Basic Tips For a Stockpile

We're starting to make our exit from the Big Chill of 2026. Fingers crossed, this will be it for cold weather, but we were once hit with snow on March 21st, so you never know.

It got me to thinking about how people were flocking to stores just before the freeze, and the others who couldn't make it to the store and had to do without.

I would love to see a study on how much food people actually keep around them in reserve. Short of being destitute, why would you not keep at least a small stockpile in the event you can't get to the store?

Because I was sick two weeks prior, we never got the chance to do any last minute shopping. We were fine though. After three weeks, we had gone through all our fresh produce. The only things I had left were potatoes (still in their grow bags) and some cabbage and kale in the garden.

I was very happy with a tree full of satsumas. That's them in the picture above. They might not be pretty, but they are so good and sweet. I've been eating two every day since I picked them. 

I used up everything I had. Because it was such a mish mash of ingredients, there were a lot of stews, soups, and casseroles.  

It was kind of fun pulling out whatever was in the fridge and figuring out what I could make with them.

It did bring home the fact that we're spoiled as Americans. My spoiled side wanted fresh snow peas, tomatoes, and lettuce, but my practical side made do. Maybe I couldn't make a salad, but I could make cole slaw. 

It reminded me of when I was a kid. It never occurred to me to ask why we didn't have this or that for dinner. We ate what was in front of us.

I think back and marvel at how resourceful my mother was, cobbling together recipes from whatever was in the house. There were six kids in the family. Sometimes she had to thin out those soups and stews, but they were always good. 

Aside from suffering a little cabin fever (which was way better than the fever I had during norovirus, LOL) we managed just fine.

I wish I could shake people and warn them to always keep a little extra food at home. Trust me, that little bit of insurance does wonders to reduce stress. In my book, it's the first step to self reliance.

Below are my basic tips on how to stockpile. I learned them on my own when we first started out married life and had to buy a week's worth of groceries for less than $20. 

For those of you who think $20 to buy food is ridiculous, according to Google, $20 in 1975 is the equivalent to $120 in today's money. I don't spend $120 now, but that's because I already have a stockpile. The only things I shop for is produce or meat I'm not currently harvesting.

Basic Tips For a Stockpile

• Start small. There's no need to buy a dozen warehouse packages of toilet paper. 
  
  
• Buy ingredients. While there's no harm in buying premade foods, you'll save enormously if you buy the ingredients and make the meal from scratch. It'll taste better too.
  
  
• Buy what's on sale or clearance. Sometimes the best laid plans are subject to change when opportunity strikes. In 1976, canned vegetables normally sold 4 for $1. I was planning to use that dollar for something else, but the day I went shopping, the store was selling them 10 for $1. I didn't need 10 cans, but I grabbed them because I knew it was good value and I'd use them up. 
  
  
• Buy ingredients with long expiration dates. Dried rice, beans, and pasta will last a very long time in the pantry and can be the base for many dinners.
  
  
• Learn to cook from base ingredients. It's easy to throw in a premade lasagna dinner in the oven, but it takes only 10 extra minutes to make it from scratch. This way it has all the family's favorite ingredients and seasoned how you like it. 
  
  
• To prevent bugs, always store pasta and rice in glass containers, AFTER they've spent a couple of weeks in the freezer to destroy any eggs. 
  
  
• Eat meat sparingly. I often felt sorry for Greg in the early years. We simply couldn't afford beef very often. Chicken was the best we could do. In later years, he went fishing with his friends and brought home fish. Ahh, fish! I miss speckled trout and redfish. You simply can't get anything that fresh and delicious unless you pulled it out of the water yourself.
  
  
• That brings me to gardening. Believe it or not, Greg was the gardener in the early years. I didn't know a thing about growing food. Somehow, over the years, I took over. I produce the bulk of our fruit and veg to almost encompass year round harvests. If you want to have food security, learn how to garden.
  
  
• Finally, if all this is new to you, make a list of ingredients you buy on a regular basis. Or make a list of meals you know you'll make regularly. Armed with this information you'll know what to keep in reserve for the next ice storm. 

What's your comfort food during cold weather? Today I'm making white bean and bok choy soup. 

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