Winter 2020...

[Uptheclarets]

Been lingering for a while now. Thanks everyone for all the tips. Out of curiosity, if covid19 is going the way the Spanish flu did, what are you putting into place re food to get you through the winter months especially with shortages.

I'm concerned about price increases because of shortages especially rice / pasta / tomatoes.

At the moment I'm growing lots of tomatoes, far more than usually do. I'm planning to freeze them in pre-made ratatouille.

I managed to buy a 16kg bag of bread flour although that won't see me through to winter. I'm going to try and get another before this one runs out.

Have you any ideas on which foods there are likely to be shortages of?

Regardless of whether we get a second wave, our government is just about stupid enough to avoid an extension to the transition period so our supply chain will be fucked by No Deal Brexit. Just when we need it most.
Veg gardening like mad and preserving stuff we eat as much as I can.

I think whatever goods that went out of stock in the March panic buying stage will be good to stock up on for winter. Every time you shop, buy an extra pack of loo rolls, pasta, medicines etc. Slowly start building your stocks up & if you celebrate Christmas then plan early for it.

Flour, tinned tomatoes, pulses, yeast. Oats and the normal high protein foods.
I’m getting log deliveries organised so they’ve seasoned ok too. Meds I’ve managed to order repeat prescriptions a little early so I have a month or so in hand.

I do think that this winter will be a harsh one for people. I am continuing to prep in all areas of food, medical, toiletries, cleaning supplies etc. I normally start to shop for Christmas in September, but will start a little earlier this year if I can. We normally have a free supply of wood for the log burners, but due to Covid19 this has stopped and we will likely need to buy some in or forage. We have already taken advantage of the cheap oil prices and filled our tank in preparation. Last year we started growing our own vegetables in raised beds and fruit from fruit bushes and have increased the amount we are growing this year. There will definitely be long-term effects from Covid19 and I do thing that we need to keep prepping.

Yes... the garden too!! I’ve had bulk deliveries of compost and lots of seedlings are in the greenhouse.
Long term issues are ahead. Gradual and steady small preparation is sensible I think.

Dry yeast and sourdough that lasts longer. All the stuff than ran out now plus more European stuff.
Depending on harvests we may have a bounty or serious shortages.

It is a tragedy that brexit isn’t being paused in light of an international emergency. Things will be much worse logisticswise and expensive 🙁

My local global food shops are well stocked with flour, rice and most Staples including loo rolls. I buy large bags of rice from there as it works out cheaper than Tesco etc. They do have large 10kg bags of flour which I'll buy & split with my friend.

I need to get a proper freezer but I have no idea where to put it. Is it weird to have a freezer in the dining room?

I also need to stock up on multivitamins, flour, yeast and maybe upgrade my breadmaker.

Coughsyrupsucks my aunt had an upright freezer in her dining room. Not weird at all, my spare freezer is in the garage. If I had room in my dining room I'd move it in there for convenience.

@ineedabreak19 that’s good to hear. We live in a 30s house with the usual 8x8 kitchen and no garage. We don’t have power running to the sheds in the garden. No idea how much that would cost tbh? So I thought if I ditched one of the bookcases in the dining room, that would make space. You’re right it would be better for the winter months :)

I'm thinking about buying this breadmaker:
www.argos.co.uk/product/5569106

Has anybody got this one and what are your experiences of it?

Panasonic make the best breadmakers. Not the cheapest but so worth it.

I have the morphs Richards version of the one you are looking at and it’s been a god send! Makes lovely bread and takes about 3 hours on normal cycle. Wouldn’t be without it right now.

I've found the prepping section really helpful and this thread has made me start thinking about the winter. Some very good points on here, thanks everyone.

DH thought I was a bit mad when I started prepping but he's definitely been converted now

Don't know about the MR one, but I have the basic panasonic (SD2500) and it's amazing. I've had it for 11 years and still going strong. I use it every day for bread and also now and again for jam (it has a jam setting). Don't think it's worth getting a fancier one than that (some have a seed/fruit dispenser to save you manually adding them part way through - but I just stick them in at the start). I haven't answered your question, but if you could find another £30ish it would be worth considering.

Thanks everyone for your feedback, very useful to know.

Morrisons has started started selling its bakery flour in smaller kilo bags. So worth going to the in store bakery instead of looking in the flour aisle.

Try local wholesalers too. Some of ours now do home delivery in place of restaurant trade. I’ve had 16 kilo bags of flour from ours.

I’m now on full prep for winter + storage of food we will have from the garden this summer. This is something we usually do anyway but I’m hoping to dehydrate much more food and have ordered lots of extra jars and seals.

I’ve also bought a couple of extra trays for my dehydrator as I know they can crack over time and I’d hate that to happen when I need it most. We’ve found having dehydrated fruits on hand have been nice during “normal” winters. We are experimenting with mango today.

I have also ordered shoes in the next size up for my middle two and oldest son. Eldest DD is a size smaller than me and will happily wear some of my old shoes if her feet get any bigger.
The younger DC can wear hand me downs which are all in good condition.
Hand me downs will do for younger kids school uniform and teens still fit this years uniform, if we decide to send them back.
I have plans to get them all new underwear, slippers, pyjamas and dressing gowns at some point too but I’m not happy with ordering too much unnecessary stuff at the moment.

I mostly completed my Christmas shopping at the end of Jan and start of Feb when I saw this coming. And I’ve done the same with birthdays for DC too. Adults can do with small homemade gestures.

I’m organising medications for humans and animals in date order. And this week I’ll be training our older DC in some more first aid.

Anything we used that went out of stock due to the panic buyers is being slowly added to my shops. One can of chopped tomatoes, a bottle of olive oil here and there.

I have now got a nice stash of vinegars and spices for pickling.

I have started my list of Christmas food to have in the house. I am going to clear out a freezer drawer in July.

Peak two feels like my own personal mission.

I am going to spend my petrol savings on a dehydrator. I have coveted one for a long while, gently teasing our resident expert. When I can get to my mother's and retrieve all her kilnerj ars and glass screw top jars my dad hoarded I will be good to go. First thing in will be the frozen veg Bellini recommends.

In the mean time I am finding recipes that use the fresh stuff we are able to store to preserve our long life stocks of tins. Some now making a 2023 entry. I am desperate to shop. Once lockdown is over I will be shopping like mad.

I have this year's Christmas food started, way back last October. Will start next year's food later in the year.

Someone is doing shopping for me so it is tricky asking them to stock up but I am trying to keep things at a reasonable level.

If we get a break in the social distancing, I will try and get new windows installed.

Also, I am eating up the very old stuff from the freezer.

👋 to BlackeyedSusan

Wait for the thread on accessories. Dehydrator buying advice I can remember. It is the things like oxygen absorbers and anything else I don't know ishould get.

Our dehydrator had its first outing last winter with mushrooms.
We have loads of giant puffballs (unmistakeable) in the woods round us and we’re still eating them now. Good protein but you have to be careful obviously.

So these dehydrators. Do you just soak the veg and fruit etc to rehydrate them and then cook as normal? I've been looking at them for a while, but have only really thought of fruit leathers 😂🤦‍♀️