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During a crisis, food and water are literally what you need to stay alive. Other things are great, but food and water – without them, you won’t last long. That’s why so much of emergency preparedness focuses around food and sharing food storage tips.
The problem is that food storage can be confusing and overwhelming for beginners. Where do you start? What is most important?
During a short term crisis, you may be able to access a grocery store and resupply your home. Short term emergency supplies focus on creating bug out bags and 72 hour supplies, as well as ensuring that you can deal with short-term power outages.
If the crisis goes on for a while, however, it’s really important that you have food stored safely so that you can sustain yourself.
So let’s look at what the most important aspects of food storage are when you’re starting out.
Water isn’t a food. We know that. It’s far more important than food, though.
Remember the 3-3-3 rule? You can survive three minutes without oxygen, three days without water, and three weeks without food. (And by ‘survive’, it means that you will most certainly need medical attention, and have long term health effects, when you get near that time.)
Luckily, although it’s heavy, water is usually easier to source and store.
If you have a private well, you might think you have a reliable water source, but can you access it when the power goes out? Consider setting up a way to run your water pump on solar power or a generator.
If you’re storing water for a long term emergency, you’d need about 5 gallons of water a day for drinking, cooking, bathing, etc. In a household with 4 people, that would be 20 gallons of water a day.
That can be a lot of water.
So, do the math and plan where you will store the water and how long a crisis you’re going to prepare for. 10 days? A month? Will you use a steel water tank to store the water or will plastic water drums be your container of choice? Plan well.
Do note that even water has a shelf life. Pay attention to the type of storage you’re using and how long it will keep the water drinkable.
You want to store your food supplies in a cool place that is away from direct sunlight or damp. Ideally, it should be somewhere dry, clean, well-ventilated and easily accessible.
Make sure there are no rodents, bugs or the usual household pests around your food storage area. Good housekeeping and a few insect traps will keep most pests at bay. And if you can’t keep them away because of where you live, get everything secured in sealed plastic or glass containers.
I haven’t seen a mouse yet that can get through a glass jar!
Protein is more important than carbohydrates during a crisis.
Home-canned meat is fabulous if it doesn’t need to be transported – the glass jars do best when they stay in one safe, dry place. For meat that can be moved around, store commercially canned tuna, chicken, and ham. Whey powder, as long as allergies aren’t a concern, are also an option.
Traditionally preserved meat sources like dry sausage store and travel well.
While you can get most of your vitamins and minerals from your daily food during times of peace, you’ll not have that luxury during a crisis. There may be a serious shortage of certain foods like vegetables, fruit, etc. This could lead to nutrient deficiencies over time.
It’s best to keep a few bottles of vitamins and supplements stored away just so that your body gets what it needs when your food choices are limited. Always keep vitamin C around because your body can’t store it and you need it to function optimally.
Take note of the expiry dates and put it on your calendar. Use your stored vitamins and switch them out for fresh ones before they expire.
Emergency food tends to be non-perishable, and for good reason.
These foods will last for quite a long time and you’ll not need to constantly check on your stocks and replace them. Shelf life is a very important factor to take into consideration when storing food for the long term. That’s why we don’t store food like whole grain flour even though it’s more nutritious.
You should store enriched white rice, white flour, or whole wheat berries (but not whole wheat flour since it goes rancid quickly), spices and seasonings, sugar, cooking oil, salt, canned vegetables (commercial or home canned), canned fruit, dried beans (black beans, black eyed peas, fava beans, garbanzo beans, green beans, kidney beans, lima beans, etc.), sauces and condiments, coffee or tea (if you drink them), etc.
It’s best to store foods that you prefer eating.
As long as they have a long shelf life, there shouldn’t be a problem.
I’ve seen a lot of preppers who plan to live on ramen noodles and canned spam. And, presumably, a lot of those stored vitamin pills because I don’t know how else they could survive on a diet like that.
You really need to know how to cook food from scratch.
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It doesn’t mean you need to cook gourmet food worthy of a five star restaurant, but you do need to know how to cook basic meals. And by knowing that, you’ll be better off than all those people who are used to buying ready made food and have no idea how to cook for themselves.
As long as you follow the tips above, you should have food supplies that will tide you over during an emergency. It’s important to plan just how much food you’ll need based on the size of your family and the duration of the crisis you’re preparing for.
Do keep a book to record down the expiry dates of the foods so that you can rotate and replace them. Building a sizable store of food is only half the battle. Maintaining your food supplies so that you’re always ready for a crisis is an ongoing task.
Stay ready so that you won’t have to get ready.
Are you asking about the plastic bins that we store jars in? They’re just Sterilite bins with lids. I wouldn’t want to put food in them directly, but they’re great for keeping mice away from packages, and they hold 12 pint jars.
Are you asking about the plastic bins that we store jars in? They’re just Sterilite bins with lids. I wouldn’t want to put food in them directly, but they’re great for keeping mice away from packages, and they hold 12 pint jars.
What kind of plastic? containers are pictured above with home canned goods in them. Good article!
What kind of plastic? containers are pictured above with home canned goods in them. Good article!
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