Post AxFHXTRP6wAk113Zs8 by fiery@snac.bsd.cafe
(DIR) More posts by fiery@snac.bsd.cafe
(DIR) Post #AxDr24mXwzuMarM05g by mk30@regenerate.social
2025-08-15T21:45:48Z
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A small salt drying operation in kaimu, on the cliffs by the ocean. I'm impressed with how much they've harvested, because I've only ever seen tiny pockets of salt in depressions in the shoreline lava. I wish I knew the secret salt spot, or how they got so much. (I don't know who set up the drying racks. I don't think it was the people in the pic, they were just visiting the shore like I was.)For those of us who like to think about where our food will come from when the boats stop coming, salt is easily-overlooked. But if you live in an area with shoreline, it may be possible to harvest it. I definitely wish I knew where the good spots were, just so I know that I *could* get it, should the need arise. It's definitely not a high priority issue (like setting up solar or getting gardens online), but it is a vital element necessary for human health and I'm glad there are people in my area who know how to do it and are actively doing it now.(And of course, my mom, who was visiting, said "why would you harvest salt? It's so cheap at the store.", which is a fair point, and that's why you don't see me out there doing the harvesting. There was a lot more tourism to do that day, so I didn't feel like explaining about the boats and how the more stuff you know how to do for yourself ahead of time, the better position you'll be in if/when it's needed.)#salt #hawaii #GrowYourOwn #food #solarpunk
(DIR) Post #AxDr25lWIIgHdxsh84 by BrahmaBelarusian@regenerate.social
2025-08-16T01:17:01Z
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@mk30 salt, sugar & baking soda are probably the only 3 things that I view as in any way sensible to stock up on as a homesteader, because even as I know there are ways to make/refine other items into these ingredients, it just isn't worth the degree of time, energy & tools needed to do so, and they're all easy enough to store in sizable quantities for a long period of time.
(DIR) Post #AxDr26XNQMxi2OGuiu by fiery@snac.bsd.cafe
2025-08-16T08:59:26Z
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@BrahmaBelarusian@regenerate.social @mk30@regenerate.social Vaccum-packed rice can also easily last for ten years or more, so maybe also worth considering keeping some amount stocked. Even without vaccum-packing, they also last at least ten years if kept inside their husk. And removing the husk is relatively easy with a simple pestle and mortar.
(DIR) Post #AxFHXSDtdfm0EpjHBA by BrahmaBelarusian@regenerate.social
2025-08-17T01:05:31Z
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@fiery Just because something can be theoretically done doesn't make it at all worthwhile for all to consider doing it. Not everyone can use a mortar & pestal with any degree of proficiency & my disabling medical conditions definitely place me among those who cannot do so, which is why I'd absolutely never consider using that to hull rice! I overall find it a ridiculous trend & push set for staples like grains, protograins and even tubers, some even whole meals, for people to store 5-10 years worth on their homesteads...and even worse for people to just put a tiny amount aside & keep it there for 10+ years, because inevitably an animal, insect, moisture or raw time will destroy it if that short-term emergency ever happens.But to reiterate rice isn't at all in the same category as Salt, Sugar & Baking Soda, because in space & weight the average household would need in baking soda for 2 years of our average use is less than on rice for just one month, and the same is true for Salt. Sugar isn't as extreme in it's difference with rice, but it's still under 1/2 the average household usage. *Rice having an average consumption of 27lbs per person, per year & average household size being 2.51 people. Wheat being about 129lbs per person, per year and that's something I rather ridiculously see pushed commonly for everyone to try & save 10 years worth, which is completely insane for most people. 10 years worth of baking soda, salt & even sugar, on the other hand, are sensible if you've got enough space for that.#DisabilityAccessibility #Homesteading #GrowYourOwn
(DIR) Post #AxFHXTRP6wAk113Zs8 by fiery@snac.bsd.cafe
2025-08-17T01:31:08Z
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@BrahmaBelarusian@regenerate.social @fiery To each their own off course. Here we will generally always have a stock of at least 6 months of rice, or at most 2 years. We consume about half a kilo per day per person. We buy it vaccum packed. It never gets too old because we are using it, not merely stocking it. I had a friend who was a daughter of a rice farmer. Her father died and she told me that 10 years later they still had some rice planted by her late father, and that it still tasted ok. They kept it with the husk. Lasting a long time and being a basic staple makes rice very convenient. It is the number one most consumed food in the world. Being possible to dehusk without an expensive machine in an absolute emergency makes it strategic to have. One never knows what an emergency could be, but for a number of them, rice can be a life saver.