In life there are times for flexibility and times for firm, strict adherence to hard and fast rules. I call these “non negotiables” and for me, they are NON Negotiable! When it comes to Food Storage there is plenty of opportunity for flexibility, but there are two strong rules – without which in the long run, you will FAIL, and you will waste a lotta money in doing so.
Right now would be the right time to give yourself a little ‘test’ so see just how prepared you may or may not be. Click this link for a Self Assessment Test. It is found on ProvidentLiving.com which I highly recommend as an excellent resource.
1. Store what you EAT, and eat what you STORE
2. Never, ever ever EVER buy food storage with money you don’t have.
Adhering to these basic rules – without cheating and without making excuses, will put you in a much better place in every single way. No exceptions. Learn the rules and stick to them. Everything after these two essentials is up to personal choice (after appropriate research of course).
STORE WHAT YOU EAT
Your food storage is going to be as unique to you as the way your family eats. What are your favourite dishes? your comfort foods? These are the foods you’re going to fall back on again and again, and that will bring a sense of normalcy to whatever situation you find yourselves in.
EAT WHAT YOU STORE
If you’ve purchased it, eat it. Eating from your food storage and continuing to replenish as you do, keeps it rotated – which ensures nothing gets out of date and needs to be discarded. Wasted food is wasted money.
You may have a few foundational basics in your storage like grains and beans that are not part of your regular diet. Correct this. Some foods are in your storage because they are exceptional. These are worth becoming accustomed to. Make a point to incorporate them into your menu plan on a regular basis, at least a couple of times a month. Don’t justify yourself with the excuse that “they won’t eat it“; find a way for them to get used to it, and recipes you’ll all enjoy. Be the adult here and make it work. Or don’t store it.
DON’T BUY FOOD STORAGE ON CREDIT
That is just stupid. It doesn’t matter how good of a deal you got, as soon as you pay interest on the money spent to get it, your good deal went out the window. Going into debt to buy food storage is contrary to to the essence of family preparedness, contrary to common sense and counter productive to the whole point of it which is “Food Insurance”. There is no peace in debt. Debt doesn’t sleep, doesn’t get sick, and doesn’t care if you’re unemployed or sick. It keeps accumulating interest until you have paid many times over what you initially planned to, continuing to grow until you pay it off. It is a lot harder to pay it off than it is to avoid it in the first place. Develop a FIRM RESOLVE to not spend more on food storage (or anything else), than you have.
Okay, now that we’ve established the non negotiables, where does one start? What do you buy? And how do you pay for it?
BEGINNER level – starting from scratch!
Everyone was once a Beginner, so you’re in good company.
Q: When you do start?
A: The day you take up housekeeping, and make your first grocery run as an independent adult. It doesn’t matter if you just got married, you’re living abroad, or you’re a student sharing with 5 room mates, you can have your own version of food insurance – depending on your circumstances.
In most cases, the BEST time to start a food storage was a long time ago. The second best time is TODAY. Yes there are challenges, but in case you haven’t noticed, life is full of challenges. Meet them head on and be creative. Also be determined. This is important and as an adult you should not be waiting for someone else to rescue you. Time to grow up and start ‘adulting’.
10 tips for Beginners
- Start small:
In a regular shopping trip – if you normally buy 2 cans of beans – buy 4.
If you normally buy 2 jars of tomato sauce – buy 4.
If that item is on sale – buy 6.
Avoid the temptation to not buy any more for a long time because you have some on hand. You’re supposed to have some on hand – its called FOOD STORAGE! Continue to buy a few more than you anticipate needing. - Set manageable goals. The first goal should be to work toward a 1 month supply.
- Build Your Food Storage around complete MEALS. Focus on 5 favourite dishes using shelf stable foods that your family likes:
Perhaps that might be *spaghetti, *sloppy joes on buns, *chicken broccoli casserole over rice, *corn chowder with biscuits, and *beef stroganoff.
Think of your recipes for these comfort foods. Perhaps your spaghetti recipe calls for a half package of spaghetti noodles, two chopped onions, some garlic, a jar of tomato sauce, a can of diced tomatoes, a pound of ground beef and some seasoning.
– Begin by multiplying your recipe by 4.
-You need to buy 2 packages of spaghetti + a package of onions (or a small can of freeze dried onions) + 2 heads of garlic (or a jar of minced garlic, can of freeze dried garlic or garlic powder) + 4 jars of your favourite sauce + 4 cans of diced tomatoes + 4 pounds of ground beef separately packaged (or a small can of freeze dried ground beef) + and enough of your favourite seasonings. This is enough for your family to have spaghetti once a week for a month. Put it on your shopping list and watch the sales.
Do the same for your other recipes.
In a short amount of time, you will have an entire month’s supply of dinners.
Once you’re done that, do the same with breakfasts and lunches.
You’ll be surprised at how satisfying it is to realize you have reached this goal. A whole month of meals! You’re feeling the beginning of the peace that comes with Food Insurance. - Set yourself a monthly budget (that is affordable but forward moving) to gradually build up your food storage. By purchasing a little here and there – you can easily keep within the budget you set yourself.
- Shop the sales. When you see tomato sauce or pasta on sale, buy several – perhaps enough for all four weeks. As long as you can afford it. Shopping the sales helps you stock up on the items you use.
- Up your game. Once you’ve completed your one month supply, use the same formula to establish a 3 month supply, incorporating new recipes. This is a living breathing goal of incremental achievements.
- Your FREEZER is NOT food storage. It is convenient, and a good resource, but it is 100% dependent on electricity and you have no control over that. In the event of a power outage – your freezer is good for a maximum of three days. That could result in tremendous loss! I am not saying that freezers don’t have their place – I have a freezer too. But do not keep all your eggs in one basket so-to-speak, and reduce your dependence on the freezer.
- Adding freeze dried options to your food storage will reduce your dependence on fresh or frozen foods. Like for instance: freeze dried chopped onions, celery and peppers, freeze dried garlic, freeze dried ground beef and powdered tomato sauce could make your spaghetti dinners easier to prepare and much more shelf stable.
- Rotate. Look at the ‘best before’ dates and put the oldest up front to use first. Always use the oldest items first, keeping your food storage freshly rotated.
- Begin incorporating freeze dried foods into your food storage to extend the shelf stability of it. There is nothing better for long term food storage. USE it so that you become acquainted with how to, and keep it rotated.
Where to put it?
For a one month supply you might be able to store the necessities in your kitchen pantry.
If you can dedicate a closet or a space under the stairs – build a few shelves to keep it organized. For more ideas, click this link.
INTERMEDIATE level – incorporate the basics and begin filling in the blanks
In this level, we’re assuming you’ve got a pretty good start on your basic family favourites. Its time for you to start adding these five Food Storage Basics.
5 FOOD STORAGE ESSENTIALS:
1. Grain – includes wheat, rice, oats, corn, barley, pasta, et . .
2. Eggs and other proteins – includes legumes (dried beans, split peas, lentils, etc.), nuts, powdered eggs, canned fish, canned chicken, . .
3. Powdered milk or milk substitute – includes all dairy: freeze dried cheese, yogurt, sour cream
4. Oils & fats: includes vegetable oils, shortening, powdered butter
5. Salts & Sugars: includes white sugar, brown sugar, syrup, molasses, honey, etc; table salt, sea salt, soy sauce, flavoured bouillons.
Back in the day, it was recommended we start with these five basics, but in my opinion, although they are important, one cannot construct typical meals from them. So I prefer to encourage people to begin their storage with common, preferred meals, filling in with the basics later on.
WATER
Store at least 4 litres of water per person per day. This covers the absolute basics of drinking, food preparation and minimal sanitation. Store double that to allow for conservative dishwashing, sponge bathing, minimal laundry and household cleaning.
Many safe containers are food grade and sturdy. Bleach containers and existing water jugs are excellent choices. Buying food grade 5 gallon containers is a good investment. Milk jugs are not strong enough nor have a seal good enough for long storage. Empty laundry jugs are excellent storage containers for hygiene or laundry water, but not for drinking.
10 tips for Intermediates
- Ask around to find a recommended local source of good, clean wheat sold by the bushel. Buy some. If you have an allergy to wheat, you must be more creative, but don’t discount the value of grains.
- Add other grains to your plan like rice (*white rice has a longer shelf life than brown), oats, barley, preferred flour, pastas, etc.
- Use a food storage calculator to discover the recommended amount of these basics for your household. Here is the one I use.
- Shop the sales. I make a personal goal of never paying regular price for certain items. When they’re on sale, I stock up.
- Set goals of what to buy and when to achieve it. Its okay to make sacrifices to acquire your food and water storage – its important!
- Add MEALS. Begin adding some GOOD, recommended, prepared meals to your food storage. Make sure they are tasty and nutritious. Try them out before packing them away. You should know what to expect. Are they good tasting? Does your family have a few favourites? How easy are they to prepare? Can you prepare them with room temperature water if you don’t have any hot water? What is their shelf life? Are the serving sizes adequate for your family’s needs? If you have a large family, will your have to make up more than one package for your meal?
- Set yourself a monthly budget to steadily increase your food storage. Something affordable and yet something that stretches you. This is important. Do NOT spend money you don’t have.
- Every food storage program has one serious missing link. PRODUCE. Fruits and Vegetables – primarily vegetables. In the past we could always store home canned (or commercially canned) fruit, but who wanted to eat canned spinach or canned peas? In the last decade, freeze dried food has become increasingly more available and is the answer to long term storage of whole, clean food. Who could have imagined that one day we would have vegetables like spinach and kale, peppers and asparagus? fruits like pineapple, peaches and blackberries in our long term food storage? Delicious, highly nutritious and accessible? and meats like chopped chicken and ground beef? dairy like milk, yogurt, cheddar cheese and butter? in Food Storage? This was unimaginable when I was first married. But the time has come when all the best resources are at our finger tips!
- Consider adding a grain mill to your food storage essentials. Ask around to come up with a recommended brand and source. Learn how to use it and use it frequently so that you know how to use the whole grain flour it produces. If you take good care of it, it should last you for decades.
- Learn how to preserve. Taking advantage of harvested garden produce, as well as bargains and give aways is an excellent way to add to your food storage. But it requires learning new skills, and practice to maintain confidence in them.
– Find some classes to register for and invite a friend. Always be willing to LEARN.
– Acquire additional supplies to help preserve: Hot Water Bath Canner and simple canning tools.
– Buy a good preserving book that includes hot water bath time tables. Don’t tell me you can google that information. I know. But you want to have the information IN-HAND.
ADVANCED level
This level assumes you have a good foundation of food storage and that its time to start increasing your non food essentials. It takes a lot more to get through a family’s day than simply the food we eat. We have to consider personal hygiene, sanitation to keep us safe and healthy, and basic house keeping like washing floors and laundry, as well as toileting.
10 tips for those who are more Advanced
- Consider taking your canning ability to the next level. Canning non-acid foods like vegetables or proteins, require a Pressure Canner. It’s quite the investment, but it opens up a whole new world of possibilities.
- Buy other advanced pieces of equipment: a Steam Juicer, a Fresh Juicer, a Dehydrator. Learn to use them.
- Begin looking at Meals in Jars (MIJ). These are MEALS prepared with freeze dried and dehydrated ingredients, layered dry in a glass jar. They are convenient for quick nutritious meals and can have an extended shelf life of several years is sealed properly.
Though I make a lot of MIJ, I do not seal them. My interest in them is primarily for convenience, not long term shelf life. I have plenty of food in my storage with extended shelf life – my purpose for MIJ is different. They are easy to prepare, usually requiring 5 -6 cups of water and about 20 minutes. Recipes abound – just ask around or search on social media. - Create a list of non-food personal hygiene necessities like: toothpaste, bar soap, shampoo and conditioner, moisturizer, deodorant, rubbing alcohol, bandages, q tips, tissue, toilet paper …… etc. Start purchasing these items by shopping the sales.
- Create a list of non-food sanitation necessities like laundry soap, other laundry supplies, household cleaners, cleaning cloths, paper towels, garbage bags, dish soap, Find a way to do laundry without electricity. Begin buying those items or if you already have, top them up.
- Never let the gas tank in your vehicles drop below 1/2.
- Store 3 jerry cans of gas in a spot away from your house.
- If you have a gas barbeque, have two additional FULL cans of propane nearby.
- If you haven’t started your 72 hour kit, now is the best time to do so.
- Buy a large, food grade water tank to store indoors, and FILL IT. As large as you can store in your circumstances.
Preparedness is a Journey, and the journey is always more pleasant when you have a good support system. I highly recommend that you find a friend to share this journey with. Help each other, Encourage each other, Share resources and great finds with each other. Take classes that are offered, designed to assist you in your preparedness – together if possible. Teach each other.
Find groups on social media that are dedicated to preparedness and helping one another. JOIN THEM. Especially if they’re local.
I’d love to hear where you are on your Food Storage Journey and your tips. We learn so much better when we’re sharing. Mark your calendar for the 2nd week in January. Join the Challenge. Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/676439330803075/
If you’re not on facebook, but would like to join the next challenge, let me know. I’ll send you the daily test alert in an email.
Warmly,
Cindy Suelzle
My personal recommendations
Milk – Thrive Life Instant milk is the best I’ve ever tasted. It has become a staple in our home. 25 year shelf life. Easy to milk up.
Eggs – Thrive Life Scrambled Egg mix is an all-natural and long-lasting dried egg product that will be a perfect addition to all your baked goods and egg dishes. Contains no preservatives. They taste fresh and natural, and whip up quickly. Shelf life 7 years.
Wondermill – Grain Mill