The Pantry Primer: A Prepper's Guide to Whole Food on a Half-Price Budget

by Daisy Luther

A one-year food supply means freedom. It means that you are less subject to the whims of the economy or personal financial emergencies. You can handle small disasters with aplomb. You aren't reliant on the government if a crisis strikes. You can’t be manipulated because your family is hungry.

The second edition of The Pantry Primer is nearly triple the size of the original book. It has morphed from a book about our own journey to replenish our pantry after a cross-continental move, to a detailed compendium of all things food storage. Geared towards preppers, it teaches you:

Why everyone needs a food supply in their homes
How much food you need
How your pantry is directly related to your health
The components of a perfect pantry
Prepping for those with dietary restrictions.
A thrifty new way of shopping so you can afford to build your pantry
How to store the food you purchase to extend the shelf life for as long as possible
A week-by-week plan, complete with shopping lists and menu ideas
How to save money by making items most people purchase ready-made at the store
Pantry inventory and maintenance
Where to store all of that food
Bonus: 25 frugal and delicious recipes

If you’re new at this, you can take the most important step today...the step of getting started. You'll have a year's supply of food in no time at all!

Genres: Nonfiction

250 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2014

About the author

Daisy Luther  lives in a small village in the Pacific Northwestern area of the United States.  She is the author of  numerous books on emergency preparedness and self-reliance. On her website, The Organic Prepper, Daisy uses her background in alternative journalism to provide a unique perspective on health and preparedness, and offers a path of rational anarchy against a system that will leave us broke, unhealthy, and enslaved if we comply.  Daisy's articles are widely republished throughout alternative media. You can follow her on Facebook, Pinterest,  and Twitter.

Reviews

[Ashleigh Son · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great resource for those beginning to start a deep pantry. She has some great ideas. I am an avid follower of Daisy's blog and appreciate each of her books that she has put out. This book was especially great for helping me to realize that canning isn't too hard to do, and I wanted to implement a lot of her storage ideas too.

[Cristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great lists on how to start a pantry from scratch when you are just starting out in your first apartment or landing your first job. Recipes to follow the lists of food! Cooking from scratch is the way to go!

[Alisa Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally, I dislike the word "prepper" and tend to avoid all such books. I made an exception for this one, and I'm glad I did. Very informative and helpful.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good practical advice in an easy to read format. Definitely a keeper.

[Tami Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent practical advice. Don't know where to get started? This book will get you started.

[Angela Boord · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't classify myself as a "prepper", but I do have a large family, I don't like going to the grocery store, and I would like to be prepared for various likely short term emergencies, such as storm-caused power outages. I thought the weekly shopping lists/menus which were designed to help you build a short-term supply of food quickly were quite helpful, but I would have liked more information on how to actually live off pantry storage for a length of time. A major focus of the book is on being able to weather financial storms more easily when you have a well- stocked pantry, and I think more advice regarding that all too common emergency -- more recipes using only pantry food, how to get by without spending any money at the grocery store -- would have been helpful. The book does a good job of explaining why and how you should acquire a long-term supply of food, but I did feel that a little more information would have been good.

[Felicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest. I wasn't very impressed. Part of me was always screaming to put it down and quit reading it. When choosing which shelves to put this on, I almost put in I to a more political shelf. It seems like Daisy has very strong feelings about the government and the food supply in America. Normally I wouldn't get into a book like this, but unfortunately it was very improperly labelled. If you're going to write a book on doomsday food prepping, call it that. Also, nearer to the end there were, what I assume, clickable links. For example, on page 89 it says "Learn more about annual sales cycles HERE.") Now I have to look for another book on starting a pantry. Recommendations highly appreciated.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Preparedness is the ultimate form of optimism", says Daisy Luther, author of this great food storage building book. This book will take you from no stored food to a fully stocked emergency food supply without breaking your budget and with a heavy emphasis on finding the healthiest, "cleanest" food you can find. Full of common sense, budget suggestions, recipes and storage suggestions this is a great book with an upbeat, confident voice. I wish I'd had it when I was first married and having kids but I'm glad to have it now.

*The author sent me a digital copy for an honest review; receiving a free copy in no way influenced my review. These are the actual thoughts that I thunk.

[sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Might have been good.....

but there's way too much political ranting and raving going on in the opening chapters for me to take much of what the author seriously. People build pantries for a wide variety of reasons like unexpected unemployment, inclement weather, illness, etc, not just because the government is going to get you. Glad I didn't pay for this. Delete!!!!!

[jeremy kimball · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inlightening

First, I would recommend this to everyone.
I feel it gives great insight to prepping and even just saving on groceries. And it does it in such a way that all can understand and follow.
Thank you!

[Allyson Durham · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was just ok. A little too much political ranting and a lot of repetition. I was hoping for more number crunching, more how to and more in-depth. Its got some basics, its got some good ideas, its got some common sense but no real substance.

[Think · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book informative. The author explained things clearly and was very practical. Overall, it's a good book for prep information.