Never store items you do not like or would never use!!!!
You can not keep a year’s food supply on hand, nor successfully store canned or bottled
foods without spoilage UNLESS you faithfully follow a ROTATION plan. Rotation helps
to prevent spoilage and minimizes loss of food value.
Remember to always date each can or bottle with at least the month and year of purchase so that you
can rotate your storage easier.
Always obtain top grade food whenever possible and store it away from other products that may
affect the flavor of the food. Please read the storage section.
An easy way to start food storage is to list what meals your family likes for BREAKFAST,
LUNCH, and DINNER. After you have listed the meals, then list what ingredients you need
for those particular meals. This is your shopping list. (See chart in this section)
Keep in mind that some meals do not have a long shelf life and must be eaten
within a particular length of time. See the shelf life category in this website.
When you are working on food storage for CONVENIENCE, decide on meals that you normally make and then have extra items on your food shelves or in your freezer.
When you are working on your EMERGENCY food storage, decide on meal items that are not
frozen or fresh.
For example:
*** spaghetti dinner - bottle of spaghetti sauce and a package of noodles.
*** chicken dinner - bottle of pressure canned chicken, bottle of gravy, dry packed mashed potatoes,
canned vegetables.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND!!!!!!!
| * |
You need to remember that for meat - you can pressure
can many different kinds of meat - chicken, pork, beef, hamburger, turkey |
| * |
Also remember that potatoes can be purchased dehydrated -
potato pearls from the dry pack cannery is a good example of this. This particular dehydrated
potatoes has milk and butter already in them so all you need is water to make your mashed
potatoes. |
| * |
A good meal to keep in mind is a can of baked beans and
a can of corn. These two combined gives you all the amino acids that you need. It is a
complete meal and it tastes good. You can spice it up with onions, green peppers, and
garlic, or any spice your family likes. |
********** THINK OF EASY AND QUICK MEALS ***********
Chart for starting your list for food
storage:
| Mealtime |
Day |
Meal |
Ingredients |
| Breakfast |
1 |
|
|
| |
2 |
|
|
| |
3 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Lunch |
1 |
|
|
| |
2 |
|
|
| |
3 |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Dinner |
1 |
|
|
| |
2 |
|
|
| |
3 |
|
|
Take the ingredients you have listed and group together common items, for example:
how many times do you serve rice?
how many times do you serve potatoes?
how many times do you serve corn?
Take this information to determine how much of each item you need to have a
year's supply of this item.
Now make your shopping list.
BASIC STORAGE - basic items for food storage:
wheat, flour, rice, quick oats, macaroni, legumes/beans,
honey or sugar, powdered milk, cooking oil, and salt.
Basic food storage are items that will sustain your life. It is not things that you are use to. It will keep you alive. However, the basic food items are good and good for you. You can use them everyday if you choose to. You do not have to wait for a disaster.
Incorporate these items into your menus. Wheat and beans are extremely healthy.
However, if you do not know what to do with these items and your family is not use to wheat on a
regular basis, it is difficult to serve a meal that the family is not use to eating if there is a disaster. Learn meals and make meals from your basic storage so that your family is use to these items!!! See the recipe category in this website
| Basic One-Month Supply for One Adult |
| Item |
Total Pounds |
Best if Used By |
| 3 #10 cans wheat |
17.4 lbs. |
20 years |
| 1 #10 can flour |
4.8 lbs. |
5 years |
| 2 #10 cans rice |
11.4 lbs. |
4 years |
| 1 #10 can quick oats |
2.8 lbs. |
5 years |
| 1 #10 can macaroni |
3.4 lbs. |
8 years |
| 1 #10 can pinto beans |
5.0 lbs. |
8 years |
| 1 #10 can sugar |
6.1 lbs. |
20 years |
| 1 #10 can powdered milk |
4.1 lbs. |
3 years |
| 1 container cooking oil |
|
2 years |
| 1 canister salt |
|
20 years |
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BASIC FOOD STORAGE TIPS
POWDERED MILK
This information was gathered from “There’s a Cow in the Kitchen” by Virginia D. Nelson, “Cooking with Food Storage” by Mary Ann Wilcox and “Making the Best of Basics” by James Talmage Stevens.
Powdered milk is considered on the “essentials” of a good food storage program. It is whole milk from which the butterfat and water have been removed. Therefore, the calories and cholesterol are much lower than whole milk. Although much of the Vitamin A is destroyed in the processing, powdered milk is a good source of protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. In addition, it is a source of calcium and phosphorous. Few foods have the nutritional value contained in milk.
As with all processed products, powdered milk begins to lose its nutritional value within a few months. However, the diet can be enriched with vitamins and minerals, and the product can be used for years. You may use the milk as long as the smell is not unpleasant.
Dry milk should be stored in a moisture proof container. This will prevent the product from becoming lumpy and from absorbing odors. Never store any product directly on a cement or dirt floor. The lower the storage temperature, the longer your dry milk will keep.
- You may purchase dry milk in two forms:
- Instant - easier to mix but more expensive (very light and flaky)
- Non-instant - more difficult to mix, but less expensive (a heavy powder). Non-instant has the advantage of not requiring scalding in recipes that call for scalded milk.
Although your family may not like “straight” powdered milk for drinking, most people don’t notice a difference in flavor if fluid milk is mixed half and half with dry milk. However, even if you never use dry milk as a drink, there are many ways you can include it in your cooking and in preparation of other dairy foods. This can save both time and money.
Each package of powdered milk comes with directions for mixing. It is best to stir the powder before measuring. However, using excess powder will not change a recipe; it will only increase the food value and flavor. To reconstitute the powdered milk, put 1/4 of the water required into a pitcher. Mix the dry milk into that water and then add cold water until you have the desired amount. As a general rule, if a recipe calls for non-instant milk, you may substitute instant milk by doubling the amount of powder.
BEANS
Using Beans: Always inspect beans for small rocks. Soaking and cooking beans before mixing with other recipe ingredients helps to get the right tenderness and can minimize cooking time. Adding a tablespoon of oil to beans during cooking, keeps the foam down. Hard boiling causes beans to break. Turn the heat down to allow a gentle boil. The temperature difference is minimal, but will keep the beans from breaking up and also helps prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. If more water is needed during the cooking process, add BOILING water. Adding cold water will cause the beans to discolor and or toughen. Be sure to wait until close to the end of cooking time to add tomatoes lemon juice, or vinegar to beans. Cooked beans and bean dishes freeze well. Cooked beans can be drained and stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Stored beans should be rotated regularly. They continue to lose moisture and will not reconstitute satisfactorily if kept too long.
Overnight Soaking: Wash 1 pound of beans and place in large pot with 6 cups of water. Soak overnight.
Quick Soaking: For each 2 pounds of beans, bring 8 cups of water to boiling. Wash beans, add to boiling water. Boil for 1 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and soak 1 hour. Drain and cook with fresh water.
To Cook Soaked Beans: Drain beans. Place beans and fresh water in pot. cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for the time necessary (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). Keep beans covered with water, cooking until tender, about 2 hours. Stir carefully but not too often; over stirring can break the beans. When done, they should hold their shape as well as be tender. If additional water is needed, add BOILING water as needed.
Pressure cooking will hasten the prep time. Pinto beans will cook in about 15 minutes depending on the age of the beans. The cooking time increases by approximately one-third if beans are unsoaked. Salt after cooking.
(the above information by Mesa Home Storage Center, Mesa AZ)
●●● Beans have a very long shelf life. They are also filled with many of the vitamins that we need. Dry packing dry beans protects them from bugs. You can pressure can (bottle) beans so that they are ready when you want them.
●●● Rotate beans and legumes at least every 8 years. If stored longer they get so hard they will not absorb water.
●●● Dried beans should triple in volume when soaked overnight in water. If they do not they are nearing the end of their shelf life.
●●● Slightly sprouting your beans and grains before cooking will make them less “gassy” and vastly increase their nutritional value.
For more information see the section on dry packing, pressure canning, and recipes in this website.
WHEAT
It is wisdom to prepare for a time when we might have to rely upon the resources of our own homes, in which case, because of its “whole food value”, wheat should be the backbone of our storage program. Wise homemakers will therefore learn to use it. (Wheat for Man pg.3)
●●● The kernels of wheat are correctly called “berries” rather than kernels.
●●● Milled wheat holds nutritional value for 2 weeks to 1 month.
●●● A wise man once said “The day will come when wheat will be worth more than gold”.
So store wheat ---- it may become your money $$$$ someday.
MACARONI
●●● A handful of salt added to a plastic bucket of stored pasta will absorb moisture and greatly increase storage life.
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EXPANDED STORAGE - these are the meal items that you make for the family when there
is No disaster. An added advantage of having expanded food storage is when unexpected company comes
- you don’t have to panic about fixing a quick meal. If there was an
emergency, children prefer meals they are use to rather than something strange during a stressful situation.
When you go shopping, buy some extra cans of food to add to your storage shelves. You will be surprised to find out that food storage is easier than you think.
Herbs & Spices - it is nice to put flavor in your food!! Many times people forget
to store herbs and spices in their food storage.
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WATER STORAGE - please read about this in the Water category in this website.
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If you have PETS, do not forget to include pet food and sanitary supplies for them also.
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— Poison Plants - learn what plants grow in your area that are poisonous!!
— Edible Plants - learn what plants grow in your area that you can EAT!!
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SPROUTS
 FDA cautions against the use of raw sprouts especially by infants, elderly and the immune compromised. See sprout category in this website.
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MRE - Meals Ready to Eat
(information taken from Emergency Essentials, Utah www.beprepared.com )
Originally designed for the U.S. government, these compact pouches contain delicious ready to eat foods. MRE's have been used since the 1970's in the U.S. Space Program, Military, Forest Service and FEMA. In more recent years, many foreign governments have started using these versatile foods.
A main concern in the development and testing of rations for the U.S. government has always been shelf life. All MRE foods are packaged in triple-layer plastic/aluminum pouches that have better storage qualities than heavy cans, with no need for a can opener. The food in these pouches is precooked and sealed at a high temperature so that bacteria is neutralized and the food will be shelf stable even when stored at room temperature. Some of the best information available on MRE shelf life is the storage life chart (see below) compiled by the U.S. Army's Natick Research Laboratories. This chart provides a good overview and summary of the findings gathered from their testing of MRE products.
| Storage Temperature(°F) |
Months of Storage |
| 120° |
1 |
| 110° |
5 |
| 100° |
22 |
| 90° |
55 |
| 80° |
76 |
| 70° |
100 |
| 60° |
130 |
Note: Below 60° - not enough data yet collected, however, projections are the 130 month storage life will be extended.
Note: Time and temperature have a cumulative effect. For example, storage at 100° for 11 months then removed to storage at 70° would lose one-half of the 70° storage life. Also avoid fluctuating temperatures, in and out of freezing levels. Due to the cumulative effect of time and temperature, a regular rotation of MRE's within 5 to 7 years is recommended.
More About MRE Shelf Life
- The shelf life ratings shown in the chart on the front of this paper were determined by taste panels -panels of "average" people, mostly office personnel - at the Natick lab. Their opinions were combined to determine when a particular component, or in this case the entire MRE ration, was no longer acceptable.
- The shelf life determinations were made solely on the basis of taste, as it was discovered that acceptable nutritional content and basic product safety would extend way beyond the point where taste degradation would occur. This means the MRE's would be safe and give a high degree of food value long after the timing suggested in the chart.
- MRE pouches have been tested and redesigned where necessary according to standards much stricter than for commercial food. They must be able to stand up to abuse tests such as obstacle course traversal in field clothing pockets; storage outdoors anywhere in the world; shipping under extremely rough circumstances (such as by truck over rocky terrain); 100% survival of parachute drops; 75% survival from free failure drops; severe repetitive vibration (1 hour a t G vibration); 7,920 individual pouch drops from 20 inches; and individual pouches being subject to a static load of 200 pounds for three minutes.
- Freezing an MRE retort pouch does not destroy the food inside, but repeated freezing increases the chance that the stretching and stressing of the pouch will cause a break on a layer of the laminated pouch. These pouches are made to withstand 1,000 flexes, but repetitive freezing does increase the failure rate by a small fraction of a percent. Also if MRE food is frozen, then thawed out, it must be used the same as if you had thawed commercial food from your own freezer at home.
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