On Storing Foods

[lillilah]

As we approach the time when we may need to isolate ourselves from the infected (or if we end up being the infected), I've been thinking about what the hell I will eat if I can't go to the store for two weeks. I've come up with a plan that involved lots of pea soup and lentils, miso soup with dried mushrooms and seaweed, and some emergency foods, like whey protein. I should be able to use cabbage, root vegetables, and other winter vegetables, like squashes - if there are any at the store, to replace some of the other fresh vegetables that I eat. However, I realize now that I'm skipping two important things:

First, I will have at least a week when the fresh vegetables that I have bought will still be good. For cauliflower and cabbage, especially, I really should have plenty of time to eat them fresh. If I do a better job of storing the cucumbers, they will (obviously) stay fresh longer. So, it is time to get on that.

Second, we have a ton of jars here, and there are tons of traditional ways to preserve vegetables, even the ones I eat. I would like to try making some kind of pickle relish, sauerkraut, and Japanese pickled vegetables. Oh! There seems to be a kind of sauerkraut with beets! I don't love beets, but why the hell not try it. So, clearly, I have way more options than I thought. Tomorrow, I'll get to work on this, so that I can have a shopping list ready for Monday.