Emergency Preparedness Foods New England Clam Chowder

Last Updated on February 11, 2022 by Ellen Christian

This emergency preparedness recipe for New England clam chowder is a wonderful choice if you cannot get to the store. Whether it’s illness or weather that prevents you from making it to the store, it’s important that you have emergency preparedness foods and know how to cook them.

Emergency Preparedness Foods

We keep a fully stocked emergency preparedness pantry so that when we are unable to get to the store due to bad weather, we aren’t stranded without food and unable to prepare a healthy, delicious meal. This recipe is one of our favorites. I have prepared it on my wood stove as well as on the regular stove. It can be made entirely from canned/dehydrated foods so it needs nothing perishable at all and it really is delicious!

How can I modify this for what I have on hand?

You can easily make substitutions for what you have on hand. If you don’t have butter or lard, use whatever type of oil you do have. Vegetable oil works just fine.

If you do not have canned clams, you can substitute tuna for a tuna chowder or salmon for a salmon chowder. Whatever you have on hand for emergency preparedness foods, make that work.

The key with preparedness is adapting for what you do have on hand. So, using what you have on hand, modify this emergency preparedness recipe to work for you. We love it as is.

How much food to store for emergencies

If you’re wondering how much food you need to store, the CDC recommends that you keep on hand at all times at least two weeks of food. I think it’s a good idea to keep at least 30 days on hand. Remember that is all three meals as well as snacks.

Emergency Preparedness New England Clam Chowder

Using your emergency preparedness foods, modify as needed.

2 tsp butter or lard
2 or 3 six oz cans of minced clams
pinch of pepper
2 potatoes or 1 can of potatoes
1 cup chopped onion or 2 tablespoons of dried minced onions
4 cups of water
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 13 oz can of  evaporated milk

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add onions and saute lightly. Drain the liquid from the canned clams and add to the saucepan but reserve the clam meat. Add the water, salt, pepper, and cornstarch and stir well. Add the potatoes. Cover the pot and cook over low heat 10 minutes. Uncover and add the evaporated milk and clam meat. Cook and stir until mixture simmers. Makes 10 cups.

If you have butter, onion, and potato use that. If you don’t, you can easily substitute lard, dehydrated onion, and canned potato instead. Toss in some dried herbs or if you’re lucky some croutons and you’re all set for dinner. Your neighbors will be jealous while they eat their PBJ sandwiches.

More easy emergency preparedness ideas

• Nut butter and crackers or bread
• Red beans and rice
• Pasta and red sauce
• Tuna roll-ups
• Spam – fried, in sandwiches, etc.
• More easy emergency meals in this free cookbook

I know what’s for lunch today here! What emergency preparedness foods do you keep on hand for emergencies? Here are ten things you need to have on hand at all times.

Or, you may want to try this Chicken Salad Recipe from shelf stable foods.