Self Sufficient Living

Cast Iron – the Best Pans for Hard Times (and Prosperous Times)

June 27, 2018 by Andrew Skousen

Photo credit: Mark Bonica

Among the shiny copper-bottomed cookware of chefs you will also find a few bulky black pans that look like they just fell out of a wagon heading west. What is the appeal of these thick black pans that rust when you wash them and are so cheap they even sell them at Walmart? The unique qualities of cast iron make them quite practical for hard times. Their thick metal handles campfire or wood stove cooking well, and the black surface heats up well in parabolic solar cookers.

History of Cast Iron Pans

The simplicity and durability of iron ore cast into pans dates back centuries when most people were still cooking over open fires. The most common was a deep dish pot called a “spider” with a long handle, three legs and a lid. It could be set among coals without smothering the fire or be easily suspended over a larger fire by the handle. It was used for everything and was the most important item in the pioneer kitchen. Similar cast iron pots called “dutch ovens” are popular among camping enthusiasts, especially after the cook learns how to cook with the variable heat from the fire.

Iron is Better than Teflon

The most popular form of modern cast iron cooking is the skillet, as more people become frustrated with their Teflon coated pans that scratch easily and off-gas if the pan ever gets above 500 degrees F. Many people are also learning how dangerous aluminum cookware is especially when rubbed and scratched frequently. A few researchers have linked aluminum toxicity with Alzheimer’s and other mental disorders. Cast iron handles high heat just fine, from the stovetop or oven to the fire pit. The thick metal is nearly indestructible and works well with metal utensils. It is so durable it can be cleaned by simply burning out any leftover bits of food, or wiped out with sand if no water is available for cleanup.

Cast iron pans are truly cast (as opposed to pressed or rolled like steel) by pouring molten iron into stiff sand and clay molds. Iron ore casting is cheap compared to the processing and rare metals needed for carbon steel or stainless steel. Cast iron is not as strong without these additions, however, so cast iron pans are made thicker to withstand the high, uneven heat of cooking. The sand mold gives the pans their distinctive rough surface on the outside although the inside cooking surface is milled to be smooth. The metal is treated with a cheap oil while still warm to “season” it, an age-old process that turns the iron black and creates a thin barrier against water and rust.

Which Cast Iron Brand is “Best”?

Look for pans made in the USA or Europe for good quality iron. Many manufacturers like Lodge are shipping their products from China. The best pans are passed down in the family or found at antique stores. Old cast iron pans were handmade from better quality steel to be thinner and lighter and easier to cook with. Old pans are frequently smooth and slightly misshapen. Sought-after brands are Wagner and Griswold but the oldest ones may not have any markings at all.

Cooking with Cast Iron

There is some discussion about the best way to keep cast iron “seasoned” so it stays rust-free. A layer of oil naturally keeps water off, but true seasoning forms a barrier where it contacts the iron. Higher quality fats with omega-3 fatty acids oxidize and break down into a polymer that forms a hard surface. Some people have had success using very thin layers of 100% flaxseed oil to season their pans—essentially getting a food-grade version of linseed oil varnish. A century or more ago they just seasoned their pans by frying up some lard, which gave good results. Lard isn’t as common in the kitchen anymore, but bacon is reasonably close.

The key to cooking with cast iron is to use fat when cooking, and to preheat the pans. The pan should be hot enough that the food sizzles when you drop it in but it should not be so hot that the fat or oil starts to smoke. Although the pans can be used for everything, acidic liquids like tomato sauce can leach out the iron, giving a strong flavor to food. If you want the best of both worlds consider one of the much more expensive enamel coated cast iron pans. Keep some of this old-fashioned cookware around and it will prove useful when you have to cook in hard times from a variety of heat options. In the meantime it is still the best way to cook bacon, hashbrowns and cornbread. [END]

THE BEST OFF-GRID BATTERY

March 23, 2018 by Andrew Skousen

Batteries = Grid Independence

Planning on putting solar panels on your house? If so, don’t get sucked into making it “grid-tied” like the vast majority of Americans. When the power goes out, they will not be able to use the power being produced on their roof. The key is to have a battery bank. Before we dig into this topic, remember that your first focus in preparedness should be on food, water, shelter, and self-defense. After that you can expand to advanced topics like generating power.

Don’t waste your time with hydro or wind power, they are rarely cost-effective compared to solar. Solar has become easier now that the prices for panels and equipment have dropped. If you have a properly sized solar system it will generate power in a slow, steady stream all day but you still have to capture and store that power. Use a battery bank to store up daytime power for use at night and during cloudy days, instead of relying on the grid. There are also times when you need a big boost of power, like when the well pump first comes on.

Battery banks are expensive and, depending on the type of battery you choose, can be a very frustrating part of the system. Solar panels easily last decades with hardly any maintenance, but the typical lead acid battery banks require frequent water level maintenance. Another frustration comes every 5 to 10 years when you have to replace and dispose of the extremely heavy lead acid batteries. Fortunately, there are better, lighter battery options out there.

Lithium Iron Phosphate – The Safer Lithium Batteries

At the time of this writing, the best off-grid battery option is the Lithium Iron Phosphate or Lithium Ferrous Phosphate (LFP) batteries from SimpliPhi Power. At first glance these batteries look incredibly expensive at $1,000 to $3,000 apiece which seems like 10 times the cost of an equivalent voltage and amp-hour rated lead acid battery (such as the Trojan T-105, a popular deep cycle golf cart battery)—until you compare them to their lifecycle cost.

As I wrote last week, lead acid batteries lose life cycle capacity faster if you discharge them deeply. Even so-called “deep discharge” batteries are most efficient when you only discharge them by 20%. The T-105 golf cart batteries get about 3,000 cycles at this depth of discharge and then you need to haul them out and find some way to dispose of them. Compare this to the LFP batteries from SimpliPhi which are rated for 10,000 cycles all the way down to 80% discharge. AltEStore.com (which sells both batteries) did the math and found the LFP batteries were almost 10% cheaper over their life span.

Pros

Not only are LFP batteries cheaper in the long run but they are lighter, smaller, recharge faster, release power faster and you don’t need to ventilate them. That means you can store them anywhere, including a crawlspace. They won’t overheat, unlike other lithium-based battery technologies. SimpliPhi’s batteries come with embedded circuitry to avoid over-charge, over-discharge, shorts, or unbalanced cells. Also, a built-in 80 amp breaker eliminates any risk of over-current and provides a convenient on-off switch to that battery. But the biggest advantage is that they require no maintenance. You will never have to check the water level and rarely, if ever, replace the batteries.

Cons

The only drawback is they can’t be linked in series for higher voltage systems—48V is the highest unit right now. The cheapest prices I have found are at the Alt-E Store and at Northern Arizona Wind and Sun.

Why Not Tesla Powerwall 2?

There are other battery products out there, but none of them compare to SimpliPhi at this time. You may be looking forward to using Tesla’s sleek Powerwall 2. I was too, but although they are impressive, they are Lithium-iron cobalt which can overheat. The biggest problem is that they just aren’t designed for off-grid use at this time. Their website says this aspect is “coming soon” which is a common promise from Tesla that could mean anything from “soon” to “much later” or “never.”

Other manufacturers of Lithium Ferrous Phosphate batteries so far have failed to provide the same number of cycles and depth of discharge as SimpliPhi. ReLion, for instance, shows their slightly cheaper batteries losing up to 40% capacity after 10,000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge. SimpliPhi warranties their batteries for at least 80% remaining capacity after 10 years or 10,000 cycles.

We expect further improvements in the world of batteries in the future, with continued dropping prices, but if you are installing a backup power system in the near future, the LFP batteries from SimpliPhi are currently your best option. [END]

The Farm Homestead

February 9, 2018 by Andrew Skousen

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My great-grandparents grew up on a farm. They had a large garden plot, a small house and a few rambling structures for animals. As a boy, I didn’t like visiting the farm; I thought it was smelly and run-down. Their house and kitchens didn’t have any nice, new items from the store. Their home and everything in it was simple and well-used. By modern standards they lived a “rough” life without many modern conveniences. They were quite old when I saw them but seemed happy with their slow life and went about their work in a with a sort of gentle firmness. They were doing what had to be done each day and they would get it done. They were friendly and kind, but never lavished me with attention, sweets or presents. I was glad when I could get back in our modern car and drive back to civilization.

Looking back, I now realize how impressive their life really was. Nearly all their food came from the large garden and the animals in the fields and pens. What they didn’t make they could barter for. They hardly ever went to the store. Even in their old age, their health was astounding. They worked hard every day well into their nineties and never went to a doctor, and rarely to a dentist. They never went to a convalescent home. They took care of themselves until right up to the end. They passed in their sleep without enduring cancer or heart disease. In many ways they had achieved a level of health, vitality, longevity, and self-sufficiency that even modern “successful” people have trouble attaining. Although they never traveled the world or fulfilled a “bucket list,” I’m confident they can look back on their life with satisfaction, knowing they lived it fully with little to be ashamed of.

I think many aspects of our modern life would surprise them. They might even laugh at at the many stores and restaurants we frequent so often we “can’t live without them.” If the power went out our lives would get real hard real fast; Their homestead would largely keep right on going, although many aspects would be affected, they could work around it.

Sometimes we think preparedness means a well-stocked food storage room, but that’s really just an extension of our modern store mentality—notice it’s called home “storage.” Like savings, stored supplies go fast if you don’t have an income stream. Fortunately, it’s not hard to put food on the table if you learn to grow a garden now and in prolonged hard times.

Gardening requires much more than a #10 can of stored seeds in your shelter. At a minimum you’ll need fertile ground, reliable water and experience.

How much land do you need? Depending on your climate, 50 feet x 50 feet will be plenty for a vegetable garden. You’ll need a half acre for serious food growing, but even a quarter acre can provide a year’s worth of food for a small family if you have good gardening experience and carefully lay out trees and fruit-bearing bushes. Advanced techniques like greenhouses, container gardens or hydroponic systems (growing plants in water) can produce more food per square foot, but they require extra knowledge and equipment. If you live in a severe climate, or have limited water you might need one of these systems. Get it early and practice using it.

Don’t take your water supply for granted. Most famines come from a lack of water. Hopefully your strategic retreat will have a gravity-fed water source so it isn’t dependent on pumps and electricity. Properties with springs or above-ground streams are good if they flow year-round, otherwise consider a pond or cistern. Wells with windmill or solar-driven pumps can also be reliable. Much less water is needed if you use a drip watering system that just puts it where you want it (and not to the weeds). Soaker hoses, drip irrigation and automatic timers are worth the small investment. Mulching around plants keeps water in and weeds down. A good compost pile can provide mulch and nutrients from yard and garden waste.

Gardening takes experience, especially if you have a limited growing season. Fortunately, you don’t have to be a master gardener to start out. Beans, peas, radishes and zucchini come up easily with basic care. Crops that need to be started indoors (depending on your climate) like tomatoes and peppers are more challenging, but well worth the effort. Some crops we routinely see in the store require other techniques to grow like grapes, strawberries, celery, asparagus, herbs and grains. Expand to grow what you like to eat or learn to like what grows well in your area.

Yes, it’s cheaper and easier to get produce at the store, but you’ll find that even “Organic” can’t compare to the taste, quality and freshness of what you pull in from your backyard. In the meantime enjoy the fresh air and the exercise. Don’t give up if your first try ends up in a weed patch. Cover it with leaves and mulch and try again next year. Someday you’ll laugh that you ever actually paid for zucchini.