SHTF Cooking With Beans,Rice,Pastas and Canned Goods

The basics for those who will be staying where they are/moving to a retreat:

Cast iron skillets,griddle, deep pans to use for frying,and Dutch ovens-plus lids

Round griddle like this is nice to have also-

cast iron loaf pans like this-

cast iron muffin pan-like this-

cast iron wedge pan-like this-

Large-as in 5 gallons and uplarge stockpots,don't have to be cast iron,can be aluminum as long as it's heavy bottomed. Do NOT use stainless steel stockpots for outdoor cooking,other than boiling water,or cooking pasta.Tripod and chain (s)Grill that can hang from chains-orGrill to set on blocks/bricks/logs around fireRestaurant grade spoons,tongs,spatulas,and ladles-(check used restaurant supply stores,or wholesale club stores)Good cutting boardsGood quality knives-not the junk Wusthof and Henckels sold at Target and Wally World-commercial grade knives. They don't have to be $150.00 Wusthof's or Henckels,just good solid knives,steel has to be full-tang,you will see three rivets in the handles. Dexter-Russel makes fairly inexpensive commercial grade knives that last,as does Sani-safe-check restaurant supply stores,if there's a used one-even better,you can sometimes get knives in good shape for half or less the cost of new. Sani-safe does not have the rivets visible in the handles-but I've used the knives-and they are suitable.You will need an 8 chef's/cook's knife,a 6 boning knife,a 6 and 9filet knife-for filet knives,just get the Rapala,or Normark brands sold at Wally World-I haven't broken or worn out one of those yet.Also,a paring knife.A slicing/carving knife is nice to have-but not a necessity. If you are in an area where you will be able to hunt deer,moose and elk-get a meat/bone saw and a cleaver if you will be hunting pheasants,grouse,geese,ducks,or wild turkeys-or killing and cooking chickens.

Items you will need to haveon hand to make the canned foods,beans and rice taste a whole lot better,you may have a lot of these already,just being thorough:

Beef base-cases of it-comes 12 1# jars to the case-more people= more casesChicken base-same as beef baseThese are not interchangeable with bouillon cubes or granules/powder-they are a paste,and salt is usually not the first ingredient listed. Most grocery stores carry beef and chicken base.Butter flavor Crisco-at least 6 cansregular Crisco-same as aboveSqueeze margarine-itneeds no refrigeration until opened,but will last several days without refrigeration-we use it camping all the time.cooking oil- 10 gallons minimumdehydrated oniondehydrated garlic-youcan get both the garlic and onion at bulk food stores

Velveetacheese-does not need refrigerationSqueeze cheese-same thing as Velveeta,sometimes has jalepenos addedPepperoni-needs no refrigerationSummer sausage-the beef is the best-the ones made with chicken/pork etc. are like cheap hot dogs-nasty!

Seasonings/Spices/herbs:Sea salt*Kosher salt*Table salt-the round boxesbay leaves*garlic powder-not garlic salt*onion powder not onion salt*black pepper*

Cayenne pepper*Crushed red pepper flakes*Chili powder*CinnamonGround GingerThymeSageRosemaryBasil*Oregano*vanilla extract-a couple big bottleslemon juice-4-6 qt bottlesStock upon condiments-mustard,ketchup,steak sauce,soy sauce,hot sauce,horseradish,etc.*Buy these in bulk,you will go through a lot of them

Some canned goods you may not have stockedup on:

Pie fillings-get a few cases at the minimum,therearemultiple uses for the stuff.Canned fruit juices-OJ,pineapple,apple,grapefruitCanned hams-the small ones-they're perfect to add to beans# 10 cans whole peeled potatoes#10 cans of tomato product-puree and crushed.Tomato paste-get both the small cans,and the squeeze tubes-the tubes are great when you just need a small amount.#10 cans ravioli,beefaroni,etc.46oz cans V-8 and tomato juice gallon sized jars of spaghetti sauce-which brand is a matter of taste-I prefer Prego as it is easier to add some canned tomatoes and spices to and have it end up tasting good.

There's a mixed vegetable product called Veg-All,if it's available in your area-get lots of it-it will make decent soups and stews withouthaving fresh veggies.***Canned kidney beans-if you have dried kidney beans be careful-there's a nasty reaction many people have if the beans have not been soaked in old water at least5 hours,drained and thoroughly rinsed,then boiled at least10minutes atfull boil.***http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/CausesOfIllnessBadBugBook/ucm071092.htm

Lots of canned fruitsLots of canned veggiesLots and lots of pasta,it lasts forever like beans and rice do.Flour,you can get 25# bags at many grocery stores,if you have a restaurant supply place-it will cost you even less $$$Sugar,same as above-If you plan on making any type of alcohol-you'll need hundreds and hundreds of pounds of sugar.Dark and light brown sugar-minimum 5# eachYeast,stock up ondry yeast,as it won't go bad like the foil packages do-the containers of dry yeast have the conversion to fresh info on the labels.You need a lot of yeast if plan on making bread,and even more if you plan on making alcohol.Baking sodaBaking powdercornmeal,both yellow and whitevinegar-6 gallons white.red wine,and cidervinegar-minimum of a gallon eachbaking chocolate-the big barscans of baking cocoa-lots of themjiffy cornbread mixes-cases of itcanned sloppy joe mixesBrook's chili hot beans-get a case at the minimum-saves a lot of spices when you make chiliPeanut butter-lots of big jars of itpancake syrup-at least a couple gallonscake and brownie mixes

Making your beans taste better-

Soak 3# beans-navy,great northern or pinto- at least 6 hours,overnight is better,drain and rinse.Put in stockpot or dutch oven,cover with water,bring to a boil-boil at least 10 minutesreduce to simmer add:1 large or 2 small bay leaves1T black pepper1T garlic powder1T onion powderadd 3 gallons water for soup,1 gallon forjust beans.1 small can tomato pasteSimmer for 2 hours-if you don't want to make soup-you may have to add water to beans as they simmer.Add-2T beef base2T chix base1 canned ham,dicedTaste after beans have simmered 1/2hour-adjust seasonings if needed.Simmer another 1 /2 hour-add water if needed

Ranch style beansSoak 3# pinto beans overnight,drain and rinsePut in stockpot/dutch oven,cover with enough water so it's 2 over beansAdd:1 bay leaf1t black pepper1T crushed red pepper3T chili powder3T dehydrated onion1 46oz can V-8 or tomato juiceBring to boil,cook at full boil for at least 10 minutesreduce to simmer,let simmer 2 hoursAdd:2T beef base2T chix baseSimmer for hour,taste,adjust seasonings,add water if needed.

Spaghetti sauceGround beef or venison if you have it-3-4#2 gal containers sauce1 #10 can crushed tomatoes1 #10 can tomato puree1 small can tomato paste1 #10 can water3T dried basil3T dried oregano1C dehydrated onions-(soak for an hour,then drain and rinse)2T dehydrated garlic same asabove-soak,drain and rinseBring to boil,let boil for hour-stirring constantlyReduce to simmer,add 1T chix base and 2T beef base,then let cook an additional 2 hours.If desired-dice up some pepperoni and add to sauce in last hour of cooking-Summer sausage can also be used-dice it up,then cook in skillet then drain grease before adding to sauce