Maintaining a Functioning Food Storage can be time-consuming and require effort, does it not? All the rotating, packaging and mindfulness of the expiry dates? Also, trying to think of what’s important to have in there. For a food storage to be proper it has to be in use at the same time. It should include: dry foods, canned foods, foods that are packaged by you in some instances and even boxed foods. Some foods keep longer while some foods are going to be more beneficial to you and your family.
Some families have an “Everyday use” pantry and a separate long term storage but here, I would like to suggest an easier style of food storage, discuss all these topics and give some suggestions of important items as well as the “why’s” and “how’s” to maintain your Food Storage safely and efficiently.
Food Storage ease of maintenance
Finding a system that works for you when it comes to maintaining your food storage is important. Cans are easy but tedious to rotate and watch expiry dates but, however have a long shelf life of almost 5 years. Knowing what to have and what conditions to store it in for maximum shelf life is pretty important. Items that don’t require frequent replacement is a good start. Even though you will be rotating and pulling from your food storage, I suggest items that will keep for long periods of time because of the “unknown” situations that may arise.
Having enough space is something to consider. You will need the space as you add items and come up with other ideas for that area. A cold storage or separate pantry room with shelving will probably serve best to observe and access your storage for rotation and replacement use.
Food Storage items that can last a long time
Having a moisture content of less than 10% and when properly stored in #10 cans, dry foods such as rice, beans, corn, potato flakes, most dehydrated fruits and even nuts will keep for around 30 years. I personally use a bucket system and a few bulk storage containers, that involves airtight lids and trash bag liners for storing and rotating my dry foods. They are labeled with the dates that I filled them, just to keep track.
Freeze dried or vacuum sealing is an amazing way to store foods! You can prepare your favorite meals and freeze dry them or in some cases vacuum seal them and they keep for around 15 or 20 years in a cool, dry and dark room. Personally I use …….. And it works great!
Pre canned foods are a good start as they are already canned and really convenient to just throw on the shelf and walk away for a while but you need to
consider the expiry dates. They can last up to 5 years depending on storage conditions and as you buy more canned foods from the store you should put the new cans behind the old cans for ease of use. Self-canning and Jarring are fun ways to discover your power to be self-sufficient by storing your own food choices or even seal away the top picks of your garden treasures. There are several recipes for several different styles of jarring so research what you might like best and have fun!
Smoked meats can also last a while if stored properly in the freezer. Some sources say 3 months but I believe 6 months might be possible with proper wrapping and sealing procedures. Cured meats are close to the same but extended by about half again the time frame. For instance, if stored properly in the freezer it could last up to 18 months. Use a proper curing salt like Prague #2 or another salt that has needed levels of Sodium Nitrate as it will create inhospitable conditions for unwanted bacteria to grow.
Keep in mind calorie intake and nutrition! While some sources report differing totals, to be considered healthy an adult male will need around 2500 calories while an adult female will need 2000. Children will do good to get around 1500 making it a healthy total for proper growth. A 1-cup serving of cooked, long-grain brown rice contains 5 grams of protein, 45 carbohydrate grams, 2 grams of fat and 216 calories. The same serving size of cooked black beans without salt has approximately 15 grams of protein, which is 30 percent of the daily value set by the FDA based on a 2,000 calories per day diet, 41 grams of carbohydrate, less than 1 gram of fat and 227 calories.
Jarred and home made foods
The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints has counciled it’s members on food storages and principles of provident living and charity. Many of the members enjoy aspects of these principles and lifestyle. The Church is a great resource to receive and learn from.
There are a lot of ideas for jarred foods that can be stored for long periods of time. Almost anything you can think of to seal in a jar, can be sealed in a jar. Some foods will naturally keep longer just because of the nature of the item or product. Vegetables grown in a garden and fruits from trees in your yard can be jarred and also jellied to sustain and provide for during the winter months and even save money throughout the year. Provident Living is a lifestyle more and more people are trying to acquaint themselves with as life and finances get tighter and tougher.
There are a lot of recipes for items that can keep for long periods of time after prepared such as Pemmican and some styles of breads. Shortbread cookies keep for a decent amount of time, between 4 to 8 weeks if kept in an airtight container and kept cool. Learning how to make bullion and bone broth cubes could also be beneficial as they will last indefinitely if made and stored properly.
Jarring fresh fruits and vegetables will provide for concentrated nutritional needs especially vitamin C, which an essential vitamin.
Miscellaneous items
Many people don’t think of water when they are considering items for their Food Storage. It’s actually quite important. Clean water sources may be abundant now but what if hard times come around like a drought? Believe it or not even a flood can wipe out clean water sources.
A non-food item that I believe is essential to any storage is toilet paper and feminine higene items. In and extended emergency situation they will not only provide an ample amount of comfort but also prove to be important to sanitary conditions and personal health.
Multi-vitamins provide a small portion of essential vitamins and minerals and although synthetic, they are beneficial in the sense that they can keep you from being nutrient deficient and they will keep for years unopened in a food storage setting.
Iodized salt is extremely important and I believe most people do not realize just how important it is. Food grade Iodine or rather potassium iodide, is an essential mineral that most vitamins do not offer unfortunately. It is also very scarce in the food we eat because it is mostly removed during processing. Iodine is used by the thyroid gland to produce hormones essential for the body and brain to function properly, including hormones related to growth and development.
Baking soda and cooking oils like vegetable oil and coconut oil are items I also highly recommended. Baking soda not only goes into baking goods like breads, cookies and pie but also removes odors by absorbing them without effect on itself. Vegetable oils and Coconut oil are a necessity for baking. A bonus is that coconut oil is very tasty when used as a substitute for vegetable oil and Coconut oil is also very healthy!
Tailoring your own food storage to your families needs
While not everyone has the same diet or digestive needs, most items in your storage room can be made into quite creative inventions. A food storage plan built around you and your family’s diet is definitely something to closely consider. If you are going to be using an active rotating food storage (this is just what I am calling it) then you will obviously not have too much of a problem keeping items common to you and your families dietary usuals. A drastic change in food items or in the nutrients that your family takes in wouldn’t be a matter of life or death but might cause some complaining and resistance.
While using an active rotating food storage is a good way to keep up on expiry dates and such things, if an emergency does arise you will have plenty of food, water and other essentials to keep you for a good while.
I hope this article was informative and helpful. If you have any questions, comments or other input you can do so in the comments below as it will help me to bring increasingly better information to you!
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VERY informative article! I come from a long line of people who canned with jars. Mom’s favorite recipe was ‘dilly beans’ and if you were to try one, you would understand why she loved them. dad always commented on expiration dates on cans- he said that we need to remember the expiration dates on cans are suggested- what truth there is in that, one doesn’t know. I will say, however, that his generation was around when canned foods were introduced to Americans, and they would know the original marketing and purpose of the expiration dates. ~smile~
Thanks for the comment CherrieAlesia! I’m a firm believer in the expiration dates being closer to a “suggestion”. Not once have I come across a “bad” can of food that was only 6 months to a year after their expiry date. Cheerio!