Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Save the Onions; Inventory



With the strange weather prediction, Bulldog Man and I decided it was best to cover up the onions planted several weeks ago in order to protect them from temperatures below freezing. 

We pulled out clear 3.5 mil plastic you typically find in the painting section of a hardware store, 4 concrete blocks, two feedlot panels, several planters, and bricks for weight.  We placed a concrete block on each corner of the garden box, and then laid a feedlot panel on top of the blocks.  The 3.5 mil plastic was then unfolded and laid across the feedlot panel and down the sides of the garden box.  Another feedlot panel was placed on top of the plastic to keep the plastic in place, and planters, along with bricks, were laid on top of the plastic; hanging on the sides of the planter to prevent the wind and cold air from seeping through the plastic. 


 





If this doesn’t protect the onions, then were just pure out of luck and will have to replant onions after the weather passes.


*****

Every couple of months, I take inventory of items in my pantry, make sure food is rotated and used before the expiration date.  The same thing is done with our 5 gallon containers of long term stored foods, spices, and emergency medical supplies.  

A list is always compiled to help restock items used, and to help with locating coupons on needed merchandise.  Granted it’s hard to find coupons on everything you buy.  Whenever possible, I try to find a coupon through newspapers, or the computer, to save money whenever possible.

So tell me, when was the last time you inventoried and rotated your food products (short and long term) and medical supplies? 




















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24 comments

  1. I am ashamed to say, rarely.

    Come help get me organized.

    ReplyDelete
  2. just couple days ago...for us it is a constant. hope the onions make it

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    Replies
    1. M.E.,

      It has to be constant because things do expire....right.
      I'm hoping they make it too!!!

      Delete
  3. Two weeks ago I did another inventory and found a lot of stuff I needed to simply get rid of due to space limitations. But generally every six months I look through all the food, gas and equipment in stock.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mike,

      You've set up a routine plan, that's really good.

      Delete
  4. Hey Sandy,

    Senior and I were just talking the other day about rotating our pantry stuff. We have began to by more dehydrated stuff though. It has a longer shelf life and will be easier to carry should we need to bug out.
    I did water bottles a few months back for long term storage, not thinking about the freezing weather here, which is another thing we are getting used to. Well, senior went into the storage building the other day, and they were frozen solid and about to bust...when they unthaw I need to drain out some water...lol

    I know I know! I am not in Florida anymore Toto

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. JUGM,

      We have long term storage items too, these are on the rotation cycle.
      UT....OH, frozen water.................No Toto.....You're not in Florida!!!!!
      I hope your bottles survive through the cold and thawing process without cracking.

      Hugs, and love to you and yours.
      Sandy (aka 3rd angel).

      Delete
    2. oh Tarter sauce!!! I still have not got out there to drain them a bit....lol

      Delete
  5. We have 3 inches of sleet on the ground so we have been going through our pantry and rotating some of the older cans. The cans have been on the shelf 2 years at the most so the older cans are just now expiring so we are utilizing them as we prepare our meals, therefore no waste!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Double Homestead,
      3 inches of sleet, that's going to take some time to thaw out. Be careful and safe when outside.

      I hear you with using up the older cans, we do this too. No waste here!!!

      Were expecting heavy winds and snow over the weekend.

      Delete
  6. Sandy, Definitely something I need to do. I am pretty good with canned goods as I can see them. However, I have a boatload of long term storage #10 cans that are still in their shipping boxes waiting to be 'put up' in the pantry once it is built. Most of them I bought 2 years agao & are 20 years items but I do hope to try a few of them out before expiration so hope we get the pantry situated before their expire. Good luck with the onions!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. DFW,

      Short term and long term items are checked every couple of months. I would for sure try some of the long term food to make sure it's something your family will like while waiting to build your pantry.

      Delete
  7. I haven't rotated anything in a while. Pantry items around here never last that long and my deep storage is mostly on a five year plan with most of it having been updated in 2012 already. I figure the stuff in pails I am not going to worry about until it hits seven or more years old again anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PP,

      General pantry items seem to move a lot faster in our home too. Long term storage (oatmeal, beans, pasta......the stuff I pack) is rotated every couple years. The remaining long term is checked and rotated every 10+ years.

      Delete
  8. I have to say medical...only when we moved here last May...but I got a rude awakening a few weeks back when my favourite cough syrup was expired when I needed it at 1am. I learned :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rain,

      You're still getting established in your new place. It takes time. As for the cough syrup, it may still be good. Just because there's an expiration date it doesn't mean its necessarily spoiled.

      I have several recipes from friends on cough syrup if your interested. Search my blog for cough syrup.

      Delete
  9. Love those feedlot panels!

    I'm working on my inventory now. Since we are stocked with more homegrown, home processed foods than bulk purchases, I tend to get low this time of year. What I really need is a place to keep all the empty canning jars! That's been my thinking project for the past couple of days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Leigh,

      Feedlot panels come in handy for all kinds of things.

      We have grocery stocked food, homegrown processed, long term, and extended. I find the homegrown always goes first.

      Like you, I have all kinds of empty canning jars (which I will never get rid of). I've found several large plastic bins on sale at the store, I use the bins and store them in the garage on shelves. In each bin, I place a layer of bubble wrap, then jars and continue this process. Each bin is labeled on the outside indicating the type of jar/size. This works for me, and gets the extra jars out of my kitchen.

      Delete
  10. It's good you have a chance to save your onions. One reason I have never gotten into gardening is how so much of it depends on things you can't control like weather, but I guess even in bad weather there are some fixes.

    We keep a careful inventory on our stored goods and supplies, using the oldest first to keep from losing items. However, there's many a slip twixt the cup and the lip and there have been instances where our inventory was off. Usually on medical items we use a lot, so my wife sometimes uses them without marking the clip board. I think I might even do that sometimes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Harry,

      Sometimes there's fixes, and other times with the weather........there's nothing you can do. I remember one year planting my garden, and having everything growing nicely when we had a tornado and it just destroyed every single plant in my garden. Ripped each plant to shreds. I was so disappointed because we put all kinds of work into our vegetable garden and good money.

      We all have slips with our inventory, and we forget to add items to the clip board for replenishing our inventory. You should ask my husband how many times I've slipped with the inventory. :-)

      Delete
  11. I'm late coming to the party here but . . .

    When I bring any food items in, I put a piece of masking tape on the top of it with the Best By date on it. The closer dates get pulled to the front of the shelves and the later dates get stacked in the back. I got through the whole pantry late last summer but now I'm ready to do it again. When I take anything off the shelf, I automatically note how low were getting and if I should put replacements on my list. Our freezers are starting to look a little empty so I really need to go through them now and perhaps consolidate . . . get things ready for gardening season! When anything goes in the freezer (like a new supply of meat), I'm careful to pull out what remains of the older stuff and put the new on the bottom. It's worth the trouble.

    Not only should your onions make it but with that greenhouse you built for them they may be of eating size already! ;o]

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mama Pea,

      LOL.......
      Mama Pea, I'm always late coming to the party on friends blogs. Life is just keeping all of us busy this time of year and that's okay :-)

      We have a permanent mark next to our pantry and mark each can, box, packet being added to the shelves in our pantry with the month and year (best by date). Then we make sure to place items in date order, so we eat the items getting ready to expire. Every now and then a can gets placed in the wrong order.

      Tuesday the weather is suppose to warm all the way to 57 degrees. I will be uncovering those onions and hoping they survived the cold :-) Maybe.....just maybe they'll be ready to eat........Bahahahahahahahah~!!!!

      Delete
  12. That was a very sturdy cover. I hope by now you and the onions made it through the weather alright.

    ReplyDelete

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