Tofu

    Okay, all those who just plain hate the thought of tofu, or who have eaten poorly prepared tofu - wrinkle your nose, stick your tongue out, pull a funny face while making a retching noise. Whatever works for you. All done now? Good, then I'll begin...
   I'm a veggie. Been that way for a long time (23 years and counting) and I've tried lots of tofu dishes, prepared both by myself and others. It can be tricky to prepare, and what turns most people off is the lack of taste (not necessarily true - I'll come back to that), which ironically can be it's main virtue. Tofu acts like a sponge and takes on other flavors so it can be used in savory dishes (chillis, curries, stir fries, stews, etc), desserts, baked goods and even smoothies. It's high in protein, calcium, and other good stuff, and low in cholesterol. Oh, the taste thing. Tofu tends to lose it's taste pretty rapidly so store bought stuff is bland, but fresh tofu has a delicate taste. I've heard it likened to ricotta cheese.
   The point of all this is while I've been researching foods to store as preps, obviously meat was kind of low on my list. Like not even on it. So I started to think about protein foods and based on my diet now, soy was at the top. I did a search on the forum for tofu and got a big, fat zero. So I thought I'd throw it out there.
   For those who don't know, tofu is made from soy beans. What appeals to me is that beans last a remarkably long time when stored properly, and soy beans can be made into tofu from dry in less than a day. I won't bore you with the details - there are many websites out there that tell you how to make it.
   There you go - now instead of a search for "tofu" leaving you disappointed and sad, it will get you right here.
    
    
       
    
    

   You're welcome. I'm a big fan of TVP (I've got a pretty good stockpile of it already). The tofu thing started as a project for my son and myself and I thought given it's potential application in a pandemic I'd share it. The downside is it involves water and a certain amount of cooking (which is a common problem with all dried preps), but most of the time expended is sitting around waiting for the beans to soak, and for the tofu to coagulate. It's much more versatile in terms of it's use than TVP and it'll definitely keep you alive and very healthy. It's still gaining a foothold in the west, but it's a staple in many far east countries. Obviously without a fridge it wouldn't keep any longer than most dairy foods, but in that case you'd make just enough for the meals you had planned for the next day or two. The coagulator is either food grade gypsum or nigari (which keeps a long time in powder form) and the beans have a shelf life of up to 8 years when stored properly. I've found soy beans at my local Henrys for 89 cents a pound, and I'm sure I can do better once I find a bulk supplier.
   I firmly believe that looking to other cultures to see how they cope on a daily basis with much fewer resources than us could be of great benefit in a pandemic situation. I just picked up a heavy duty tortilla press today with that in mind. I have a lot of canned refried beans and black beans, and rice and corn flour sealed in mylar bags. Now I can make burritos with what I have to hand.   
    
    
    

I'm not familiar with foodsaving. Mylar is the material they make those shiny balloons out of, and a lot of processed foods are packaged in mylar bags (usually inside a cardboard box). It can be sealed with an iron at home, and is perfect for storing preps. If you throw in some oxygen absorbers (small packs of chemicals that pull oxygen out of the surrounding air) with your preps before you seal it, they stay fresh for a LONG time. Mylar punctures easily though, so you want to store it in something sturdy like a clean plastic bucket, which also gives you some protection against rodents. The low oxygen content kills any bugs that might be in the food, and the mylar stops any scents getting out that might attract pests. You can get oxygen absorbers and mylar bags online. If you suspect your food has too high of a water content you can get water absorbers too. It's cool to watch the bags shrink down as though a vacuum cleaner's sucking the air out. It's about the best way of ensuring your preps have the longest shelf life possible.
    

    I've already bought some, but when I get paid I'm going to regularly by energy bars. Nutrigrain tastes the best, but I've only tried the apple flavor. So I need to risk a bit next time I go to the store. A concentrated energy bar represents a ration, a box carries about 8 bars, so for about 20 dollars I will have 30-40 rations. Be warned, they make you thirst like a fig newton.

Maybe if you haven't been doing so already, you might consider generic products. Safeway's select brands cover a wide area of food products from peanut butter to tuna fish and even mac and cheese.

Hotair - I posted some pics on Flickr that I took last time I put some preps in mylar bags. Hope it helps.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/40898708@N00/sets/72157603020484794/detail/