What did you hoard at the start of the pandemic that you have not

[applegrove]

touched? I bought a big thing of pickled eggs. I guess i pictured myself living in my dark basement apartment eating the last of my pickled eggs. I've never eaten them before. Do they go bad? Does botulism feel bad? Should i cut the pickled eggs into slices and rest them on my facial wrinkles? What else can I use them for?

[padfun]

1. Bottled Water

Several cases of it as well as a few gallon containers.

[left-of-center2012]

87. Me too

Although the news said the water supply should not be affected a friend of mine talked to me into stocking up on water.

I stopped after getting about 8 gallons from the grocery.

I used one gallon for something and still have 7 gallons of water sitting in the corner of my kitchen.

I'll be moving later this year and don't plan to take the water with me.

[hlthe2b]

2. Nothing I haven't used fully. I added to the pantry stock of peanut butter and canned goods, but I

keep to the schedule of rotating them. Still have 6-8 mos of TP and paper towels, but that is fine. I'll use them.

[Croney]

4. I love pickled eggs! I make them myself,

just adding eggs to pickle juice and letting them sit in the frig a while.

We bought Cold-Eeze, having read that the zinc repels Covid. I think that notion has been debunked.

[SheltieLover]

8. I think Dr. Fauci said he takes zinc & vit D to strengthen immune sysyem

[applegrove]

9. I take a zinc lozenge whenever i get scared i have covid.

[Worried2020]

27. My Ma laughed at me when I first mentioned "pickle juice" when I was a pre-teen

.

I believed her - "It's just vinegar" and I avoided it ever since. I used to drink the leftover in the jar when the piclkes were gone but pretty much avoided that for the last 5+ decades . . .

However, I'm an old fart in lockdown (Ontario) with a keyboard that heads for Google whenever I'm curious about anything ..

So - here's what I found just a few minute ago . . .

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318618#benefits

https://www.webmd.com/diet/pickle-juice-good-for-you#1

Pickles are on my next grocery list . .

AND I'm GONNA DRINK THE JUICE, MA!





W

[targetpractice]

55. I love pickle juice...

... Especially, Claussen Kosher Dill...

Great for restoring electrolytes... And the floating garlic is beneficial, too.

[smirkymonkey]

64. So do I. Only Claussen Kosher Dill.

They are getting harder and harder to find these days. I guess there is a shortage on jars or something. However, I seem to be able to find other things in glass jars, so I wonder what's up with them. I am desperate for them. They are the only pickles/pickle juice I will buy. Nothing else comes close.

[left-of-center2012]

88. Have you read the ingredients?

I'm pretty sure it's got sugar and spices along with a vinegar.

But a lot of people do use apple vinegar thinking it's cures for odds and ends

[jcgoldie]

94. I drink it with vodka...

...wife’s unimpressed with the concoction btw...

[soothsayer]

5. Bunch of Mama noodles (excellent ramen)

Though I’ve used quite a few and gifted many to my appreciative godson.

Face shields (used some tho).

Some high powered and price-gouged alcohol and aloe back when hand sanitizer was hard to get. Never had to make any tho.

[SheltieLover]

7. Oh yes!

I still have 2 bottles of pure aloe gel. Never made the hand sanitizer. Just used Clorox wipes & hand washing.

[MerryHolidays]

18. Indeed! Aloe gel and rubbing alcohol.

I bought these literally a year ago, with idea that we could make our own hand sanitizer.

[Delmette2.0]

26. Yep, hand sanitizer.

[SheltieLover]

28. Same here!

I made 1 terrified food & supply run, then counted days to see if I was going to contract covid.

[SheltieLover]

6. 2 large cans of powdered Gatoraid, but I'll use it this summer

Still have toilet paper that will last through the end of the year. I would but a jumbo 36-roll pack each time I shopped, before it was an issue because I had read people in China were having trouble finding it.

The Gatoraid was because initially reports said that was all doctors were telling patients to do when they were sending them home following dx.

[ret5hd]

10. Pickled eggs won't go bad for a LONG time.

We make them ourselves rather than buy them.

[applegrove]

11. Is a year a long time? I'm getting peckish.

[ret5hd]

13. I think you are fine...

I used to frequent old dive bars. I would see the same 5 gallon jar of pickled eggs for at least a year.

But maybe the liquor was disinfecting them for me!

[applegrove]

14. I will see. I will read the label.

[ret5hd]

15. If you want to try the alcohol disinfectant route...

I recommend Bacardi 151, mixer of your choice. Or vodka. Or bourbon. Or beer. Or...hell, it don’t matter I guess.

All I know is, I never got sick...except for the hangover.

[applegrove]

19. I am quit. Except in my dreams where i booze up sometimes. Then i dream

I am guilty of drinking (when i was forced to quit). Then I wake up feeling guilty. Then I remember I have not had a sip in 9 years.

[ret5hd]

20. Well...I'd probably stay away from those eggs then...

The alcohol might have been the only thing that saved me from a long and painful death!

[applegrove]

23. They expired Dec 2020. It said refrigerate after opening. I am intrigued by

pickled egg deviled eggs though. I think I will buy them again only eat them within 9 months this time.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

12. Baby wipes

When flushable wipes were scarce I got a big case of baby wipes for my wife. She never ran out of her regular wipes before they came back in stock and now I’ve got a case of baby wipes that I keep meaning to donate somewhere.

[applegrove]

16. It is hard to donate to nursing homes when covid is an issue. My sister

was going to donate N95 masks last year to hospitals, she had them for gardening, but they were from containers that were already open so she could not. My dad has baby wipes in his personal private health care routine at the nursing home. But that is his private care. I don't know if a long term care home would take them. Maybe a day care center would take them?

[applegrove]

34. Food banks probably have a section for baby supplies.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

35. That was my thought

[applegrove]

36. Or if your grocery store has a bin for donated grocery items it would be dorted appropriately if you

don't want to go outside your neighbourhoid.

[LuvLoogie]

17. I live in Chicago. I hoarded nothing.

Plenty of this and that. Not always what you wanted, but nobody was going to starve for lack of supply. Wiping my ass was never a problem.

trumpism was the cause of stress and uncertainty which affected stressed and undersupported communities the most.

[mopinko]

90. me too, and i didnt either.

there was always amazon.

[ChazII]

21. Everything I stocked up

on I having been using. Skippy brand peanut butter was hard to find so I still have 2 jars that are waiting to be used. Just in case there is a surge I do keep several packages of toilet paper, paper towel, and sanitizers on hand.

[PoliticAverse]

22. "Do they go bad?"...

[applegrove]

24. Could not watch it.

[mainer]

93. OMG those kids are adorable

I love Gavin. What a sense of culinary adventure. I wonder what he looks like now, 12 years later.

[SeattleVet]

25. Nothing!

We used what we had in the house, and made periodic shopping forays to one of our local Costcos. We usually try to keep the pantry and freezer fairly well-stocked (since we live in an area subject to earthquakes and volcanoes, and try to stay prepared), and still had enough TP and cleaning supplies from our normal shopping that we never felt lacking for anything. Before we found a bottle of hand sanitizer (in the handy 1-liter size) we realized we had a large bottle and a tiny one of Purell that we'd never used - they were still sealed and sitting on a shelf. Now I fill the pocket-sized bottle from the larger pump bottle, and refill *that* one from the liter bottle as needed.

Overall (other than not going out except for necessary trips) we didn't change our lives in a drastic fashion.

[Kali]

44. same here

usually have at least a months worth of supplies anyway. last spring we actually did get low on paper towels and toilet paper because of the hoarding. people were driving 50 miles from Tucson to our nearby little town to get it all. so my normal stash dwindled and then we got into the rationing period where you could only buy one package at time - and we don't shop every damn day or even every week so we got kind of low.

[beveeheart]

29. My daughter bought baby wipes, dry milk products and

canned peas that no one has used. I've started taking some items (that we have way too many of) to the grocery store where they have a large bin especially for donated items for the local Food Bank.

[applegrove]

30. That's a great idea.

[beveeheart]

32. I was a volunteer at our local Food Bank for over

10 years, but have been unable to work there since mid-March last year when everyone over 60 was thanked for our help and told to stay safe at home. So I still try to help with donations, either a check or food and personal items.

[applegrove]

33. Makes sense.

[pnwest]

31. Case of chili beans. Don't know WHAT I was

thinking. I also pictured us sitting at home, no power, eating chili out of a can, hiding from roving bands of hungry neighbors.....my mind went to dark places at the beginning of the shutdown. ‘Course it didn’t help that I was stoned AF when I went pandemic stockup shopping, lol. Really thought a case of chili was a GREAT idea!

[applegrove]

37. I was not stoned. I have no excuse. I just went to the store with pandemic

on my mind and the store had a display of pickled eggs at the end of an isle and it seemed like something that would last a long time so i bought them. I've never had a pickled egg before.

[ret5hd]

40. Something you might be interested in...

not exactly pickling, but long time preservation:

[applegrove]

41. Messmerizing.

[Wolf Frankula]

38. Tinned stew

We had kitty litter but I used it.

Wolf

[csziggy]

39. Nothing - I always keep my pantry well stocked

And rotate through the contents regularly. Sure, sometimes there were things I put on my shopping list that were not at the store. I just changed my menu and worked around shortages.

I guess it helps that my mother was raised during the Depression and that we were poor when I was growing up so she taught me to make do with what I have - but to keep basics around just in case. Also being in Florida, I always have to plan for hurricane season.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

42. Not food, but different kinds of masks.

I now have an assortment of them stored in a cardboard box, most of which I only wore once until I found some N100-rated ones that I liked the most.

I'm all set if I again work in some particulate-filled factory environment, I suppose.

[wnylib]

43. Canned milk. The idea was that it would

keep while fresh milk wouldn't and I wanted to stay out of stores after stocking up on food and other necessities.

But canned milk does not taste good. Normally I only use it in cooking, e.g. making pumpkin pies.

So I started venturing out to stores I considered safe to go to, e.g. a grocery store that enforces distancing and masks. The cans are still taking up room in my cupboard. I need to check the dates on them. If still good, I will donate them to a food bank.

[Kali]

46. it works good for other cooking

use it for soups or cream gravies. I always keep a few cans around for when we run out of regular milk. confession - my youngest son took a fair amount of canned milk by bottle even though I nursed him too.

[yellowdogintexas]

77. evaporated milk is a key ingredient in that decadent frosting you put on German Chocolate Cake

Also, Tres Leches Cake and Flan.

You can also put it in your coffee.

[Kali]

82. that might be sweetened condensed milk?

evaporated milk can be used like regular milk, sweetened condensed is used in baking and candy making.

[Kali]

45. pickled eggs

that is just hilarious!

[applegrove]

47. I was thinking they could be a last meal. That i would need protein somehow.

That i could share them with family.

[Kali]

48. you should definitely try one

[applegrove]

49. They've passed their expiration date.

[Kali]

50. they are unopened and pickled

trust me, they won't taste any different "fresh"


I'm mostly just teasing you, pickled eggs are dive bar snacks, they aren't even food. If it wasn't so late I would search for a MFM post about them, I am sure he must have written about them. they are fart producing wonders and I know he must have had a story!

[applegrove]

52. I knew they are a thing in some culture i know nothing about. I thought perhaps

there was some hardyness that comes with them that would steel me for when a newly dystopian Ottawa was empty and dark and tumble weeds started rolling by.

How MFM would have kept us laughing with a whole new things to riff on: lockdowns, vaccines, Trump. Oh he would have been so great at Trump quips. He used to tease me so gently - he knew us all and that made him special. My only live experience with someone who really could have been a professional comedian. And here he was: doing it out of the goodness of his heart. And it is not easy. Most likely profession of people to have suicidal ideation is cartoonists. All that pressure to produce every day and do it alone. MFM came up with 5 jokes a day, which is more. And a had bad heart. He gave his all. It lifted me up in very hard times. I don't blame MFM for getting frustrated for being taken for granted. So nice he is not forgotten on the DU and will live on forever here and through you Kali.

[SeattleVet]

54. MFM was the best! And, your pickled eggs will be fine for a LONG time.

What you have on the label is probably a 'Best by:' date. The eggs won't suddenly become bad in any way.

Trust me, they last a very long time and you probably wouldn't notice any difference in flavor or texture if you ate one a year from now. Don't waste them - they will remain perfectly edible for a while.

[Kali]

58. I m positive eating pickled eggs will give you hardyness!

and gas!

he was a good judge of character, could spot BS better than anybody I have ever known. thank you for your wonderful words.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

61. Something I ran across quite a few years ago with pickled eggs

There was a recipe that involved a gallon jar of pickled beets, also.

It took another gallon jar to do:
Take half the picked eggs out of the egg jar and put them in the empty jar,along with all the liquid from the eggs.
Take half the picked beets from that jar, and pour all the liquid into the original pickled egg jar.
Then put the eggs and their picking liquid into the jar with the remaining beets. Refrigerate both jars for 8 weeks at least.

The eggs will be dyed by the beets and their juice.

I'd do it about now, and serve sliced in half at a Halloween party as Alien Eyeballs.

But I've been described as "a sick and twisted individual", YMMV.

[Kali]

68. I have seen pink/purple hard boiled eggs from beets

But of course that would work with pickled ones too. Now I used to like pickled beets, haven't had them in ages. Hmmm

[GReedDiamond]

51. Weed...

...just kidding, I have touched it a lot.

[Kaleva]

53. I was pretty well stocked months before anyone heard of COVID19

The only items I added when I first read of about the virus outbreak in China and there were only a few confirmed cases in the US was face masks and hand sanitizer. 8 fl. oz bottles of hand sanitizer were on sale at the local Dollar General for $.50 a bottle. I don't remember what I paid for the surgical masks but I think it was around $8 for a box of 50.

I just spent some time reading threads made in early Feb of 2020. we had a number of folks here who dismissed the COVID19 thread and thought people were acting irrationally in response to it.

[Scrivener7]

56. A gallon size of Lysol cleaner. I'm set for life.

[Phentex]

57. Still using it but I bought a huge container of Dawn dish soap...

from Costco I think. Then I forgot i had it so I bought other refills. When I finally remembered the jug, I started filling from that but it will be a LONG time before I use it all. I can barely lift it!

[Fla Dem]

59. Blue cheap Masks, cloth masks with designs, mask liners, hand sanitizer and wipes.

Paper towels, but down to my last 2 packages of 8 rolls each. Other than that, pretty much back to normal levels of supplies.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

60. Ramen noodles

One of these days ...

[Generic Brad]

62. Popcorn

All my low sodium snacks come from Trader Joe's. I have not found anything that is comparable in quality and sodium content (which I watch religiously). The nearest Trader Joe's is around 60 miles from where we live and I promised my wife I would not go into a store until we were both fully vaccinated.

I was desperate. So I finally said, dammit and bought an air popper and a big jar of popcorn. I decided I would have to settle for choking down flavorless air popped corn. Then I found a low sodium pretzel through Walmart.com that was acceptable. And then my daughter began shipping me supplies from the Trader Joe's she lives by.

Flash forward one year later - I am fully vaccinated so yesterday I went to Trader Joe's and stocked up for the next pandemic. And the popcorn popper is unopened.

[Kali]

83. popcorn popped in a brown paper lunchbag in the microwave

tastes SO much better than air popped. those things are only good for making packing fluff. nasty!

[Generic Brad]

85. Costco microwave popcorn is outstanding

When they started selling it on their web site I bought two cases. I still have 1.5 cases.

[Kali]

86. LOL!

[Skittles]

63. nothing

everything that I perceive I NEED, I always have a decent supply on hand

[smirkymonkey]

65. Not much really. I couldn't stock up on anything in the beginning due to shortages.

Also, I have a small studio with very little storage space so I don't really have a place to store things. I did buy a lot of rice, canned beans, pasta, crushed tomatoes and frozen fruits and veggies, but I only have so much cupboard space for those items as well. n

However, I will use them. They always come in handy for soups, casseroles and smoothies, etc.

[Demovictory9]

66. nothing

[CottonBear]

67. Bags of dried beans. I spent my time perfecting my pie crust skills instead of cooking beans.

I need to get busy and make vegetarian bean chili, split pea soup, and mixed bean veggie soup.

[yellowdogintexas]

70. Dried beans here also

my husband wanted us to have a good supply of non perishable food.
We bought a Giant bag of brown rice at the local Indian market. It is in the bottom of our freezer. I really need to get it out and fill up a canister with some of it.

We also went to Costco and got our pantry staples: chicken broth, black beans, Kirkland canned chicken breast (so very handy), Ro-Tel, canned diced tomatoes

I also found a shelf full of anti bacterial soap and picked up a few of those. I have three which have not been opened.

[CottonBear]

71. I bought all sorts of rice too, but we eventually ate it all.

Never touched the dried beans though. LOL!

Well, you don’t have to buy hand soap for a while! 😁

[yellowdogintexas]

78. the irony of the beans is that a couple of weeks ago I made up a batch of red beans

with the idea of red beans and rice. I fell asleep and burned the damn beans.

Maybe I will make some pinto beans and try to not burn them.

Yes, I will have liquid soap for a year at least

[CottonBear]

79. Oh no!

Set your cell phone timer and keep it in your pocket. That way you’ll hear the timer go off no matter where you are asleep!

[malaise]

72. Store them in the fridge

They will last forever

[CottonBear]

73. Good tip! I did not know that. Thank you!

Unfortunately, my refrigerator and pantry are small, so I must begin consuming the beans.
Fortunately, I like to cook.

[malaise]

74. I have a never-ending supply

and keep them in one of those large glad containers in the fridge.
Last years DUers told me I could freeze nuts for months - that's working really well.

[CottonBear]

76. I freeze pistachios and walnuts. NT

[malaise]

75. I have a never-ending supply

and keep them in one of those large glad containers in the fridge.
Last years DUers told me I could freeze nuts for months - that's working really well.

[lillypaddle]

69. I'd toss them

Yuck.

[beaglelover]

80. I bought this giant case of Dial bath soap bars. We're still working our way through them.

[jmowreader]

81. The acid in the pickling brine kills botulism

As to putting botulism-infested items on your face to cure wrinkles...I don't think that'll work. They inject Botox fairly deeply because it's got to hit muscle, not just skin.

[applegrove]

84. I was laughing at myself. I was not serious. I did look into botox one time

because i have a frown line between my eyes. $1000!!! My god that is expensive. Now i just think of myself as an angry bird and wear glasses.

[jmowreader]

89. Try a different place

I had all the creases in my forehead taken out for less than $200. Unless you have super deep wrinkles, 6 units should be more than enough to kill the two lines between your eyebrows. My clinic charges $12 per unit, and it tends to run $10 to $15 per unit. (A “unit” is the mouse LD50.)

[applegrove]

91. I'm in Canada. Everything is more expensive because we are so passive.

CEOs know that.

[sinkingfeeling]

92. Lysol. I still have a dozen giant cans.