The Ready Store is excited to announce that we now have a library!

You can now order books that will help you with your food storage and emergency preparations. Choose from books like “Cookin’ with Home Storage,” “Food Storage 101 – Where Do I Begin?” and “Cookin’ with Powdered Milk.”

These books are packed full of recipes, conversion charts, tips and tricks! We hope these books will provide you with a great resource on how to use your food storage and giving you ideas of dishes to make!

One book in our library contains 100 recipes using food storage items! Another holds 550! These recipes and books will save you time and money.

Besides recipes, these books also contain water storage ideas, storage recommendations, menu plans, shelving options and do-it-yourself tips!

Keep checking back to see new additions to our library and other surprises!

Metalized bags, or Mylar bags, offer a great solution to sealing your own food. Mylar bags help keep moisture, sunlight and oxygen out of your food – extending your food’s shelf-life!

Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to seal your own Mylar bags.

What you’ll need

First, be sure to round up all of your supplies. It’s recommended that you seal more than one Mylar bag in a sitting because the oxygen absorbers that you place in the bags can only stay out in the open for a few hours. So, you can’t really open the O2 absorber bag and then use the absorbers later.

Be sure to gather:

• Your food
• A bucket (doesn’t need to be food-grade)
• A lid
• Mylar bags for each bucket
• An oxygen absorber for each bucket
• A heat source like a clothes iron or a hair straightener

Step 1 – Put the Mylar bags in the buckets

Be sure to spread the bag out along the bottom of the bucket as much as possible. This will help you food settle to the bottom as much as possible.

Step 2 – Pour the food into the Mylar bag

Step 3 – Lift the Mylar bag to settle

Take the Mylar bag and lift it up inside the bucket. Don’t take it out. Shake the bag to make sure that all the contents are settled to the bottom. This will help the food fill into the pockets of air in the bag so you can get more food into the bag.

Step 4 – Throw in an oxygen absorber

You don’t have to bury it or anything. You can just throw it on the top.
You’ll want to press the sides of the bag so the part you’ll be sealing stands straight. This is a good time to push out the remaining air.

Step 5 – Seal the bag

Use a clothes iron or hair straightener to seal the top of the bag. If you use a clothes iron, make sure that it’s not on a steam setting. The heat source should be at a high setting to seal the bag correctly.

When using a clothes iron, it is sometimes helpful to use a piece of wood to iron against. You can wrap the top of the bag around the wood and push against it to iron.

Start heating from the middle of the bag and move your way to the outside. This will help the seal lay more evenly.

We’ve seen a lot of videos where people leave a slot at the top of the seal, quickly vacuum out the remaining air and then seal the rest of the bag. This isn’t necessary. If you have a good oxygen absorber, it will take out the remaining oxygen from the bag. You might notice there is still some space in the bag due to nitrogen in the air, which doesn’t harm the food.

A 2000cc oxygen absorber is potent enough that if you were to inflate the entire Mylar bag with air and seal it with the absorber, it would take all the oxygen out, leaving only nitrogen and traces of other gases (less than 1 percent) that are not going to harm your food.

Step 6 – Place a lid on top

Fold over the Mylar bag and then place a lid on top. You’re done!

What other tips do you have? What have you found to be effective? Comment below and let us know.

By The Ready Store

Dehydrating can be a very fun activity and save you space and money! While dehydrating isn’t an exact science, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to dehydrate your food in the best way possible.

Take a look at our list and add your tips too! Comment below to tell us your tips and tricks!

General

1. Dehydrating foods can result in a loss of some nutrients, although the foods will still be nutritious. Vitamin C is most commonly destroyed by heat.
2. The fiber content of fruits usually remains the same after dehydration. Take this into consideration when choosing what to preserve.
3. Humid air can slow down the dehydration process.
4. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables are lower in fat than regular produce. However, their calories are higher per serving because of their density. For example, you would receive the same amount of calories from 1 cup of fresh apples and ½ cup of dehydrated apples.

Preparation

1. When dehydrating food, you should always start with fresh, good quality food. Bruised and old foods don’t tend to yield good results.
2. You can dip your apples in a bath of lemon juice and cold water. This will keep the apples from discoloring when dehydrating. You can also dip fruits in orange or pineapple juice.
3. Although it’s not necessary every time, blanching or dipping your food before dehydration can prevent against bacteria.
4. Try and slice all of your foods to the same size. This will help all the food dehydrate at the same rate.
5. Cook potatoes before dehydrating. If not, they will turn black in the dehydrator. You can also put potatoes in the fridge the night before dehydration to make it easier to peel, cut or shred them.
6. Steam low-acid foods before you dehydrate them. These include things like beets, corn, peas, beans, broccoli, pumpkins, etc.
7. You can ask your butcher to slice your beef for dehydration. They will usually cut it to ¼-inch thick.

Dehydrating

1. Try to dehydrate the food as quickly as possible. The higher the temperature the better. However, if you make the temperature too high, the food will become hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Be aware of the temperature at which you are dehydrating and be sure to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.
2. Many fruits and can be pureed or blended beforehand to be made into fruit strips or rolls. Instead of adding sugar to the mix, add honey or corn syrup.

After

1. Be sure to cool all the food before you store it.
2. Store the dehydrated food in airtight containers or plastic bags to keep out moisture.
3. It’s recommended that you freeze your dehydrated meat. Many times, dehydrated meats can still go rancid.

Just for fun

1. You can dehydrate tomato sauce from a jar! It will look similiar to a fruit roll-up. They can then be easily rehydrated with water! It’s a great way to bring sauces on camping trips without having to pack in heavy, bulky jars!

Summary
We’ve also created this awesome cheat sheet that you can use. You can also print off the PDF and keep it with your dehydrator for reference.

You can also print this cheatsheet off to keep with your dehydrator. Click here. (PDF)

*Please note that these numbers do not apply to our American Harvest Snackmaster Express. With the Snackmaster, you can dehydrate food faster and easier.

So, what tips and tricks do you have? Comment below!

By The Ready Store

While rotating through your food storage, you’ll be able to make great dishes like Vegetable Risotto! Being prepared means you’ll be able to feed your family this creamy risotto with a colorful blend of vegetables, no matter what challenge you might have to face. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Saratoga Farms Asparagus
• 2 cups Saratoga Farms Carrot dices
• 6 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup Saratoga Farms Green Bell Peppers
• 2 cups Saratoga Farms Zucchini Slices
• 1 cup Saratoga Farms Sliced Mushrooms
• 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 1/2 cups Saratoga Farms Chicken Bouillon made into a broth
• 1 TBL olive oil
• 1 1/3 cups uncooked rice
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. First, preheat your oven to 425 °F.
2. Spray a 17 x 11 roasting pan with cooking spray.
3. Mix the vegetables (asparagus, carrots, onions, peppers, squash, mushrooms), rosemary and 1/4 cup broth in the pan.
4. Roast 20 minutes or until done, stirring once. You’ll want to prepare the risotto while the vegetables cook.
5. Heat the oil in a small pot. Add the rice. Cook and stir for 2 minutes Add 1/2 cup broth and cook until broth is absorbed. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until all broth is absorbed before adding more. (Total cooking time: 25 minutes)
6. Add vegetables and cheese. Heat thoroughly. Serve immediately.

Hope you enjoy!

By The Ready Store

You might have noticed while shopping for food storage that you have come across cans of meat TVP and others without the TVP distinction. For example, Saratoga Farms offers a Freeze-dried Ground Beef but they also offer a Beef Crumble TVP. What’s the difference?

What is TVP?
TVP stands for Textured Vegetable Protein. Basically, TVP is high-fiber, high-protein meat substitute. It’s made from soy flour after the soybean oil has been extracted. It is cooked under pressure and dried. You might have also seen TVP being called Textured Soy Flour (TSF).

Another major difference is that TVP is dehydrated instead of freeze-dried. So, when you prepare the TVP you will need to cook it for a bit before it’s ready to eat.

Uses of TVP
You’re probably more familiar with TVP than you realize. TVP is used on a wide scale at restaurants and in public schools. The TVP is rehydrated and has a great shelf-life, so many companies use it for the benefit of storage and shipping.

You’ve probably seen TVP on pizza toppings, as bacon bits, in sloppy joes and more!

Benefits of TVP
TVP is more affordable. Since cuts of meat can be pretty expensive, this is a great substitute that doesn’t lack for taste. You get the similar taste for less price.

It’s easy to prepare. All you have to do is add water to the TVP, simmer it for a few minutes and it’s ready to use in your family’s favorite recipes. You can also substitute it in meals by just adding a bit more water and letting it simmer for a few minutes longer.

Substitute for diets. TVP is a great substitute for vegetarians or people on a Kosher diet.

Would you rather have meat?
Higher level of protein. While TVP is a great substitute for protein, if you compare a cup of TVP to a cup of meat, the regular freeze-dried meat will have more protein in it.

Less sodium. Since salt and other flavoring is added to the TVP to make it taste good, more often than not they have higher sodium levels.

Less soy. TVP will have higher soy levels than meat. If you are on a low-soy diet or want to avoid soy, meats will be a better choice.

By The Ready Store

Everyone knows that you just need to add water to a freeze-dried meal to prepare it! However, there are a few things that you can do to make sure that your freeze-dried meals turn out perfect every time!

I’ve had many opportunities to prepare freeze-dried foods and meals. And throughout the years, I’ve collected a few pointers on preparation. Here they are:

Shake the can
Yes, that’s right! Step No. 1 is to shake the can.

You’ll want to mix all the contents in the can to ensure that they are mixed evenly. Sometimes powders can settle on the bottom of the can while broader contents (like noodles) will stay at the top. To ensure that you have enough flavoring on your food, shake the can before you open it.

When you’re shaking, don’t go crazy, you don’t to open your can to find that you’ve smashed all the contents inside.

Add water little by little
On the side of the can, you’ll find preparation instructions. This will give you a ratio of water and mix. So, for example, the label in the picture explains that you’ll need 1 cup of water and ½ cup of dry mix.

If you’re preparing all of the can’s contents at the same time, you can just add the required water that you need. I’ve noticed that many times stirring and mixing the food is easier as you add water little by little.

Add a little water, stir that in and then add a little more water. This will allow you to fine-tune your meal to your desired consistency! It will also make mixing a lot easier!

Put a lid on
When creating a hot dish, you’ll want to use boiling, or near boiling water. I’ve noticed that the food will reconstitute faster if there is a lid on the bowl or mixing cup. This will trap in the moisture and keep heat rotating inside your bowl.

When you put a lid on the food, it reconstitutes faster and more fully.

Your recommendations?
What have you found? What pointers would you give others on the best way to prepare freeze-dried foods?

By The Ready Store

Imagine having fresh, home-made pizza any time of the year, no matter the situation. That is why this recipe rocks! You can create pizza with food storage items that last for 20-30 years!

You can also use this recipe to create calzones, cinnamon rolls, bread sticks and more!

Crust

Ingredients
3 ½ cups Saratoga Farms Flour
1 cup warm water
1 packet dry active yeast
2 tbsp Saratoga Farms sugar
2 tbsp olive oil
+ olive oil for the bowl
1 tsp Saratoga Farms salt

Directions
Combine water, yeast and sugar and set aside in a warm place until it begins to foam (4-5 minutes). Meanwhile in a bowl, mixer w/paddle or a food processor, combine salt and flour.

Slowly stream in the yeast mixture and add the olive oil. If using a mixer or food processor, turn on and allow ingredients to combine until they form a ball of dough. If you’re using a mixer, now is the time to switch to the dough hook. Knead (either by turning on your machine or by hand) for 2-3 minutes.

Set aside in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp dish towel in a warm place (like an oven that has been turned on and then turned off and allowed to cool a bit but is still warm) for 30 minutes.

After dough has doubled in size, punch down and allow to rise for another 30 minutes (20 if you’re impatient).

Bake at 475 on a floured pizza pan or stone for 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is melted and browned in spots. (Recipe courtesy Broke A Gourmet.)

Toppings
After you’ve made the dough, feel free to add pizza sauce or Saratoga Farms Instant Marinara Sauce – which is just-add-water.

Once you place the sauce down, add Saratoga Farms Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese or
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese.

After you lay down the cheese layer, add White Onions, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Diced Beef, Sausage, Diced Ham or Pineapple to create your personalized pizza!

By The Ready Store

Tortillas can bring a huge versatility to your food storage recipes and cooking. You could create burritos, casseroles, quesadillas, soups, wraps, tortilla chips and many other things.

In fact, Mountain House offers some breakfast and sandwich wrap fillings that can be put inside tortillas.

Here’s one way to make tortillas out of food storage items:

Food Storage Tortillas
Ingredients

• 2 ¾ cups Saratoga Farms White Flour
• A little flour to rolling the tortillas
• 5 tablespoons vegetable shorting*
• ¾ teaspoon Saratoga Farm Salt
• ¾ cup very warm water

Directions
Combine the flour and shortening in a large mixing bowl and work the shortening into the flour with your fingers until completely incorporated. If this isn’t done thoroughly (until no particles of shortening remain visible), the tortillas will have an irregular texture.  Dissolve the salt in the water and pour about 2/3 cup over the dry ingredients and immediately work it in with a fork; the dough will be in large clumps.  If all the dry ingredients haven’t been dampened, add the rest of the liquid (plus a little more, if necessary).  Scoop the dough onto your work surface and knead until smooth.  It should be a medium-stiff consistency – not firm, but not quite as soft as most bread dough either.

Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each into a ball.  Set them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and let rest for at least 30 minutes – this makes the dough easier to roll.

Heat an ungreased griddle or heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat.

Flatten a ball of dough, flour it, then roll forward and back across it; rotate a sixth of a turn and roll forward and back again; continue rotating and rolling until you reach a 7-inch circle, lightly flouring the tortilla and work surface from time to time.

Lay the tortilla on the hot griddle (you should hear a faint sizzle and see an almost immediate bubbling across the surface).  After 30 to 45 seconds, when there are browned splotches underneath, flip it over.  Bake 30 to 45 seconds more, until the other side is browned; don’t overbake the tortilla or it will become crisp.  Remove and wrap in a cloth napkin placed in a tortilla warmer.  Roll and griddle-bake the remaining tortillas in the same manner – stack them one on top of the other in the warmer.

Recipe courtesy of The Urban Spork and Rick Bayless.

Tortilla Chips
If you want to make them into tortilla chips, allow them to cool, spray them on both sides with Crisco Spray*, use a pizza cutter to cut them into chips. Lay on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes. Take them out, add salt, flip and place in the oven again for 5-7 minutes.

You can also do this with regular tortillas if you don’t want to bake your own.

NOTE:
*While we don’t offer a shortening product, products from Crisco will last for 2 years on the shelf. According to Crisco’s site, this is the shelf-life of their product:

By The Ready Store

While you’ve been storing up on wheats, one important thing is to find a great, sturdy grain grinder to be able to convert all that wheat into flour. There are a few things that you should look for when considering which grinder to buy.

How much will you grind?
You should probably determine how much wheat you’re going to be grinding. If the grinder isn’t going to be processing a lot of grain, it might be smart to get a more compact grinder.

You might also find that you don’t even need a wheat grinder. If you’re storing barley or other types of dry grains, you might consider purchasing a barley crusher or a dry grain mill.

Remember that freshly milled flour can go bad quickly. It’s important to freeze the unused flour that you have extra.

Electric vs Manual
Melody Buller gives a good recommendation while looking for a wheat grinder:

Mills (or grinders) can be hand-powered or electric. Electric grain mills are fast and efficient and generally allow a person to select the fineness of the flour. Manual grain grinders may only have one setting, which can be rather coarse, but those who prefer heartier baked goods may prefer this texture. Some manual grinders do allow for fineness adjustment.(Read here article here.)

Manual grinders usually last a long time. Electric grinders last several years but may need replacement parts or repair. You’ll want to check your grinder for warranties and how to find replacement parts. Electric grinders can also be very noisy.

It’s also important to find a grinder that doesn’t heat up too much. Some grinders can heat up to the point that it begins to drain the flour of nutrients. A manual grinder usually doesn’t have that problem.

Grinder attachments
You might be able to grind wheat with your existing kitchen appliances. For example, the Kitchen Aid Mixer comes with a separate grain milling attachment. Remember though, grinding wheat requires a powerful motor – at least 325 horsepower.

What can it process?
Some wheat grinders are built to only process certain types of wheat or grains. We’ve made sure that each of our grinders has the ability to grind multiple kinds of grains. For example, the WonderMill can process buckwheat, rye, oats, millet, popcorn kernals, triticale, dried field corn, chick peas, soybeans, dried mung beans, rice, dried pinto beans wheat, sorghum, split peas and dried green beans.

Our hand mixers can process wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley and more. The WonderMill Junior Hand Mill also process wet and oily grains. It has an attachment that allow you to make coffee or even peanut butter!

By The Ready Store

Once you’ve started storing food, one of the most important tools in your arsenal will be a can opener. Without a can opener, you won’t be able to get in to your food.

Why is finding a good can opener so difficult?

When it comes to can openers there are no universal standards. Like everything else in the kitchen (except maybe the wooden spoon), it’s been improved upon and different variations have been made …

With so many different models to choose from it’s hard enough to decide which type you want, let alone which brand within the idea. Can opener shopping is not unlike shoe shopping. Although some enjoy it, most folks define it as hell. All the good ones are too expensive and within the board definition of shoes there are dress shoes, athletic shoes, snow boots… well you get the idea. The only difference is when shoe shopping you at least get to try things on before you buy them!

With can openers your purchase is always a shot in the dark (outside of reading online reviews). How do you go about finding the right one? Do you always end up disappointed? (Read the TheKitchn.com article.)

Important can opener features

Since there are so many options with can openers here are some of the important ones:

• Stainless-steel blades and carbon content. Stronger blades and gears will make a can opener to last longer.
• Comfortable handles. Make sure that the can opener has non-slip, rubbery handles. Make sure you hold it before you purchase it.
• Long handles. Longer handles will provide you with more leverage and you’ll need less strength to grip the can.
• Side-cutting. When you purchase a side-cut can opener, it leaves smoother edges. Since the can opener cuts just below the rim of the lid, around the side of the can, it usually leaves no sharp edges.
• Manual can openers. Manual can openers can typically open any size of can. If you’re going to purchase an electric can opener, make sure that all of your cans work with the electric can opener.

Other features & options to consider

 
• Built in features. Some can openers have knife sharpeners, bottle openers, knives, etc. There are a ton of other features available that are possible in can openers.
• P-38s. These army-invented can openers are also known as “John Waynes” or “Dead Dukes.” They might be a little hard to come by but they are pretty small and simple. They also fold flat and are very easy to store. Here’s a video of how they work: