Food
Campfire Skillet Breakfast
I love a good Campfire Breakfast. Combine a skillet breakfast made campfire style and it’s irresistible to me and the whole family.
I mean, seriously, hash browns with melted cheese, ham, eggs, and green peppers…This Make in advance Western Skillet Campfire Breakfast is the best campfire breakfast ever!
Ingredients
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30 oz. of frozen shredded hash browns
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1 cup of diced ham (about 8 thick slices of ham) – I bought a pre-sliced boneless ham and used the extra for sandwiches
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1 diced large bell pepper
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2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
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8 eggs
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1/4 cup of water
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1 tsp. of onion powder
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1/2 tsp. of salt
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1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper
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9×13 Foil Cake Pan
Instructions
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In a large bowl, mix the hashbrowns, diced ham, and green pepper, and cheese
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In a medium bowl, mix the eggs, water, onion powder, salt, pepper
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Add the egg mixture to the hashbrown mixture and mix together
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Use a cast iron frying pan or spray a 9×13 foil cake pan with non-stick spray
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Pour everything into the cake pan and cover with foil
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*You can store this in a cooler or refrigerator for a couple of days if made at home.
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When you are ready to cook, you can cook on the coals – just place the cast iron pan or cake tin over medium coals and cook for the same length of time as if in the oven.
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Move around the grill several times during cooking to ensure even cooking preheat grill to medium heat and cook over the flame for about 40-45 minutes or until egg is cooked through.
Notes
To enjoy this treat at home bake in Oven – Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, place foil pan on a baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until eggs and hash browns are cooked through.
My Fried Bannock
Ingredients
This serves 6 or a hungry 2
3 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons baking powder
water
vegetable oil or lard and butter to finish
Directions
Mix half the flour with the remaining dry ingredients.
Add water until the mixture becomes thick, “like a paper mache paste”.
Add more flour until the dough feels like a soft earlobe.
Heat the oil or lard over a medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking.
Dry Dough
If in dry dough form break off small pieces of the dough and flatten each to the size of your palm, about 1/2-inch thick.
Place the pieces in the hot oil, turn after about 3 minutes, or when golden brown.
Wet Dough
If in wet dough form, Like a thick porridge “no lumps” spoon a dollop into a hot frying pan and cook for 3mins each side.
Finish with a knob of butter by each piece (optional)
Place the bannock on a paper towel to soak up the excess grease.
Wild Garlic Butter
Now, are you ready for the easiest recipe ever? To make your own wild garlic butter, all you’ll need is:
250g Butter
1 Shallot
1 tbsp chopped parsley
4/5 wild garlic leaves, washed
Add all ingredients to a blender and blitz until combined. Season to taste.
Now roll it up in to a sausage shape and wrap it in “cling Film” and put into the freezer. When needed simply slice off as much as you want.
Or cut sausage into slices and seperate with greaseproof paper.
This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for two weeks.
Trail Mix
Trail mix these days goes way beyond the basic GORP (good old raisins and peanuts). From sweet to savoury, there are thousands of combinations to appeal to any palate or snack craving. Combine any favourite (dry) ingredients and stash the mix in an airtight container in a dry cool place to prevent spoilage, and you’re good to go.
Trail mix was invented, (according to legend, in 1968 by Hadley Food Orchards) to be eaten while hiking or doing another strenuous activity.
It’s lightweight, portable, and full of energy-dense ingredients like dried fruit, nuts, and chocolate—perfect for snacking on the trail.
For those same reasons, trail mix can pack a big calorific punch, especially when we mindlessly munch while sitting around at work or home.
Keep serving size to a quarter-cup or less to keep this yummy snack from sneaking into “danger food” territory.
Mix ‘n’ Match—The Ingredients
Nuts
These pint-sized nutritional dynamos are packed with healthy unsaturated fats, protein, giber, antioxidants, vitamin E, and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Whether they’re raw or roasted, go for unsalted and unsweetened nuts to keep sugar and sodium under control.
These are my healthy favourites: Almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts, and walnuts. Higher-calorie macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, and pine nuts are also good options in moderation.
Seeds
For those with nut allergies (or just looking to mix things up), seeds provide many of the same nutritional benefits as nuts. Hemp seeds, for example, are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, gamma linolenic acid, protein, zinc, iron, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium.
Sprinkle a handful of pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, or hemp seeds in trail mix for an extra boost of nutrients.
Dried Fruit
This sugary treat can easily become a danger food, so pay attention to the ingredient list and serving sizes. In moderation, dried fruit can be a great source of fibre, antioxidants, calcium, and vitamins A, C, and K.
Look for dried fruit options with as little added sugar and preservatives as possible (some varieties, like cranberries, are naturally quite tart and almost always sweetened with cane sugar or apple juice). It’s also pretty easy to make your own dried fruit at home in the oven.
My favourites are: Dried apples, cherries, cranberries, goji berries, blueberries, strawberries, apricots, raisins, banana chips, figs, pineapple chunks, mango, and dates.
Grains
Add some complex carbohydrates to your custom blend for extra fibre, which boosts overall energy and helps to keep you full .
Choose whole grains whenever possible and avoid highly processed cereals that add unnecessary sugar and sodium.
Shredded wheat cereal, pretzels, whole-grain cereals like Cheerios or bran flakes, whole-wheat crackers, granola, toasted oats, puffed rice cereal, and air-popped popcorn can all add a little bit of crunch.
Sweets
Sometimes we all need a little something sweet to round out the mix. Just remember to add treat-like options sparingly (unless you’re making dessert instead of a snack).
Add a sprinkling of M&Ms, chips of various kinds (chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch), yogurt-covered raisins, chocolate-covered coffee beans, mini marshmallows, or chocolate-covered nuts. When going the chocolate route, chose the dark varieties for extra antioxidants.
Savoury Extras
Once you have the basic ingredients for your own trail mix, adding spices is a great way to change up the flavour a bit.
Season the mix with sea salt, curry, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, or cayenne pepper. Or create your own mix of spices.
Keep taste buds guessing with wasabi peas, coconut flakes, sesame sticks, dried ginger, and coffee beans.
Mix Master—The Combinations
Everyone has their own nutritional and taste-related needs, so here are some trail mix ideas without set ratios or measurements. There are no rules for trail mix—combine whatever tastes good!
Simple and Sophisticated: Almonds, dried cherries, dark chocolate chips, sea salt, cinnamon.
Old-School GORP: Peanuts, raisins, M&Ms.
Tropical Mix: Cashews, Brazil nuts, dried mango, coconut flakes, banana chips.
Winter Flavours: Pecans, dried apples, maple granola, pumpkin seeds, nutmeg, cinnamon.
Savoury seeds: Almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper.
Power Mix: Goji berries, pistachios, dried blueberries, flax seeds, dark chocolate chips.
Rich and Creamy: Coconut flakes, white chocolate chips, hazelnuts, chocolate-covered coffee beans, cacao nibs.
Summer Flavours: Macadamia nuts, white chocolate chips, dried pineapple, coconut flakes.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, pecans, raisins.
Exotic: Peanuts, raisins, puffed rice, pretzels, curry powder, chili powder.
Spicy and Savory: Almonds, wasabi peas, sesame seeds, dried ginger, Chex cereal.
Real Energy: Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, sea salt, dried apricots, dried cranberries.
Coffee Shop: Hazelnuts, almonds, raisins, chocolate-covered coffee beans, white chocolate chips.
Chocolate Lover: Hazelnuts, dried cranberries, chocolate-covered almonds, M&Ms.
Trail Munch: Banana chips, peanuts, sea salt, almonds, dark chocolate chips, raisins, coconut flakes.
Cereal Lover: Bran flakes, shredded wheat cereal, puffed rice, granola, cashews, dried cherries, dried cranberries, dried blueberries.
Cajun Mix: Almonds, pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sea salt, garlic powder, chili powder, ground cumin, cayenne pepper.
These recipes will of course be on the front page of my site, but why not invent your own trail mix, its fun and tastes fantastic too.
How to Store
Meat for Years With Out Refrigeration
So you are living off the land post SHTF and you manage to
kill a deer or domestic cow, as you cannot eat it all at the same time you will
have to find a way to preserve the rest of the meat.
extra meat underground and keep it edible for months.
meat out to dry in the sun.
climate, how will you preserve this extra protein now?
way to preserve meat so it becomes too dry for microbial action. Compared to
traditional sun-drying, using an electric dehydrator is faster and safer.
Whether you like the chewy texture of beef jerky cut along the grain or the
more crumbly cross-cut chips, the slices need to be thin to ensure thorough
drying inside and out.
remove all skin and fat before slicing the meat into strips not more than
one-fourth of an inch in thickness.
portions.
degrees Fahrenheit required for heating the meat strips to destroy harmful
bacteria like E.coli and Salmonella.
an oven set over 250 degrees F for 10-15 minutes before transferring it to the
dehydrator.
temperature for 16-20 hours will make the jerky sufficiently dry. Store the
dried jerky lightly packed in airtight containers.
Extend its shelf life by storing in the freezer or by vacuum sealing it.
dehydrating agent that helps preserve the meat.
anti-microbial.
on the meat and letting the juices drain off will result in a dry product.
better flavour, spices and herbs are often used.
“brining.” You can add brown sugar or honey for extra taste. Another
traditional curing process called “biltong” involves marinating the meat in
vinegar prior to salting and drying.
several additives to improve their texture. You can cut down the chemical load
by curing the meat with “Maldon Salt,” which is free of additives.
sodium nitrite, a chemical that’s known to offer some protection against
botulism, but bad for you over the permitted limits.
one ounce of curing salt per quart of water.
hinges on the quality of the meat used. Always go for the freshest cuts.
off any product by using the code Midi10 so check out www.midimax.co.uk[TL1]
Winter Foraging
as it’s easy to mistake a deadly fungus for an innocent field mushroom.
precautions and getting some tips and advice from experienced foragers is
essential.
whether the land you are foraging on is protected, and whether it is public –
get permission if it isn’t. Always follow the country code and don’t
overharvest: birds and animals depend on wild foods for their survival.
Neither animal nor vegetable, mushrooms are a type of fungi and the largest
living organisms on Earth, some reaching three miles in length. Wild mushrooms
grow across most of the UK and parks and woodlands are a good place to start;
the New Forest is said to be particularly rich.
are always some varieties in season, but autumn is the prime mushroom picking
time, as September and October are the months when most of the good edible
varieties appear.
them from the base rather than pulling them out of the ground. This prevents
damage to the mycelium (root-like threads) that allow them to regenerate.
which makes for sweaty mushrooms. Once you have your mushrooms safely home you
are spoilt for choice for things to do with them. Grill them, stuff them, add
them to soups, stir-fries and pies, or fry with wild garlic and parsley.
such as Rogers Mushrooms, which also offers a guide to identifying the best
edible species, and even an app for on the hoof identification using your
mobile phone.
good all-rounder. Widespread and abundant across much of the UK, it’s easily
harvestable throughout the year and is versatile and delicious. It tastes much
like regular garlic but has a milder flavour than cultivated cloves. Use the
leaves to spice up a winter salad or stir-fry, or use it to add flavour to
soups and stews.
healthy and are freely available throughout the country for most of the year.
The whole plant can be eaten: leaves in salads, sandwiches or pies, while
flowers (in bloom between February and November) can be used in anything from
risotto to omelettes.
marinated and used like capers for flavour. Make dandelion coffee by grinding
the dried roots and use as normal. It’s totally caffeine-free and has a vaguely
chocolately taste. The roots can also be thrown into stir-fries or added to
vegetable dishes.
be avoided thanks to their well-known propensity for leaving painful welts on
the hands of the picker. But once you’ve invested in a decent pair of gardening
gloves, the pros of nettles outweigh the cons.
and even haggis. Boiling will get rid of the sting. Packed with vitamins and
minerals, nettles contain more vitamin C than oranges. Nettles should be
harvested before the flowers appear in early spring and only the youngest
leaves should be chosen; mature leaves can damage the kidneys. Find them in
gardens, woodlands, pastures and orchards.
be referred to as ‘bread and cheese,’ as the leaves sandwiched between slices
of bread were once a staple food in the spring.
munched straight off the branch, while the roasted seeds make a good coffee
substitute. Hawthorn berries, bountiful in autumn, make a tasty jam or fruit
bread – try adding the dried and ground fruit to flour for a fruity loaf.
heart and circulation disorders. Powerful bioflavinoids present in the fruit
stimulate blood flow.
Abundant, tasty and packed with vitamin C, berries are one of the easiest foods
to forage. They often abound in accessible areas and there’s so much variety,
you can’t go far wrong. Among the most common are blackberries, raspberries,
mulberries and sloes, and the uses range from juices and cordials to jams and
jelly, pies and cakes, wine and gin, and ice cream. Look for berries in
woodlands, hedgerows, and parks from late summer.
source of protein and energy for hungry foragers, but bear in mind that nuts
are relied on by many birds and animals, so don’t take the lot.
once picked. Eat them as they come or roasted.
work well in nut roasts and nut breads, or mixed into salads and stir-fries for
extra crunch. Ground nuts can be pressed through a fine muslin bag to extract
the oil, which can then be used for frying and dressing salads.
walnuts. Grubbing for pignuts was once a popular past time but is now illegal
without the landowner’s permission.
Preprepared Ziplock Bag Meals
hunger pains but keeps you going with much needed body fuel throughout the day.
kept at room temperature
dried cranberries
cup raisins
cup chopped
dried apricots
cup chopped
dried pineapple
cup salted
peanuts
cup salted
cashews or almonds
cup dried
sweet or sour cherries
cup dried
strawberry slices
cup toasted
pumpkin seeds
Pine nuts
fruits. You need to replace the liquid you’d normally get from fresh fruit.
Cheese
needs just a couple of minutes on the stove to heat up. All you do is Just Add
Water
milk powder, mustard, dried herbs and salt and pepper to taste. Seal and store
at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or refrigerate for up to 3 months.
stand for 15 minutes or until pasta is softened.
Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring often, for about 1 minute or until sauce
is reduced and thickened.
control exactly what ingredients go into it? Hummus is a great protein booster
and tastes great when combined with biscuits or greens as a snack, spread on a
sandwich or even stirred into soup to thicken it.
No Heat Required
Makes 1 serving (about 1/3 cup)
garlic clove
cooked chickpeas
chopped dried lemon zest
black pepper
(optional)
lemon zest, salt, pepper and cumin until chickpeas are powdery, with as few
small chunks as possible. Transfer to a sealable plastic bag, seal and store at
room temperature for up to 1 month.
water. Seal or cover and let stand, mashing or stirring occasionally, for 30
minutes or until chickpeas are soft and liquid is absorbed.
that is one of the true characteristics of hummus. You can always add 1 tbsp
fresh lemon juice in place of an equal amount of water.
blender to grind the ingredients. Use about 2-1/2 tbsp dry mix for each
serving.
the world? If you’re one of the millions of people who enjoy a nice cup of tea
then did you know of the uses for used tea bags?
sunburn from being in the sun without adequate protection. The application of
green and/or black tea bags directly onto sunburned skin is a long-lasting home
remedy to treat not only pain, but also speed up the healing process.
pain by calming inflammation. Another health benefit? Due to its antioxidant
activity, the topical application of green or black tea bags may actively fight
cancer formation by stopping cellular mutations.
sunburn by applying brewed tea bags directly onto sunburned skin. Allow the
bags to sit on the skin for 15 to 30 minutes. Repeat as necessary.
If so, then try tea bags. The tannins found in green and black tea may reduce
puffiness and redness around the eye area.
minutes, or until cold. Sit down and place a tea bag over both eyes and allow
it to cool and rejuvenate your eyes for 15 to 20 minutes. Repeat each night for
the most visible results.
ailments, ranging from a newly extracted tooth to gum disease. Regardless, find
relief by biting down on a brewed green or black tea bag. The antiseptic,
anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of tea bags streamline the healing
process while simultaneously numbing pain and reducing blood loss. Repeat as
many times as necessary to provide the relief you’re craving.
caused by this harmless-looking plant is well-aware how uncomfortable this rash
is. Obtain near-instant pain and itch relief by brewing enough tea bags to
fully cover the rash. Once the tea bags have cooled, apply directly on the
rash. Allow the bags to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
to prevent accidentally spreading poison ivy.
they’re also an effective tool around your home. Tannins and other active
compounds perfectly clean surfaces by removing germs and debris. To use tea
bags as a furniture polish, brew one to two bags and allow them to cool for
several minutes. Squeeze until excess moisture has been eliminated.
normally would. To prevent accidental stains, immediately wipe the surface with
a clean cloth.
the most effective wart treatments involve acids and other synthetic compounds,
they can be painful and expensive.
generations, modern science is just starting to support its effectiveness.
green tea inhibit wart growth. In fact, green tea seems so powerful, initial
studies found evidence green tea may actually kill HPV, the virus responsible
for warts.
comfortable to the touch, place a green tea bag directly on the wart. Secure
the bag with tape or a bandage. After 15 minutes, replace with the second tea
bag and soak the wart for 15 to 20 more minutes. After several days, you’ll
notice the wart will turn black, and fall off soon thereafter.
provides essential nutrients to soil, which help plants thrive. Break open a
used tea bag and mix the tea leaves with the soil.
out of a juicy, tender steak. Unfortunately, not all cuts are as tender as they
seem. Black tea is renowned by professional and amateur chefs for its ability
to tenderize meat while adding a subtle earthy flavour to meats.
including tea bags, over your meat and allow it to marinate for 1 to 3 hours.
its presence can cause just as much mental anguish as it can physical.
Eliminate the pain and outbreak duration through the help of black tea bags.
‘BMC Complementary & Alternative Medicine’ compounds in black tea,
primarily the avlavins, stopped the growth and replication of the herpes virus.
This study confirms the use of black tea for herpes treatment and many herbal
and holistic practitioners have recommended this for generations.
and allow to cool. Once safe to touch, place the tea bag directly onto a herpes
lesion. Allow to soak into your skin for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat once a day
until your outbreak is under control.
my deck and of squirrels scampering around gathering this free bounty.
staple foods. In much the same way they used corn, they used ground acorn
nutmeat to make a meal, or flour, for baked goods. They even used them to make
acorn coffee.
thiamine and niacin. They also contain iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium,
phosphorus, copper manganese and zinc, and are good sources of protein and
fibre. Naturalist John Muir called the acorn cakes he made the most “strength
giving” food he had ever eaten.
there is some information you need to know.
harvest mature green acorns to ripen in a clean, dry place, however. Also, all
raw acorns contain high amounts of tannic acid, which gives them a bitter taste
and which can be toxic to humans and many animals if consumed in large
quantities. White oak acorns generally contain fewer tannins than back or red
oak acorns.
boiling or flushing. Native Americans accomplished this by placing a bag of
acorns in a clean, flowing stream for a few days until no brown coloured water
was visible around the acorns.
ripe, brown acorns that look appealing to the eye. Leave any acorns that appear
to be blackened or mildewed for the squirrels.
Replace the water three more times, repeating the 10-minute boiling process
each time. After the four boiling sessions, the water should no longer look
brown and the acorns can be easily shelled.
Remove the caps and place the acorns inside a cheese cloth bag. Secure the
opening, and place the bag under running water for several hours. Drain the
water out of the bag frequently and continue rinsing until the water is clear.
in a preheated 200 degree Fahrenheit oven, with the door slightly ajar to let
moisture escape. Or if it’s a sunny day, you can place them on a baking sheet
in direct sunlight for several hours or until they are dry.
in baking soda and water (one tablespoon per quart of water) for 12 to 15 hours
before rinsing well.
acorns. Divide the kernels and place them in a covered ovenproof dish. Roast in
your oven on low heat, stirring them frequently. When they have roasted, grind
them and use the grounds combined with your regular coffee or on their own. To
make acorn flour, follow the same process but sift well to remove any fibres.
Korean noodles and jellies are made of acorn starch, and many Asian grocery
markets sell acorn starch in packages.
peanuts or macadamia nuts.
add more taste and depth.
months without spoiling. They also can be used as feed for certain livestock. You
will need to follow the same process of avoiding green, unripe acorns and of
removing the tannins from the acorns for the health and safety of your animals,
however.
Homemade Cheese
milk, 1 pinch salt, 1 large lemon, juiced
into a large pan, and stir in a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium
heat, stirring occasionally to prevent the milk from scorching on the bottom of
the pan.
begins to boil turn the heat off then stir the lemon juice into the milk, the
milk will then curdle. This may take 5 to 10 minutes.
with a cheesecloth, now pour the milk through the cloth to catch the curds.
What is left in the cheesecloth is the Farmer’s Cheese. The liquid is the whey.
around the cheese, and squeeze out as much of the whey as you can. Then I find
it best to suspend the cheese cloth over the sink for example.
stopped dripping, I put it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge.
herbs or other flavourings.
Survival
Cooking Risks
stuff hits the fan your will bug-out. You will build a shelter, light a fire,
hunt, trap and fish and then sit around the fire singing “gin gang gooley” as
your food cooks.
idyllic doesn’t it?
recent figures this could be the most dangerous aspect of survival camping.
cent of more than 2,000 people questioned for a Government survey admit to at
least one barbecue habit that is a health risk.
real risk at barbecues
Catherine Brown
believe they have been ill due to something they have eaten as a result, the
poll for the Food Standards Agency found.
to not checking burgers, sausages and even chicken are cooked all the way
through.
a list of tips to cut food poisoning, with the first being to pre-cook meat in
the oven and finish it off on the barbecue for flavour.
Catherine Brown said: “Food poisoning is a real risk at barbecues and we are
reminding people to take good care of their families.”
bar-b-q cooking is it not? When the shtf there will be no chemist, health
centre, doctor or NHS to go to to sort out food poisoning, stomach upsets and
diarrhoea, all of which will dehydrate you and reduce your physical ability to
provide and survive.
teach my grandmother to suck eggs by it never hurts to get back to basics.
poultry, pork, burgers, sausages and kebabs are steaming hot, with no pink meat
inside.
plates and chopping boards for raw and cooked food. Always wash your hands
thoroughly with soap and hot water and dry them before handling your food for
the barbecue and after handling raw foods including meat, fish, eggs and vegetables.
(You should of course wash your hands after touching the bin, going to the
toilet, blowing your nose, or touching pets.)
any bacteria present, including campylobacter. On the other hand, washing
chicken, or other meat, can spread dangerous bugs on to your hands, clothes,
utensils and by splashing.
Charred on the outside doesn’t always mean cooked on the inside so, it’s always
safer to cut open and check your burgers, sausages and chicken. If in doubt
–keep cooking.
plate or surface that’s had raw meat or fish on it, and don’t use cutlery or
marinades that have been in contact with raw meat. There’s no point in serving
up food with a flourish if you’re adding bugs back into the mix.
Survival Trapping
hold, contain, or kill the intended target species.
Without real traps or snares, you have to use your head. The
better your understanding of wildlife, the better trapper you will be.
I have a friend who just started trapping and she told me
she used to think you just put traps anywhere in the woods and the animals
would be caught!
This is a very important statement if you are a beginner. To
understand trapping, you have to understand what estate agents say all the time
– “Location, location, location.”
To become an expert trapper, you must study every piece of
written material on the target animals. I am not just talking about trapping
books and videos, but wildlife studies.
Have you seen the movie with Alec Baldwin and Anthony
Hopkins called “The Edge”? I think that is what it was called,
anyway.
This is the movie where they are stranded up in Alaska. They
make that little cage trap out of sticks and twine to catch the squirrel. Then
they catch a squirrel. The funny part was the squirrel the movie shows getting
caught in the trap doesn’t even live in Alaska!
I have seen animals in traps, and I laughed my head off when
I saw that part! A trapped squirrel would have jumped and pushed at the cage.
That cage, having no weight on it would have fallen open,
and the squirrel would have escaped. Don’t rely on Hollywood to teach you any
survival skills!
Pine Sap and Birch Bark Trap. I will now discuss some
different emergency trapping techniques. One of my favourites is a century old
way of trapping birds. For centuries, the Indians knew that trapping fed them
better than hunting, and they developed this trap.
easy-to-form type of bark, like Birch or any pliable, soft, inner bark.
Form a cone like an ice cream cone, and tie strips of inner
bark around the cone to keep it together. Score a pine tree by cutting off a 4
x 4 inch square in the bark, until you can see the inner bark. The sticky sap
will flow out.
Take a stick and get a good glob of sap, then smear it onto
the inside of your cone. Using whatever the birds – like grouse or pheasants –
are feeding on (berries, corn, etc…), make a small trail leading into the cone,
and fill the inner cone with the bait.
The bird will eat the bait and follow the trail right into
the cone! Once they stick their head in, the pinesap will stick to their
feathers.
The bird is now blind. But, just like a bird in a cage that
you place a cover over, these trapped birds will lay down, thinking it is night
time, and go to sleep.
to make sure no light can be seen inside the cone.
Approach the trapped bird slowly and quietly. Once you grab
the bird, hold on tight, because it is going to freak out! Quickly grab it and
wring its neck.
The stovepipe game bird trap is so simple, it makes me laugh
every time I think about it. The principle behind it is that birds can’t back
up. Have you ever seen a bird walk backwards? Neither have I!
A friend told me about it when I was in school. There was a
farm inside the village limits loaded with pheasants! He used to train his dogs there. The
pheasants were just too tempting for me, so I had to try it.
So, I made a trap, baited it with corn, and the next day,
sure enough, there were fresh pheasant tracks going right into the pipe!
Man! This is great, I thought! I lifted the pipe, expecting
the weight of a bird, only to be disappointed upon finding it empty.
Mice must have stolen the bait, I thought. After two more
days of tracks going into the pipe and no pheasants, I figured it out. I was
using an 8-inch pipe, and the birds could turn around.
I went back to the scrapyard, found some 6-inch pipe, and
the next day, the pheasant was waiting!
Of course, I had to try it on the grouse, and found that a
4-inch pipe works for them. My guess for quail would be the 2- or 3-inch pipe.
6-inch diameter, 24-inch long stove pipe
A piece of chicken wire, about 12-inches square and some
duct tape
That’s it. You take the chicken wire, form it around one end
of the pipe, and duct tape the overlay nice and tight around the pipe. Place a
trail of corn going into the pipe, and a pile or cob in the back.
This has to be the easiest trap to make, and man does it work!
Be careful when you pull the pheasants out. They are a feisty bird, and you had
better have a good hold on them. Otherwise, they will fly off.
is a neat trap. A friend who enjoys (poaching) told this me about this one, on
catching pheasants.
You take a coke bottle, or a small shovel, and dig a hole 6
inches in diameter, 10- to 12 inches deep. Make a trail of corn leading to the
hole, and cover the bottom with corn.
The pheasant, or grouse, will come up and reach down to get
the corn. Then, they fall into the hole. Their wings are stuck at their sides,
and their feet are hanging up in the air! You just pull them up by the feet,
and wring the neck.
One of the oldest methods of catching fish is used in small
rivers and streams. You find a shallow spot next to a deep hole. At night, the
fish come out to feed, and will swim in the shallows.
To take advantage of this, you can narrow down the opening
into a “V”. Behind the “V” is a solid wall of rocks. The
fish will swim in and get caught or confused, and lay in the trap until
daylight.
When you go to check the trap, approach quietly from the
front. Place a large rock, or rocks, blocking the hole in the “V”.
This is to keep any from escaping.
Netting is the best way to catch the fish in the containment
area. If you don’t have a net, make a spear. Clubbing fish is a waste of time
in the water.
All that happens is you get very wet, and the fish could get
so scared they will jump over the back wall to escape. Yes, I found that one out
first-hand.
If you are serious about trapping, get real equipment, and
real snares. Real traps and snares will always catch more than these homemade
traps.
Trapping is a skill that takes practice. You have to learn
to walk into the woods and recognize what type of animal lives there.
Then you need to learn where they travel for food, water,
and shelter and set your traps and snares accordingly.
delicious, healthy and a great immune booster.
and simple tea can be made from the common Pine trees that surround us.
indigenous peoples, both for its refreshment and for its medicinal values.
the Vitamin C of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and is high in Vitamin A. It is
also an expectorant (thins mucus secretions), decongestant, and can be used as
an antiseptic wash when cooled. So not only does it taste good, but it’s good
for you!
experiment and see which needles you like best. And feel free to mix and match!
evergreens are Pines! So head out to the local woods or park, positively
identify your pine trees, bring back some needles and give this one a try!
better. (A small handful will be plenty.)
the base of the needles. (They just pull right off.)
a boil
needles.
the majority of needles have settled to the bottom of the cup. Enjoy your
delicious tea!
tea!
contain the medicinal compounds, and tastes a little like turpentine.)
one tablespoon of chopped needles to the boiling water and cover. Allow the
needles to boil in the water for 2-3 minutes.
covered, until it is cool enough to drink. (Most of the needles should sink to
the bottom.) Pour the tea into a mug, leaving the needles behind, and enjoy!
effect. (Make it fresh each time.
gift of health as well as an enjoyable experience.
get out & enjoy the change of seasons!
How to Make Hardtack
all heard of hardtack. It’s a great survival food,
because it is very nutritious and tasty, and also keeps extremely well when
stored in the proper conditions. I will tell you how to make hardtack
using a simple recipe, and tell you how to cook it to make a delicious survival
food.
makes a good survival food? Well, first off, you need to be able to store it
for long periods of time without spoiling. Second, it needs to be nutritious.
And third, it should taste good. Tasting good is not really a necessity, but it
sure is nice if you end up living off the stuff for a long time.
satisfies all three conditions. Once it’s dried thoroughly, it will keep for
years, provided it stays dry and away from pests. If you make it with natural,
healthy ingredients, it’s very nutritious.
you know how to prepare it, it tastes delicious. Because it is completely
dehydrated, it is relatively light and easy to transport, but because it is so
dense, it packs a lot of nutrition in a small package.
has actually been around since the time of Egyptian sailors, but you probably
know it better from the Civil War period. During the war, 3×3 inch squares of
hardtack were shipped to both the Union and Confederate armies, making a staple
part of a soldier’s rations.
made 6 months beforehand, it was as hard as a rock when it actually got to the
troops. To soften it, they usually soaked it in water or coffee. Not only would
this soften it enough for eating, but any insect larvae in the bread would
float to the top, allowing the soldiers to skim them out.
hardtack recipe
make hardtack almost identical to what sailors, troops, and pioneers have been
eating (minus the weevils!) by following this simple recipe:
of flour
water
salt
flour, water and salt together, and make sure the mixture is fairly dry. Then
roll it out to about 1/2 inch thickness, and shape it into a rectangle. Cut it
into 3×3 inch squares, and poke holes in both sides.
an un-greased cookie or baking sheet, and cook for 30 minutes per side at 375˚
(or 350˚ if you have a convection oven).
done, you’ll want to let it dry and harden for a few days, just out in the
open. When it has the consistency of a brick, it’s fully cured.
simply store it in an airtight container or bucket. To prepare for eating, soak
it in water or milk for about 15 minutes, and then fry in a buttered skillet.
You can eat it with cheese, soup or just plain with a little salt added. Any
way you do it, it’s delicious!
Wilderness Survival Cooking
know and is even fun to practice. Here are 10 tips to provide you with
information on cooking when in a wilderness survival setting.
Obviously the most important wilderness survival skill is to
be able to make a fire. A small magnesium sparker can be carried on a keychain
or placed into a pocket. Practice with it in the back garden before relying on
it in a wilderness survival situation.
Both fairly stiff, thick wire and thinner, more flexible
wire is always a good thing to have in your survival kit. The stiffer wire can
be used to impale an object to be placed over the fire, such as a fish.
The more flexible wire can be used to wrap and dangle less
secure items over the fire, such as a piece of meat. Both types of wire can be
utilized for other wilderness survival skills other than cooking of course from
snares to shelter construction.
In a wilderness survival situation, always be certain to
properly cook any meat that you are going to eat. Minor illness such as
diarrhoea can quickly dehydrate you in a wilderness setting, while more serious
illnesses can be deadly.
much better than undercooking.
If you have ingredients to make bread, pancakes, or anything
like them here is a wilderness survival tip. With bread dough, roll it into a
strip and wrap it around a stick to cook. Pancakes can be made in the same way
with a little less efficiency.
Try to thicken the batter as much as possible. Dip in a
stick and place it over the fire while rolling it fairly quickly to keep as
much as possible from dripping off. A heated rock could also be used to make
pancakes or bread. Scavenging a piece of metal to cook on is best if possible.
Use you fire to clean your wilderness survival cooking
utensils. Clean water may be at a premium but fire will kill germs well.
Learn about edible plants that exist in your area. Just
eating what other animals eat will not work as their digestive system is
different than ours. This is knowledge that you must gain in the field (with a
proper guide!).
Canned food can be warmed up (though not necessary) simply
by ripping off the label and placing it beside the fire. Stir the contents often
to avoid scorching.
While it is best to cook them in aluminium foil, potatoes
and other vegetables can be cooked by placing them directly on or near hot
coals. Honestly, I think that the potatoes cooked in its skin and not foil
tastes better.
The skin is not fit to eat if cooked bare (unless you are
starving!).
If you are lucky enough to find corn to eat, do not remove
the husk. Place the entire ear, husk and all as close as possible to the coals.
You can also suspend it above the coals. Try to avoid catching the husk on
fire.
Field corn (grown for livestock) is edible as well.
An important skill in cooking in the wild is being able to
dry meat. Dried meat can be carried in pockets for a quick and easy meal.
Remember, practice these skills now and hope to never have
to use them. But if you ever find yourself in a wilderness survival situation
you will be ready.
Now this may be stating the obvious, but survival cooking is
about survival. We are not talking the type of cooking you see in cookery books
and magazines.
You can forget any fancy ideas about recipes. The word
“recipe” means “take thou”, as in “take thou a dozen eggs and half a pound of
flour”. If you can get to the supermarket and buy the stuff demanded by a
recipe, then it’s not survival.
When you are in the wilderness, surrounded by sheep, cows,
pigeon, water fowl etc.s, you could starve to death looking at recipes
instructing you to take lemon grass, raspberry leaf vinegar and organic tofu
cutlets.
On the other hand you can be realistic and say, “I have
access to all this food, which shall I eat first and how shall I cook it?”
Survival cooking is realistic cooking, and realistic cooking
relies on a basic understanding of the FACTS about food and an accurate
analysis of your own situation.
A really good big mushroom identification book is a great
aid to survival preparation. Tear out the pages one by one, crumple them into
little balls and practice lighting fires. Lighting fires is a useful skill.
Identifying mushrooms isn’t.
Mushrooms are delicious but they got their name, “the food
of the gods” when the Emperor Claudius died after eating poisonous mushrooms,
thus becoming a god. The French, who go in for wild mushrooms in a big way, peg
out with monotonous regularity.
The risk might be worth it if mushrooms had some nutritional
value. They don’t. You will expend more energy carrying a pound of mushrooms
100yds than you will get from eating them.
Add in the genuine risk of snuffing it, or at least being
“hors de combat” for a couple of days, and eating wild mushrooms becomes the
survival cook’s equivalent of shooting off your toes.
Remember, in the real world, calories are good. Only a
society ludicrously preoccupied with the shape of celebrities’ bodies could
come up with idiotic concepts like empty calories. A calorie is a measure of
the energy available in a food. This is your personal fuel we are talking
about. No calories = no energy = death.
So forget all the health crap you hear. Look at the guys
doing hard physical work without the benefit of million pound salaries and
personal trainers.
they get stuck into some calories.
Lesson one in survival cooking: assess the nutritional
energy against the energy used in collection and preparation. To assess the
energy level of an ingredient, ask yourself if a women’s magazine would
recommend the product. If they would, forget it – you’ll starve.
If you are hungry in an inhabited area, the most energy
efficient way to gather food is to go and raid somebody’s larder to be honest.
The skill lies in taking the right things when you raid the
larder. Number one priority is fat. Fat gives 9,000 calories per kilogram. That
means half a kilo per day will keep a man doing heavy physical work.
Tinned tomatoes on the other hand, while an invaluable
kitchen product, only produce 160 calories per kilogram. So thirty kilos a day
should keep you going (and they would!).
Sugar has half the calories of fat, but is a lot more
palatable and digestible than fat. However as a long term diet it can get
boring.
Flour gives 3500 calories per kilo and about 10% protein.
Dried beans, peas, lentils etc. give about 3,000 calories and 25% protein.
But before you start worrying about protein levels,
cholesterol, vitamins, free radicals and all that crap, think how long you are
going to need to survive before you can get back to civilisation and a few
pints.
If it’s less than six months before that badly needed pint,
the only relevant factor is calories.
When raiding the larder, take fat, sugar, flour, lentils and
salt. Salt has no calorific value but is a useful preservative and flavour
enhancer. You are also more likely to suffer from salt deficiency than from an
excess.
Forget any romantic notions of setting horse hair traps for
rabbits in the pale dawn and then settling down to tickle trout from the mossy
banks of the stream. This makes great television but the sheep or cow in the
next field will make better food for less effort.
I don’t intend to waste any time on how to catch prey. When
you get hungry enough you’ll figure out a way. If I was hungry and carrying an
SA80 I would shoot it.
Herding it into a corner or driving it off a cliff work
equally well. Essentially what you will catch and eat depends on how hungry you
are and how squeamish.Squeamishness is a luxury you can’t afford in a survival
situation. Snails, worms, insects and slugs are all good sources of precious
calories.
Before you start saying “yeugh, slugs”, I strongly recommend
you study the dietary habits of lobsters. Now few people would say “yeugh,
lobster” – but lobsters are remarkably partial to corpses.
I am still looking for a business partner for my company
combining burials at sea with a lobster fishery. I like the idea of charging
500 quid to chuck lobster bait over one side of the boat while I haul up
lobster pots the other side.
While my idea may be tasteless, I assure you the lobsters
would be delicious. Remember, your food’s eating habits have little or no
bearing on the taste of the end product.
No-one worries about throwing large quantities of dung on
the fields to feed the wheat which, when turned into bread, does not taste of
sh1t (OK, sliced white is pretty bad, but that’s another story).
Cooking is simple. So why is so much effort put into making
it sound complicated?
Where can you learn survival cooking? In the kitchen.
There’s no point trying out techniques outside until you are competent indoors.
You learn to shoot a rifle on a range first. The flash stuff
– running around shooting from the hip and all the other ways of missing the
target – follow on from when you are competent with firing a rifle from a rest.
Non cooks want details that are meaningless and unnecessary.
You should select a cooking method which holds good for ever, and which you can
adapt to whatever ingredients you have.
I have eaten fish and rice cooked in vines in Greece and
trout cooked in wet newspaper in England. They use the same technique.
Sweetcorn cooked in the husk is the same. This is one of those classic
techniques which works almost whatever you use.
Be careful to judge when it is done, and don’t burn it up…
In survival cooking you do not need to consider the heat of
the fire or the weight of the food being cooked. God gave you a nose and a
memory. Try using them.
On the whole, if it smells cooked, it is. So try it. If you
are right, you have learned how to judge when it is done. Congratulations. Now
you are a cook.
If it’s not ready, try again and see if you can work out how
much longer it needs. The only way to judge is from experience.
wife goes made as she hates them so I decided to make some dandelion flower
vinegar.
heads
full of dandelions.
shook the water off and put them into the sealable jar and I covered them in
good quality cider vinegar then sealed the jar and put it into the cupboard
under the sink.
attack in after about a week.
with a homemade vinegar and oil dressing
Dressing Ingredients:
wash in at least two sinks of water, and then cut off the root and put the (now
separated) dandelion greens in a clean bowl. Be sure to include the buds (which
have not flowered) — they’re tasty!
tightly sealing lid. Shake until sugar is dissolved.
stirring). Pour dressing over greens and toss to coat. Serve into bowls and add
optional toppings if desired.
appeared. Using a large flat-head screw driver (or similar object), cut the
root of the dandelion to release the plant.
English of drinks.
then place in a large bowl.
boil, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
lemons off in wide strips and toss into the bowl with the elderflowers. Slice
the lemons, discard the ends, and add the slices to the bowl. Pour over the
boiling syrup, and then stir in the citric acid. Cover with a cloth and then
leave at room temperature for 24 hours.
muslin (or a new j-cloth rinsed out in boiling water), and pour into thoroughly
cleaned glass or plastic bottles. Screw on the lids and pop into the cupboard
ready to use.
What You Can Eat in the Wild
which are safe to eat and will help to keep you nourished when faced with a
survival situation.
a welcoming hot drink (if you’re not in a survival situation and want a natural
snack, the flower itself can be dipped in batter and made into a fritter).
substitute for your ‘greens’ and of course, there’s nettle tea! The roots of
the burdock plant can be boiled and then eaten like potatoes and pitted rose
hips are packed with vitamin C.
blueberries and strawberries. However, be absolutely sure you know what you are
eating before putting it in your mouth and also remember that some wild plants
need to be cooked before they are safe to eat.
the Wild
identify. However, there are a few clues as to the kinds of things you should
definitely steer clear of.
suspicion and unless you are highly knowledgeable about mushrooms and fungi,
you should keep away from them as, although you can eat many fungi, some of
them are deadly.
have yellow or white berries or a milky sap (except dandelions) are also highly
‘suspicious’ and should be avoided. And if a plant gives off a pungent odour,
you’re better off leaving it alone.
Tips
is eating a particular plant or berry, then it must be safe for humans.
patch of plants that are edible that all the plants you gather are the same
species, as there may be similar looking plants growing in the same area but
which are highly dangerous.
make them safe as some plants are still harmful if you eat them raw.
test on a particular plant if you cannot identify it.
small portion of the plant on your skin to see if it causes an allergic
reaction, then on your lips and tongue etc. but it is a painstaking, lengthy
process and doesn’t offer a 100% guarantee as to the plant’s safety and should
only ever be used in an absolute emergency.
how to conduct a plant edibility test but you should treat these with some
caution.
question is by doing your research in order to be confident about what is
edible and what isn’t.
food, the chances are that, in a survival situation, you’re not going to have
the right types of food or cooking utensils to make it much of a pleasurable
experience….or, so you might think!
using natural means and to prepare it correctly will often give you an even
greater sense of achievement and will boost your morale even further which is
important, in addition to providing you with the nutrients which will help you
to survive.
eaten raw, you need to ensure that you cook all the food which you’ve harvested
thoroughly to make sure it’s free from parasites and you should check that
there are no visible signs of disease or abnormalities.
cooked but highly toxic if eaten raw.
Cooking
which can be placed upon or over an open fire. You need to gather some small
rocks or stones which won’t shatter or crumble and heat them in the fire for
about 2 hours.
rocks in the fire when the others have been removed to help with the continual
cooking.
put them into your container of water which will then begin to boil.
container to cook it. You need to ensure that you’ve got more rocks to add if
you want the pot (or whatever your container is made from) to keep boiling.
gutted, skinned and cleaned small animal or fish which you can then suspend
over the heat turning it regularly. To ensure its cooked through, it’s better
to do this over coals or some other type of low intensity burning material as
opposed to over open flame.
need to dig a pit or hole in the ground and line the bottom of it with rocks.
Then, build a fire on top of the rocks and let that burn for a couple of hours
until the rocks beneath are red hot. Then scrape out the remainder of the fire
and place some non-poisonous grasses about 7 or 8 inches deep on top of the
rocks.
grasses. Wrapping the food in large leaves first is often a good idea if you
want to seal in the juices from your food.
or similar material and some earth. After a couple of hours, just remove the
earth, bark and grasses, not forgetting they’ll be hot and your food will taste
delicious and it’s a method that also helps to retain the food’s natural
juices.
once again heat the rocks in the fire and, once removed, you can use them
almost like a frying pan.
baking but for a quicker solution to cooking things more slowly, use a rock or
slab of wood as a reflector by propping it at about a 45 degree angle from the
fire.
to turn the food over to ensure its evenly cooked.
going to be a fantastic morale booster and the gathering of the food and its
preparation is all part of that. Not only will it help pass the time of day and
keep your mind occupied, it will sustain you and give you energy for the days
ahead, should a rescue or escape not be immediate.
a survival situation, but it can happen to anyone and the importance of knowing
the plants and berries that you can safely eat to sustain you, cannot be
emphasised enough.
natural environment, there are also plants and berries which if eaten, can
cause you severe stomach upsets at best and at worst, can kill you.
enough and if you can’t identify it, then the advice is to leave it alone and
not to risk eating it. Therefore, if you’re out in the woods, it’s useful to
have a basic knowledge of the vegetation that grows in a specific area you’re
visiting and know how to identify which plants are safe and which are toxic.
stranded for some time without food but it’s important to remember that you can
actually survive for a few weeks without food as long as you have enough water
to sustain you.
berries might be, you should never eat any wild vegetation unless you are 100%
sure you can identify it.
dreadful. You wake up still bleary-eyed and exhausted. After knocking back some
coffee as quickly as you can, it’s time for the struggle to get the kids up and
moving.
for school, while simultaneously attempting to get at least half-put together
for work.
sun is shining softly through the trees, the birds are chirping gleefully, and
you couldn’t be more awake or refreshed; somehow, even the old-fashioned
percolated coffee tastes better.
even have time to cook up a tasty campsite breakfast for everyone.
start the day, and easy enough to make that they won’t get frustrating or take
all morning.
frying up the bacon to create a breakfast very much worth devouring – and
remembering.
small pieces and cook in sausage drippings. Drain. Beat eggs and milk together
and add to potatoes. When almost cooked, add sausage and cheese. Ready when
cheese is melted.
Paper Bag
Crack egg and put in bag on top of the bacon. Fold top of bag down securely.
Poke a hole through the top of the bag for the stick.
till cooked.
guidelines and a little information about Game.
caught for food.
the main source of meat for many being wild and more importantly, free. Today
many animals and birds, which were once wild, are now raised on farms including
quail, deer and rabbit.
types; feathered and furred.
12th August, known as the Glorious 12th, and runs through to late February;
furred game from August 1st until late April. Dates vary throughout the UK and
Ireland for different types of Game and precise details can be found on the
Shooting UK website.
instructions but if you want to know more about where your meat came from then
it is best to go to a specialist game dealer.
tell you where and when the bird or animal was shot and advise on cooking
methods.
determine the cooking method. Young birds can be roasted whereas older birds
are better suited to a casserole or pie.
brace of birds, young birds if un plucked will have smooth legs, and the beak
and feet will still be pliable.
whereas farmed game is not subject to the seasons and can often be bought
year-round. Farmed game is tenderer and less gamey in flavour than from the
wild; which you choose is down to personal preference.
dry and tough and the way to counteract this is to hang them.
tenderizes the meat and allows flavour to develop.
used to be waiting until the head and tail feathers fell off, or maggots
appeared in the gut is no longer used – thank goodness.
by the smell. A high bird will smell powerfully gamey; a bird that is rotten
smells bad, as any meat that has gone off.
wildfowl including geese by the feet. This helps the meat to mature slowly and
retain moisture – very important to avoid the game being dry when cooked.
often game butchers will offer a deal on locally shot game, my local butcher
has an offer of 10 oven ready pheasants for only £20.
not tried it to do so this year, you will not regret it.
– be careful not to cut through the skin!
the fire until the egg is cooked.
internal contents except for the remaining three outer layers. Break egg into
shell and place on embers. When cooked eat the onion container
layer.
Crack the egg into the hole, put the top
the potato is cooked.
both halves, break egg into it, replace top and spike in place with sharpened
match stick, bake in embers for about 15 minutes.
place it in the embers of the fire. When it
place a piece of cheese or butter on top.
containers: orange peels, hollowed-out
leaves.
sausage, carrot, tomato, peppers, and
turning occasionally. Eat when the meat is
thin green stick and roasted slowly over
green stick add onion, mushrooms,
frequently
place more onions on top. Wrap up
green sticks. Place in embers for about 7
replacing the glucose stores depleted each night and for providing the body
with the nutrients it needs for jump-starting the day.
sugar levels, fatigue, poor concentration, irritability and lethargy — can
manifest themselves throughout the day, making hiking a miserable experience.
calories a day and have to consume between 2 and 3 lbs. of energy-dense food
each day to meet their energy requirements.
backpacker’s biggest meal, accounting for 25 per cent of the day’s required
calories and nutrients.
protein, fats and complex carbohydrates can provide a backpacker with the
energy needed for a successful hike without the blood sugar crash that accompanies
the consumption of simple sugars.
fuel for muscles. Calorie- and nutrient-dense, fats are typically a
lightweight, trail-friendly food that provides the body with a reliable source
for long-term energy.
meats, butter and cheese. Roughly 35 to 40 per cent of the calories in a
backpacker’s breakfast should come from fat.
strenuous treks or those in colder climates.
whole grains, cereals, fruits and vegetables that contain glucose. As the
body’s main source of energy, glucose provides an immediate supply of energy
that replenishes glucose stores and jump-starts the body.
per cent of a breakfast’s calories should come from complex carbohydrates. As
the brain’s sole source of energy, glucose is also important for maintaining
mental focus and boosting mood.
stabilize the body’s blood glucose levels and prevent fatigue and hypoglycaemia
during a morning hike.
immediate source of energy, protein provides the body with longer-lasting
energy stores. Since proteins take longer to digest then carbohydrates, they
can stop hunger throughout the morning and provide the body with a sustained
energy source.
carbohydrates, they should only make up 10 to 15 per cent of a trail breakfast.
whole grains and meats are healthy, trail-friendly protein choices.
bulk to be food. However, unlike fresh ingredients, dehydrated, freeze-dried
and powdered foods do not spoil and can cut down on weight and bulk.
weight, preparation and energy requirements.
common trail-friendly breakfasts since they are calorie-and nutrient-dense,
easy to pack, and quick to cook.
energy, unless they are contain large amounts of refined carbohydrates.
survival food list including the type and quantity of food items to have on
hand.
it’s no longer limited to canned goods and military style meals-ready-to-eat
(MRE’s) either.
your home makes you better prepared for: income loss, economic crisis, civil
unrest, flu pandemic, hurricane, loss of power, interruption in the food
supply, terrorist attack or any other situation in which buying food from usual
sources becomes untenable.
closet or small basement room if available, and begin stocking it today. The
area should be clean, dry, free of pests, and cool with low humidity.
makes room for more items. Never store foods in a garage or attic, as these
areas of the home typically see very high temperatures in the summer.
it’s still easy and relatively inexpensive. You never know when your life will
depend on this foresight.
that make good survival food stashes.
nutritious and palatable survival foods is freeze dried foods, often stored in
sealed cans and foil pouches.
choices for camping and hiking as well as long-term food storage for survival.
essential element to any home food storage. You just rotate the grains and use
them in your regular cooking and baking every week.
grains to your survival food list, be sure to store them properly in sealed
food quality containers, such as plastic buckets with tight-fitting lids and
oxygen absorbers.
mill, which you can buy online
freeze dried, are also a good choice for home food storage. Beef jerky, and
dried fruits and vegetables add variety to the diet and can be used as treats.
throughout the year. After all, the goal is to store what you eat and eat what
you store.
rotated and used and replaced throughout the year.
survival food list.
hand pump in case of emergency, is obviously ideal. But for most people, Water
Filters, Purifiers and Storage containers will be necessary to ensure clean
water in case of a power outage or other long-term emergency.
foods are one of the best ways to prepare for unknown emergencies with foods
that will be edible and not cause digestive problems.
dried options, there are many “regular” foods, from rice pasta to steel
cut oats to dried fruit, that are without gluten and non-perishable so that
they store well.
food storage with a variety of dry goods, freeze dried entrees and other food
items are a physical insurance policy against many emergencies and
catastrophes.
earth and, except during winter, are the first foods anyone should turn to for
sustenance upon becoming lost or stranded.
quantities, but they are highly nutritious, being rich in fats, proteins, and
carbohydrates.
should avoid them.
the nip in the air has caused them to go into torpor. Crickets, beetles, and
grubs can be found under rocks.
loose bark, in decaying stumps, and inside seed pods. Earth mounds often betray
insect activity underneath.
use a digging stick. Another excellent tool for insect collection is a seine,
which you can jury-rig by tying your shirt or handkerchief between two poles.
aquatic insects.
1,400 edible insects to choose from. If you’re from the United States, Europe
or Canada, you may think that eating a bug is something reserved for bets,
dares and reality TV shows.
All over Asia, Africa, Australia, Central and South America, people eat insects.
groans from hunger. Foraging on plants or berries isn’t an option because you
don’t know what’s safe to eat. Instead, you hunt.
rabbit. Now, the only thing that matters is getting that sustenance into your
body fast. Building a fire and cooking could take more than an hour, so you
contemplate eating it raw.
civilization don’t apply.
to maximize your chance of survival, I recommend cooking all wild game and
freshwater fish because of the threat of bacteria or parasites.
Fahrenheit (4 and 60 degrees Celsius). That’s why you should cook meat until
the internal temperature measures at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees
Celsius) to effectively break down the bacteria cells and prevent them from
reproducing.
Eskimos and other indigenous groups survived eating raw fish meat over the
years? And what about eating raw fish in dishes such as sushi?
meat.
kill parasites and bacteria.
higher concentration of salt exists outside of the bacteria cells than inside
those cells.
content through osmosis. When they lose that water, they shrivel up and die. In
addition, when Eskimos eat raw whale and seal meat fresh, it hasn’t had time to
breed more bacteria.
Celsius) also stop bacteria reproduction. Sushi-grade fish, called sashimi,
that people commonly eat raw has been frozen before use to help destroy any
remaining bacteria.
recommend heating all saltwater fish to more than 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60
degrees Celsius).
comfort item as well.
dwindle. There will be several
opportunities to find food after the supermarkets close you just need to know
where to look and what tools to have.
you only so far. If you read Meriwether
Lewis’s journals from their Finding Food after TEOTWAWKI exploration; the men
still felt hungry although they were eating several pounds of meat per
day.
lacks everything except protein for your body’s survival.
by planning to do so. I intend to bug-in and therefore I will not need to eat
the above, well the bugs anyway.
enjoy doing them and I have learned how to deal with what I shoot or catch in
getting it ready to eat.
suggest the more people who decide that they will bug-out, the more that I
think will end up eating bugs.
you and your family for a long term SHTF situation then, if bugging out, how
will you transport this food and supplies to your bug-out location?
think that you will be able to do it, OK you can reader, but I do not think
that everyone can.
actually loaded up the kids, the pets, the survival kit, weapons, ammo,
clothing, shelter, water, food and everything else you have bought for your
families survival and driven anywhere, NO, I thought not.
not practiced doing it how the hell will you manage when SHTF?
there are two main species in UK – the native white-clawed crayfish and the
non-native American signal crayfish, which was introduced to Britain in the
1970s via crayfish farms, and subsequently escaped.
they are not very widespread. They are called signal crayfish because the
underside of their claws is bright red, making them easy to identify.
If you’re not sure whether what you’re looking at is a signal crayfish or a
native crayfish, look for the red claws – a sure sign that you’re looking at a
signal crayfish.
crayfish. The native crayfish is now becoming rare and it is illegal to touch.
must be killed, it is illegal to return it whatever its size.
carnivorous, eating mainly dead creatures, but they can decimate natural and
stocked fish numbers by eating their eggs.
new waterways, and is now widespread throughout Britain.
of eating Crayfish?
from an environmental perspective (unless we deplete the resource – but this
isn’t an issue here, as we’ll see later).
fertilisers, hormones or genetic modification – in fact, no ecological
interference at all.
American crayfish is causing problems for both the native crayfish and for
British Waterways. Signal crayfish outcompete native crayfish because they are
bigger, their eggs hatch earlier in the year, females lay up to 500 eggs (the
native crayfish lays around 200), and they are less fussy about what they eat.
crayfish plague) that kills the native crayfish (it’s not at all harmful to
humans though).
streams to build their homes, causing erosion of the river banks.
– see the DEFRA website – in case they escape into the wild. If you’re thinking
of farming crayfish, ponds now have to be indoors and escape-proof.
assume that you’re not going to keep them, you’re just going to catch them from
the wild.
bodies of water temporarily, as they could escape and colonise an area that
doesn’t have them, it is also illegal to do so.
you can do depends on local circumstances – especially if there are native
crayfish in your area.
circumstances, or you can get a crayfish trapping advice pack from the National
Fisheries Laboratory on 01480 483968.
Environment Agency tags on your trap for it to be legal.
allowed to catch crayfish for food, they will be sold to the restaurant trade,
and because there is money to be made, some people might ‘seed’ rivers and
streams that don’t have signal crayfish, so that they can be harvested in the
future.
crayfish, but to trap them just for their own consumption.
your area, you can make your own trap. You can make a cylinder with chicken
wire, up to a metre long, and bend the ends over to form a cone that crayfish
can climb into but not out of.
winter, they will be hibernating in the river banks.
because if there are otters in the area, they could get caught.
fish-head), plus a brick to weigh it down, then put it into a stream you
suspect has crayfish.
go, and don’t leave a trap in a watercourse for more than 24 hours, in case
something other than a crayfish gets trapped in it.
catch small signal crayfish, don’t put them back (in fact it is illegal to put
them back, once caught as I have said). Signal crayfish are cannibals, and if
you remove only big ones, there will be nothing to keep the numbers of small
ones down.
signal crayfish on sight.
pincers), and keep them in tubs of tap water for a couple of days to purge them
of any food in their intestines.
instantly.
leave in the water for another 2 minutes. They turn pink when they are cooked,
and look like mini-lobsters (which they are).
then grab the end of the flesh sticking out of the tail casing and pull.
Sometimes there will be pink eggs – you can eat those too.
a rinse to get rid of all traces of intestines and food.
the back of a knife to crack them open. Grab the end of the flesh and pull it
out of the claw.
of sauces. It looks and tastes a bit like prawn. There are plenty of recipes
out there.
crayfish. If the crayfish are present in that stretch of water, you can easily
catch 10 in a trap each time.
will be surprised at their number and ease of catching and how nice they taste.
like me, cut it into serving pieces, which to me in the field means small
enough to fit into the pan or pot and remember the smaller the quicker it will cook
the rabbit pieces in the seasoned flour, and then brown on all sides in the
oil.
minutes. Adjust seasoning and get stuck in
cooking at home
a tree at the edge of a clump of trees a while ago.
removed it from the pan, then I browned the birds and removed them from pan,
then I fried onions and garlic and when soft (but not brown) I put back the
bacon and birds
put lid on and braised it till it was tender, then I removed the birds and
added a shot of port and a spoon of red currant jelly.
with butter, and poured over birds and had them with game chips.
as it is lean, tasty and without medicated levels of growth hormones and
anti-biotics etc.
butchers have to be honest always carried it.
some form of game on a regular basis as if we have bugged out what else will
there be to eat anyway.
flavour making it a great alternative to beef, pork, lamb and chicken.
in protein, Game is one of the healthiest meats available today.
venison, with its brilliant taste and extra lean meat, is perfect for anyone on
a low fat diet.
chefs alike, supplies are becoming widely available, so keep a look out for the
tempting selection of ready-to-cook game at your local butcher or in the
supermarket.
frozen meat is available for all year round convenience so favourite recipes
can be stored in the freezer for future use.
the oven and serve with Game chips but with the availability of handy ready to
cook portions they are just as good in casseroles, pies, pates, soups and
sausages.
minced venison for a burger with a difference. Low fat venison sausages make a
convenient and great tasting mid-week meal (the children will love them) and
for a curry with a twist, try a homemade Pheasant Korma.
than older ones, and are best roasted or grilled. Older birds are better cooked slowly such as
casseroling or braising.
young birds need only quick roasting and benefits from covering with a layer of
streaky bacon or regular basting during cooking.
braises or casseroles or even in a curry.
meat and can be substituted for beef in most recipes. The most popular cuts are
from the back: saddle, loin and fillet.
needs careful cooking so fast, hot cooking is the trick for roasting and
venison is best served pink.
braised or stewed slowly to ensure tender, falling apart meat.
spatchcock and grill. As with most game, a smother of butter or streaky bacon
ensures moist meat and be careful not to overcook – half an hour roasting is
usually fine.
casseroles and stews. It can be substituted for chicken (though has less fat).
during cooking. Pale game such as pheasant or partridge tends to be served well
done, but grouse, venison, hare and wild duck are often served pink.
which is achieved predominantly though their diet – a mixed, free range diet of
natural grasses, insects, berries and grains will result in a much more
developed flavour than a diet of just grass or grain.
and “gamier”. Wild birds and animals also naturally exercise lots, which
results in lean muscle and a denser textured meat which is a common
characteristic of game.
couple of processes to help bring out the flavour.
allows the flavour to develop. The shorter the hanging time the milder the
flavour.
like strongly flavoured meat so it is usually hung for days rather than weeks,
ranging from about 2 days for rabbit up to 12 days for venison.
are pigeon and wild duck which do not require hanging.
process. All meat benefits from aging,
even just a little. This process has two important effects it causes more
collagen to dissolve during cooking; making the meat tenderer to eat and
reduces the pressure that the connective tissue exerts during heating which
means the meat loses less moisture during cooking.
bought frozen at any time.
frozen game – stocking up your freezer with game during the season is a
wonderful way of enjoying game out of season.
bag – try to extract as much air as possible.
room temperature or in a fridge.
heavy duty aluminium foil.
hamburger patty in the middle, top with sliced or diced potatoes, carrots,
onion, a dab of butter, salt and pepper. You can add other ingredients like
mushrooms, peas, green peppers and preferred seasonings.
instead of the butter, if you’d like.
Cut the bacon piece in half and lay on top of your vegetables.
ingredients.
if you like.
campfire and cook 15 to 20 minutes, then turn and cook another 15 to 20
minutes. The cooking time will vary
depending on the quantity of food you put in your Foil Meal and how hot the
coals are.
other campfire tools to assist with turning and removing your meal from the hot
coals.
right out of the foil, or place on a heat proof plate. Easy clean up!
omelette
will you will need:
to add to your Omelet:
(bacon, sausage, ham)
Salt and pepper, or
seasoning of your choice
squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible and zip it shut.
then add the bag into the boiling water for about 13 to 15 minutes. Job done
enjoy.
water ways. It is not considered very tasty, and laws prevent coarse fishermen
killing more than two a day.
a delicacy, it is a prized catch. And immigrants are catching them illegally –
on a massive scale.
throwing them back in the water when they can be taken home and eaten instead.
has now set up anti-poaching patrols to give the fish some much-needed
protection.
freshwater coarse fish a day using a rod and line, and need a fishing licence
to do so.
of fish is illegal and can result in fines of up to £2,500.
arrived from Poland and other Eastern European countries.
canals, walking along the bank and taking fish from entire stretches of water.
problem] has arisen because a lot of eastern Europeans do not fish for
pleasure, but for the table.”
can be done and there is a fear people will take things into their own
hands.”
would toe the line. It is a matter of education.”
all over the country since the influx of east European migrants. I mean back
home if they want to eat fish they simply go and catch it.
are different and netting is illegal they are catching fish to eat because it
is cheap and it is what they are used to doing back home.
distance to the sea) I cannot disagree with the Eastern European mentality, of
course I disagree with using nets and spear guns etc. but on single hook rod
and line fishing on rivers and not commercial waters why not, after all fish is
fish, is it not?
great and you could not get any fresher.
variety is fantastic there are even some tropical fish for sale all covered in
ice and looking very good.
fresh at all, it is actually decaying before your very eyes.
not smell of fish at all, it really does not have a smell, well in the case of
sea fish there is a fresh sea whiff but it does not smell of fish at all.
caught fish eaten within hours of catching it? I think you will agree that the
answer is quite simple.
taste great especially the predator of perch, pike, zander and trout, yes the
trout and salmon are predators, in fact being honest most fish are.
other bottom feeders can taste very muddy unless purged in running fresh water
for at least five days anyway.
dinner.
start of the WW11 was produced at home.
merchant vessels, preventing vital supplies – including fruit, sugar, cereals
and meat – from reaching the UK. Because of this, and to ensure fair
distribution of supplies, the Ministry of Food issued ration books to every
person, and families had to register at one shop.
butter and sugar. Rations were distributed by weight, monetary value or points.
and bacon (about four rashers); 2oz butter and tea; 1oz cheese; and 8oz sugar.
pooled or saved to buy pulses, cereals, tinned goods, dried fruit, biscuits and
jam.
encouraged self-sufficiency, and allotment numbers rose from 815,000 to 1.4
million.
vegetables were grown anywhere that could be cultivated.
was a criminal offence. As sugar was in short supply, sweets were rationed from
July 1942 to February 1953.
four months, as demand far outstripped supply.
improved. People were encouraged to eat protein, carbohydrates, pulses and
fruit and vegetables.
additional nutrients such as milk, orange juice and cod liver oil.
including alcohol and cigarettes, weren’t officially rationed but were limited
and expensive as factories focused on the war effort.
grocer, who reserved extras for favoured customers. From September 1939, petrol
was only available for business or essential purposes.
became utilitarian: pleats and turn-ups disappeared from trousers and garments
were plain.
stockings.
1/2 lb minced beef)
every 4 weeks
limited your purchase of tinned or imported goods. 16 points were available in
your ration book for every 4 weeks and that 16 points would enable you to
purchase for instance, 1 can of tinned fish or 2lbs of dried fruit or 8 lbs of
split peas.
and make do and mend.
fed a nation then they will feed a nation now
flour (UK)- 5 tbls (US) – 60 ml (Europe)
to make a nice thick batter
lower the heat a little
mixture to make a medium sized pancake
authentic)
then add water (about a 1000 ml)
dried herbs like thyme to your own taste
minutes
and butter.
survive on these basic but workable rations. To me I think it would be well
worth experimenting with this idea because after all, our whole nation survived
a world war eating nothing else.
many ways more healthy and I feel that at least we would shed those love
handles if nothing else, secondly our prepping cost would be reduced and easier
to store, as they would live in the ground until they were needed in many
cases.
as high fat food would be denied to us. Please note also that there would be no
junk food either and that most of our diet would actually be good for us which
would make a change.
end of rationing in the 1950s and the shift to a society of plenty.
round the clock – cheaper, poor quality, bigger portions – a situation where
food is ubiquitous.
limitless.
eat. Our strongest instincts tell us to eat.
Ration Packs (About £10+ along with postage!) and I decided to opt for making
my own for my bug out bag.
these are current prices. I would recommend using a vacuum sealer or Mylar bags
with o2 absorbers to make these feasible, otherwise the shelf life I predict is
probably not going to be reached due to the nature of some of the items.
Calories, then price!
calories!
and chocolate drops which I would also chuck into the bug out bag, these
contain a staggering 1750 calories for only £0.99 and will last for ages in the
vacuum seal!
normal British Army one weighs 1750g and also its technically not an MRE as it
requires water and minimal heating, but I have both of those in my BOB so
nothing to worry about really!
meals even cheaper for now, however it would make long term sense to obtain my
own at some point.
as I experiment further that it will develop and become more season friendly
with both a range of hot and cold meals.
just about any fowl that may have a strong flavour.
decide to grill and soak them from 2 hours to overnight in salt water then
thoroughly rinse and dry the breasts.
dressing and put enough to coat the bottom of a container you can put a lid on
and put a layer of breasts, a layer of dressing, and keep layering till all the
breasts are in the container.
overnight. The next day they will be tender and tasty.
browned, place them in a casserole dish on 1/2 inch layer of sauerkraut. Lay a
1/2 strip of bacon on each 1/2 breast and sprinkle the onion on them.
another layer of sauerkraut and some of the juice. Bake at 350 degrees for 2
hours. Makes 2 servings.
foil
perpendicular to the spine. Make this cut go all the way around its body to
where the skin is cut into two pieces, a top piece that includes the head and
front legs, and a piece that includes the tail and the back two legs. Pull skin
toward the head and tail to remove it from the body. Once the skin is pulled to
each end, cut behind skin to remove the head, tail and feet, as well as all
skin.
to the top, and cut the thin layer of the abdomen down the middle. Stick your
fingers through the opening in the breastbone to the back of the lungs and
heart, and grab them and pull them out and down towards the back legs. Work in
this way to get all of the organs out. Be careful to not puncture any organs
because any organ fluid will get germs on the meat. Rinse entire squirrel with
water to get hair, blood and all other germs off of the squirrel.
in middle of foil and cover with BBQ sauce and chopped up potato. Then add the
salt, pepper, creole seasoning, and garlic powder to taste.
piece of foil and double wrap it to prevent juice leaking.
direct contact with flames. Cook it this way for 40 minutes, turning it with
tongs every 10 minutes.
to 5 minutes before unwrapping it.
all survivalists and preppers have at some time fished for food and you know
just sitting by the water watching nature serves to remind us of the old saying
that “a bad days fishing is always better than a good days work”.
adrenalin rises as the fish breaks the surface of the water, its scales
shimmering in the sunlight. The long fight as you play the fish and take in the
line, and finally the sense of satisfaction tinged with a hint of sadness as
you place the lifeless fish into your game bag.
survival situation, and the traditional rod and line method is quite possibly
the least certain to put food on the table.
hunter gatherers have used a variety of methods to catch fish, everything from
tickling Trout to using Dynamite have been used to good effect.
the UK, and Dynamite fishing is frowned upon almost everywhere.
learning how to catch fish using unconventional methods could be a lifesaver in
a survival situation.
humanely and swiftly as possible. This can be achieved by giving it a sharp
blow just behind the head using a priest, (A priest is a stout stick used to
administer the last rights).
holding the fish in your left hand (If you are right handed) with the fishes
belly facing up and its head away from you.
carefully cut up the body from the anus to a point between the pectoral fins.
Using two fingers scoop the entrails out of the body cavity and pull firmly.
campsite, because they will start to stink very quickly and may attract vermin.
I prefer to burn them in the fire when possible.
results.
other nontoxic wood such as Willow, this should be approximately the thickness
of your middle finger. Cut it to a length of 3 feet and use a knife to remove
the bark from the thinnest end for a distance of 12 inches.
of the stick. Next select two 8 inch long 1/8” thick sections of Hazel. Remove
the bark from both these will be the skewers that prevent the fish from turning
on the spit.
the tip of a knife split the thickest piece of hazel down the centre, but not
all the way to the end of the shaft. Twisting slightly will open up the cut. If
you do accidentally split the wood all the way to the end don’t worry, this can
be tied up using string or a piece of bark later.
split, they should be firm but not too difficult to insert. If the skewers are
difficult to insert open the split up slightly using the tip of a knife.
spit into the body cavity of the fish and push it out through the mouth of the
fish, a real test for some students I have known.
the sides of the fish and insert the first skewer through the side of the fish,
it then goes through the split and out through the other side of the fish. Try
to get it through the meatiest parts of the body or it may start to rip as the
fish cooks.
both skewers in place the fish should be well secured to the spit. You can also
tie the tail to the spit using strips of bark or string.
to prevent burning. By inserting the thick end of the spit into the ground you
don’t have to hold it constantly. Once the fish is cooked to your liking remove
the skewers and eat it…
herbs such as Ramsons (wild Garlic) or fennel. Use a piece of natural string or
bark to secure it.
most pleasant ways of cooking in the outdoors. Using this method is more secure
than simply sticking a stick through the fish and hoping for the best. It can
also be used for cooking Rabbits and other small game animals.
way will take proportionally longer as firstly the bones will need to be heated
up before the heat can then permeate outwards to cook the meat.
looking exterior is not proof of a cooked animal.
farmers reduce the size of their herds due to the soaring price of feed.
afford to feed their animals, according to the National Pig Association.
cost of a fry up set to soar I fear.
failure in the grain crop used for animal feed, pushing up the price.
stock will shrink by more than eight per cent by Christmas.
of pigs very soon and that will lead to spiralling prices.’
pay Britain’s pig farmers or risk empty spaces on their shelves next year,’ he
said.
each is waiting for the other to move first.’
to make a point of selecting pork and bacon with the British independent Red
Tractor logo, as it claims an increase in demand for British product now may
help persuade supermarkets to act before it is ‘too late’.
of its pig farmer suppliers and NPA said it welcomed this gesture.
they want to protect their customers from shortages and high prices next year.
of British and mainland Europe retailers at a Brussels summit that a fall of
only 2 per cent in slaughtering’s next year will cause prices to rise by 10 per
cent.
bacon instead of foreign alternatives.
lets save OUR BACON and Buy British
at around 25p each meal but to also to be filling and more importantly tasty.
much lentils as you like and bring to the boil once cooked then add the
cup-a-soup and instantly your meal is ready to eat.
fantastic and very cheap and very filling too.
they are already cooked and just need heating up.
cup-a-soups flavours, or use garlic salt, spices or curry powder, dried onions
or even fresh or dried peppers.
into the zip lock bag along with a half-a-cup of lentils and then fill the bag
with the pasta.
can use Pot Noodles; Pasta sauce mixes etc. to flavour your survival meal.
day.
bring it to the boil and let it boil for 10 minutes when the pasta is cooked
then add the cup-a-soup and stir then simply serve.
they will be cooked enough to eat
and the fact that they are chewy allows for a different texture to the meal
anyway.
natural foods foraged from your surroundings.
take have enough pre-mixed bannock recipe for at least one meal each day.
nuts and seeds, cheeses, meats, fish and a variety of spices.
containing bannock can satisfy even the most discriminating palate.
will elevate your mood and fill your stomach. There is nothing quite like the
sight and smell of fresh bannock cooking over an open fire at the end of a hard
day surviving in the wilderness.
prospectors, soldiers, and trappers for centuries.
in the outdoors, bannocks legendary reputation continues as one of the best
survival foods you can bring into the wilderness.
proteins of pemmican, jerky, the arctic survival ration, and other meats. It
can be used as a hearty stand-alone food or combined with foraged wild edibles
such as berries, fruits, and meats.
a fire and a stick though it can also be baked or fried. Names for bannock
include bushbread, trail bread, grease bread and galette.
believe bannock was first made by the Scotts from the same oat flour that gave
their horses great strength and endurance.
bannock those who became explorers and mountain men in the new world introduced
the bannock recipe to the Native Americans and other outdoorsmen who lived in
the wilderness.
nearly any kind and water. Kneaded into a dough and wrapped around a green
stick, this most basic bannock cooks into a fine tasting bread that can be
eaten alone or used as a basis for a full course meal.
your mouth water and give you the impetus to try your hand at making your own
the image of mountain men from a bygone era cooking over an open fire.
evenly distributed throughout. Sometimes I will melt the butter before adding
it to the mixture. Then slowly add water while mixing until a dough ball is
formed.
a green stick. Try to keep the thickness of the dough about ½ inch.
occasionally until it turns a golden brown. You will hear the butter sizzling
and your stomach rumble as the bannock cooks.
Recipe
the bannock a delicious meal of itself and makes me hungry just thinking about
it. It can be cooked over an open fire on a green stick or formed into a loaf
and baked and makes a 3-day supply:
pieces and flatten into rounds about ½ inch thick. Fry to a golden brown in the
oil of your choice.
cob (I buy the small ones) or if they are growing nearby at this time of year,
nudge, nudge, wink, wink
easiest)
once over. Place the corn on the foil. Place a pat of butter on the corn and
season with desired seasonings. I like to add the garlic salt or black pepper.
when done. Place on the grill or directly in the fire.
buttery taste. It’s so easy and you just pack the foil away when done.
see!
until almost burnt. Add chopped onion and cabbage and stir until cabbage is
wilted.
water is gone and cabbage is desired tenderness. If need be, more water can be
added. Add seasoning to taste.
overw
beans and nothing else because you run out of money.
plane to survive on that, just write down the meals you normally have each week
or month
household and here are some of our favourite foods and some meals that I make
every week or two.
bread, parmesan cheese.
and mashed potatoes
chicken, rice or chips
mashed potatoes or rice
potatoes and veg
cheese casserole
Apples, Rice
potatoes and veg
like – making beef burgundy instead of stroganoff.
casserole instead of sweet and sour chicken.
You get the idea.
meats but made in a different way in case we tire of the same meal every 2
weeks. I may make chilli mince instead
of beef burgers in the winter Mexican lasagne is also an alternative.
soup, spaghetti marinara, red beans and rice, or just a good salad. The ideas are endless.
recipes. Most recipes can be converted
to food storage recipes.
chicken, medium or rare steaks, and the like will be hard to get or make in
post collapse because they require fresh meats and we are not going to have
those things at that time.
and then you can have the deep fried chicken or rabbit. I can raise rabbits but not chickens where I
live so I will not get much fresh chicken post collapse.
yogurt, yogurt cheese, cottage cheese, and fresh farmer’s style cheese from
powdered milk.
the first year and have some canned cheeses and powdered cheddar cheese for
that first year as well. All these
things I will cover later. Now let’s make a menu for 7 breakfasts:
syrup and dried reconstituted fruit.
and toast with Orange Drink
toast
omelette with toast
apples and brown sugar and cinnamon
and Orange drink
with Orange drink
if you have one and you should have a rocket stove or propane burner to
hopefully fill in on bad weather days.
eat anyway.) Leftovers will need to be
eaten up in the evening because of poor or no refrigeration (if there is power
cuts).
sandwiches
should be eating salads with dried fruit and leftover meats or beans in them.
There are many others. You may
want to make up some beef burgers for a treat or grill some vegetables to serve
with cheese and bread.
ideas. Just start thinking every time
you make a meal for your family, “Could I have made this with food
storage?” You will start thinking
about what you will need to start storing.
a 3.1/2 month supply of once per 2 weeks for that particular meal.
your list, notebook or wherever you will be keeping your info.
month supply take 8 times the amount of
the item needed for that recipe because that will give you the amount you need
to have for cooking it every 2 weeks.
8 cans
tsp.
8 tsp.
8 packets
ingredients and you will have what you need to buy or can or dry your foods for
your food storage.
2 week period so I will need 24 pints of ground beef. I hope this is clear and understandable.
exactly what you want and need as you will have chosen them, their ingredients
will have to change due to perhaps the lack of power or the lack of the
ingredients themselves.
it together if you need help.
Prepping! You are on your way to becoming self-sufficient one step at a time!
know how to field dress it? There are different types of game and just about as
many different ways to dress it.
deer, I will skip the big game part. For our purposes we will stick to birds,
rabbits, and squirrels as that is usually what we have to deal with here in the
UK.
processing their own meals. It seems in our society today we have lost the art
of killing, dressing and processing our own foods.
of you may be thinking, we don’t have a need to do that stuff much anymore.
skill if our hunting ability is to pay off. Your first step is to insure your
animal is dead.
able to cause serious injury, can scratch or bite you. Use caution and kill the
animal before you pick it up.
heavy blow to the head from a club. Or, you can spear it. I prefer to use a
club because it kills instantly and the animal does not suffer.
to eat, I don’t relish the idea of
hurting any animal. But, as survivors we must eat and part of that diet
must be animal proteins and fats. Something must die for us to live.
minutes. You can hang the animals by its back legs if you want and grasp the
skin on a leg.
ankle. You can now pull the skin down, and off, like a glove.
and the head.
small incision. Take the tip of your knife and slowly cut down and then up.
with your hand, using caution not to rupture the bladder (urine). Retain the
heart, liver, and kidneys, if they are not spotted.
are very important to your survival diet. You must find a way to cook them that
will allow you to eat them.
the meats.
skin, and pull them away from each other.
organs just like you did the rabbit.
you will get urine on the meat.
suggest they be plucked. This keeps the skin on the meat, which is full of oils
and fats.
breasts by slicing through the feathers following the back bone all the way
down.
For small birds it is easy to do, but with a goose or a turkey, it may take you
a little time.
cloth if you have any.
recommend in warm weather that your bird be cooked as soon as possible. And no
matter how pretty the picture is of a bird roasting over a fire, make yours
into a soup or stew.
nutrients in the animal.
to drip and burn. While boiling retains them.
is disturbing to some people and it is easily understood.
survival situation, you must learn to prepare your own foods.
the will to survive alive in your head and you too can make it. Learn to live!
each potato with 1 tablespoon of butter, then double wrap in aluminium foil.
Bury the potatoes in the hot coals. Allow to cook for 30 to 60 minutes until
soft simple and tasty.
well, and season to taste.
with foil.
for 25 minutes, then turn can 90° and cook for another 20 minutes (do not peek
at potato).
camping!
people to raise their own source of edible fish, right in their backyard.
eccentric concept, but today it can be a lucrative business. Do you think that
lobster at the seafood restaurant and all that shrimp will just continue to
come from the ocean?
is why we see an increase today in lobster farms or shrimp farms, etc. We are
simply using the vast supply given to us by nature faster than it can reproduce
itself.
fish farming is not what will be covered here. We will be looking at fish
farming for the single family, from the benefits of raising your own supply of
fish to the equipment needed to do so.
whatever form, why would anyone want to go to the trouble of sustaining their
own fish farm?
can be rather pricey, and if fish is a major source of your protein
requirements, then you may want to consider investing in your own continual
supply.
amounts of pesticides. If you raise your own fish properly, they are guaranteed
to be healthier, without additional pollution residues.
fish, but it is monounsaturated so it helps raise good cholesterol (HDL) levels
but not the bad (LDL).
7, a temperature of 55 degrees F, and a high oxygen content. There is simple
equipment that can be used to achieve these ideal conditions.
swimming pool the size of 12 feet across and up to 3 feet high.
make a more permanent concrete structure and coat it with waterproof compound.
filter. An aerator is needed as fish need plenty of oxygen to survive, and
studies have shown that constant aeration can double fish production.
find commercial aerators at a few farm supply stores that carry aquaculture
supplies and set it up in your tank, or you can purchase a submersible spray
fountain.
with gravel or rock. The filter needs to be set up with a hose from a pump
going into the filter at the top, and then a hose or pvc pipe at the bottom for
the water to come out of and drop back into the tank.
check the pH. As stated previously, it should stay at 7. If it becomes too
alkaline (8 or above) add gypsum. If it becomes too acidic (6 or below) add
lime.
but it honestly depends on what type of fish you are farming. The two most
popular types of home farmed fish are carp and trout. Carp do well at
temperatures of 85 degrees while trout thrive at 55 degrees.
because of the difference preferred in water temperature, but because they will
not get along.
tank with aerator and filter and run it for at least 10 days to get the water
in optimum condition for the fish.
hatchery, or someone else you know in the business. The best source for fish
hatcheries near you is Dept. of the environment.
will more than likely be in plastic bags, and, just as you do with indoor
goldfish, set the bags, unopened, in your tank until they reach the same temperature
and then the fish may be released.
scraps. Portions should increase as the fish grow but it is very important not
to overfeed.
desire to harvest them all at once you can drain your tank.
or lightly. It requires commitment and work, but if you’re a fish lover the
rewards are well worth it.
meals can be one of your greatest allies.
take some ingredients, wrap them up in a foil parcel, and place the pouch on a
campfire’s coals to cook.
Mother Nature, and they require no pots and pans, no plates, and no clean up.
tasty and satisfying. So I’m going to cover the basics of foil packet cooking
and provide you with some delicious recipes to try the next time you venture
into the great outdoors.
Tips
ashes get in and your dinner leak out. If you use regular foil, double up on
the sheets.
pack, it’s a good idea to double up even on the heavy duty sheets.
the food with cooking spray before you add your ingredients and seal it up.
put the meat on the bottom as it takes the longest to cook.
itself. Ideally, you want to place the packet on a bed of coals about 2 inches
thick.
time to cook. If you don’t want to wait, use the canned variety.
tomatoes and onions.
kind of food in the packet. I generally err on the side of cooking it too
long-this is the kind of food that you don’t need to be overly delicate with.
food is progressing from time to time.
as it’s full of hot steam!
above spices to taste (with the exception of the paprika). Place the onions on
the foil sheet. Place the fish on top and sprinkle with paprika. Wrap the foil
in a flat pack.
packet. Cook for 15-20 minutes.
go anywhere when you add them. First place your hash brown patty on the foil.
Then place the eggs on top of the hash brown patty. Then place the sausage
patties on top. Season with spices and condiments and wrap up in a tent pack.
when it’s ready (it turns out better than cooking it in the pack).
supplies, keep in mind that in cold weather you will want to conserve energy.
It is very important that you keep your calorie level high as you will probably
burn extra calories trying to keep warm.
require cooking. I know, it seems nice to be able to have a hot meal when it is
cold. I agree. However, when you are cold it may be better to not have to worry
about cooking your food.
enabling you to eat it quickly. The faster you can get nutrients into your body
in a survival situation the faster you can focus on other necessities, like
being rescued or keeping warm.
recommend food items such as trail mix, high calorie food bars and jerky and
other foods that can be stored for a long time and are ready to eat in just a
few seconds.
Get cheap high calorie food bars today and add them to your survival gear
supply. Don’t wait for a disaster; get prepared for winter emergency survival
today.
supplies. Having the right food on-hand in a survival situation can keep you
healthy and strong and keep your morale high.
It should be packaged well so that no rodents or insects can access it as well.
Seeds, Raisins, Canned Foods-Nuts-Powerdered Eggs-Potatoes-Carrots-Powdered
Milk-Pasta-Corn Meal-Rice-Grains-Oatmeal-Bread/Pancake Mix-Beans.
find out their nutritional value and how to store them properly. Most of the
items above are affordable and easy to find.
food that you will want to eat. Survival food can keep morale high and can help
relieve the stress you feel during an emergency survival situation.
that you will be healthy and focused in survival situations. Do not rely on
supermarkets and neighbours and family members for food in a crisis.
is the key to survival.
situation, but it can help keep your morale high and give you hope. This is why
survival food is important to remember when you buy survival supplies.
endless. I will give you a few examples of cheap survival food ideas and the
pros and cons of each one. Keep in mind that survival food should be
nourishing, lightweight and ready-to-eat at a moment’s notice.
food has these characteristics you will increase your chances of survival.
being stored for a long time without spoiling.
stored for years without spoiling.
for a long time. Have to add water and cook. May not be very nutritional.
Nutritional.
can and food might need to be cooked.
food, the odds of survival are much greater if you don’t have to go without
food for even one day.
food causes problems such as muscle weakness, headaches, disorientation,
irritability, inability to focus, lowered immune system, exhaustion and low
morale.
survival because it allows you to stay focused, healthy and gives you the
energy you need to survive.
person can last 3 week without food. Of course, this is a very general estimate
and the actual time you can go without food will depend on many individual
factors such as your initial state of health and your surroundings (exposure to
elements, if you are injured, etc).
mind that you will probably use more calories in a survival situation than
usual. This is due to panic, adrenaline, and extra energy used to survive.
last for at least few days as you cannot predict how long you will need it.
This is not difficult as emergency survival food today comes with high-calories
but in small-sizes.
your survival pack and make you use more calories.
without spoiling. This is important because you may go a few years without
using the survival food, and it can easily be forgotten.
often to make sure that no food has spoiled and replenish any food that has
been spoiled or used. Keep your emergency survival food supply as complete and
edible as possible so you are always ready for emergencies.
bars are very high in calories for their size and are very lightweight. Also,
they are very affordable, usually just a few pence.
also a good choice for survival preparedness food because they do not need to
be cooked or heated to eat. They are an easy, fast and affordable choice for
emergency survival food.
and almost always happen unexpectedly. Preparing for emergency survival
includes making your potential emergency the most positive and easy experience
possible.
affordable. These cheap survival food options also have a shelf life that can
last for years being stored in a survival kit, which is an important feature
you should look for in any survival food you buy.
high-calorie food bars as I have said before. Most survival food bars have a
sweet flavour like a cookie and have a shelf life of up to 5 years.
that your food bars come in individually wrapped packages so that you may open
one package at a time. This helps to keep the rest of your survival food supply
fresh until you are ready to use it.
is powdered pudding mix. These mixes are lightweight and you just add water to
the pudding mix then serve.
vanilla flavouring and can be stored for years without spoiling. Simple
survival desserts such as this are also a great stress-reliever for children in
survival situations and I would suggest a good morale builder too.
food that tastes good. These two products have different shelf lives but taste
great. Check the shelf life and likelihood of spoiling before purchasing any
survival food.
morale in emergencies, keep the situation as light as possible and lower the
stress level. Attitude and optimism can make the difference between life and
death in survival situations.
effective with children. It will help keep them calm and distracted from the
intensity of the emergency.
in emergencies by getting some survival food that tastes great.
the menu should reflect the trip’s nature. Being on the menu doesn’t mean a
lack of creativity!
wish to experience things directly. This is fine of course, but should be taken
slowly. Some things can be learned at home in the back yard, while others are
best learned in the field.
skills in a controlled environment, this may be a great way to get started.
to hunt, gather and scrounge the food they would need, assuming they can even
yet identify it.
other skills such as shelter building and fire starting. Because of this, it
may be wise for the survivalist group or individual to simulate the food found
in a survival diet amid the woods with store-bought items carried in.
be camping in and needs to take into consideration factors such as time to be
spent on this camping trip and safe storage needs.
situation. Cuts of beef are not likely to be common to a survival situation,
though deer meat might suffice for those more advanced. Similarly, apples in
the spring or strawberries in the fall are probably an unlikely find.
items such as asparagus and green onions. Berries are usually good if they are
in season at the time of year the trip will be taken.
root vegetables, fruits such as apples as they can be found wild. Nuts and grains
are abundant in the Autum as well, so including them is a great option.
the menu to the survival diet typical of that time of year.
and small mammals such as rabbit if they can be obtained. Small animals are far
more likely to be eaten by a more advanced survival camper, as they are
plentiful and easier to catch.
another protein that can be readily found in a survival situation in many parts
of the world.
the person organizing the survival camping trip can find available. If it is
hard to get some more logical items, there is no shame in bringing food items
that would not normally be in season.
diet of a survival situation, but rather to force the person camping to think
about what they have and how to use it. Working without seasonings alone is a
major shift for many.
prepare the food so that nothing is wasted and everything is edible. Enclosing
them in foil or roasting things over a spit is fine for a new survival camper.
hot rocks in interesting ways. Though the menu is simple, ingenuity can create
a wide variety of meals with the same ingredients.
survival camping are also harvesting from the wild to augment the meal. It does
however mean that they must prepare ahead of time, working out the menus by day
and deciding what must be bought and brought.
grains that are more wild in nature. Most supermarkets have game lines when in
season to serve in place of a wild bird.
reputable seafood market, allowing for whole trout or other such varieties.
stand-ins for their wild cousins. Get creative and be watching what is common
to your area. Also look into farmer’s markets that sometimes sell unusual items
that are native to the area and may have been gathered wild.
as grains. Thinking creatively here will serve well for the creativity needed
for survival camping.
and plant identification, it will be possible to expand the options greatly
from the simple foods found on the basic menu.
impact on the area where the survival camping occurs.
thanks to the lack of food are not a primary worry while one is still learning
the most basic aspects.
person you love is 72.8% water”
bacteria growing. These include foods with a “use by” date, cooked
foods and ready-to-eat foods such as desserts and cooked meats.
shortest time possible.
you’re ready to serve it.
and store them in the fridge. Eat them within two days.
may transfer to the can’s contents. Transfer the contents into a storage
container or covered bowl.
fridge. “If the food is still hot it will raise the temperature in the fridge,
which isn’t safe as it can promote bacterial growth.”
condition, clean it regularly.
of cross-contamination.
It can be dangerous to eat after this date.
It should be safe to eat but may not be at its best quality after this date.
pre-packed foods carry either a “use by” or “best before”
date.
that doesn’t mean that it’s safe to eat. It could still be contaminated.
to stop bacteria from spreading and avoid food poisoning.
the bottom shelf of the fridge, so they can’t
touch or drip onto other food.
meat after its use-by date.
from raw meat.
before the use-by date.
liquid will come out as meat thaws, so stand it in a bowl to stop bacteria in
the juice spreading to other things.
Otherwise, put it in the fridge to thaw so that it doesn’t get too warm.
might get freezer burn, which will make it tough and inedible.
hours of defrosting. Don’t keep food in a freezer indefinitely. Always have a
good idea of what’s in your fridge and freezer.”
have been defrosted. It is possible to re-freeze cooked meat once, as long as
it has been cooled before going into the freezer.
re-freeze.
fridge for up to two days before they need to be cooked or thrown away. To
reduce wastage, divide the meal into portions before freezing and then just
defrost what you need.
freezer must be reheated and eaten immediately once fully defrosted. When
defrosted, food should be reheated only once because the more times you cool
and reheat a food, the higher the risk of food poisoning.
multiply when food is cooled too slowly, and might survive if food isn’t
reheated properly.
70C for two minutes so that it is steaming hot throughout.
desserts, should not be returned to the freezer once they have started to thaw.
about dandelion.
indeed they have been!
preferring a “weed free” lawn, while those of us in love with dandelion and its
many uses happily support it taking over our lawns.
Europeans not wanting to leave this valuable resource behind.
dandelion can be used as food or medicine, making back door herbalism simple
and easy, as it should be.
can be harvested heavily and eaten fresh with salads, made into a delicious
pesto, or dried for tea.
of vitamin A, calcium, potassium, and many more vitamins and minerals.
French call this plant pissenlit, which alludes to its strong diuretic
properties.
water from the system. (Of course, before using this effective remedy we always
want to make sure the water retention is caused by a non-serious condition like
sitting on an airplane too long.)
to promote digestion by stimulating bile to relieve indigestion and other
digestive disturbances.
fresh in a variety of recipes.Dandelion root can help clear up acne and other
skin disruptions with the root cause being a stagnant liver.
agree that long-term use of dandelion is needed for best results.
as below. An oil made from dandelion flowers is warming and can be applied
externally to relieve arthritis and other aches and pains.
used topically on warts. Apply several times daily for best results.
coffee with the roots. This beverage doesn’t contain the caffeine found in
coffee, but does have a rich, dark taste similar to coffee.
an inappropriate choice for someone with low blood pressure or excessive
urination.
chopped root in a cast iron pan until it fragrant and has changed colour from
being off-white to light and dark brown.
the roasted root.
covered for 7–15 minutes
enjoy adding honey as well.
and eating dandelion flower fritters.
The simple dandelion is one of my favourite herbs.
Yep! This plant is tenacious, despite
many peoples best efforts to eradicate it from their lawns, and thankfully so
since she has so much to offer.
was going to tell you about fritters.
the tops for fritters.
pick and so bright and cheery on a sunny day.
Usually, I want to pick more than I need, just because the gathering is
so fun. Pick them in the sunshine when they are open, and when you have time to
make the fritters right after gathering.
together one egg and one cup of milk.
Stir in a cup of flour and your fritter batter is ready to go.
a little maple syrup or honey.)
oil – keep it over medium heat.
base of the flower petals. Dip the petals into the batter and twirl until the
flower is covered.
checking the first ones every once in a while to see if they are brown.
and brown them on the other side.
skillet and drain the excess oil on paper towel.
jam, or powdered sugar.
fritters try dipping in mustard or adding some savoury herbs to the batter.
simple, versatile and doesn’t even require cookware or a grill.
some heavy-duty tin foil.
fist, making a “pocket”.
is only open at the top, and roll a turn or two up from the bottom for extra
strength.
withstand cooking directly in the coals. If your foil is thin, you may need two
layers.
this recipe, but any fish will do.
and a pinch of garlic and lemon salt in the foil. Pour about 1/3 cup of Sprite
or 7up in the foil, yes that’s right Sprite or 7up.
place the pocket on the coals for approximately 10-15 minutes.
coals and tuck in.
meal to try.
venison or pheasant breasts.
potatoes with skins on, slice thinly and add a layer of potatoes on top of the
onions.
edges of foil together and fold down to seal then roll ends to finish sealing.
Live Without Food?
important that you’ve done your homework with regards to understanding the environment
you’re faced with and that you’re able to tap in to the natural resources in
terms of finding a food supply to avoid starvation and to be able to survive in
the event that your predicament lasts longer than you anticipate.
food than you can without water, it’s often the psychological effects, even
more than the physiological, which are likely to cause you complications.
types of vegetation you can and can’t eat as well as considering other survival
techniques such as the possibility of fishing or of trapping animals.
prepared for the possibility of having to eat insects and grubs as, although
the thought of that might be abhorrent, they will provide you with vital
proteins to give you energy.
can survive without any kind of food whatsoever.
variables. If you’re already in good physical shape and have been keeping
physically active as well as eating a balanced diet, you’ll be at an advantage.
an advantage as each pound of body fat represents around 3600 calories which
would usually provide enough energy in everyday life for about a day and a
half.
a slow metabolism, this will stand you in good stead as your body will
naturally respond to a shortage of food by lowering its metabolic rate to
compensate whereas it becomes more difficult to survive for longer if your
metabolism is high.
as you possibly can. Naturally, you’ll need to be out there trying to collect
food, collecting wood for a fire and building a shelter etc. However, you
should keep your physical activity to a minimum and if there is any intensely
physical work you need to do, make sure that you do it either at dusk or dawn
when the temperature is cooler as you’re less likely to sweat as profusely
which makes you lose valuable electrolytes.
Obviously, climate plays a significant role in determining how long you can
survive without food and, if you’re subject to either extremely hot or
extremely cold weather, the likelihood is you’ll use up more energy and the
more energy you burn, the more urgently you need to replace it.
cases of people who have gone more than two months without food and others who
have only lasted a week before perishing.
natural food sources within your immediate environment.
won’t be long before you start becoming irritable and your morale will dip
sharply due to hunger.
weaker and this can soon progress to feelings of confusion, poor judgement and
total physical exhaustion.
make you more susceptible to illnesses, more prone to diarrhoea and if you
can’t regulate your body’s core temperature, you could end up with hypothermia
or heat stroke.
experiencing hallucinations, muscle spasms and convulsions and your heartbeat
may become irregular.
starting to fail.
clean drinking water. Food always come second to that but it is obviously
useful to learn all about the natural food resources which may be at your
disposal as these can help to sustain you for longer.
survival courses available which can teach you what to look out for and what is
and isn’t edible as well as trapping and fishing skills.
Eating Berries and
Plants to Survive
a survival situation, but it can happen to anyone and the importance of knowing
the plants and berries that you can safely eat to sustain you, cannot be
emphasised enough.
natural environment, there are also plants and berries which if eaten, can
cause you severe stomach upsets at best and at worst, can kill you.
enough and if you can’t identify it, then the advice is to leave it alone and
not to risk eating it.
have a basic knowledge of the vegetation that grows in a specific area you’re
visiting and know how to identify which plants are safe and which are toxic.
stranded for some time without food but it’s important to remember that you can
actually survive for a few weeks without food as long as you have enough water
to sustain you.
berries might be, you should never eat any wild vegetation unless you are 100%
sure you can identify it.
which are safe to eat and will help to keep you nourished when faced with a
survival situation.
a welcoming hot drink (if you’re not in a survival situation and want a natural
snack, the flower itself can be dipped in batter and made into a fritter).
useful substitute for your ‘greens’ and of course, there’s nettle tea!
roots of the burdock plant can be boiled and then eaten like potatoes and
pitted rose hips are packed with vitamin C.
like blackberries, blueberries and strawberries. However, be absolutely sure
you know what you are eating before putting it in your mouth and also remember
that some wild plants need to be cooked before they are safe to eat.
identify.
definitely steer clear of.
suspicion and unless you are highly knowledgeable about mushrooms and fungi,
you should keep away from as, although you can eat many fungi, some of them are
deadly.
have yellow or white berries or a milky sap (except dandelions) are also highly
‘suspicious’ and should be avoided.
you’re better off leaving it alone.
is eating a particular plant or berry, then it must be safe for humans.
not the case.
plants that are edible that all the plants you gather are the same species, as
there may be similar looking plants growing in the same area but which are
highly dangerous.
them safe as some plants are still harmful if you eat them raw.
test on a particular plant if you cannot identify it.
process beginning with testing a small portion of the plant on your skin to see
if it causes an allergic reaction, then on your lips and tongue etc. but it is
a painstaking, lengthy process and doesn’t offer a 100% guarantee as to the
plant’s safety and should only ever be used in an absolute emergency.
how to conduct a plant edibility test but you should treat these with some
caution.
question is by doing your research in order to be confident about what is
edible and what isn’t.
Quick Meals in the Field
brown.
broiling, roasting, or in any of your other favourite recipes. But older birds
should be stewed or braised to tenderize them. Or if you wish, you can try a
commercial tenderizer.
tenderizer in the body cavity of the bird and let the bird stand in the
refrigerator. The amount of time the bird needs to remain in the refrigerator
depends on the size of the bird.
will need 12 to 24 hours for the tenderizer to work.
bird this may help you:
large duck.
pheasants
paprika to taste
mushroom soup
onions
sauce. Add chopped onions.
edge of a camp fire stirring regularly and moderating the heat.
The 1940’s Diet
actually live on what the British families did in the 1940’s?
it was to ensure that food was distributed fairly and that the dwindling food
supplies lasted.
on the availability of foods increasing when it was plentiful and decreasing
when it was in short supply.
1940’s… (remember that in addition to this people were encouraged to
incorporate lots of fruit and veggies into their diets and grow even more in
their back gardens!
limited your purchase of tinned or imported goods.
your ration book for every 4 weeks and that 16 points would enable you to
purchase for instance, 1can of tinned fish or 2lbs of dried fruit or 8 lbs of
split peas.
the above ingredients and realize just how precious or even how difficult it
was at times to obtain other necessary food stuffs like flour, oats etc
IMPORTANT the role was of the1940’s housewife to feed her family and keep them
healthy.
marmalade or marmite or large bowl of porridge oats (oatmeal) made with water,
splash of milk and a little sugar or honey mixed in.
or butte small block of cheese grated and placed over salad if wished fresh lettuce leaves other salad items like
carrot, cucumber or tomato and a glass
of cold milk
cheddar, generous serving of meaty gravy, a chunk of freshly baked wholemeal
bread, a few spoonful’s of steamed carrots, big mound of steamed cabbage. For
dessert one pear.
salt & pepper for seasoning), served with large portions of cabbage and
cauliflower and the remainder of the meaty gravy made yesterday.
two freshly baked Rock Buns and two steaming hot cups of tea!
small glass of cold milk and a cup of milky coffee.
much you have left to use!
been created.
protein
How many calories do I need?
Knowing how many calories you burn in a
day will give you an idea of how many calories you should be eating, or
should be storing for emergency use later. Your body burns calories in
three different ways… metabolism, physical activity, and digestion.
Metabolism–
Your body needs energy every day to survive — even when you are
sleeping.Your heart is constantly pumping, your body is working at
maintaining a normal body temperature, your brain is always ‘on’, damage
is being repaired, and all systems are requiring fuel. Roughly 60% to
70% of the calories you burn everyday are from keeping all of your
body’s systems working!
Physical Activity –
Your body burns calories through any sort of physical activity,ranging
from just walking around, to formal exercise, or any type of
movement.The amount of calories you burn from physical activity can be
anywhere from 25%to 40% of the total amount of calories you burn in a
day.
Digesting Food – Your body also uses
up energy to digest the food you eat, although it only accounts for
about 5% to 10% of calories burned.
For
those who wish to lose some weight, if you eat fewer calories than your
body burns, you will create a ‘calorie deficit’ — and your body will
burn your excess body fat to make up the difference.
For
those who wish to be sure they have enough survival preparedness food
storage,either at home, or in a kit of some sort, knowing your daily
caloric requirementis essential.
There
are variations to everything, but the following two examples should
give you an idea. Note that during an emergency or disaster situation,
you may be burning more calories than you normally would be, due to a
probable increase in your physical activity.
A
200 pound, 6’2″ man 40 years of age who is ‘lightly active’ during a
typical day will require 2,700 calories to maintain body systems
function without gaining or losing weight. That same person will require
3,400 calories that dayif he is ‘very active’ and 3,800 calories if
‘extremely active’.
A 140 pound, 5’7″
woman 40 years of age who is ‘lightly active during a typical day will
require 1,900 calories, but if ‘very active’ will require 2,400calories,
and if ‘extremely active’ will require 2,600 calories to maintain body
systems function without gaining or losing weight.
Check
your own stats and search for ‘calorie deficit calculator’ or ‘weight
loss calculator’ to determine what your body normally consumes in a day.
Then, if you are overweight and want to trim down a bit (to be in
better shape for aSHTF scenario?) these calculators should help you
determine a reduced calorie intake. Or, you may simply want to determine
if your storage food plan will provide enough calories per day for your
needs (I have a feeling that some people underestimate the calories
that they will actually need each day to survive).
Yes,there’s more to it… exercise, proper nutrition, etc. – but let’s start with the calories.
Daily Calorie Requirements
Male,5’11″, 190 pounds, lightly active
20-year-old:2,800 calories
30-year-old:2,700 calories
40-year-old:2,600 calories
50-year-old:2,500 calories
60-year-old:2,400 calories
70-year-old:2,300 calories
Daily Calorie Requirements
Female,5’5″, 150 pounds, lightly active
20-year-old:2,100 calories
30-year-old:2,000 calories
40-year-old:1,900 calories
50-year-old:1,900 calories
60-year-old:1,800 calories
70-year-old:1,800 calories
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