Correct food storage is essential for receiving nutrients all year round.
Here are the main food categories:
> Fruit and veg
> Meat and fish
> Fats and Oils (nuts and seeds)
> Whole grains and legumes
> Herbs and spices
> Medicinal plants
Proportions:
A WINTER plate is ideally:
Meat eater: one third whole grains and legumes, one third meat of fish protein, one third vegetables
Vegetarian: one third whole grains, half vegetables, one fifth fats
NB: A summer plate does not require so much starch or fat. This topic is for winter storage only.
Where and How to Store Food for Winter Months
Dry Storage
It’s quite comforting to know that you have stores of beans and legumes for sprouting. Plus stews, preserves and sauces that will get you through the winter. It is essential if you are living off grid!! Here is an idea of what to stock in your dry storage:
- These could be mung beans, aduki beans, yellow split peas, lentils, black beans
- Grains: rice, whole wheat flour
- Oils: coconut oil, avocado oil
- Sauces: pasata keeps really well
- Preserves: blackberry and strawberry jams. Such a treat in the winter with freshly baked bread.
- Fermented food i.e. Sauerkraut, Kimchi
- Dried food: great for fruits and nuts
Consider sprouting, fermenting and drying foods in BULK and trade with your local community. - Vinegars
- Alcohol
- Wholemeal starch
- Wheat germ
- Dehydrated fruits.
- Nut butters
I recommend always having a green powder and a red powder. These are powerhouse sources of basic micronutrient needed for immune and nervous system health. Search topics for green powders and red powers.
Freezer
Use your freezer for the most nutrient dense foods like dark meat. Animal fat
Make soups, one a week with your lovely fresh summer produce and store now for winter.
- Raw meat, beef, chicken, pork, duck, venison. Consider speaking to a local farmer now to buy a whole animal for the winter. Depending where you live a cow can be bought from £50-£300.
- Animal fats; butter, lard
- Vegetable soups: immune boosting soup
- Medicinal leaves
- Summer fruits: mixed berries are especially important to harvest over summer for the winter months.
- LSA(linseed sunflower and almonds)
Medicine cabinet
If you don’t have a naturopath in your community. Then consider making your own home remedies cupboard. Go to food as medicine area and build from here.. Below is a list of essentials. Also check out my Home remedies masterclass.
- Elder berries, cherries and sea buckthorn are the most widely available, high medicinal value berries in the UK. They can be harvested in the Spring and can be converted into a glycetract (see masterclass on home remedies for how to) and stored in cupboard for winter. However the best use of medicine is in an alcohol extract as it lasts years. Summer is a great time to manufacture barks and leaves for medicine also. Think ahead. Research on food as medicine or ask a question as a topic.
- Seaweed. See seaweed naturo talk podcast for more info
- Arnica cream for bruising
- Chickweed ointment for stings
- Calendula and lavender oil for burns
- First aid box: SEE MASTER CLASS FOR HOME REMEDIES. Medicines and bandages. Also know what conventional medicines are good to have on hand for emergencies (as taught in the masterclass).
- Homeopathy box essential kit. Also covered i master class
- Herbal formulas: HOME ESSENTIALS KIT see link. 500ml x5 formulas (Parasite cleanse Immune Defence, Infection Control and Convalecse, Heart Berry)
- Mushrooms tonics and powdered blends for immune health
Consider chickens for eggs. A great source of protein and healthy fats, plus vitamin D if your chooks have direct sunlight. If not find trade local.
https://www.realnaturo.com/shop/ormus-10ml-sprout-feed/
Other community supplies to consider and search our forum for:
- efficient warm clothes and natural sleeping materials
- building materials
- energy resources: spring access, firewood, tech, generators etc.
- games and play apparatus
- library of books
- clean social spaces
It is important for health; to live within your means and utilise what is available and in season.
Soil Quality
More people are growing foods these days. Which is super! Please make sure that you take full advantage of the soil quality with our fertiliser Ormus
Seed Exchange
If you have food or seeds to trade then make it known in THE SEED EXCHANGE “Naturo Life” category of the forum.
Functional Communities
Functional communities have expanded exponentially since 2012. These communities trade food, natural medicine, skills and materials. During lock down I found myself giving survival talks to functional communities off grid around the UK. Prior to this I had visited many different budding and thriving communities around the world. It is important for these communities to communicate, share resources, swap seeds and learn from each other.
If you need a skill teaching to your community private message @Dan-Easton on the forum. He is an expert on soil quality and he has created a protocol for organising a hierarchy and energy recognition system for community members.
If you can offer functional communities your expertise and personal experience of what is working and what isn’t working in your community, please go ahead and make a topic in the Naturo Life category.
