Right after my son was born, we were in a very tight and a very difficult financial situation. We actually had to rely on and live off our minimal food storage for 6 months. I still don't know how we managed to do it, but for those six months I spent less than $20 a month at the grocery store, just buying they bare essentials and things that I couldn't store long term (milk, eggs, etc). I still remember my first shopping trip after our crisis was over. I stood in my kitchen, staring at my pantry that had a couple boxes of mac&cheese, 1/2 box of Cheerios, and a few cans of vegetables and felt so overwhelmed because I had no idea where to even start. I'd always been taught the importance of food storage... but I never took it seriously. I never thought I'd be in "that" situation. But now that I've experienced it first hand, I will do everything in my power to keep my family fed.
One of the reasons Vickie and I started this website was to share tips, ideas, and resources to build and use your food storage. I had no idea where to even start, and it felt extremely intimidating. In the past year that I've been able expand our food storage, I have learned an incredible amount. I'm also my ward's canning & food storage specialist, so I get the extra privilege of working so closely with the cannery.
This post is mainly going to outline the basic guidelines of what and how to store. In up coming posts I'll post more specifically how much to store, how long you can store it, and then some great recipes that I've become familiar with to help use that food storage.
No single food storage plan will work for everyone. Each family’s needs differ, as does their financial ability to accumulate the storage items. The one point I can't emphasize enough is to store what you eat and eat what you store! There is no point to spend hundreds of dollars storing food that your family will never eat.
GRAINS: Grains include wheat, rice, rolled oats, dried corn, pearled barley, and other cereal grains. Flour, cornmeal, and pasta products such as macaroni, spaghetti are also included. Each family should store various grain items that suit their individual circumstances. For example rather than storing three to four hundred pounds of wheat per person, a family might choose to store two hundred pounds of wheat, one hundred pounds of flour, twenty-five pounds of rice, twenty-five pounds of rolled oats, twenty-five pounds of dried corn, and twenty-five pounds of macaroni per person. This gives variety to the menu and encourages using and rotating the supply. It also provides choice for those who do not like or cannot eat a particular grain.
Most grains can be dry-packed canned in small containers. This makes them more convenient to use and reduces the possibility of spoilage. Grains may also be stored in tightly sealed metal or heavy plastic containers.
LEGUMES: An inexpensive, nutritious protein food-include beans (soy, pinto, white, kidney, lima, winged, red, navy, pink, and black-eyed), split peas, lentils, and peanuts. They can be stored in clean, dry metal or plastic containers with tight fitting lids. They may also be dry-pack canned.
POWDERED MILK: Nonfat powdered milk, instant or regular, is an excellent storage item. It contains all the nutrients, except fat, found in fresh milk. In the past, storing large amounts of powdered milk has been recommended. However, this has often led to spoilage and waste. More recent studies show that smaller quantities of milk are adequate if people store and eat larger quantities of grains. Powdered milk can be stored in the original sealed packages, or if purchased in bulk, it can be stored in tightly covered metal or plastic containers. It can also be dry-pack canned. You may also use canned milk as part of the milk storage program, but you must rotate it regularly.
FATS AND OILS: Fat is essential to every diet. Shortening, cooking oil, margarine, and mayonnaise are suggested for storage. Store fats in sealed containers in cool, dry, dark places and rotate them frequently.
SUGAR AND HONEY: Whether to store sugar or honey is a matter of personal choice. Sugar may harden; honey may crystallize and/or darken. Neither affects the safety of the product. Store honey in small containers. Then, if it crystallizes, you can immerse the containers in hot (not boiling) water to re-liquefy it. Store granulated sugar in a tightly covered metal or plastic container or place it on a shelf away from moisture in its unopened cloth or paper bag. Occasionally knead the bag to help prevent the sugar from hardening.
WATER: Water is more essential than food in sustaining life. Store a minimum of 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and food preparation. Store an additional gallon per person per day of the same quality water for bathing, brushing teeth, and dish washing. Use heavy plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Metal containers, which may corrode, tend to give water an unpleasant taste. If you have any doubt as to the bacterial safety of stored water, you may purify it by boiling vigorously for one to two minutes or by adding chlorine bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite solution). Generally, half a tsp. of bleach will purify five gallons of clear water, and one tsp. of bleach will purify five gallons of cloudy water.
STORAGE GUIDELINES:
1. Use storage areas that are well ventilated, clean, dark, dry, and cool. If your conditions are less satisfactory, rotate contents more frequently than recommended. Even though space may be limited, there are usually “hidden areas” for storage. Use your imagination!
2. Do not place food storage in containers on or against cement or dirt floors and walls. Place pieces of wood between the storage containers and the floor or wall to provide ventilation and protect against moisture.
3. Keep stored food away from products that may affect the flavor of the food.
4. Rotate and use food storage items regularly. Date food items as you purchase or can them then store new supplies of food at the back of the shelves, moving earlier purchases forward to be used first.
5. Do not go into debt. Acquire food items gradually. At the very least, save a few dollars a week for storage items. Using the basic foods in day-to-day menus can cut food costs and allow you to purchase more supplies. Or, as a family, give up some of the non essentials for a short time until you can accumulate additional foods. Through prayer and concerted effort, you can work out a food storage plan that will provide you with security and peace of mind.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment. We would love to hear from our readers!
One of the reasons Vickie and I started this website was to share tips, ideas, and resources to build and use your food storage. I had no idea where to even start, and it felt extremely intimidating. In the past year that I've been able expand our food storage, I have learned an incredible amount. I'm also my ward's canning & food storage specialist, so I get the extra privilege of working so closely with the cannery.
This post is mainly going to outline the basic guidelines of what and how to store. In up coming posts I'll post more specifically how much to store, how long you can store it, and then some great recipes that I've become familiar with to help use that food storage.
No single food storage plan will work for everyone. Each family’s needs differ, as does their financial ability to accumulate the storage items. The one point I can't emphasize enough is to store what you eat and eat what you store! There is no point to spend hundreds of dollars storing food that your family will never eat.
GRAINS: Grains include wheat, rice, rolled oats, dried corn, pearled barley, and other cereal grains. Flour, cornmeal, and pasta products such as macaroni, spaghetti are also included. Each family should store various grain items that suit their individual circumstances. For example rather than storing three to four hundred pounds of wheat per person, a family might choose to store two hundred pounds of wheat, one hundred pounds of flour, twenty-five pounds of rice, twenty-five pounds of rolled oats, twenty-five pounds of dried corn, and twenty-five pounds of macaroni per person. This gives variety to the menu and encourages using and rotating the supply. It also provides choice for those who do not like or cannot eat a particular grain.
Most grains can be dry-packed canned in small containers. This makes them more convenient to use and reduces the possibility of spoilage. Grains may also be stored in tightly sealed metal or heavy plastic containers.
LEGUMES: An inexpensive, nutritious protein food-include beans (soy, pinto, white, kidney, lima, winged, red, navy, pink, and black-eyed), split peas, lentils, and peanuts. They can be stored in clean, dry metal or plastic containers with tight fitting lids. They may also be dry-pack canned.
POWDERED MILK: Nonfat powdered milk, instant or regular, is an excellent storage item. It contains all the nutrients, except fat, found in fresh milk. In the past, storing large amounts of powdered milk has been recommended. However, this has often led to spoilage and waste. More recent studies show that smaller quantities of milk are adequate if people store and eat larger quantities of grains. Powdered milk can be stored in the original sealed packages, or if purchased in bulk, it can be stored in tightly covered metal or plastic containers. It can also be dry-pack canned. You may also use canned milk as part of the milk storage program, but you must rotate it regularly.
FATS AND OILS: Fat is essential to every diet. Shortening, cooking oil, margarine, and mayonnaise are suggested for storage. Store fats in sealed containers in cool, dry, dark places and rotate them frequently.
SUGAR AND HONEY: Whether to store sugar or honey is a matter of personal choice. Sugar may harden; honey may crystallize and/or darken. Neither affects the safety of the product. Store honey in small containers. Then, if it crystallizes, you can immerse the containers in hot (not boiling) water to re-liquefy it. Store granulated sugar in a tightly covered metal or plastic container or place it on a shelf away from moisture in its unopened cloth or paper bag. Occasionally knead the bag to help prevent the sugar from hardening.
WATER: Water is more essential than food in sustaining life. Store a minimum of 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and food preparation. Store an additional gallon per person per day of the same quality water for bathing, brushing teeth, and dish washing. Use heavy plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Metal containers, which may corrode, tend to give water an unpleasant taste. If you have any doubt as to the bacterial safety of stored water, you may purify it by boiling vigorously for one to two minutes or by adding chlorine bleach (5% sodium hypochlorite solution). Generally, half a tsp. of bleach will purify five gallons of clear water, and one tsp. of bleach will purify five gallons of cloudy water.
STORAGE GUIDELINES:
1. Use storage areas that are well ventilated, clean, dark, dry, and cool. If your conditions are less satisfactory, rotate contents more frequently than recommended. Even though space may be limited, there are usually “hidden areas” for storage. Use your imagination!
2. Do not place food storage in containers on or against cement or dirt floors and walls. Place pieces of wood between the storage containers and the floor or wall to provide ventilation and protect against moisture.
3. Keep stored food away from products that may affect the flavor of the food.
4. Rotate and use food storage items regularly. Date food items as you purchase or can them then store new supplies of food at the back of the shelves, moving earlier purchases forward to be used first.
5. Do not go into debt. Acquire food items gradually. At the very least, save a few dollars a week for storage items. Using the basic foods in day-to-day menus can cut food costs and allow you to purchase more supplies. Or, as a family, give up some of the non essentials for a short time until you can accumulate additional foods. Through prayer and concerted effort, you can work out a food storage plan that will provide you with security and peace of mind.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment. We would love to hear from our readers!
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