# Parting With Preps



## DaisyDuke (Nov 21, 2017)

How can I get rid of food preps that the food pantry won't take? Apparently my preps aren't "good enough nor safe enough" for those in need?!?!?A lot of stuff I have is bought in bulk and then portioned into smaller containers. I have old plastic jars from WalMart restocked with flours, rice, beans, cornmeal, protein powder, sugar, oatmeal etc but no one I know will take it. I even offered up oatmeal and sugar to a friend I ran into at the store who had those items in their cart and was told they don't need it. I've asked a few other friends if they want refilled containers of food and they've turned it down. Other than offering still edible food to hogs and chickens what can I do to give it away?
I'm not giving away all our preps, we still have five gallon buckets plus a quart jar of most shelf stable items and about ten dozen canned jars of fruit and veggies. The only thing were 'short' on is meat as I only have a few cans of venison stew meat, a few quarts of jerkey and about twenty pounds of frozen meat. I just want to make what we're keeping a reasonable amount to move and feel that between the mason jars and five gallon buckets I really don't have any reason to be taking all this extra food in plastic containers and ziploc bags. 
Sorry for the rant! It's just mind boggling that I can't give away good food, yet there are people bumming food and money at the gas station and ads on the radio to donate to people in need this holiday season.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

craigslist or freecycle occasionally has posts offering similar things here--maybe give that a shot?


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Feeding it to hogs and chickens, is the best way I can think of to recycle old preps. Those hogs and chickens, won't waste a bit of it. People are afraid of anything that isn't in the original container.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

Invite people over for some home cooked meals.
Otherwise it's hard to dispose of home canned or older stored foods.


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

Food banks here only want food that will keep on a shelf or in a freezer and only take a few root crops . We tried to give them turnips and cabbage and ours were too big! Bill has a knack for growing food and regardless of the weather his gardens flourish. We gave some cabbage and turnips to neighbors but not many people want 25 lb. cabbages and 5 and 10 lb turnips. We keep what we need and try to give the rest away. What no one will take goes to a friend's sheep and goat.When we had horses and goats they ate better than most people do! I don't understand people who are hungry and looking for a handout but won't take fresh vegetables offered to them. I can see in the future when we die someone will throw out all the cans of food we preserved. It almost happened with a relative but I took the canned goods home and used them up. Can't stand food to be wasted.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

The food bank won't accept anything that isn't in the original unopened container.

I've volunteered at a couple of food banks and the customers don't want the fresh veggies. After everyone has as many trips through the line and no one wants any more, I would take home many shopping bags full of lettuce to feed to my chickens.


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## gilberte (Sep 25, 2004)

muleskinner2 said:


> Feeding it to hogs and chickens, is the best way I can think of to recycle old preps. Those hogs and chickens, won't waste a bit of it. People are afraid of anything that isn't in the original container.


 This, it ain't rocket science.


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

They may not eat the oats and cornmeal in your containers but they would happily eat the pigs and goats you gave it too.
I would also cycle it thru my livestock. That isn't wasting it is saving you money.


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## mzgarden (Mar 16, 2012)

If you were near to me, I would happily take it and distribute to the farmers/livestock owners around me. Perhaps there is someone there (maybe in 4H?) that would come pick it up and share it out for animal consumption? I imagine it's frustrating to want to give away food for people to consume and have it turned down, however, I have to admit I likely would not eat it. No disrespect intended but, if it's me/my family's health - I'm always going to err on the side of caution.


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## damoc (Jul 14, 2007)

local beekeepers will probably take the sugar I would. The other stuff as others have said can be used for animal feed.


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## CKelly78z (Jul 16, 2017)

You will be ahead of the game by feeding it to your hogs/chickens, by having a lower feed bill. Folks are weird about accepting food items that aren't in their original packaging (I might be also).


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

A food bank also won't take anything that is past the "best buy" date, but some churches might.


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## Oxankle (Jun 20, 2003)

I say feed it to the livestock. I am not about to feel sorry for people who are too good to eat what I have to eat.l 

Our .local food banks demand cans within the "best by" date, refusing them even if the date is only a week or so past. 

Neighbor here cleaned out her freezer and brought me some 3-year-old frozen beef stew---it was delicious.l I have frozen okra from 2017 and will eat it. 

LOL, wife and I went hunting for a Fry Daddy I thought was in that freezer and found some goodies we had forgotten. I later found rhe Fry Daddy all cleaned up in a closet. The rediscovered goodies are now on the projected menu.


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## Hitch (Oct 19, 2016)

Try offering your surplus on NextDoor and/or craigslist. However, I don't think anyone would pay for old food that has been stored for years. Your best bet will be someone looking to start prepping on a budget and this would be a great start.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

all I know is that I've been extremely grateful for whatever came my way when I was between a rock and a hard place more than once (and have since made it a practice to give back as often as possible).


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## lmrose (Sep 24, 2009)

kinnb said:


> all I know is that I've been extremely grateful for whatever came my way when I was between a rock and a hard place more than once (and have since made it a practice to give back as often as possible).


There was a time many decades ago I lived in third floor flat in an empty building on 14th st in Detroit Michigan. with three kids under five years. All we had to eat was instant potatoes, skim milk powder , oatmeal and flat bread I made with w/w flour and water. When I was lucky enough to meet people who brought us food I was extremely grateful. Since I have always shared food with whom ever comes our way that is in need; no questions asked and no judgements as to how they hit rock bottom. I also vowed I would never get in the situation again especially with children. 

Then I had to work very hard to turn our lives around even before meeting my farmer husband. I got out of Detroit to Grand Rapids and then Battle Creek in the country and dug up what ever land was available and planted vegetables. We ate meager but good food those years and were healthy and it was back breaking work! A shovel, hoe, rake and fork were all I had to work with and a good friend who helped me dig up the lawn for a garden. Thankfully I remembered the things I learned from my Dad about planting a garden. 

I am and will always be thankful to the people who helped my kids and me by feeding us when we were at rock bottom. I am also thankful for God sending me my farmer husband. He came without a farm but with a wealth of knowledge about gardening and farming. In forty-one years we have never gone hungry. 

The good thing about hitting rock bottom is; there is only one way to go and that is up! That is if you never give up and quit. When things improve remember where you were and help others is our way of life.


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## kinnb (Oct 23, 2011)

POST OF THE DAY!! 



lmrose said:


> There was a time many decades ago I lived in third floor flat in an empty building on 14th st in Detroit Michigan. with three kids under five years. All we had to eat was instant potatoes, skim milk powder , oatmeal and flat bread I made with w/w flour and water. When I was lucky enough to meet people who brought us food I was extremely grateful. Since I have always shared food with whom ever comes our way that is in need; no questions asked and no judgements as to how they hit rock bottom. I also vowed I would never get in the situation again especially with children.
> 
> Then I had to work very hard to turn our lives around even before meeting my farmer husband. I got out of Detroit to Grand Rapids and then Battle Creek in the country and dug up what ever land was available and planted vegetables. We ate meager but good food those years and were healthy and it was back breaking work! A shovel, hoe, rake and fork were all I had to work with and a good friend who helped me dig up the lawn for a garden. Thankfully I remembered the things I learned from my Dad about planting a garden.
> 
> ...


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## mnn2501 (Apr 2, 2008)

People don't want to chance something not in its original packaging. How do they know its been handled correctly?


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## [email protected] (Sep 16, 2009)

food pantries do not accept food that could possibly have been tampered with.
liability is the issue. can't blame them.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

Why don't you start eating it? Oatmeal cookies, corn bread, etc. 

That is how I rotate my preps, and when they go on sale I stock up and put the newer foods at the back of the pantry


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## DaisyDuke (Nov 21, 2017)

I gave what was prim and proper in packages to the food pantry. I tried giving away stuff I've canned, repackaged from bulk etc on craigslist and facebook and no one would take it. Even people who put up posts saying they NEED food and don't have anything for themselves and their kid! Some of the replies were their kids are picky eaters and will only eat ramen or pop tarts at home too they don't know what to do with flour, oats etc. I gave the extra bulk foods to friends chickens and hogs.


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## po boy (Jul 12, 2010)

ramen or pop tarts .................that's a healthy diet 
I made spagetti with pasta sauce I canned in 2010...........
Today is collards greens canned in 2012 and northern beans that has been stored in an empty tomatoe juice jar with an oxigen absorber,,,,,,,,, since 2011


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

DaisyDuke said:


> ......... Even people who put up posts saying they NEED food and don't have anything for themselves and their kid!..........


The people who are begging for food for their kids don't want food. They want money. They might not even have any kids.

At one of the food banks where I volunteered, we'd get a guy come in and donate big unopened packages of diapers. He was a beggar who sat with a sign that said, "Please help. The baby needs diapers".

Mostly people would give him money, but every now and again someone would give him a package of diapers. He didn't have a kid so had no use for the diapers. At least he brought them to the food bank and donated them. He refused food because he said he didn't need it. He was making plenty of money just by begging.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

There is a reason there are so many beggars. It's good money, tax free and you don't have to work for it. Lots of beggars around here. Most are wearing more expensive shoes than I have ever owned.

As for the repackaged food, I admit I would turn it down too. Last year I tossed some oatmeal that had been stored in half gallon glass jars. It smelled fine, looked fine. I made oatmeal with it. Took one taste and spit it in the trash. Stale oatmeal tastes terrible!!!! I fed some to the rabbits which apparently have no taste buds, the rest went in the compost pile. Tried to cook old beans once when I was a teenager, they had an off taste and never did get soft. When I found a jar in the cabinet last year the beans went straight in the compost. Found some old flour too (sensing a theme here? I was housebound and very bored, spent 2 weeks cleaning cabinets and the kitchen) which went in the compost. Had a bad experience with old flour too, worst tasting cookies ever. That old, outdated food is why my siblings think I can't cook. It may keep you alive when you have nothing else but some foods just don't hold up in long term storage.


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## thesedays (Feb 25, 2011)

DaisyDuke said:


> How can I get rid of food preps that the food pantry won't take? Apparently my preps aren't "good enough nor safe enough" for those in need?!?!?A lot of stuff I have is bought in bulk and then portioned into smaller containers. I have old plastic jars from WalMart restocked with flours, rice, beans, cornmeal, protein powder, sugar, oatmeal etc but no one I know will take it. I even offered up oatmeal and sugar to a friend I ran into at the store who had those items in their cart and was told they don't need it. I've asked a few other friends if they want refilled containers of food and they've turned it down. Other than offering still edible food to hogs and chickens what can I do to give it away?
> I'm not giving away all our preps, we still have five gallon buckets plus a quart jar of most shelf stable items and about ten dozen canned jars of fruit and veggies. The only thing were 'short' on is meat as I only have a few cans of venison stew meat, a few quarts of jerkey and about twenty pounds of frozen meat. I just want to make what we're keeping a reasonable amount to move and feel that between the mason jars and five gallon buckets I really don't have any reason to be taking all this extra food in plastic containers and ziploc bags.
> Sorry for the rant! It's just mind boggling that I can't give away good food, yet there are people bumming food and money at the gas station and ads on the radio to donate to people in need this holiday season.


Are you moving? Why not just eat it yourself? And if not, if there's a community meal in your town in the next few weeks, cook it and serve it there.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

inventory and meal plan from the inventory how you can use stocks at least 3-4 days a week for meals.

bring food to work , oatmeal cookies ect.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I buy dehydrated potatoes in the form of boxes of au gratin potatos. If there are any potatos in your storage food you might see if they are still tasty


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

I have some outdated flour. I understand that if it is old it may be rancid.
Has anyone ever used their old flour on a garden plot as a way to get more organic matter mixed in? If so, I wonder if it would attract things like mice and voles from the soil.
Or, could I give the old flour to my chickens/ducks?


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Compost or work it into the soil.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

anniew said:


> I have some outdated flour. I understand that if it is old it may be rancid.
> Has anyone ever used their old flour on a garden plot as a way to get more organic matter mixed in? If so, I wonder if it would attract things like mice and voles from the soil.
> Or, could I give the old flour to my chickens/ducks?


You could work it into the soil, sure. I have a pail for chicken feed I ferment their rations in and anything old or stale goes in there and is stirred through just like thick batter.


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## Summerdaze7 (May 13, 2018)

You can't blame people for not wanting to take food that's been stored in plastic containers and zip lock bags, etc..
You have no way of knowing the history, sanitary practices, expiration dates, and so on. 
I think a big problem with the seeming pickiness of people in need is simply that they don't know how to cook these days. They know what to do with a packet of instant oatmeal, it's even ON the packet. Instant mashed potatoes, rice, Ramen noodles, check,...just add water.
But give them a bag of lentils, dried beans and peas, etc, and they don't have any confidence. If they did manage to cook it until edible, they'd be lost as to how to put other stuff with it to make a meal.
And the people that seem the most needy may pass by real food, because they don't have a way to cook. Homeless people in tents appreciate canned food with pop top lids that can be eaten cold. Tuna, Vienna wieners, canned chicken, and also peanut butter, etc. They're not being picky, it's just not practical for them.
It may seem like it, but it's not really wasted to give it to animals.


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## A.T. Hagan (May 1, 2002)

Unless you have friends who know you well chances are you won't be able to give away foods that have been repackaged or gone past their "best by" date.

If you have animals then feed it to them. I have done this in the past. Helps to cut the feed bill. Worst comes to worst you can compost it though I'd only do that if it had deteriorated to the point I wouldn't eat it or feed it out.

Some years ago I put away a considerable quantity of wheat, corn, rice, and so on. Took me a few years to realize I had let enthusiasm get the better of good sense and had simply too danged much! So, gradually I fed it out to my hogs and chickens. We still got the benefit of the food albeit one step removed.


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

Good to see you post, Hagan...


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## A.T. Hagan (May 1, 2002)

Thanks!


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

A.T. Hagan, I used to really enjoy your posts, and especially the articles that you wrote on foods that were included in the LDS Preparedness manual. You have so much to offer...Please start posting again, and/or tell where your writings can be seen. And maybe where you are and your situation now, and your current interests. Do you still continue to do research on food storage?


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## anniew (Dec 12, 2002)

A.T. Hagan, I used to really enjoy your posts, and especially the articles that you wrote on foods that were included in the LDS Preparedness manual. You have so much to offer...Please start posting again, and/or tell where your writings can be seen. And maybe where you are and your situation now, and your current interests. Do you still continue to do research on food storage?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

While cleaning out a rarely used fridge (I have a bunch of chocolate candy hidden inside it) I discovered an old plastic pop bottle full of instant oatmeal. I know this oatmeal is at least 5 years old but I couldn't tell if it smelled or tasted "off" due to the upper respiratory virus from beyond. I took the oatmeal to the shed and am now feeding it to the rabbits. They aren't complaining.

As for the chocolate candy, yes, it was still good. I ate some and closed the door on the rest. Saving it for later, after this bug runs it's course.


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## susieneddy (Sep 2, 2011)

anniew said:


> I have some outdated flour. I understand that if it is old it may be rancid.
> Has anyone ever used their old flour on a garden plot as a way to get more organic matter mixed in? If so, I wonder if it would attract things like mice and voles from the soil.
> Or, could I give the old flour to my chickens/ducks?


We put our flour and cornmeal in the freezer to keep it fresh and to keep bugs out of it. We tried storing in plastic containers but found out bugs can get in them.


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