# Tomato Powder



## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

My prepper food stores are rather large and one of my concerns is how to flavor all the rice, beans, etc. in a SHTF scenario. Most of the spices seem to have a relatively short shelf life, at least compared to my stores. I do have lots of different bouillon and spices in my pails sealed in mylar with oxygen absorbers, but I'm always looking for something long term. I was reading a forum where a family lived off their stores for a year and one ingredient they raved about was tomato powder. I've never used it or heard of it but my research shows it to be very well liked. The Emergency Essentials 4 lb can is rated for 25+ years when kept at 70 or under & costs $17.49 at walmart.com with free 2 day delivery. So I ordered me 6 cans. Anyone have experience with this product?

And yes, I do have large gardens & can my tomatoes. But just like with eggs, where I have my own chickens, I still store many #10 cans of powdered eggs from Emergency Essentials... just in case.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Emergency-Essentials-Tomato-Powder-64-oz/46693964


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## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

That looks amazing, Ive been frowning over the thought of just rice and beans forever

sent from a paper cup and string via quantum wierdness


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

AnotherSOFSurvivor said:


> Ive been frowning over the thought of just rice and beans forever


Well, my number one store, by far, is wheat but behind that would be rice & beans. I was raised on Cajun food so tomatoes go real well with them... think creole. I sure expect to have fresh & canned tomatoes but being a prepper, I plan in case I don't. Seems to me this product would also help in lots of other dishes, including soups.


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## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

Do you have a dehydrator? Either slice tomatoes & dry or puree them & use the fruit leather trays. Once they are dry, run thru a blender to powder. When you go to use it in recipes, remember anything dried has more intense flavor than fresh or canned, so you use less. I have done this, and when cooking a tomato based recipe I add a tablespoon or so of homemade powder to the sauce but more as a flavor booster. 

I have not tried adding water to the powder to get a sauce so I don't know how that would work...I would think it would be fine, but IDK.


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

Essentials buckets of rice, beans, wheat and such are good deals. This product is $17 for 33 servings. That's over 50 cents for a product that isn't even an entre. That doesn't seem like a good deal. Their powdered peanut butter even worse.


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## JustAnotherNut (Feb 27, 2017)

Not to hijack or change the thread.......but I've also dried & powdered onions, garlic & celery & used those for seasonings. I don't know what the proportions would be, but adding salt to these powders would make your own seasonings.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

******* said:


> My prepper food stores are rather large and one of my concerns is how to flavor all the rice, beans, etc. in a SHTF scenario. Most of the spices seem to have a relatively short shelf life, at least compared to my stores. I do have lots of different bouillon and spices in my pails sealed in mylar with oxygen absorbers, but I'm always looking for something long term. I was reading a forum where a family lived off their stores for a year and one ingredient they raved about was tomato powder. I've never used it or heard of it but my research shows it to be very well liked. The Emergency Essentials 4 lb can is rated for 25+ years when kept at 70 or under & costs $17.49 at walmart.com with free 2 day delivery. So I ordered me 6 cans. Anyone have experience with this product?
> 
> And yes, I do have large gardens & can my tomatoes. But just like with eggs, where I have my own chickens, I still store many #10 cans of powdered eggs from Emergency Essentials... just in case.
> 
> https://www.walmart.com/ip/Emergency-Essentials-Tomato-Powder-64-oz/46693964


you can most likely get the tomatoes down to a dehydrated powdered form without that much concern - all that acid - but the egg & dairy thing is a whole different animal - don't blame anyone and encourage preppers to go professional for that particular storage ....

for this powered tomato base you might look in the ethnic sections of your bigger stores - sometimes their along with powered chicken & beef base - poly containers these days - re-pack for the long term ....


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## ND_ponyexpress_ (Mar 20, 2016)

lots of ramen seasoning packets here...


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

Illini Warrior said:


> for this powered tomato base you might look in the ethnic sections of your bigger stores - sometimes their along with powered chicken & beef base - poly containers these days - re-pack for the long term ....


I'm a fan of Emergency Essentials product. This is packaged with an oxygen absorber in a #10 stainless steel can that is double-enameled to prevent aging and rust. And I do understand one can make their own powder from their garden tomatoes & I do have a dehydrator, but at certain points, I have to draw the line on what I will purchase & what I will do myself. I run a business full time plus have to care for my 20 acre homestead which has pastures, orchards (over 150 trees), berry patches, horses, chickens, 10 dogs, etc. etc.

I just know this product was highly recommended by someone who actually lived off of their stores. I don't know what they consider a serving but the dude was saying the #10 can might be too big. From what I read, it only takes a little. Folks say one tablespoon makes the equivalent of a pint of canned tomato sauce.


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## stowlin (Apr 25, 2016)

That was the question I had - it said servings were two table spoons. It didn't say two table spoons made a pint or any other measurement - just two table spoons was a serving. What is a serving of tomato sauce? I haven't been buying bulk items but am researching them because once I move - I will be. It seems like most items are a lot less then 50 cents a serving? 

PS I agree with the assessment that some things are fine made by professionals and purchased. DIY is a whole nother thing that many preppers engage in. I have such limited space I can't really DIY. It would be different for me next year but I'm also going to be busy so its hard to put the time in.


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## Redneck (Oct 6, 2016)

stowlin said:


> That was the question I had - it said servings were two table spoons. It didn't say two table spoons made a pint or any other measurement - just two table spoons was a serving. What is a serving of tomato sauce? I haven't been buying bulk items but am researching them because once I move - I will be. It seems like most items are a lot less then 50 cents a serving?


The way I see it, a spice or an ingredient such as tomato sauce, is not really measured in servings as I don't make a meal of tomato sauce... it is an additive. The way I look at this is if a tablespoon makes a pint then the listed serving of 2 tablespoons would make a quart of the equivalent of tomato sauce. With 33 servings in this can, that means this can is equivalent to 33 quarts of sauce. In my book, that is quite a bit as I know how much time it would take to can that much sauce & how much space it would take up. If you want to talk value, a quart of tomato sauce runs over a dollar. So seems to me this product is half the price of sauce, takes up a fraction of the storage space plus is packaged to store for 25+ years.

This may not be for everyone but I now see why that prepper who actually ate his stores raved about this product. One of his other recommendations was to store much more wheat than anything else. That I already do.


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## SGT E (Feb 25, 2015)

I buy a lot of hash brown potatoes as well...they are dipped in an anti brown mixture of potassium Bisulfite and when vac sealed in jars will last as long as rice and beans.....Keep dried onions to mix with the potatoes and its a treat when reconstituted and fried together! About 6$ a gallon ready to store at Sam's club of GFS Store(Restaurant supply store)


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