Best DIY Food Projects For When SHTF

If you want to develop some DIY food projects for when SHTF then you need to become like a prepper who has acquired skills and mastery in survivalism.

If you follow their lead when crisis mode really kicks in, you can count on your groundwork to pull through. Having food is doubtless a priority when SHTF.

These DIY food projects are most definitely a smart approach to ensure you are well-prepared even in confined spaces.

Vegetable Garden

Growing vegetables is a crucial resource that you’ll need to add into your inventory for survival.

It’s not just about putting food on the table but because fresh vegetables have nutrients that assist the body and keep the immune system strong.

You may feel overwhelmed if you’re just starting out, but growing a vegetable garden is rather easy, especially if you’re using this guide. Also, the current rise in food prices will help give you the push that you may need.

Pot Planting

Harvesting vegetables straight from pots? Yes! Pot planting is becoming extremely popular in the times we live in.

It’s one of the easiest forms of cultivating, it’s space efficient, and a lot easier to control pests and deal with soil issues. Not everyone has large spaces to grow the things they would need.

Pot planning is a great alternative in such scenarios. All you need is a few containers and some well fertilized soil!

Successional Planting

With successional planting you will ensure that you have a constant supply of foods to suit your needs.

Successful successive planting means you’ll be planting on an average of every 2-4 weeks depending on: when plants survive most, how long they produce for, how much they produce, how long they take to grow, and how often you would like to harvest that crop.

Companion planting is also something that will help increase your yield.

Seed Saving

I can’t stress this enough; heirloom seeds are the recommended seeds you need to plant and save since they are not hybrids or genetically modified.

They will grow “true to type”, ensuring you harvest what you sowed. Furthermore, you can keep collecting heirloom seeds from your plants yearly.

⇒ Buy Here Your Own Medicinal Garden Seeds Before They Are All Gone

This essential DIY food project is a main ingredient for having food in the future. Heirloom crops and seeds wouldn’t exist if our ancestors never saved them.

Every season when your vegetables are ripe and ready to be picked, allow a section to go to seed.

Chicken Coop

Raising chickens is well worth it. Fresh eggs, your personal pest exterminators and let’s not forget the chicken.

Chicken manure is also an awesome and extremely enriched soil fertilizer and guess what?

You don’t need much space to start growing your own chickens either. For your very own DIY chicken coop, you just need some reclaimed materials and a backyard!

Home Canning

Inevitably, you will have a surplus of produce that you will want to preserve.  Home canning will allow you to preserve your surplus fruit and vegetables and enjoy your favorite foods all year round.

Canning is a process of preserving foods, specifically vegetables, fruits and even meats in glass jars by eliminating all harmful organisms and creating a vacuum seal to prevent contamination.

Depending on the acidity of the produce, home canning can extend food shelf life up to 2 years if unopened.

Home Canning Techniques

Water bath canning: This is perfect for high-acid fruits and vegetables only, such as prickles, tomato products and jams. It requires a large-sized pot deep enough to submerge the jars.

Pressure canning: Pressure canning is the safest DIY canning method particularly used for low-acid foods such as meat. This procedure only requires canning jars and a small amount of water placed in a pressure canner that is then turned into steam.

Note: If any of these techniques are done incorrectly, it can cause food poisoning such as botulism and even death. Do not consume if the jar is leaking, spurting out liquid or foam, cracked or damaged or has an abnormal smell.

Solar Dehydrator

This DIY project is one of the greatest accomplishments of humanity. How? Well, building one of these is not just easy but very cost-effective and relies solely on the power of the sun. That’s right, no electricity or fuel.

Related: How To Build A Solar Dehydrator

Got extra produce? No worries, nothing is going to waste. They can be preserved, and some can be instantly served. Solar dehydrators use the sun’s energy to remove moisture from foods and thus extend their shelf life.

Some of the easiest DIY solar dehydrators are just a box made out of wood, four legs, an acrylic gate, a tray of some kind and mesh. The procedure is more hygienic while taking up far less floor space than the old-fashioned sun drying technique.

Mylar Bagging

Mylar bags are a great storage option for your dried foods. The oxygen barrier they create makes them super effective in extending shelf life and protecting food against all unwanted environmental conditions.

Using the right thickness, some goods can be stored for up to 30 years.

Mylar pouches are perfect for preserving dried foods such as rice, flour, whole spices, beans and dehydrated fruits and vegetables.

All you need is an iron or flat iron, purchased non-transparent mylar bags and some oxygen absorbers. Remember to write dates and name tag them.

Wood Stove

So, you’ve got your fresh, home-grown vegetables and you’ve canned or dried your surplus produce, now you need to consider how you’re going to cook them.

If you haven’t already got one, it’s a great idea to build one of the many designs of DIY wood stoves. This is because you can’t rely on supplies of gas or electricity in a SHTF situation.

If you search the internet, you will find one that suits you. You can easily make them yourself. Keep in mind you will need to gather a stockpile of wood to fuel it.

Knowing how to grow, recycle, preserve and conserve gives you a good insight into long-term survival and self-sufficiency.

The above DIY food projects are examples of some of the ways that can help you and your loved ones survive in a SHTF situation.

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