Most people buy canned vegetables for their food storage. They are a good way to add to the pantry because they're usually inexpensive, precooked and don't require any special treatment other then to bring them home and put them on the shelf. I usually store home canned foods in quarts or pints but I also buy pre-canned foods in #10 cans.
I always hear people saying that the large cans are just too big for their family. For the most part, if you were going to pop open a can and serve it for supper it WOULD be too much food. However, the number ten can is actually the better choice in some situations and especially for food storage if you consider a few things.
First the larger cans are often cheaper then buying the same product in several smaller cans. Also, consider that while it may be too much now, when TSHTF you will probably be feeding larger groups of people and the amount will be just right. The shelf life is long so buying them and storing them for later is what it's all about. Also you get the benefit of the nice, large can which can be used for other things like storage or hobo stoves after its emptied.
But we are supposed to rotate our food storage, right? So what are you supposed to do with those big cans in that situation? I have found that when its time to open the cans that I really prefer what I can do with the food. It has turned into my ultimate convenience food.
Many times I will use several cans of various things when I am cooking something like spaghetti sauce, soups and chili type foods. Rather then doing that I can open one or two large cans and just make one really large batch. Then I can take the leftovers and can them in mason jars which go back into my food storage. I've canned many, many jars of soups and chilis that began with a number ten can of tomatoes or a large can of beans. It doesn't seem to effect the texture or taste in anyway and it saves me the time of making it later. Plus its still in my food storage in another form.
I can also freeze portion sizes for homemade "TV dinners" and convenience foods for lunch or those nights when I just don't have time to cook. I only have to cook the one large batch one time but we can enjoy it many times over while I get to relax.
Don't just think of soups and stews when you open those large cans either. They also make great casseroles or meals like lasagna after you make a large batch of sauce. Many times I have opened a large can of squash and made several squash casseroles which can be frozen and cooked whenever its needed. The same can be done with sweet potato casseroles, cowboy beans, lasagna, corn puddings, green bean casserole, pot pies or whatever else you would make with canned vegetables.
I don't always cook casseroles prior to freezing. I just assemble them and place them in the freezer in disposable aluminum pans or in Pyrex dishes lined with foil. After they are frozen solid they can be popped out of the casserole dish, vacuum sealed and stacked in the freezer. When you remove it just put it back in the original dish and bake it without preheating the oven. They come out just like you just made it fresh and without all the work. They're perfect for pot lucks, taking to families who have lost a loved one or those who have an illness in the family or for those nights when I'm just too pooped or too rushed to cook.
I used to be one of those people who thought the big cans were too big. Now I actually buy more number ten cans then any other size because I can do so much with them and they save me time and money. I still buy some things in smaller cans but more and more the larger cans seem the better choice for prepping because not all prepping has to be for tje end of the world. Some prepping is for having things prepared ahead of time for short term emergencies or convenience. And IF the world falls apart tomorrow having a #10 can of beans will be a good thing when you're trying to feed a larger group.
Southern Wood Elf
I always hear people saying that the large cans are just too big for their family. For the most part, if you were going to pop open a can and serve it for supper it WOULD be too much food. However, the number ten can is actually the better choice in some situations and especially for food storage if you consider a few things.
First the larger cans are often cheaper then buying the same product in several smaller cans. Also, consider that while it may be too much now, when TSHTF you will probably be feeding larger groups of people and the amount will be just right. The shelf life is long so buying them and storing them for later is what it's all about. Also you get the benefit of the nice, large can which can be used for other things like storage or hobo stoves after its emptied.
But we are supposed to rotate our food storage, right? So what are you supposed to do with those big cans in that situation? I have found that when its time to open the cans that I really prefer what I can do with the food. It has turned into my ultimate convenience food.
Many times I will use several cans of various things when I am cooking something like spaghetti sauce, soups and chili type foods. Rather then doing that I can open one or two large cans and just make one really large batch. Then I can take the leftovers and can them in mason jars which go back into my food storage. I've canned many, many jars of soups and chilis that began with a number ten can of tomatoes or a large can of beans. It doesn't seem to effect the texture or taste in anyway and it saves me the time of making it later. Plus its still in my food storage in another form.
I can also freeze portion sizes for homemade "TV dinners" and convenience foods for lunch or those nights when I just don't have time to cook. I only have to cook the one large batch one time but we can enjoy it many times over while I get to relax.
Don't just think of soups and stews when you open those large cans either. They also make great casseroles or meals like lasagna after you make a large batch of sauce. Many times I have opened a large can of squash and made several squash casseroles which can be frozen and cooked whenever its needed. The same can be done with sweet potato casseroles, cowboy beans, lasagna, corn puddings, green bean casserole, pot pies or whatever else you would make with canned vegetables.
I don't always cook casseroles prior to freezing. I just assemble them and place them in the freezer in disposable aluminum pans or in Pyrex dishes lined with foil. After they are frozen solid they can be popped out of the casserole dish, vacuum sealed and stacked in the freezer. When you remove it just put it back in the original dish and bake it without preheating the oven. They come out just like you just made it fresh and without all the work. They're perfect for pot lucks, taking to families who have lost a loved one or those who have an illness in the family or for those nights when I'm just too pooped or too rushed to cook.
I used to be one of those people who thought the big cans were too big. Now I actually buy more number ten cans then any other size because I can do so much with them and they save me time and money. I still buy some things in smaller cans but more and more the larger cans seem the better choice for prepping because not all prepping has to be for tje end of the world. Some prepping is for having things prepared ahead of time for short term emergencies or convenience. And IF the world falls apart tomorrow having a #10 can of beans will be a good thing when you're trying to feed a larger group.
Southern Wood Elf