Thursday, November 15, 2012

BY #8: A coupon and a coincidental comment...

My BY for today: A can of sliced potatoes

If I were adding anything to go along with this, it would be: Cream of mushroom/chicken/flavor of my choice (?) I don't know because I don't recall having had canned potatoes before, but for this series I thought I'd give them a try, because, not only would they presumably be filling/edible cold in an emergency, but....

I had a coupon for various cans of vegetables, 2/$1.00, and canned potatoes (as I recall, sliced or whole) was one of my options. I got two cans, so I can try out one can with the family before I call it a dependable (read: my family will eat it with minimal complaining) storage item. I'm still putting one of the cans in storage so I can count it for this series...

Interesting thing is, I then saw a comment (thanks again, Ejemory) that said:

"Canned potatoes, though not my favorite, are a quick and easy way to fix a quick side dish. They also require less fuel to cook and enjoy. Sometimes I'm willing to trade taste/texture for a quick meal."

So, I'm thinking now, I wouldn't add anything, except of course, preferably, heat--so they would be warm canned potatoes. Salt and pepper, maybe, so that I could save my cream of (insert choice here) soup for other endeavors...

As I always say, check the comments--they're helpful--at times more helpful than the post!

7 comments:

ejemory said...

Your family will probably not mind the canned potatoes. I'm just spoiled when it comes to using fresh vs. using canned! In soups/stews/casseroles it's hard to tell the difference.

ejemory said...

Another thought on those canned potatoes. A restaurant owner that I spoke with briefly took the small whole potatoes, seasoned them with salt/pepper/parm cheese and deep fried them! Very popular item at his restaurant. I don't picture me whipping out a deep fryer in an emergency situation, but possibly I would use some of my potatoes this way for a family dinner.

Marie said...

Ejemory--I prefer fresh potatoes, myself, as long as I use them before they grow too many eyes.:) That frying them with seasonings idea sounds pretty tasty, whether it was actually deep-fried or not, and whether they were whole or not... Thanks as always for your comments!

TM Frugal Gourmet said...

Canned potatoes are very versatile!

You can cut them up, fry them in a little butter, add some cut cooked meat and egg, salt and pepper and you have a farmer's breakfast.

You can also chop them a little and add to chili, or soups.

Marie said...

TM Frugal Gourmet--Though I haven't tried the canned potatoes as yet, I love potatoes in every other variation that I can think of, so I am looking forward to it. Makes me wonder if I should have picked more potatoes on my limited number of cans with coupon the other day...thanks as always for your comment!

Becca@End Of Lease Cleaning Sydney said...

The hardest part in food storage or preparedness is starting.
That said, don't buy stuff you don't normally eat. If you buy canned soups, buy an extra couple of the ones you eat when on sale. Buy spices and seasonings from the bulk bins and refill your containers, much cheaper.
Just start.

Marie said...

Becca--I agree with you, although it may not look like it due to the canned potatoes... :)You should definitely store what you eat and eat what you store, so that you will be in the most ideal situation you can be in should an emergency arise.

I chose the can challenge for the BY series because I figured cans were most likely to be useful in any situation--more likely to stay useable in a flood or earthquake situation, for example. Where you might hesitate to eat fresh produce pulled from questionable water from a hurricane situation, you might worry less about canned potatoes-- once the can was washed off. I also figure it doesn't hurt to try new things when it's not an emergency, so that you can then turn around and eat something else if the new item is not to your liking.

And with your comment, you have basically hit the nail on the head when it comes to the BY series--I'm hoping that along with the cans, people will think about other things to store. It is difficult to start food storage sometimes, because it seems overwhelming, but once you start, you can see other ways to expand and improve your storage. Couldn't say it better than you did--start with canned potatoes, start with fresh potatoes, but whatever you choose, to quote your comment, "Just start." I have no idea how many people have noticed/taken part in the BY series, but I hope that it has helped many people to start food storage.

Whew, that was a long one. :)

Thanks so much for your comment!