Proteins are present in all living tissues and they make up more than half of
all the organic matter in the human body. As a result, it is important to
know about proteins when storing foods that may be consumed in less than
ideal circumstances. Storing enough of the right kinds of protein is
critical.
Good sources of protein available to us for storage are:
- Meat
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Cereal Grains
- Some dairy products
Meat is a tricky thing to store without refrigeration. Many of us no longer
have the skills to salt, marinade, and cure meat for storage. Even when
preserved in this manner meat must be kept at 65 degrees or cooler.
Commercially canned meat is probably the easiest method for storing meat
protein. Canned tuna, salmon, chicken, corned beef hash, stews, and soups,
are all good candidates for the storage pantry. Most canned meats have less
than a year of shelf life, so it is important to rotate stored meats
regularly. Another way to store meat is in the form of jerky. Marinating
and then drying meat can be one of the easiest, and even fun, ways of storing
meats. Home canning your own meat is not recommended unless you are very
experienced due to the risk of botulism poisoning.
Legumes are meat substitutes. Unfortunately, an average serving of legumes furnishes only one-third as much protein as a 3 oz. serving of meat. The quality of protein from legumes tends to be inferior to animal protein, except for peanuts and soybeans. As a result, if you do not want to store animal proteins, peanuts and soybean products are the best alternatives since they contain the highest protein content of all legumes. Soybeans in particular have been processed commercially into textured vegetable protein products (TVP) which taste like meat. TVP comes in chicken, hamburger, sausage, ham and bacon like products. Bacon bits found in the salad section at the grocers is TVP. The advantage of TVP is that it has a long shelf life - around 5 years.
Nuts, such as walnuts, pecans and almonds have a relatively high protein
content (7-18%), but instead of being rich in starch like legumes, they have
a high fat content. If you are in a situation where you are forced to
consume few calories per day nuts can be an excellent choice in an emergency.
Cereal grains contain some protein but nutritionally they need to be consumed with dairy products to form a complete protein. When combined with legumes, they also create a full protein, but not as much as if it were combined with an equal amount of dairy. Grains are a very important part of any food storage plan but not for their protein content alone. Be aware that whole grains can spoil, turning rancid when stored in too warm an environment.
Dairy products such as powdered milk, powdered cheeses, and even powdered eggs are excellent items for food storage. Dairy products need to be placed in plastic containers and protected from moisture and elevated temperatures however to preserve freshness and nutritional value.
The following is a basic list of the amount of protein to be stored for one adult male for three months:
- Powdered milk: 25lbs
- Mixed nuts: 4lbs
- Peanuts: 4lbs
- Soybeans (dried): 4lbs
- Pinto, red, navy, garbanzo, lima beans (dried): 4lbs each
- Black-eyed and green peas (dried): 4lbs each
- TVP (dried) or canned meat (canned): 25lbs
Below is a recipe for homemade jerky. It requires the use of a food dehydrator or experience using the oven and countertops in drying foods. Here are some hints for a good result:
- It is very important, especially when working with poultry to cut meat 1/8 of an inch thick or less, and that the marinade has time to penetrate the meat completely before drying.
- Grind or cut meat to the size for recipes before dehydrating. The soft meat is far easier to work with than the crisp dehydrated product.
- Trim off all fat before slicing
- Always store jerky in an air tight container
4 lbs. beef, fish, or turkey
1/2 cup liquid smoke
3 cups soy sauce
1/2 lb. brown sugar
Mix together the above ingredients in a non-reactive bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Wash and pat meat dry. Slice or grind as desired. Place meat in bowl with marinade and cover with a tight lid. Let stand about 12-15 minutes, shaking bowl or turning meat every few minutes to insure even coverage. Drain marinated meat in sieve or colander. Place meat on dehydrator trays. Normal drying time with an electric dehydrator is 24 to 48 hours.
References:
- Mason, Rosalie, Beginners Guide to Family Preparedness, Horizon Publishers, Bountiful, UT, 1998.
- Ronco Food Dehydrator Cookbook, Ronco, Inc., Beverly Hills, CA.
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