Honey, powdered milk, salt and wheat: Survival cooking with the 4 basics of food storage

 Survival cooking wouldn’t be complete without the four basics of food storage — honey, salt, wheat and powdered milk. For starters, these foods have a long shelf life and are easy to store. They’re also widely available, easy to prepare and nutritious. When SHTF, you can easily cook a delicious meal with these four foods.

Recipes using the 4 basics of food storage

Some of the recipes below require sprouting wheat. Sprouting is the natural process by which seeds or spores germinate and grow shoots. When done right, it can increase a plant’s nutritional content and multiply its health benefits. In fact, sprouts are richer in protein, folate, phosphorus, vitamin C and several other nutrients than un-sprouted plants.

Following the steps below to sprout wheat berries:

1. Put 2/3 of a cup of wheat berries in a bowl and add a cup and a half of cool water.
2. Stir the grains so they are all in contact with the water. Let them soak for 6 to 12 hours.
3. Drain and rinse the seeds with cool water.
4. Set the bowl of spouts somewhere with a room temperature of 70 degrees.
5. Rinse and drain every 8 to 12 hours. Tiny shoots will begin to grow after 2 to 3 days.

 

Honey drop cookies

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 cup ground wheat sprouts
• 1 and 1/2 tbs. dry milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Scoop teaspoons of the mixture and spread them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Sprout crisps

• 1 and 1/2 cups wheat sprouts
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/4 cup powdered milk
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 cup water

Mix the wheat sprouts and water in a blender at low speed. Blend until mushy and add the remaining ingredients. Spread tablespoons of batter on a cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes.

Wild Yeast

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. honey
• 2 cups warm water

Mix all ingredients and place the mixture in an uncovered bottle or crock. Allow the mixture to ferment in a warm room for five days, stirring several times throughout the day. Beat or shake the batter to aerate and activate the mixture. It will begin to smell faintly of yeast and small bubbles will rise.

Store in the refrigerator and aerate often. To activate before use, add two or three tablespoons of flour and an equal amount of water, then stir.

Sourdough bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup wild yeast starter
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. powdered milk
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 cups warm water
• 3 and 1/2 cups flour

Mix all ingredients and place a ball of soft dough in a nest of flour to keep the dough from sticking. Knead and pound for 10 minutes. Place a smooth ball in a warm bowl and cover the bowl with a hot, damp towel. Allow the dough to rise for about five hours at room temperature (72 F) or until it doubles in volume.

Shape the dough into three loaves and allow it to rise for three hours. Bake at 325 F for about an hour in a greased or floured pan.

Honey caramel

Ingredients:

• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup powdered milk

Mix all the ingredients until free of lumps. Cook using a double boiler for 45 minutes, stirring often. Let cool and knead a little more powdered milk into the syrup to achieve your desired consistency. Make a half-inch roll and cut one-inch pieces, then shape into squares to make honey caramel cubes.

Cooking when SHTF requires flexible ingredients like salt, honey, wheat and powdered milk. Nutritious, easy to store and long-lasting, these four basics of food storage are exceptional survival must-haves.