Like most senior college students, my roommates and I not only had the usual load of assignments and exams, but we were also heavily involved in applying for graduate school or interviewing for employment. Shelley and I were in the latter group, and though we weren’t particularly interested in working for the CIA, the CIA did have particular interest in Russian students. And because BYU enjoyed a certain reputation of producing students with integrity, Shelley and I were invited to interview and complete some assessments. We both figured it would be good practice for interviewing for positions we were more interested in.
As I recall, the process took a lot more time than we had planned. The CIA thanked us both, and a short time later we heard that they weren’t interested in Shelley. However, based on the personality assessments, they wanted to consider me for their intelligence division.
Yeah, right.
I gave permission for them to do a full background investigation. It probably wasn’t one of my better decisions, but I hope I can be forgiven for being young and dumb. It was nearly 35 years ago.
Anyway, they interviewed all kinds of people, my sister’s friends, neighbors, classmates I’m sure, though I never kept in contact enough to find out, and teachers from church. (One of them called my dad to find out if I was in some kind of trouble. She was a world-class gossip and I’m sure would have loved to have some dirt to share with all the respectable ladies at church.) Anyway, once the CIA completed their investigation, the response was something along the lines of “thanks, but no thanks.” My husband says it was because I had too many family members. I know better, though.
It was because of all the dead bodies. All those people who died of laughter at the thought of Jennifer being able to tell a lie. Because they all knew I couldn’t tell a lie if my life depended on it.
It’s something I’ve worried a bit about—if I ever got into an actual life or death situation where lying would spare my life or someone else’s—would I be able to pull it off? Knowing my history, and knowing that I probably have 30 or 40 tells, I’m sure it’s a better idea to never find myself in such a scenario.
And what does this have to do with food storage? I thought you’d never ask.
A few weeks ago on a news forum that I frequent daily, I was reading through a thread on rationing and what our parents or grandparents did to prepare for it. One of the responses was genius.
See, sugar was the first food item to be rationed after the US entered WWII. It took about four months for the rationing to begin, but the folks who knew history could see the writing on the wall. They knew sugar would be rationed. And indeed it was. Grocers were asked to remove sugar from the shelves the week before rationing kicked in, and then each household had to report how much sugar they had at home. Ration coupons for the corresponding amount of sugar at home were then removed from the coupon book. After all, rationing had to be “fair” for everyone. (Where have I heard this before?)
Right after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, one clever man started quietly buying up sugar for his family. But he didn’t stop there. He and his wife then added water to the sugar to make a very thick syrup. And finally, they canned the syrup in canning jars. If anyone inspected their shelves, they wouldn’t see sugar. They would only see clear liquid, and even then those jars could be hidden among other jars filled with fruits and vegetables.
I thought it was a pretty good idea and might work well for those who cannot tell a lie to save their souls.
Along these same lines, something else to bear in mind is how particular food pantries are about the donations they receive. It’s not true for all organizations, to be sure, but for many places the foods they accept can’t be out of date. And they don’t accept home-canned or –preserved items. (Not that we’d be wanting to sacrifice the canning jars.) So if you were faced with a situation where some person or entity was wanting to seize or demanding that you relinquish your food, how likely are they to want the home-canned goods? I, for one, am not interested in the home-canned goods of others. I worry about how careful others are in their canning practices. Did they use a pressure canner to can that beef? Did they follow directions for high-altitude? Were their work surfaces clean? And let’s not even get started on the issue of whether they stored the food properly and kept it cool and dry.
And now to combine home-canned foods and lies. We all know that canning lids are to be used one time only and then discarded. We also know that canning lids are really scarce and have been for at least 18 months now. And we also know that sometimes people take a risk and re-use lids in good condition. So what if you put an extra date (or even two!) on the lid to make it appear to have been re-used? (Make sure to use different colors of ink and different handwriting.) And then maybe blow some dust on top to complete the appearance of being older foods? Anyone who re-uses lids and has old food probably takes chances in other areas as well. Maybe they’ll decide your food can’t be trusted and they’ll leave it alone.
I don’t know. I just
thought these ideas might be of help to someone.
24 december 2021
Foods we'd say no to today is from a full belly speaking. I can speak from personal experience and overseas experience hunger gets you looking at eating even rusty unlabeled cans.
ReplyDeleteWe PREP so we don't have to make that awful choice.
The same folks that delighted in being mask police and COVID gossips are the same folks back in early WW2 turned in neighbors they "Knew" were canners and thus hoarders (by their opinions).
We NEED to honestly think how we can tell less than the truth as to "Suffer" the LOSS (with grumbling and maybe wailing) of some OLDER stock while keeping the rest concealed.
Note if the two legged rat that called you in KNOWS you have fresh current storage that older stock will be a "TELL" and a second more vigorous SEARCH will occur. AFTER all Commies used the reward system that that Rat got a bag of groceries from selling you out.
Happened so many times in history. Google Holodomor, meaning "death by starvation, for an example.
Do you want to hear family stories about surviving economic collapse in Weimar Germany, as well as the Great Depression? A lot of hungry peoples ugly behaviors are sanitized from our history books.
If you're offering to share, I'd love to hear every single one.
DeleteI think I already told you the Banker and the sausage-bread story? If not let me know.
ReplyDeleteIn Germany when things got really harsh as in prices rose WHILE you were shopping harsh. The family before Dad came home with his Sack (Yep, SACK) of D-marks from work they already had the shopping list and alternates (as items were OFTEN not available) AND the good neighbors shopping list-funds, divided between the family (kids too).
Mom would reconnaissance the stores just before Dad was expected.
Dad would meet them AT the Store (actually back then a grocery store row as Supermarkets wasn't a thing then). And OFF everybody would go shopping while Dad waited at the cash register with the money.
Some items were rejected at the cash register due to funds and returned to the shelves (only polite, don't annoy the grocery folks).
Hording food is only a sensible action when economic collapse and worse hyperinflation was real. There was some effort in Weimar Germany early on to prevent and punish hording.
As the officials only responded to "Reports" keeping GOOD Relations with your neighbors was an excellent idea. Thus, the shopping for all idea. If they ratted you out, they also suffered, you know.
Farmers were thought of as RICH. Smuggling food into cities to trade for REAL GOODS (not D-marks) was worthwhile even with the bribes and "easily FOUND" stuff so the police would let you pass.
Real Goods, like jewelry, silverware, and such.
Farmers were often on guard against Gypsie's and common thieves seeking their "Wealth" (mostly food). Families early on learned that not everybody could go to Church, lest they return to robbery and destruction of valued animals. People that steal are destructive.
Today's Gypsie's are meth heads, just saying.
Later when Gov.com Thieves started going around seeking Horded Foods not being "Sold for FAIR Prices" Farmers learned to hide their livestock, either off farm at trusted friends (Having a Friend working inside the Police Station was a real blessing) OR by hiding them in the woods or inside a cellar with a "Disabled" vehicle "Accidently" blocking the doorway. Even the rooster inside an insulated vented box (think ice chest) was mute thusly.
Dry goods were often sealed away in tin garbage cans, often hidden under a "repaired" cellar wall.
Police and Soldiers HATE manual labor. I've seen that in my 2 decades in the military and that is the human factor.
Thus, well sealed items buried under an innocuous marker (like a garden gnome or such) kept them pretty safe UNLESS a Rat told them where to dig.
Could find a few more but this is a good start.
Yes, the banker and the bread and sausage was a really good lesson for the future. I like the one you just shared and would still love to hear more whenever you have the time.
DeleteThis isn't a story per say, but an observance: The Art of thinking ahead, something I noticed in both my German and American Grandparents memories was the art of looking ahead.
ReplyDeleteFarmers always have to work looking forward to next year's plantings, breeding stock and back in the 20-30's firewood (or coal in Germany).
Even German Bankers tended to look forward and plan for next year or three.
It was my observance that city laborers, clerks and such seldom thought ahead and thus suffered from depreciating "money" and ever more expensive and RARE necessities.
All this to point out that tires for the bicycles and autos were something both families bought well before the current ones were worn. When the Great Depression or Hyperinflation in Weimar Germany hit buying NOW for next year was a GREAT Investment.
I said tires to be brief, they bought ahead consumables for the year to come. Sparkplugs, belts (for cars and farm machinery), underwear, sugar, salt, even soap.
They found that having extras set aside they could help friends as well as keep the bicycles and such going well.
Great Depression housing or how not to be "on the Road" al la Grapes of Wrath style.
In the Un sanitized family histories of the Great Depression banks failed, money was lost, jobs lost AND the Tax Man and Bank Debts were *STILL* collected.
Often by bankers buying your properties for pennies on the dollar for unpaid debts GUARDED by the Sheriffs.
BLACK ROCK anybody?
Family wealth was gold in hand but remember Roosevelts EO outlawing it.
The smarter families saw the writing on the wall early and decided what properties to LET GO and made multifamily-multi-generational homes of the rest as so the income of the whole KEPT those Properties from being seized.
Multi-Families with a man or three working “REAL JOBS” that paid money had the coin of the Realm to stave off the Tax Man and Bankers. EVERYBODY worked even if the pay was a share of the firewood collected, some milk from helping at the dairy, even kids “Played” at fishing and berry picking, weeding neighbors’ gardens for veggies.
Even Grandparents earned their keep babysitting, nursing, laundry and watching out for thieves.
And you thought Granny with the shotgun was just Beverly Hillbillies, eh? Stereotypes come from Real Life(tm).
Coming SOON at a neighborhood near you.
Love more...historically, we tend to romanticize people and how well they behaved during tough times. Read the diaries and it becomes obvious that this is not the case.
DeleteCould one take an old lid, unscrew the ring, put the old lid on top of the real lid and screw the ring back on? Maybe one just feels like putting two lids on their jars….who knows?
ReplyDeleteUnsure what that would accomplish? Might dislodge the seal of the "real" lid?
DeletegrandeeDecember 24, 2021 at 6:26 AM
ReplyDeleteCanning sugar. Heavy syrup. That's a cool idea. I had also heard to take any store bought items and store them in glass jars or plastic storage so .gov would not confiscate your stuff as it wasn't in its original store container and authorities wouldn't know how old it was. Excellent ideas.
Reply
Replies
AnonymousDecember 24, 2021 at 8:47 AM
I wouldn't be depending on that particular hack >> good chance that GOV search & seizure will be more local based using deputized people that are getting their cut of the action - what gets pilfered won't be going thru much of a decision making process >> volume over quality will reign .....
Reply
MichaelDecember 24, 2021 at 7:08 AM
Jennifer not to be a downer, your speaking of an era where "I CALLED to GET ALL the Befits I Deserve" attitude wasn't in effect. The Polite way of saying less GIMMIE DAT attitudes. I really dislike that Medicare Supplement Ad BTW.
As one who has seen what folks will do to get food in a war-torn country like Bosnia the concerns about Out of DATE or Home Canned will go away fast. ALL will be "Shared" (Read the soldiers get first pick) for the "Good of the People".
I strongly suggest folks set aside emergency foods in hidden locations. I find 40-gallon olive barrels with screw top lids really nice. Oddly I find them often with excellent seals in my local lumber yard. I've PROVEN how waterproof and rodent proof they are over the years.
Hidden barrels of potatoes was a common factor to the survival of extended families in Bosnia.
Reply
W.December 24, 2021 at 10:56 AM
I hate to be a pessimist, but I could see the local authorities coming through and looking at home canned goods and saying, "These aren't safe, destroy them all".
Reply
JenniferDecember 30, 2021 at 10:04 AM
I think we all have to plan for the worst, but more important than that is praying for God's guidance in what we specifically need to do for our families. While Plan A may be the best answer for most people most of the time, some others may be better served by Plan B. And because we cant see everything, we have to pray for God's help each day and sometimes each hour. He loves us and He will get us through this. And sometimes He may tell us something crazy that seems like it can't possibly work out. It's called faith and we will have to trust Him. (And that's not meant to sound snarky and all, so I hope it doesn't sound that way.) Maybe we'll be guided to hide food somewhere. Maybe authorities will be prevented from coming. Maybe they come but their eyes are blinded.
I don't know. What I do know is that we are to prepare the best we can.
Reply
Cindy FoxMarch 9, 2022 at 5:30 PM
I read this awhile back and came back. Wonder if I do cook my sugar and store as liquid what would be approximate measurements when one goes to use it. Anyone have some thoughts on this? Thanks
Reply
Replies
JenniferMarch 9, 2022 at 7:32 PM
Unfortunately, it's not an easy answer. It's going to depend on the concentration of your sugar solution. Maybe someone else will have some ideas.
Reply
Cindy FoxMarch 10, 2022 at 6:24 AM
Thanks for responding, Jennifer.
Hopefully someone will have some suggestions. In the meantime I'll be looking for answers as well.