Who hoards food?

[Greg Who Cooks]

I buy lots of Asian goods and the manufacture dates or use-by dates are often obscure or missing, and even mainstream goods can be obscure or confusingly coded. I like my date code system because it's easy to read (even without glasses) and unambiguous. I can always guarantee that I'll use the oldest item in my stock first, that's my goal and it's good enough for me.

[Dawgluver]

Originally Posted by 97guns

have you guys bought peanut butter lately?

We got 4 jars a couple months ago. Haven't checked prices lately.

[NoraC]

I am a seasonal hoarder. In a bad winter, we can be snowed in for 3 or 4 days at a time, often back to back with limited stuff in the groceries, so I do load the house with stuff like extra milk in the freezer. I keep a basic supply of rice and beans in sufficient quantity to keep body and soul together for a couple of months, That stays in the freezer and gets pulled out in increments. I have never had a problem with them cooking up well, but it may be that I just use them up and replace them regularly. I keep an unopened unit of my staples in a separate pantry, shop from it when I use the last of a staple, add the item to the list and usually have several weeks to find a good sale price. The only thing I "hoard" as in "consciously store in quantity against the possibility of disaster" is salt: 400 pounds isn't going to spoil and will go a very long way to preserving food and acting as trade goods. Idiosyncratic, but I selected it a couple of decades ago and it makes my happy.

[Greg Who Cooks]

You have 400 pounds of salt? Jeez Louise! I think 400 pounds would last me the rest of my life!

[NoraC]

Originally Posted by Gourmet Greg

You have 400 pounds of salt? Jeez Louise! I think 400 pounds would last me the rest of my life!

GG, I use about a pound of salt a year for seasoning (there are salty condiments involved, LOL). I expect this little bit of security to still be safely stored away in its ceramic crocks when my grandchildren move into the family home place.

[Greg Who Cooks]

I hope you have some gourmet salts in your stores. At my consumption rate (or yours, a pound a year) I'd hate to have to go 400 years with no gourmet salt at all.

At least I hope some of your salt is sea salt.

[NoraC]

GG, the salts I use (as opposed to those I hoard) range from black to table and I select which to use with some thought. ...and soy sauce or fish sauce or bean sauce or Worcestershire sauce or some other flavoring may have far and away enough salt so that no crystallized product comes out.

BTW, only 20% of folks are salt sensitive as a health concern and you can find out if you are with a little salt challenge and blood pressure check, assuming you are in general in good health. I avoid salt, fat and sugar, because they are cheap pleasures that crowd out the perfect balance of flavor you can get with skill. But I don't worry about my health if I occasionally am served deep fried Twinkies with ice cream salt. A courteous bite isn't going to hurt me.

[Greg Who Cooks]

I'm in the majority who should just consume reasonable quantities of salt. I have no reason to restrict my salt intake other than not wanting to be sucked into the mass hysteria of over-consumption of salt. I'll be fine if I just live within the RDA guidelines. I'm worried that with so much salting of fast food and convenience food that I suspect it's easy to go over the RDA. That's a good reason I avoid fast food. Not so easy to avoid convenience food (e.g. microwave meals) with my present minimalist cooking facilities.

[GiddyUpGo]

Originally Posted by 97guns

i am a prepper and the way things are going right now in the world ive been extemly active lately. i have lots of grains, pastas, beans, canned veggies and meats. i also have a garden that does pretty well, just wondering if anyone here buys and hoards food in preparation for an event or just trying to outpace inflation. also curious as to what kinds of foods you might be hoarding.

"Hoard" food, I've never heard it put that way! :)

I "stock up" but I don't do extreme couponing or anything, in fact I rarely use coupons unless they can be put on my club card. But whenever something goes on sale that my family eats regularly, I do one of two things: 1) If it's non perishable, like canned foods or dry pasta, I buy a bunch of it. 2) If it's perishable, I will sometimes plan a meal around that ingredient.

I kind of have to do it this way because my family is so big, and we spend a lot of money on groceries. Of course I also am big on fresh produce, healthier cuts of meat etc. so I don't usually save more than about 35% on any one grocery trip. In other words, I don't make my family eat a lot of processed, crappy food just in the name of saving money.

The type of stuff I usually stock up on is pasta, rice, flour and sugar and staples type things. I also buy meat when it is at least 50% off, and if I can't use it that week I vacuum seal it and freeze it. I find it stays edible for a long time if packaged correctly. And I often double what I'm cooking (depending on how much room is in my freezer) and freeze it for a quick meal on busy days. In fact most of what I'm hoarding is probably ready-made stuff that I froze myself, like pot pies, chilies, soups, stews, curries and that kind of thing.