Today, we’re going to look at 15 processed foods that are actually good for you, backed by solid nutritional science and practical value for everyday family life. When most people hear the words “processed food,” they picture something unhealthy in a crinkly bag at the checkout. But here’s the truth that surprises many families: not all processed foods are created equal. In fact, some of the most nutritious foods in your kitchen have gone through some form of processing to get to your table. The key is knowing which ones to trust and why they deserve a spot in your pantry.
Food processing simply means that a food product has been altered from its natural state in some way. That can mean freezing, fermenting, canning, pasteurizing, or fortifying with vitamins. Many of these methods actually preserve nutrition and make healthy eating more affordable and convenient for busy families. Can Openers, Large Can Openers, and Electric Can Opener.
15 Processed Foods That Are Actually Good For You
Canned Tomatoes
Canned tomatoes are one of the greatest nutritional bargains in the grocery store. When tomatoes are cooked and canned, their lycopene content actually increases. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant linked to heart health and reduced cancer risk. A can of diced, crushed, or whole tomatoes gives your family access to this nutrition year-round, long after fresh tomatoes are out of season. Look for cans labeled “no salt added” for the best option.
Frozen Vegetables
Here’s a fact that many people don’t know: frozen vegetables are often more nutritious than the fresh produce sitting on store shelves. That’s because they’re flash-frozen within hours of being harvested, which locks in vitamins and minerals before they have a chance to degrade. Fresh vegetables that have traveled for days to reach your store may have lost a significant portion of their nutrients by the time they reach your cart. Frozen peas, broccoli, spinach, corn, and green beans are excellent staples to keep stocked in your freezer.
Canned Beans
Beans are a powerhouse of plant-based protein, fiber, and essential minerals like iron and potassium. Canned beans have been cooked and sealed, which means they’re ready to use straight from the can with a quick rinse. They’re among the most budget-friendly and shelf-stable ways to add substantial nutrition to soups, stews, salads, and rice dishes. Rinse them well to reduce sodium, and you have a food that’s almost as good as cooking dried beans from scratch.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a fermented dairy product, which means it qualifies as a processed food. But the fermentation process is what makes it so beneficial. It’s packed with protein, calcium, and live probiotic cultures that support healthy gut bacteria. A single serving can deliver as much protein as several eggs, making it a smart breakfast or snack for kids and adults alike. Choose plain, unsweetened varieties and add your own fruit or a little honey to control the sugar content.
Canned Fish (Tuna, Salmon, and Sardines)
Canned fish is one of the most underrated pantry staples. Tuna, salmon, and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which support brain and heart health and a healthy inflammatory response. The canning process doesn’t destroy these beneficial fats. Canned salmon in particular contains soft, edible bones that deliver a significant amount of calcium. These are reasonably affordable, long-lasting proteins that deserve a regular place in your family’s meal rotation.
Frozen Fruit
Just like frozen vegetables, frozen fruit is harvested and frozen quickly, preserving the vitamins, antioxidants, and natural sweetness that make fruit so beneficial. Frozen blueberries, strawberries, mangoes, and cherries are wonderful in smoothies, oatmeal, and baked goods. For families trying to eat more fruit without spending a fortune, frozen fruit is one of the smartest choices available. No washing, no cutting, no spoilage waste.
Whole Grain Bread
Not all bread is the same, and whole-grain bread is a processed food worth seeking out. When bread is made from whole grains, it retains the bran and germ layers of the grain, which contain fiber, B vitamins, iron, and magnesium. Fiber helps with digestion, helps children feel full between meals, and supports healthy blood sugar levels. Read the ingredient label carefully and look for “whole wheat” or “whole grain” listed as the very first ingredient.
Pasteurized Milk
Pasteurization heats milk to kill harmful bacteria, making it safe to drink for children and adults alike. This process doesn’t destroy the calcium, vitamin D, or protein that make milk such a valued food for growing bodies. Milk is one of the most complete foods available to families, and pasteurization simply makes it safer without stripping its nutritional value. Whether you choose whole, two percent, or low-fat, pasteurized milk remains a solid choice for everyday nutrition.
Tofu
Tofu is made from soybeans through a process similar to cheesemaking, and it’s one of the most versatile plant-based proteins available. It’s rich in protein, calcium, and iron, and it readily absorbs the flavors of the sauces and seasonings you cook it with. For families looking to reduce meat consumption or stretch the food budget without sacrificing nutrition, tofu is a wonderful option to work into stir-fries, soups, and grain bowls.
Fermented Foods (Sauerkraut, Kimchi, and Pickles Made by Lacto-Fermentation)
Fermented foods have been made by cultures around the world for thousands of years, and they are now recognized by nutrition science for their probiotic benefits. Sauerkraut and kimchi made through lacto-fermentation, rather than vinegar, contain live beneficial bacteria that support gut health and immune function. Look for refrigerated versions with minimal ingredients, since shelf-stable versions made with vinegar have often had the live cultures pasteurized out.
Fortified Breakfast Cereals
Not all cereals belong in this category, but certain whole-grain fortified cereals are genuinely nutritious when chosen carefully. Many are fortified with iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D, nutrients that children and adults alike are commonly low in. Look for cereals that list a whole grain as the first ingredient, contain at least three grams of fiber per serving, and have limited added sugar. Paired with milk and fruit, a good whole grain cereal makes for a fast and nourishing breakfast.
Nut Butters
Peanut butter and almond butter are processed by grinding nuts into a paste, which counts as processing. But the nutrients that make nuts so valuable largely survive that process intact. Nut butters are rich in healthy fats, plant-based protein, fiber, vitamin E, and magnesium. They’re calorie-dense and satisfying, which makes them excellent for keeping kids fueled between meals. Choose natural nut butters with no added sugar or hydrogenated oils, and make sure the ingredient list is very short.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is produced through pressing and extraction, which makes it a processed food by definition. But extra-virgin olive oil is one of the most well-researched healthy fats in the world, central to the Mediterranean diet and associated with reduced risk of heart disease and inflammation. It contains powerful antioxidants and healthy monounsaturated fats. Use it for cooking, salad dressings, and drizzling over vegetables to add nutrition and rich flavor to family meals.
Canned Pumpkin
Pure canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, is a nutritional gem hiding in plain sight on grocery store shelves. It’s rich in beta-carotene, fiber, potassium, and vitamin C. One cup contains a significant portion of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A. It can be stored for months in the pantry and stirred into oatmeal, smoothies, soups, and baked goods to add nutrition without even picky eaters noticing.
Cheese
Cheese is made through a fermentation and aging process that transforms milk into a concentrated source of calcium, protein, and beneficial fatty acids. Aged cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan are particularly rich in calcium and lower in lactose than fresh dairy. Many traditional aged cheeses also contain small amounts of beneficial bacteria from the aging process. Used in reasonable portions, cheese is a satisfying and nutritious addition to sandwiches, casseroles, eggs, and vegetables.
Making Smart Choices With Processed Foods
The lesson here isn’t to fear all processing, but to become a more informed reader of ingredient labels and a more thoughtful shopper. The processed foods on this list are minimally altered, made with whole ingredients, and deliver genuine nutritional value. They’re also practical for real families working with real budgets and real schedules.
When you walk the aisles of your grocery store, focus on processed foods with short, recognizable ingredient lists and without excessive added sugar, sodium, or artificial additives. The fifteen foods on this list are a great place to start building a pantry that’s both practical and deeply nourishing for everyone you feed.
Feeding your family well doesn’t require cooking everything from scratch every single day. Some of the healthiest foods on the planet come in cans, bags, and tubs. What matters is choosing those foods with care, reading labels with confidence, and stocking your pantry with items that truly serve your family’s health. These fifteen processed foods are proof that convenience and nutrition can absolutely go hand in hand without breaking your food budget. May God bless this world, Linda
Potatoes are one of the most calorie-dense, storable, and versatile survival crops you can grow, and you do not need a plot of land to grow them. Growing spuds in containers is one of the most practical food production methods available to preppers with limited space, whether that means an apartment balcony, a small urban backyard, or a homestead where every inch of garden bed is already committed to other crops.
A single five-gallon bucket can produce two to four pounds of potatoes. A 20-gallon grow bag can yield eight pounds or more. Multiply that across a dozen containers and you have a meaningful calorie reserve that you grew yourself, on your own terms, with no dependency on a grocery store or food supply chain.
This guide covers everything: container selection, soil, seed potato sourcing, planting depth, the hilling technique, watering, feeding, pest management, harvesting, and storage. By the end you will know exactly how to run a container potato operation from first planting to last harvest.
Why Potatoes Belong in Every Prepper’s Container Garden
Potatoes have sustained populations through famines, wars, and hard winters for centuries. Before discussing how to grow them in containers, it is worth understanding exactly why they deserve a place in your food production strategy.
A single pound of potatoes provides roughly 350 calories, significant amounts of potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and meaningful quantities of protein relative to most vegetables. Research published by the USDA Agricultural Research Service confirms that potatoes are one of the most nutritionally complete single foods available, covering a broader range of essential nutrients per calorie than most other staple crops.
From a prepper standpoint, potatoes offer several specific advantages over most other container crops:
Calorie density: far higher per square foot of growing space than lettuce, herbs, or most greens
Storage potential: properly cured potatoes keep for six to nine months in cool, dark, dry conditions without refrigeration or processing
Seed saving: you can save a portion of your harvest as next year’s seed potatoes, creating a self-renewing supply
Minimal inputs: potatoes are not heavy feeders and do not require expensive fertilizers or specialized equipment
Flexible harvest timing: you can harvest baby potatoes early or wait for a full crop, giving you options depending on your situation
Choosing the Right Container
The container you choose has a direct impact on your yield. Potatoes need depth for tubers to form and room for the soil to stay loose enough that the developing spuds do not become deformed or stunted.
Minimum Size Requirements
The absolute minimum container size for growing a potato plant is five gallons. At that size you will get a small harvest from a single plant, suitable for a fresh eating bonus rather than a meaningful food reserve. For serious production, aim for containers of 10 gallons or larger per plant.
The depth matters as much as the volume. Potatoes form tubers along the buried stem, so you need at least 12 inches of depth to start, with the ability to add more soil as the plant grows. Containers that are tall and narrow serve this method better than wide and shallow ones for the same volume.
Container Options
Fabric grow bags: These are one of the best container options for potatoes. They are inexpensive, lightweight, and the porous fabric promotes air pruning of roots, which improves overall plant health. They also make harvest easier: simply tip the bag on its side and the soil and potatoes tumble out. Available in 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25-gallon sizes. The 20-gallon size is the sweet spot for yield versus cost.
Five-gallon buckets: The classic prepper container. Durable, stackable for storage, reusable for many seasons, and free or nearly free if you source them from bakeries, delis, or food service operations. Drill at least five drainage holes in the bottom before planting. One plant per bucket.
Trash cans and storage totes: Large plastic trash cans (30 to 33-gallon) and deep storage totes work very well for potato growing. They hold more soil than buckets, support larger plants, and can accommodate two or three seed potatoes per container. Drill generous drainage holes. Avoid black containers in hot climates as they absorb heat and can cook roots in summer.
Purpose-built potato planters: Some garden suppliers sell vertical potato planters with access flaps on the side that let you reach in and harvest individual potatoes without disturbing the whole plant. These work but are not necessary. A fabric bag accomplishes the same goals at lower cost.
What to avoid: Containers without drainage holes, containers under 10 inches deep, and any container that previously held non-food-safe chemicals. For a food production system, food-grade materials only.
The Best Potato Varieties for Containers
Not every potato variety is equally suited to container growing. You want varieties that produce tubers relatively close to the plant’s main stem rather than spreading wide through the soil, and early to mid-season varieties that complete their cycle before the container soil dries out or overheats in summer.
Early Season Varieties (Best for Containers)
Yukon Gold: one of the best all-around container potatoes. Early, productive, excellent flavor, and handles a range of conditions well.
Red Norland: an early red-skinned variety that produces reliably in containers with good yields for the space.
Caribe: fast-maturing with purple skin and white flesh, good yields in confined spaces.
Kennebec: a reliable mid-season all-purpose potato that performs consistently in containers.
Varieties Worth Seeking for Preppers
Fingerling types (Russian Banana, French Fingerling): lower yields but very high calorie density per tuber; excellent storage quality.
Carola: a German yellow potato with excellent flavor and reliable container performance.
Adirondack Blue or Purple Majesty: high in anthocyanins and antioxidants if nutritional diversity matters to your planning.
Late-season and maincrop varieties like Russet Burbank are not ideal for containers because they need a longer season and more room. If storage is the primary goal, stick with early and mid-season varieties and plant multiple successive batches rather than trying to grow a single late crop.
Sourcing and Preparing Seed Potatoes
Seed potatoes are simply potatoes certified to be disease-free and suitable for planting. You can buy them from garden centers, online suppliers, or farm stores, typically in spring. Do not plant supermarket potatoes as seed. They are often treated with a sprout inhibitor to extend shelf life, and they may carry diseases not present in your local soil.
Chitting: Why It Matters
Chitting means allowing your seed potatoes to sprout before planting. It gives your plants a head start and results in faster emergence and stronger initial growth. To chit seed potatoes, place them in a single layer in egg cartons or on a tray in a cool, bright (not direct sun) location for two to four weeks before planting. The goal is short, stubby green sprouts about half an inch to one inch long. Long, pale, leggy sprouts indicate the potatoes have been sitting in darkness too long.
Cutting Seed Potatoes
Large seed potatoes can be cut into pieces, each containing one or two eyes (the dimples from which sprouts emerge). Cut them the day before planting and allow the cut surfaces to dry and callous overnight. This reduces the risk of rot at the cut surface. Small seed potatoes under two ounces can be planted whole.
Each seed piece should weigh roughly 1.5 to 2 ounces and have at least one strong eye. The University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s guidance on seed potato preparation recommends cutting larger seed potatoes to maximize the number of plants from each purchase while still giving each piece adequate energy reserves to establish strongly.
Soil Mix for Container Potatoes
The soil you use in your containers is one of the most important decisions you will make. Potatoes need loose, well-draining soil that stays consistently moist without becoming waterlogged. Compact or heavy soil produces deformed tubers and promotes rot.
The best mix for container potatoes is not straight potting soil. Standard potting mixes are often too dense and retain too much moisture for potatoes. Build your own mix:
40 percent quality potting mix or compost
40 percent perlite or coarse horticultural grit for drainage and aeration
20 percent garden soil or aged compost if available
If you are working with limited supplies, a 50/50 blend of potting mix and perlite is the minimum effective ratio. The goal is a mix that drains freely but holds enough moisture that you are not watering twice a day.
Avoid using garden soil alone in containers. It compacts under repeated watering, restricts root growth, and may introduce soil-borne diseases. For a prepper container setup where you may be reusing containers season after season, invest in quality soil and refresh it between crops with compost.
Planting: The Hilling Method
The hilling method is the key technique that makes container potato growing productive. Potato plants form tubers along their buried stems, not just at the root base. By repeatedly covering the lower stem with additional soil as the plant grows, you dramatically increase the length of stem available for tuber formation and therefore your total yield.
Step-by-Step Planting and Hilling
Step 1: Fill your container with 4 to 6 inches of your soil mix in the bottom. Do not fill it to the top.
Step 2: Place one seed potato (or two in a container larger than 15 gallons) on the soil surface, eye side up, and cover with 3 to 4 inches of soil. Water thoroughly.
Step 3: Wait for the plant to emerge and grow to 6 to 8 inches above the soil surface.
Step 4: Add enough soil to bury the lower two-thirds of the plant, leaving only the top 2 to 3 inches of foliage exposed. This is the first hilling.
Step 5: Repeat when the plant has again grown 6 to 8 inches above the new soil level. Continue until the container is full or you have reached the top.
Each time you hill, new tubers form along the newly buried stem. A container that starts with 4 inches of soil and gets hilled three or four times has a final soil depth of 16 to 20 inches or more, all of it potentially productive growing space.
Watering Container Potatoes
Container potatoes need consistent moisture but cannot tolerate waterlogged soil. The challenge with containers is that they dry out faster than in-ground beds, especially in warm weather and small containers.
Check soil moisture daily during the growing season by pushing your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels dry at that depth, water thoroughly until water runs freely from the drainage holes. If it feels damp, wait another day. Inconsistent watering is one of the main causes of hollow heart (internal cavities in tubers) and cracked potatoes, so regular monitoring matters.
A general rule for established plants in containers is to water every one to two days in hot weather and every two to three days in cool or overcast conditions. Reduce watering significantly once the plants begin to yellow and die back at the end of the season, as this signals the tubers are maturing and excess moisture at this stage promotes rot.
Mulching the surface of your container with two inches of straw or wood chips significantly reduces evaporation and moderates soil temperature, both of which benefit container potatoes in warm climates.
Feeding Your Container Potatoes
Potatoes are not heavy feeders compared to crops like corn or tomatoes, but container growing depletes soil nutrients faster than in-ground growing, so supplemental feeding improves yields.
At planting time, mix a balanced slow-release granular fertilizer into your soil mix according to package directions. A fertilizer with roughly equal nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) ratios works well at this stage.
Once plants are established and actively growing, switch to a fertilizer lower in nitrogen and higher in phosphorus and potassium. High nitrogen encourages large, lush foliage at the expense of tuber formation. A 5-10-10 or similar ratio during the flowering and tuber-setting phase produces better yields.
Wood ash is an excellent low-input potassium source for container potatoes if you have a wood stove or fire pit. It also raises soil pH slightly, which potatoes tolerate well. Research from Penn State Extension on potato fertility management supports the use of balanced nutrition with a phosphorus and potassium emphasis during tuber development for best yield and storage quality.
Pest and Disease Management in Containers
One of the genuine advantages of container growing is reduced pest and disease pressure compared to in-ground beds. The most common problems you will encounter with container potatoes are manageable with vigilance and simple interventions.
Colorado Potato Beetle
The Colorado potato beetle is the most damaging insect pest of potatoes in most of North America. Adults are yellow and black striped; larvae are orange-red with black spots. Both adults and larvae feed heavily on foliage and can defoliate a plant rapidly. For container gardens, hand-picking is the most practical control. Inspect plants daily and drop any beetles or larvae into a bucket of soapy water. Neem oil spray is an effective organic deterrent applied every seven to ten days as a preventive measure.
Aphids
Aphids cluster on the undersides of leaves and on new growth, sucking plant sap and potentially spreading viral diseases. A strong spray of water dislodges them effectively. Insecticidal soap spray handles heavier infestations. In a container garden, aphid populations are usually easier to control than in large in-ground plantings because you can access every part of the plant easily.
Blight (Early and Late)
Blight is a fungal disease that causes brown lesions on leaves and can spread to tubers. It thrives in wet, humid conditions. Container growing reduces blight risk somewhat because you control the watering and the container soil drains better than heavy garden soil. To prevent blight, water at the base of the plant rather than overhead, ensure good air circulation between containers, and remove any yellowed or spotted foliage promptly. Copper-based fungicide sprays are an effective organic option if blight appears.
Scab
Common scab causes rough, corky patches on tuber skin. It is a cosmetic issue rather than a safety one but affects storage quality. Scab is associated with high soil pH and dry conditions. Keeping soil consistently moist during tuber formation and maintaining a slightly acidic pH around 5.5 to 6.0 reduces scab incidence.
How to Know When to Harvest
Knowing when to harvest is one of the most common questions from first-time container potato growers. There are two distinct harvest types with different timing.
New Potatoes (Early Harvest)
New potatoes are immature tubers harvested while the plant is still actively growing and green. They have thin, delicate skin and a sweet, waxy flavor not found in fully mature potatoes. You can begin harvesting new potatoes about 10 weeks after planting by carefully reaching into the container and pulling a few small tubers without disturbing the main plant. The plant continues growing and producing after this kind of selective harvest.
Full Harvest
Full harvest happens when the plant has naturally completed its life cycle. The foliage will yellow, wither, and die back to the ground. Once the tops are completely dead, wait an additional two weeks before harvesting. This curing period allows the skins to set and toughen, which dramatically improves storage life. If you harvest immediately after the tops die, the skins are still thin and the potatoes will not keep nearly as long.
To harvest from a container, tip the container on its side and work through the soil with your hands. Avoid using a fork or trowel, as these tools spear and damage tubers easily. A fabric grow bag makes harvest especially easy: simply open the top, tip it sideways, and spread the soil out on a tarp.
Curing and Storing Your Harvest
Proper curing and storage is what turns a container potato harvest into a meaningful food reserve rather than a meal or two.
Curing
Spread harvested potatoes in a single layer in a dark, well-ventilated space at 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit (10 to 15 degrees Celsius) and 85 to 90 percent relative humidity for one to two weeks. This curing process allows the skin to harden and any minor cuts or abrasions to heal over. Do not wash potatoes before curing. Brush off loose soil gently with your hand.
Long-Term Storage
After curing, move potatoes to long-term storage: a cool, dark, consistently 35 to 40 degree Fahrenheit (2 to 4 degree Celsius) space with moderate humidity. A root cellar, unheated basement corner, or insulated garage shelf in winter conditions works well. Under these conditions, properly cured potatoes from early and mid-season varieties keep for six to nine months.
Never store potatoes near apples or other ethylene-producing fruits, which accelerate sprouting
Store in breathable containers such as burlap sacks, wooden crates, or cardboard boxes, not sealed plastic bags
Check stored potatoes every few weeks and remove any that show signs of rot immediately to prevent spread
Keep storage containers off the floor to allow air circulation
Saving Seed Potatoes for Next Season
For true self-sufficiency, saving your own seed potatoes closes the loop and eliminates dependence on annual purchases. At harvest time, set aside the smallest potatoes from your healthiest-looking plants as next season’s seed. Ideal seed potatoes are golf ball to egg-sized, firm, with no signs of disease.
Store them separately from your eating potatoes in slightly cooler, drier conditions. Before the following planting season, inspect them carefully and discard any that show soft spots, unusual discoloration, or signs of disease. Potatoes saved from your own garden will gradually adapt to your local conditions over multiple seasons, a process known as landrace adaptation that can increase yields and disease resilience over time.
One important note: if you observe significant disease pressure in your containers, particularly blight or mosaic virus symptoms, do not save seed from those plants. Start fresh with certified disease-free seed potatoes and address whatever environmental conditions allowed the disease to establish.
Scaling Up: Running a Container Potato Operation
Once you have the basic system down, scaling up is straightforward. The math is simple: a 20-gallon grow bag with one plant yields roughly 8 to 12 pounds of potatoes under good conditions. Ten bags yield 80 to 120 pounds. Twenty bags, which fit comfortably on a medium-sized deck or patio, yield 160 to 240 pounds.
At roughly 350 calories per pound, 200 pounds of potatoes represents 70,000 calories, a meaningful supplement to any food storage program. With proper curing and storage, that harvest carries through most of a winter.
For a staggered supply, start containers two weeks apart over a six-week period in spring. This gives you three successive harvests rather than one large one, spreading the production across time and reducing the storage burden at any single point.
Grow More Food With the Old-Fashioned Methods That Still Work
Container potatoes are just the beginning. The Amish Ways Book is packed with practical, time-tested gardening and homesteading knowledge, including food preservation, soil-building techniques, traditional planting methods, and dozens of self-reliant skills that helped Amish families thrive for generations.
Whether you have a backyard, a small patio, or just a few containers, you’ll discover simple, proven techniques to grow more, waste less, and become more independent.
Growing spuds in containers is one of the highest-value food production methods available to preppers with limited growing space. The investment is modest: a handful of grow bags or buckets, a bag of perlite, quality potting mix, and a few pounds of seed potatoes. The return, measured in calories produced per dollar spent and per square foot used, is difficult to match with almost any other container crop.
More than the yield, container potato growing builds a practical skill set. You learn to read your plants, manage water and soil in a controlled environment, recognize pests and diseases early, and work through the curing and storage process that turns a fresh harvest into a durable food reserve. Those skills stay with you regardless of what the supply chain is doing.
Start with five or six containers this season. Expand as your confidence grows. Within two or three seasons you will have a system that runs smoothly, a seed stock adapted to your local conditions, and a meaningful potato reserve you grew yourself.
A man can leave his grandchildren a rifle, a pantry, a hand pump, and a stack of old tools. Those things have value. Good gear, useful land, and a well-built home can bless a family for years. Still, one of the strongest things a man can leave behind is a story. The stories a family […]
A buddy of mine cornered me at a gun show last spring, sleeve rolled up, showing me a bruise on his shoulder like it was a trophy. He’d been injecting something he ordered online, swore it was rebuilding his rotator cuff, and kept saying the word “peptides” like it was a password. At first, I just nodded and wrote him off as another guy chasing a shortcut.
Then, a few weeks later, I tore the skin off my shin going over a fence, and the cut would not close. I dug through my medical kit looking for the triple antibiotic ointment, and there it was in the ingredient list: bacitracin, a peptide.
That’s when I realized that I’d been carrying peptides in my kit for fifteen years and never once thought of them that way.
What Are Peptides?
A peptide is just a short chain of amino acids, the same building blocks your body uses to make protein. Some of them fight bacteria, some carry messages through your bloodstream, some preserve food, and a few of them keep diabetics alive.
Once you understand what they actually are, you start seeing survival uses everywhere. Here are seven worth knowing.
Your Wound Kit Already Holds a Peptide Antibiotic
Pull out your tube of triple antibiotic ointment and read the label. You’ll find bacitracin and polymyxin B sitting next to neomycin. Two of those three are peptide antibiotics, and they work in a way that matters for the long haul.
Most of the oral antibiotics we stockpile, the amoxicillin and the cipro, get chewed up by bacterial resistance because the whole world has been swallowing them for decades.
Peptide antibiotics like bacitracin attack the bacterial cell wall directly, and resistance to them is far less common.
For a topical wound in a situation where you can’t drive to an urgent care, that’s exactly the property you want. Keep several tubes, check the expiration dates, and store them out of the heat.
Snake Venom and Antivenom Are Both Peptides
If you spend time in the backcountry, you should know that snake and scorpion venom is mostly a mix of peptides and enzymes engineered to wreck tissue and nerves. Understanding that changes how you respond in the field: you keep the limb still and below the heart, you get the person calm and moving toward help, and you skip the cowboy nonsense of cutting and sucking, which only spreads the peptides faster and adds an infection on top.
The antivenom that reverses a serious bite is built from immune proteins that lock onto those venom peptides and neutralize them. You’re not going to brew that at home, so the survival lesson is sober: know which venomous species live where you operate, know which hospitals within range actually stock antivenom, and have that figured out before you need it rather than during the worst hour of your life.
Insulin Is the Peptide That Keeps Diabetics Alive
Here’s the one nobody at the prepper expo wants to talk about. Insulin is a peptide. It’s a chain of 51 amino acids, and roughly two million Americans with Type 1 diabetes will die within days to weeks if they can’t get it. No amount of dandelion tea fixes that.
The hard part for preppers is storage. Insulin is a fragile protein that degrades in heat, and unopened vials are meant to live in a refrigerator. In a grid-down stretch, that fridge is the problem. People who plan for this look at evaporative cooling setups, root cellars, and insulated coolers cycled with whatever cold they can generate, and they rotate their supply hard so nothing sits past its date.
Ever wondered how to save your insulin during a blackout? This ingenious method does it without a fridge.
If someone in your family is insulin-dependent, that single peptide deserves more of your planning than your ammo can does. Talk to their doctor about the longest supply you can legally build and the real-world shelf life of the type they use.
Raw Honey Hides a Wound-Healing Peptide
Your immune system already makes its own antibiotics. They’re called antimicrobial peptides, things like defensins and a peptide called LL-37, and they punch holes in bacteria the moment a cut breaks your skin.
Researchers are studying them right now as a new class of weapon against drug-resistant infections, which is the exact threat that keeps you up at night.
You don’t have to wait for a lab to bottle them, because nature already did.
Raw honey contains an antimicrobial peptide called defensin-1, which is one of the reasons honey has been packed into wounds for thousands of years and why medical-grade honey dressings sit in real hospitals today.
Honey is one of the best things you can keep in your stockpile. It never spoils, it carries real healing properties, and it happens to contain one of the most common natural forms of peptides. The best ways to use honey for survival are all laid out on this website.
I tried a handful of their remedies myself, and honestly, it improved my quality of life. You will find everything from simple recipes like honey and cinnamon to which foods to pair honey with to make it more potent. This is the kind of information you will not easily find anywhere else. Take me to the website
Collagen Peptides Give You Shelf-Stable Survival Protein
Collagen peptides are just collagen broken down into pieces small enough for your gut to absorb easily. The stuff sells in big tubs as a powder, it’s cheap per serving, and it stores for a long time in a sealed container with no refrigeration.
In a survival stretch where you’re rationing calories and suddenly doing far more physical labor than your body is used to, two things go first: your protein intake and your joints. A scoop of collagen peptides stirred into coffee or broth gives you absorbable protein with almost no prep, and there’s reasonable evidence it supports connective tissue, skin, and the lining of your gut. It won’t replace real food, but as a compact, calorie-dense backstop that survives a hot garage for a couple of years, it earns its shelf space.
If you’re putting a tub on the shelf, make it one built for the load you’ll be putting on it. Collagen Refresh is a Type I and Type III collagen peptide blend stacked with copper, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, the cofactors your body leans on to keep cartilage and connective tissue holding together when you’re suddenly working harder than it’s ever asked to.
It stores sealed for about two years, a scoop dissolves into a glass of water in seconds, and it’s backed by a six-month money-back guarantee, so testing a jar costs you nothing while a blown-out knee with no doctor to call could cost you everything. → Stock up now!
Peptide Preservatives Keep Your Stored Food Safe
The last one hides in your refrigerator. A peptide called nisin is a natural preservative produced by bacteria, and it’s used in cheeses, canned goods, and processed meats to shut down the organisms that cause spoilage and botulism.
It’s been part of the food supply for decades and it’s one of the reasons certain shelf-stable foods stay safe as long as they do.
For your own long-term storage, the takeaway is to lean on foods and methods where this kind of natural antimicrobial protection is already doing work, and to understand that “preservative-free” is not always the survival flex people think it is. When you’re choosing what goes into the deep pantry, the boring food science is often what keeps you out of trouble a year from now.
IMPORTANT! Injectable Healing Peptides Are Not What They Seem
Now back to my gun show buddy and his bruised shoulder. The peptides he was injecting, the ones marketed everywhere right now under names like BPC-157 and TB-500, are sold for tissue repair and recovery. I’ll give you the straight version, because you deserve it.
These are not approved for human use. They’re sold as research chemicals labeled not for consumption, the people buying them are injecting them anyway, and there’s almost no real human safety or dosing data behind the marketing.
On top of that, an unregulated vial ordered off a website can be underdosed, contaminated, or not even contain what the label claims. The animal studies look interesting, and the human picture is mostly testimonials. That’s the honest state of it. I’m not going to hand you a protocol, because anyone telling you they know the safe dose of an unapproved compound is guessing with your body.
If your joints are wrecked, the move that actually holds up in a crisis is building real strength and durability now, while you still have a hospital to back you up.
So instead of reaching for a needle, reach for something you rub on. For everyday joint pain, I keep a tin of Dr. Nicole Apelian’s Joint & Movement Salve around. She’s the biologist and herbalist behind The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies, and she built it from plants with a long track record for aches and swelling: arnica for bruising, cayenne to warm and quiet the pain, and cottonwood buds that carry the same salicylates behind aspirin. It’s organic, wild-harvested, and keeps on a shelf indefinitely. Get your own miracle bottle here.
How to Use Peptides
Almost everything useful here you can stock today, no prescription and no leap of faith required. Keep a few tubes of triple antibiotic ointment, a couple jars of raw honey, a tub of collagen powder, and a pantry built on well-preserved foods.
Label them, rotate them with the rest of your supplies, and store them out of the heat. Insulin and antivenom are the two that take planning rather than buying, so sort out the cold storage and the nearest antivenom supply now, while a phone call still reaches a doctor.
The one to leave on the shelf is the needle. The proven peptides earn their place because they are stable, legal, and backed by more than a testimonial. Stock those and skip the research vials.
Papercrete was invented in the 1920s, but it was so easy to make, no one bought it. Papercrete has been used to build homes, walls, fences, and is easily formed into any object from flowerpots to furniture.
The biggest advantage of papercrete is that it’s lightweight but sturdy enough to bear loads. It also has excellent insulating properties with an R-value of R2 per inch. Better yet, you can use regular hand tools and power tools to saw it, drill it, and you can even pound nails into it.
As you would suspect, papercrete starts with paper. Newspaper is the source of choice, but any paper will do including magazines, napkins, paper bags, junk mail, and even cardboard.
They can all be combined in any proportion and are torn into two-inch long strips; soaked in water and then pulverized to a pulp using a plaster or paint mixer or stucco mixer attached to a large drill.
The second ingredient is cement used as a binder. Portland cement is the standard recommendation in a smaller proportion than the paper pulp. The amount of cement can vary but should never be less than 10%.
A filler like vermiculite, perlite, sand, and/or dirt are also added but the proportions and the particular filler varies. Fillers can either lighten the papercrete in the case of perlite and vermiculite or make it heavier and stronger when sand or dirt are used. The choice of filler has to do with the end use.
Load-bearing walls need stronger, heavier materials like sand or dirt while other uses that don't involve a lot of weight or stress (such as a planter) can be made with lighter fillers like vermiculite or perlite.
If you are planning on doing a lot of shaping or cutting of papercrete, you’ll be better off using lighter fillers. You could also skip any filler and go for the strongest mix of just paper pulp and cement.
Serious Off-Grid Papercrete
Papercrete ingredients are essentially on-grid components. If we find ourselves off the grid for any length of time, manufacturing processes to make cement and even paper will be compromised. That’s why we’re also going to cover a pure, off-grid recipe using an ancient Roman formula for cement as a binder and natural cellulose from certain plants.
Clay is another option as a binder, but the unique properties that make papercrete work come from the cellulose fibers in paper. If you can find cellulose fibers in nature, you can improvise without paper.
Papercrete Colors
Straight papercrete is a light grey. It can be painted or stained and sealed with polyurethane. It can also be dyed with commercially available concrete dyes.
Adding a dye saves you from the labor of painting and repainting. You’ll also find the rough texture of papercrete can be difficult to paint, although a paint-sprayer setup could make things easier.
When we explore the off-grid approach to papercrete, we’ll also cover various dyes from nature like the pure blackberry juice pictured above.
What’s the Downside of Papercrete?
A lot of that depends on the recipe and your proportions. A mixture that is high in paper pulp will be lighter, less expensive, have better insulation properties, and will be easier to saw, drill and shave.
Unfortunately, papercrete in general will form mildew if in constant contact with water, especially a papercrete mix made with a high proportion of pulp. It’s easy to seal papercrete to protect it from rain with a water-resistant deck treatment or waterproof polyurethane, but constant exposure to moisture or immersion in water will eventually create a problem.
On the other hand, papercrete with a high proportion of concrete is not only stronger but more resistant to moisture. The tradeoff is that it’s heavier, and added cement means added cost.
Also, papercrete does not bond well with stone or concrete. If you are planning to apply papercrete to one of these surfaces, you’ll have to figure out a way to attach bonding straps, rebar, or some other way to give papercrete a chance to grip the concrete or stone surface.
Papercrete with a high proportion of paper pulp can be slightly flammable. Most reports indicate that it tends to smolder rather than burst into flames, but unlike conventional brick, it should be kept away from flame sources like wood-burning stoves if it has a high proportion of paper pulp in the mix.
High pulp mixes also lack some of the structural integrity of mixtures made with proportionately more cement. We’ll isolate specific blends and proportions based on use, load, and potential exposure to water. As a general rule, you should keep all papercrete off the ground and especially avoid putting it underground or it will eventually disintegrate.
Getting Ready to Make Papercrete
Like any process, you’re going to need some tools, materials, and a cellulose source staring with paper. The amount of paper you need depends on what you’re trying to do. If you’re trying to build a small house, you’ll need a lot of paper. If you’re going to pour your papercrete into a form to create a post or a few bricks, you’ll need less.
If you get a daily newspaper, get it out of the recycling bin and into a paper storage bin. Collect other paper from the mailbox, those old magazines you’ve saved too long, and you can always ask family and friends to pitch in and even store some for you.
If there are plastic windows in an envelope from the mailbox, tear them out. Plastic and papercrete don’t mix. And by the way, who needs a shredder for bank statements and credit card junk-mail when you’re making papercrete.
With all of that being said, here’s a short-list of things you’ll need to make a small batch of papercrete that will make 2 to 3 bricks:
5-gallon buckets and a colander for draining the paper pulp.
Plaster or paint mixer attachment or a stucco mixing blade attachment, although the sharp blades of a stucco mixer could cut the plastic sides of a 5-gallon bucket.
A heavy-duty drill that will accommodate a half-inch bit.
Enough water to cover the torn paper by two inches.
Portland cement.
Vermiculite, perlite, sand, or dirt. (Vermiculite and perlite are light fillers while sand and dirt are heavier and sturdier fillers.)
Wood, nails, and hammer to build forms. If forming bricks, an actual brick will help to determine the size of the form.
Papercrete Brick Forms
Papercrete is typically poured into a mold or form. Molds are used to shape objects like pots and forms are typically used to make papercrete bricks.
If you are planning on making bricks, you can easily make the brick form out of a 2×4. The standard size for a common brick is 8 x 4 x 2.25 inches. Unfortunately, a standard 2 x 4 is actually 1.75 x 3.75. Neither measurement comes close to 2.25 inches, so you either have to rip the length of the 2 x 4 to get to 2.25 inches or make a larger brick.
That’s okay if all of the bricks you make are the same size, and that’s what we’re going to do here.
Papercrete Release Agents
Any form or mold needs to be coated with a release agent to allow the papercrete to release from the mold or form.
Common vegetable oil works fine, or you can buy professional release agents for concrete at a home center or hardware store. Paint the release agent on the interior of the form or mold with a paintbrush or spray it on for larger projects.
You’ll also need a board underneath the form, and that should be coated with a release agent as well. If you are doing large scale construction with papercrete, you’ll definitely want to use a hand sprayer with a pump to make application to forms faster and easier.
In a serious off-grid environment, you can use animal fat, old motor oil, and even waxes to prevent the papercrete from bonding to the sides of the mold or form.
Paper Pulp Directions
1. Tear the paper into long, 2-inch strips and drop into the 5-gallon bucket until almost full.
2. Pour enough water into the bucket to soak the paper strips.
3. Tamp the paper down with the paint mixer to compress it slightly so it is beneath the water level by at least two inches.
4. Let the paper soak for 24 to 48 hours. You could also boil the paper in a large stock-pot for 30 minutes if you’re in a hurry.
5. Attach the paint or stucco mixer to the drill and move it around in the paper to shred the paper to a pulp. Experiment with drill speeds to determine which speed does the best job based on the power of your drill.
You’ll want to do this out in the yard and wear old clothes. The pulp will splatter from the bucket and can splatter both you and the surrounding area.
6. Continue to pulp the paper pulling up the mixer from the bottom and sides. If the mix is too dry and resists pulping, add water. If the mix is too wet, drain off some water from the top or add more paper. (You can add small proportions of dried paper if necessary, but tear it into small pieces).
7. The final pulp should have the consistency of cottage cheese or lumpy oatmeal.
8. Once pulped, you can add a quart of bleach if you want to diminish the grey color. Pour in the bleach and continue to pulp and distribute the bleach with the mixer until blended. As the paper pulp soaks, the color will bleach to a light greyish-white.
Don’t get your hopes high. You will never get pure white. If you choose to bleach the pulp, know that any splatter that hits your clothing will bleach it in spots, so dress accordingly. You’ll also be unable to dye the papercrete. The bleach will cancel it out or turn it into a very muted color.
9. Strain the pulp through a colander or, for larger batches, improvise a strainer with a screen supported by chicken wire on a wood frame.
10. Reserve the pulp for the final formula.
Basic Papercrete Formula
5 parts paper pulp
2 parts Portland cement
You’ll need another 5-gallon bucket for this step. If making a larger quantity, you could use a wheelbarrow or concrete trough. You’ll use a trowel to mix the paper pulp and cement for smaller quantities. You could also use a shovel if mixing in a larger container.
Basic Papercrete Directions
1. Add the proper proportion of paper pulp to the mixing container (we’re using 5 parts paper pulp in a 5-gallon bucket).
2. Add the proper proportion of cement next. (For this example, we’re using 2 parts cement.)
3. Begin blending the mixture using the trowel. If it gets too dry, add some more paper pulp. If it’s too wet, add more cement.
4. When done, it should have the consistency of chunky pudding.
5. It should not settle when placed on a board, but hold its shape. If so, you’re now ready to trowel it into a form. If you are applying it to the side of a mold for a pot or other object, you’ll want to have a thicker consistency so the wet papercrete will not slide down the mold.
It’s easier in a form for a brick because the sides of the form simply contain the wet papercrete.
6. After 20 minutes, the papercrete will start to settle.
That’s the time to add a little more if you want a uniform shape for a brick.
Use a trowel to smooth the top of the papercrete if you’re making a brick. If you’re using a mold for a pot or object, apply and smooth with your hands. You’ll want to check the sides to make sure none of the papercrete has slid down.
7. Cover the mold or form with plastic wrap for 24 hours to let the papercrete slowly cure, then remove the plastic wrap and remove the form to allow the papercrete to stand freely for further drying.
8. Let dry for another 2 days.
9. If drying outdoors, cover it with a loose-fitting tarp to prevent morning dew or rain from coming in contact. If making papercrete in winter, you’ll need to let it dry in a relatively warm area like a garage or a place where you have improvised some form of heat.
10. Something as simple as covering it with a black tarp or a black plastic garbage bag could capture enough heat from the sun to do the job during a cold day.
Papercrete Formula Variations
Papercrete will shrink when drying and will settle when first put into a form. The amount of shrinkage is proportional to the amount of paper pulp in the final mix. Basic papercrete will shrink by 15 to 25% while drying.
If you are making bricks, you should add some papercrete to the form 20 minutes after your first pour if it’s settling, or design a form that will allow you to overfill it to compensate. The more cement you add to a papercrete mix, the less shrinkage and settling, going as low as 3 to 5%.
If you want to make papercrete mortar or plaster, mix paper pulp with cement in a 50/50 proportion.
If you want to increase load-bearing properties, use this formula:
5 parts paper pulp
3 parts clay
2 parts cement
1 part sand
If you want to increase insulation value where load-bearing is not critical, add more paper pulp. You should always have some cement in the mix (at least 10%), but you can and should experiment with various pulp proportions if you are embarking on some serious papercrete construction.
If you want to significantly increase load-bearing, do the 5-to-2 proportion of paper pulp and cement we demonstrated.
Avoid the temptation to simply use paper pulp only. That’s paper mâché, not papercrete. Paper pulp alone, when dried, is very weak in terms of load-bearing and also flammable.
There are other variations on papercrete formulas on the Internet that various papercrete masons swear by. We’ve covered some of the basics, but if you’re serious about papercrete, you’ll most likely develop your own favorite formula.
Off-Grid Papercrete Recipe
While it’s a bit messy, making papercrete is fairly easy. Especially with things like Perlite, power tools, ample electricity, lots of paper, and easy access to a hardware store for cement. But in a serious or sudden off-grid environment, you’re going to have to improvise. Let’s consider the tools and ingredients and think about options.
Water – No problem here as long as it’s raining or snowing from time to time. Besides, if there’s no water anywhere, you’ve got bigger problems than trying to figure out how to make papercrete.
Perlite or Vermiculite – Dirt and sand are easy substitutes. The benefit of fillers like Perlite or Vermiculite is that they’re lightweight and add to the insulating value of papercrete. While dirt and sand are heavier, they perform the same purpose to add structure to the papercrete and add some load-bearing properties as well.
Cement – Two options here. The easy one is to use clay. Dig deep enough in the ground and the chances are good you’ll hit a layer of clay. Adobe bricks are primarily made out of clay and when mixed with paper pulp, they can form a very good variation on papercrete. It’s more susceptible to water, but in a dry environment, it works fine.
The second option is to make Old Roman Concrete. It’s an ancient recipe dating back more than 2,000 years. We’ll cover that in a separate section because it’s a bit complicated.
Paper – Believe it or not, paper may quickly become a scarce commodity in an off-grid economy. The solution is to find a natural source of cellulose that has a fibrous composition. It’s the fibers in paper that give papercrete structural integrity, and you need that if you’re making it with a paper substitute.
Here are some good examples to look for:
Burdock Stems and Burrs – These are highly fibrous. Their most common identifying characteristic is the cockle burrs that attach to our clothing during a casual walk in the woods and fields. In fact, the Romans used to make rope out of the stalks of Burdock after rubbing the stalks into fibers.
Dead Burdock is best after it has turned brown and is dry. If green, set the stems out to dry in the sun. Cut the stems and crush the burrs and toss them in the bucket along with some other good cellulose substitutes.
Dried Grasses, Straw, or Hay – Grass is also highly fibrous, especially the seed stalks. Like Burdock, dead grasses that have dried seem to work best as a paper substitute for papercrete. Chop or use scissors to cut them into lengths about 2 to 4 inches long and soak and pulp them the same way as paper. If the grass is green, dry it in the sun and then cut.
Other plants with fibrous stalks or stems like cattail or horehound also work well.
Plants That DON'T Work As Paper Substitutes
Leaves – It would seem that leaves could be a good substitute for paper, and while they have cellulose, they’re missing something: “Fibrous” Cellulose. Leaves have thin veins to carry water and nutrients, but the leaves themselves are fragile–especially when brown and dry–and don’t have strong fibers for support. Banana leaves are an exception, but most of us don’t have bananas growing in our backyard.
Bark – Like leaves, bark also doesn't have enough fibrous cellulose. It has multiple bark layers on the trunk of a tree to do the same things, but bark is largely unaffected by water and won’t pulp well.
Natural Dyes
Many of us have found dyes in nature without even trying.
If you’ve ever spent time as a kid eating mulberries off a tree, you know how effective they can be when it comes to stains. Red Sumac berries are another example and can be added whole to off-grid papercrete while mixing. Other berries to consider include blackberries, black raspberries, and blueberries.
It’s best to mash them to release their juice and their color and then add the juice to the pulping bucket as you mix.
Making Papercrete the Off-Grid Way
While there are many natural sources of fibrous cellulose, there are only two options for a binder to replace store-bought Portland Cement: Ancient Roman cement and clay.
Of the two, clay is the easiest, but you’re going to have to dig to find it. It also doesn’t provide as much load-bearing strength as cement. And like paper pulp, it is vulnerable to moisture.
Adobe bricks are largely made from clay but most of the buildings constructed from Adobe bricks were built in desert areas where moisture was less of a concern. If you live in the desert, go for it. If you don’t, it’s worth taking a look at an old Roman formula for cement.
Roman Concrete and Cement
The Romans built their aqueducts, baths, some of their roads and harbors, and even the Pantheon using concrete. The Pantheon is a domed structure built with concrete that has stood without wear for more than 2,000 years.
The Romans didn’t mess around, and because their concrete pours had such a high concentration of their cement, they didn’t need rebar to reinforce walls and ceilings. The problem with rebar in concrete is that it eventually rusts and causes the concrete to crumble. The Romans didn’t have that problem.
In case you’re wondering, the difference between concrete and cement is that concrete is a combination of cement, sand, and gravel. Cement is a different story.
Roman Cement Formula “Opus Caementicium”
The original formula for Roman cement was lost for centuries and rediscovered in the 1700s by a French Engineer. Romans would take chunks of limestone and place them in a kiln. The high heat burned off carbon and oxygen in the limestone and left behind something called quicklime.
The resulting quicklime was then crushed to a powder and added to water to make a paste known as hydrated lime. This is the basic Roman cement that you could use with your natural, fibrous cellulose pulp to make papercrete. Assuming you have a kiln and access to limestone.
To make your papercrete, add 3 parts of natural cellulose pulp to 2 parts clay or 1 part of Roman cement (hydrated lime) and mix. The result will be similar to traditional papercrete and the color of the finished product will be a light shade of your pulp material and binder.
Cutting and Mixing Natural Cellulose
Without electricity, you won’t have the luxury of a power drill with a paint mixer, but if you have the mixer attachment, you can attach a handle to the top and press, twist, and turn by hand. A stucco mixer works best because it has the sharpest blades, but watch out for the sides of any plastic bucket.
It also helps to cut any grasses or stems as small as possible and smash them between two flat stones before soaking them in water. You can also dive in and use your hands to tear, mix, and crush. A branch about 2 inches thick with nails driven into the end can also be dropped, lifted, and dropped again and again into the mix to work the pulp.
It’s worth experimenting a bit with this off-grid approach if you think you’ll ever have a need for this type of masonry.
Scaling Up Papercrete
It’s time to get back on the grid and get serious. What we’ve explored so far is on a very small scale using 5-gallon buckets and single forms for a couple of bricks. If you’re planning larger projects with papercrete, you should do a few things:
Experiment with formulations to suit your end use. If you’re looking for load-bearing, you’ll want to do some tests to see how a brick stands up to weight. You might also want to simply experiment with formulas and proportions to see what you think of the results.
While you’re at it, experiment with mortar formulas. Most large-scale construction with any kind of masonry requires mortar. The standard formula is a 50/50 mix of paper pulp to cement, but see what happens if you vary that to 60/40, etc.
Think mass-production. Don’t build a form for a single brick. Build long, multiple-brick forms from 8 to 16-foot 2 x 4’s in quantity so you can pour and form multiple bricks per batch.
Scale up your mixing equipment. A 5-gallon bucket and a hand drill will make for long days and tired arms. But be forewarned. A traditional, standing cement mixer won’t cut it. That’s because it literally won’t effectively cut the paper into the shreds you need to make a pulp. Check the Internet with a search for “papercrete.” Many papercrete masons have constructed some simple and effective ways to mix large batches of paper pulp.
Get the word out to friends, family, and neighbors that you want their paper. You could also check in with grocery stores and retailers who throw out large bundles of cardboard on a regular basis. You could even ask your local recycling center if you could have some paper. They might surprise you and just point you to an over-flowing paper dumpster.
If you have the time, do some moisture tests on different papercrete formulations. It’s unreasonable to wait years for results, but after a couple of weeks or months you might start to understand the dynamics of papercrete and moisture a little better.
Beyond Papercrete
As a self-reliance skill, the ability to make papercrete can be very valuable. While you’re thinking about things like papercrete, it may be worth some time to look into Adobe construction, Fidobe (which is made with clay and shredded cloth), and other alternative building materials.
All of these can save you a lot of money, they have an attractive, rustic look, they can be painted and shaped to suit your eye, and they can give you another way to achieve self-reliance. It’s also fun and, at least on a small scale, easy to do.
