Food storage means that you don’t have to worry if you get sick and can’t get to the store, get laid off from work, have extra relatives come to visit unexpectedly, or have to rely on what’s in your pantry to survive in an emergency. Properly stored food and water supplies can be a great peace of mind to families today. And, whether you know it or not, you already have food storage. Any food set aside for later consumption is technically food storage. So, the butter in the fridge, the soup in the pantry, and cereal on the shelf are the beginnings of your family’s food storage. Now, you just need to develop a plan to set aside a diverse supply for your needs (emergency planning, next week, month’s supply, 3 month supply, year’s supply, or whatever fits your needs.) Then stick to your plan to acquire your storage items in a reasonable manner. Organize and label items for easy rotation (use and replace).
If you just have no idea where to start, begin with the basics. Add spices for taste and cooking necessities (oil, leavening agents, dehydrated milk or eggs, etc.). Don’t forget the water.
Check the shelflife of items stored and be sure that you can use them before they go bad. Examine alternative storage methods so that you get the best nutrition and taste from your stored items. Not all items will be stored in the same manner (canned, plastic bags, vacuum sealed, food storage buckets, mylar pouches, etc.) Be knowledgeable about your food storage methods.
Remember to use your items. If your flour is going to go bad in a month, and you have 5 times what you can use, use what you can, then donate it to charity, share with a friend, or just give it away rather than wait until you have to throw it out. Sometimes you can use items and store differently. For example, if you have extra freezer space, freeze the flour before it goes bad, or try home canning of appropriate prepared foods. Pickle the cucumbers that were abundant.
Setting aside a larger food storage supply does not have to be a burdensome task. Devise a weekly plan, and add a few extra itmes to your grocery list. Larger items can be the special purchases you plan for and set aside a small budget for. Most of us can buy a few extra cans of tuna, soup, or tomato sauce without feeling a pinch in our grocery budget. Planning ahead by purchasing a wheat grinder can allow us to get wheat in bulk at enormous savings, and we can have whole-wheat bread, cookies, and rolls all the time.
Plan you food storage area. If space is limited, you may have to creative by using bed raisers to allow storage under a bed or clearing half a closet for food storage items. The corner behind the couch, hall closet, or unused space under the stairs are all potential food storage areas. Remember to keep your storage at room temperature or below to preserve its quality.
My best advice is to set aside your food storage prayerfully, and use it in the same manner. The greatest lesson I have learned is that my food storage is not necessarily being stored for me. My food storage has been a marvellous blessing to me in many ways over the years, including being available when someone else was in need. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to practice prepareness and faith concurrently.
LDS Provident Living
Provident Living info from the LDS Church.
http://www.providentliving.org/
Food Storage FAQ
Prudent Food Storage: Questions and Answers.
http://www.survival-center.com/foodfaq/
Homeland Security:Food Storage In An Emergency
Emergency food storage information.
http://www.nationalterroralert.com/readyguide/foodstorage.htm
Homecanning.com
Online canning primer
http://www.homecanning.com/
The Prepared Family Newsletter
Monthly food storage and preparedness newsletter in PDF format.
http://www.ldspreparedness.com/id2.htm
Food Publications
Food and Nutrition Publications from Utah State University Extension
http://extension.usu.edu/
Safe Home Food Storage (PDF)
Booklet on home food storage.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/store/texas_storage.pdf
Food Storage in the Home (PDF)
Booklet that serves as a basis for a food storage program.
http://extension.usu.edu/files/foodpubs/fn502.pdf
Food Storage Cooking School (PDF)
Huge downloadable book on food storage with transparencies and handouts for presentations.
http://extension.usu.edu/publica/foodpubs/fn503.pdf
LDSFS (LDS Food Storage)
Discussion of food storage and preparedness.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LDSFS/
