Importing "prepper" food & import duty?

[mushroom]

A couple of years ago I ordered some jerky / long life meat snacks etc from the USA for my preps... I really wouldn't bother again. My order was only worth £15 as I was intending keeping it under the threshold for Customs taxes & VAT. With the exchange rate, it worked out at a few pence over the £15 and I can't remember how much I was stung for, but it worked out almost as much as the order as they had a minimum fee! It was a bit of a hassle, expensive and when I got the products some of the expiry dates were ridiculously soon given it was a long life product! I'd stick closer to home... Conserve.de do some very good organic meats if you want something of a higher quality but to be honest, having tried both, I stick to our own supermarket stuff or Mountain House now.

[peejay]

I have a memory of trying beef jerky & it being like chewing an old shoe so not currently on my "go-to" list

[Deeps]

I have a memory of trying beef jerky & it being like chewing an old shoe so not currently on my "go-to" list

My homemade stuff needs a lot of spit to soften. It has lasted though, its quite a few years old now.

[peejay]

I have a memory of trying beef jerky & it being like chewing an old shoe so not currently on my "go-to" list

My homemade stuff needs a lot of spit to soften. It has lasted though, its quite a few years old now.

Like my shoes?

[Plymtom]

I have a memory of trying beef jerky & it being like chewing an old shoe so not currently on my "go-to" list

My homemade stuff needs a lot of spit to soften. It has lasted though, its quite a few years old now.

I see where Peejay is coming from here but have to say if old shoes tasted like much the jerky or billtong they wouldn't get thrown out
I have all but given up on it as a prep though it disappears before it'd be needed, the spices on the other hand they are what you need to stockpile, so as you can make jerky if circumstances necessitate, on a similar topic I never did get that Pemmican out to try.

[grenfell]

Well known on the re-enactment scene is Martin Cowley who produces a range of jerky and fruit leathers. I've kept some for two years or more without problem frankly the lifespan of most of his stuff is rarely longer than the weekend as it's really nice and is normally scoffed the same day.
Here's a link,
http://cowleysfinefood.com/jerky-and-meaty.html

[jansman]

Not trying to push the veggie option but a large chunk of the worlds population live on a largely veggie diet because they have to. It will keep you alive although I've said often enough in the past that I could be a veggie any day of the week, just not every day.

I would not buy US meat.Even Spam.The reason the EU has refused their meat is because it is pumped full of growth hormones,and hormone ' tenderisers'.It is toxic shite.As a Career Butcher,I would sooner eat a vegetarian diet than that crap! And it IS crap,I dealt with some back in the 80's and I could not believe such rubbish was allowed on the market!

My Wife is semi vegetarian,and that's cool.As Deeps pointed out,a good portion of the world are non meat eaters.Great,they live

Sadly,the USA may be our main supplier.God help us.

[peejay]

Thanks for the insider POV jansman, I have no good reason to disagree/argue with you. Looks like I'll probably be finding a way to get myself a pressure canner at a vaguely sensible price then (plus some of the freeze-dried options).

[peejay]

Hmm, don't shout at me jansman but I came across this in Costco today & couldn't help buying a pack to give it a taste-test.

Source from USA <ducks swiftly> but just want to get a "feel" for the stuff.

My parents are visiting in a few weeks. If I don't get hold of a pressure-canner before then I'm going to ask her to bring hers so I can try doing a few jars of my own as a test...

https://www.costco.com/Kirkland-Signatu ... 34960.html

[Deeps]

Not quite 'import' but I tried a couple of cans of cheap tins of minced pork designed for the Polish market. I wasn't impressed (and I'm pretty easily pleased) but the dugs are loving it. Generally I prefer non canned meat but hey, I'll give most things a go, this one didn't work for me.... The search continues.