouldy bread away.

The only thing I do in preparation is keep some torches and a small gas stove in case of power cuts as living out in the sticks a bit we do get them in bad weather in the winter.

 

[Drago]

Rumours are Accy has laid in some extra casks of gruel for his staff should turnip soup become scarce in an emergency.

 

[slowmotion]

I've heard that tinned pilchards are good.

 

[SteveH80]

... during COVID it was baking powder or yeast which went scarce...

God that takes me back. I remember sneaking out on the motorbike to ride over the hills over to Alston to buy some yeast from the health foodshop (an essential journey obviously). They'd almost ran out too, but they did sell me some loose - I scored a 'wrap' of yeast 😆

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Living up in the hills, remembering the Beast from the East and being subject to the vagaries of Northern PowerGrid we are always prepped enough for a couple of weeks.

It's a very relevant aspect to the suggested Gov. guidance/ recommendation/suggestion I saw recently. I generally keep a full'ish freezer because I hate shopping so often run out of fresh veg and start on the frozen peas. Maybe not from El Niño but other potential problems and lose electricity and my "stocks" would soon be fit only for compost.

 

[MichaelW2]

Rumours are Accy has laid in some extra casks of gruel for his staff should turnip soup become scarce in an emergency.

Hold onto those turnips for trading purposes.

 

[annedonnelly]

Only because I had a glut of tomatoes and runner beans so I've stuffed the freezer full of those and I over estimated when I planted potatoes. I've probably got enough of those to feed a family of four.

Things with a long shelf life I'll buy the larger packs as it's cheaper that way so there's a huge box of Weetabix there and enough dried pasta for a while.

 

[presta]

No.
The last thing I need is a load of idiots on another round of panic buying, with no car I just can't compete with the ones stripping the shelves to fill up their Chelsea tractors.

That said, this Professor's job is emergency planning & disaster management, and she's been seriously goading people into stocking up for weeks now:

View: https://x.com/LucyGoBag/status/2091775981228843423


IMO, emergency planning is for the government to do in an organised manner, not for the public to do ad-hoc.

I buy non-perishables a month at a time, but only because I need the quantity to meet the minimum order price, and to dilute the delivery charges a bit. Besides, I don't want to get into eating processed stuff rather than fresh just in order to keep a stockpile rotating.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Rumoured a black sausage shortage on the way

 

[Gunk]

We’ve got so much crap in the kitchen cupboards and both freezers, we could probably manage for over a month without doing any prepping.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

I see one of the bigger challenges to prepping is water. Put water in a container and how long would you trust it for drinking untreated?

So reality is whilst food can be long term in freezer, tins or dry (buy once keep for ages) your water containers need emptying, cleaning and refilling fairly frequently. And you need a lot of water.

 

[Drago]

No.
The last thing I need is a load of idiots on another round of panic buying, with no car I just can't compete with the ones stripping the shelves to fill up their Chelsea tractors.

Who's panic buying? Ive been at it for years. A single extra item for the doomsday bunker on the weekly shop is hardly panic buying.

IMO, emergency planning is for the government to do in an organised manner

You're absolutely correct. Shame its not happening, as reported in the Gruinard just this week (no further down that road for obvious P reasons.)

not for the public to do ad-hoc.

Nothing ad hoc here. Its well planned, stocks built up over time and rotated out and replenished to a system. Even the first aid kit gets checked annually and stuff like painkillers, penicillin, metformin, dextro-saline, etc, rotated into use or else binned and replaced.

Everything is well thought out and considered for utility and longevity. Nothing ad hoc about my preparations, because if the SHTF I want to put my energies into riding out the crisis and not panicking because my preparations have been lacking.

I take a different view. IMHO its my duty as a citizen to be as self-reliant as possible in the event of a reasonably foreseeable national emergency, and to not expect the authorities to do that which I could have done for myself if only I could have been bothered.

Butmp perhaps, most pertinently, I also hold the Darwinian view about survival in general.

 

[Reynard]

I live really rural, so it makes sense to have a well-stocked pantry anyway. Mainly if I don't want to go out, or can't go out, then I don't have to, and can always put a meal together.

Always have plenty of flour, rice, grains and pasta in, as well as a big stash of tea. Then pulses (dried & tinned), canned tomatoes, canned fish, canned fruit & veg, and some pot noodle type things that only require hot water. There's also stuff I've foraged and preserved, so nuts, fruit, jams, chutneys... Plus the freezer has a good supply of meat, fish, cheese and deli. Also have things like long life milk, cooking oil, vinegar, salt, sugar, kitchen roll, bog roll, laundry soap, washing up liquid, toiletries and the like, and a good supply of food for the cat.

I do keep dried yeast and baking powder in the kitchen cupboards, and there's a sourdough starter in the fridge. I've a good selection of spices and things like stock cubes, bouillon powder, tomato paste, creamed coconut, soy sauce, chilli sauce, sesame oil etc. I also grow herbs in the garden.

In the garage, I've candles, and lamp oil and meths for lamps and camping stove respectively. My heating is solid fuel.

So if things to to pot, I can feed myself and the cat for a while.

During COVID, I kept friends supplied with bread when the supermarket shelves were bare. Throw in the preserves I make, then I have skills and products that I can trade for other things if need be.

 

[SuperGalactian]

Worcestershire Sauce. I can make most things, but I have no idea how to make Worcs Sauce, and breakfast without it is unimaginable.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I'm far from panic baiting, simply interested in what, if any, action people are taking. I know a few ordinary people, like me, who just think it's a good idea to have a few kilos of rice in a cupboard in case there is a shortage. You seriously think that's a panic reaction?

What good would the rice be if there's no fuel to cook it?
Unless you're like @fossyant who is into camping and have the gear already
Fuel shortage goes hand in hand with food shortages, obviously, for transport reasons.
Like someone said upthread, I always have loads in the freezer/cupboard that needs eating.
Some stuff I have plenty at all times anyway, like cat food, buy in bulk when it's on offer, or tomato tins for making sauces, or bread flour and yeast - not toilet paper though
I'm not buying random tins because I don't like eating tinned food.
In case of shortages I can always find something to eat because I can cook from scratch, but if there's no power, what's the point ... just eat the stuff I have bulk cooked and portioned frozen ... eat it cold?? 🤪
Edited to add: I live very central, near half a dozen major supermarkets, plus I could cycle anywhere to get stuff!