Ok, not exactly a direct exchange. More like working at a local farm and being given the opportunity to purchase produce at a really good price. And not exactly me, like the post title implies. More like (ok, exactly like) my husband doing all the work. But hey, fortunately for us this food storage thing is a combined effort.
Last night my husband went and worked on a local farm. It was a volunteer effort, and they were boxing potatoes. When he came home he had a 50 lb box of potatoes that he bought for $10. So now I have a 50 lb box of potatoes that I need to store downstairs and use before they get soft or grow so many eyes I'm afraid to go into the storeroom. Hmmm....or I could just use them. Thing is, we like baked potatoes, but not so much the heat it takes to bake the potatoes in the summer. Guess I'll go in search of a good potato salad recipe, or crockpot recipe, or hashbrowns....something. That's the thing about potatoes--so versatile. :)
And hopefully I'll have reason to use fresh potatoes more often than just baked, because we got ours planted. (This is the part where I should probably leave out the fact that so far they are the only thing that we have planted, due to recent weather....but we will remedy that soon.) I have instant potatoes in storage, but growing our own will hopefully allow me to put something back in the storage room instead of only taking things out. That's the plan, anyway. Sending good thoughts out to the potato portion of the garden....
In case you missed it, on my last post MatthiasJ, from over at Kentucky Preppers Network , left this link on preparing a 3 month supply for College Students. Excellent ideas that apply to anyone who is preparing, really, and the ideas are low cost. Double plus.
Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker also left some good ideas that aren't complicated. The 3 month supply doesn't have to be fancy, but hey, if you can make it fancy, more power to you.... :) I go for simple myself.
Thanks to them and everyone who leaves helpful and encouraging comments. Now I'm just hoping that I'll get more potato ideas in comments this time.... :)
10 comments:
Baked potato alternatives: Try baking them in a solar oven, no inside heat that way. Otherwise, if you're fond of grilling, then wrap them in foil or brush the skins with some oil and arrange on the outside edge of the grill as the first thing in / last thing off. Very tasty!
Great post Marie. That's a heck of a deal on those potatoes. You could can a lot of them. And thanks for the link. It's a good 3 month supply that anyone could use.
matthiasj
Kentucky Preppers Network
how blessed you must feel to have a husband like yours! Don't take these types for granted.
Marie, We can pots. I peel and cut them into cubes. You have to have low Moisture pots like the kind they use for chips (grown extensively here) otherwise they turn to mush. I do about 100 lbs a year and then use them in soup and stews. They mash up ok but a little bit bland...
You hubby is a good man for doing all he does...
Carl
You are going to get sick of me adding my 2 cents' worth all of the time, but here is a link I used when I had about 20 pounds of potatoes that were going to go bad without immediate attention:
http://www.ellenskitchen.com/bigpots/oamc/potatoes.html
It has all sorts of good ideas.
Sena--Thanks for the great idea--we need to actually use the grill, so this will provide even more incentive!
MatthiasJ--I haven't really thought about canning potatoes, but they would last longer that way. Have to figure that out...thanks again for the link, your list is very good, and thanks for your comment!
Anonymous(and Carl)--I agree and think my husband's pretty great--thanks for your kind words!
Carl--It really hadn't occurred to me to can potatoes, but I imagine they could come in pretty handy that way. Thanks for the additional information--I'll have to check out moisture content etc. before I start canning--think I'm getting closer to actually doing it. Phobias of pressure canners are not helpful...thanks for your comment!
Kristen--I will check that site out. I won't get tired of your comments-- I need all the help I can get, so thanks very much for the link!
We grilled potatoes on the grill last night with some salt and pepper -- AMAZING! I also cooked roasted parmesan potatoes in my solar oven on Sunday. They just cooked away while I was gone: http://twitpic.com/6jafe
I second the canning. Have you considered slicing & dehydrating your own? In the restaurant I once worked in the ladies would boil a big pot then refrigerate for later - diced for chunky fried, shredded for hashbrowns, sliced for quick breakfast potatoes. The boiling makes the cooking go quicker as all you are doing is reheating and browning.
What about dehydrating them? I just got a dehydrator and have been in heaven over the taste of dried pineapple, strawberries and apples. They taste SO much better than store bought. I plan to dehydrate potatoes in the fall as well as cabbage!
P.S. My 18 year old daughter and her boyfriend laughed at my dehydrator until I tucked a few pieces of the pineapple in their picnic lunch:)
PreparednessPro--That all sounds really good--I need to find out more about solar ovens. Thanks for your comment!
Stephanie--Thanks very much for that idea--I've been working on finding variety for homemade breakfasts, and that is a great one. Thanks for commenting--it's always appreciated!
Pam--My mother has a dehydrator and she loves it--I would have to save up for one, but it is definitely a great idea. I would imagine dehydrated pineapple would be fantastic--thanks for your comment!
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