Preparation...?

How do you feel about even contemplating the possibility of a worst case scenario? Be that a natural disaster, a cataclysmic event or an unforseen family / personal calamity. 


How do you feel about preparing for worst case scenario's?


We are all aware of the state of the worlds' economy.  And, I think by now, we are all aware than this situation is going to linger - longer.


So - I'm wondering how you are all fairing?  Do you have stock of dry goods?  Do you have stock of tinned goods?  Are they helping you to get through the current tough times?


Are you, in the Northern hemisphere, preparing to preserve your surplus from your vegetable gardens in the weeks / months ahead?


Have you ever preserved before?  I know I hadn't - until last season. But, LOL, Lynda Brown was all the impetus I needed.

I loved the experience - and the stock in my pantry at the end of the season.


Each container of goods, be they dry, tinned or bottled, that you have in your home / pantry, will help you through your tough times.


I am a firm believer in stocking up, whenever possible and /or affordable.  So I am always on the lookout for reduced prices in those "long life" items.  But I also ensure that the "sell-by-date" on those items is sufficient for me to happily make use of them in the future. Not that dry goods can "turn" - guess the worst that can happen is the infestation of weevils.  (For that, try adding a sprig of bay leaves to your container - and refresh the sprig every few months.)

Re-using empty plastic jars to store some
of my bulk dry goods

I should have been a Brownie, or a Girl Guide - isn't their motto: "Be Prepared"?  Or is that the motto of Cubs / Boy Scouts?  Whatever.  My parents couldn't afford for me to belong to either club when I was a child - little did they know that I would absorb important information from those who did.


Or is it my Scottish / English heritage which has reared it's head as I grew older?  I don't know.  All I do know is that I am forever squirreling away whatever I can, for a "just in case" scenario.


It's the same with a bar of chocolate.  If I have a bar of chocolate I will eat a few pieces, and put the rest away for another day, when I can enjoy it all over again.  I "stretch out" my enjoyment, as opposed to fulfilling a "gotta have it all now" lifestyle.


Guess that could be the key to "having" when the times get tough.  Leaving some of what you have for another day.  Don't just live for today - spare tomorrow a thought too.


I fear for the youngsters of today, for they seem, in general, to be, a "gotta have it - now!" generation.  Especially when it comes to the latest technology / gadget / designer label item.  I wonder, in fact, how many of them even contemplate tomorrow?  And I wonder if they ever give any thought what their basic requirements may be tomorrow...?


If they have grown up in a household where bulk storage / home preserving takes place, then they will be better equipped / prepared that their peers.  Purely through example.  Nobody is too old to learn.  Look at me - I'm a prime example. LOL 

My first attempt at home preserving -
pears, jam and pickled vegetables :-)

If like me, you get to preserving a little later in life, the lesson will still be taken on board by your younger generation - especially if they can eat / taste the benefit of your hard work.


So, if you're not buying dry goods in bulk when they are on special - try it.  It's very comforting to have that back-up when times are tough.


It is also encouraging when you realize that, through generating your own stores, you are:


1 invariably re-using your glass jars - or only having to replace their lids;
2 saving on using unnecessary fuel / reducing the amount of CO2 being expelled into the atmosphere, because you're not rushing to the local store whenever you run out;
3 reducing what goes to endless (or are they??) landfill sites;
4 enjoying the fruits of your labours :-)
5 And, finally, if you have a solar oven, you can preserve your produce without using any power from the grid...


You gotta love it... :-)