Food Storage Challenge Week #1

By Homesteading Mom / November 2, 2012

Hey everyone!

So, today is the first record-keeping day of my food storage challenge. I made a short video to post on YouTube, and as soon as I figure out how to upload it, I’ll post it here as well.

Just to recap, the rules are:

Put something into food storage daily for a month.
Each Friday, calculate the total amount of food prepped for storage.
At the end of the month (November 2012 for me), calculate the total amount of prepped food for the month.
For the second month (December 2012 in my case), double the amount of food stored in the first month.

It was a bit of a short week from Monday to Thursday, but here’s what I put away.

11 cups Homemade Gluten-Free Mac & Cheese
2 quarts Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
2 quarts Parsnip and Leek Curry Soup
1 quart Unstuffed Cabbage
2 cups Roasted Butternut Squash
1 liter Sauerkraut

Food Storage Challenge Week 1

The sauerkraut is still fermenting on the counter, and the soups are in the fridge waiting to be canned tomorrow, along with some beef stew. I just can’t justify using the pressure canner for only four quart jars.

I will be posting the recipes from the food listed above on Monday.

Hurricane Sandy put a small damper on my food prep plans. I just scored a dehydrator on sale on Amazon with a gift card I’ve had kicking around. However, I didn’t want to start experimenting with it in case the power went out, leaving me with half-dehydrated food in it! Thankfully, we didn’t end up losing power, and we are very grateful for not being severely affected by the hurricane.

Not too bad for just four days, but there will be a lot more next week. This doesn’t include any food from today (Friday), and next week’s totals will include today plus the weekend. Next week will then have an extra three days worth of food prep time than this week.

If you’re inspired to try this food challenge, what kinds of things are your storing? Please leave comments below. I’d love to hear what everyone’s cooking, canning, freezing, drying, etc.

It feels good to be putting something back into food storage again. And now to figure out how to upload a video…

Sherri @ Serenity Gulch Farm says:

November 2, 2012 at 2:46 PM

I'll be canning applesauce this weekend. I'm thinking about making my first venture into canning meat. We picked up a side of beef last weekend and took a hog to the butcher today so freezer space is in short supply.

debbie taylor says:

January 28, 2013 at 7:46 AM

I love storing also and have two freezers. I use them mostly for sale items and all leftover veggies on into a container until filled for a soup or muffins and breads. All other sotorage is in canning, pickles, relish, ketchup, dozens of jellies, applesauce, baked beans and dried beans. All storage is in plastice bags in freezer and canning jars in cellar. I have gotten rid of 90% of plastic. I think I am sorry about that. Having children doing dishes and putting items away leads to broken glass. I now see they are comming out with new plastic toxic free. I am looking for them. All week leftover go in frig and Friday and Sat I no longer cook. I love this. When I make meat loaf it is a little larger than needed and it is used a second night for meatsauce for spaghetti night. This is the first year I stored butternut outside in a cooler on closed in pourch. I threw in a few acorn also. We don't use alot of potatoes but we use alot of onions. They always seem to go soft so I have cut down on the amount I purchase in the fall. I grow my own garlic that lasts 3 months. Menus are written on Saturday after looking at the sales. Fish is bought from the truck fresh on Wednesday. We are a fish and chicken family with some baccon and hot dogs thrown in. I buy nuts and seeds and store in mason jars. I have made granola and love it and am guilty of not making more. I would love to improve this for 2013. we don't drink milk but love almond milk. I have made it once and didn't like it. Seemed to thick so I have been lazy in trying it again. We have 15 chickens for eggs and that is enough for us and famliy memebers. I would love to have one goat but need to educate myslef more on that because I only want the milk for soap. I need to see if it would be worth it. When I was younger 20 years ago. I did so much more. First husband and I had pigs, chickens, gamebirds, he was a avid hunter and we ate raccoon, deer, elk, bear, and bass. I only miss taht bass. Oh my so very good. All veggies were canned. And I mean all. Breads were home made and diapers were hand washed. Wood was pulled out of woods with our hourse,cut, split, stacked and then carried in as we used it. I don't miss that but miss the smell. We are now in the process of putting a gas heating stove. So back to food, I am getting of the subject. I am looking forward to the recipe for the unstuffed cabbage and gluten free Mac and cheese. Thanks for all your sharing.