Getting Started with Long-Term Food Storage
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Thanks…now on to the good stuff!
Food plays a central role in our lives. Day-to-day we don't just eat to survive. Rather meals are part of how we bond with our families and connect with our friends. Dinners around the table are an experience rather than simply a way to consume calories.
Most of us enjoy eating, and we are used to eating exactly what we want when we want it. Chances are if you are in a position to be reading this blog you have the financial resources to buy food, go out to eat, and generally not stress too much about your where your next meal is coming from.
Unfortunately, our food supply chain is relatively fragile. I am guessing you experienced some level of food shortages during the first month or so of COVID earlier this year.
Our stores ran out of almost all pre-packaged food, dairy items, eggs, & meat.
These empty shelves caused concern and in many cases panic buying from those who weren’t prepared.
We asked ourselves questions, like:
How long are the shelves going to be empty?
How am I going to feed my family if none of the stores have food?
What do I have in my pantry and is it enough?
Even for my husband and I who had a decent amount of food stored, the walk through the local stores was concerning and creepy.
The great news is we don’t have to be completely dependent on the stores during emergency situations. Long-term food storage gives us options at home even when the stores are empty. And that can give you a great sense of comfort and peace.
Where do I start?
Maybe you know you should have some extra food stored, but it all sounds a little overwhelming and you aren’t sure where to start. Don’t worry that’s pretty normal.
The best place to start is simply by keeping some extra shelf-stable foods that your family already eats and enjoys.
You’ll want to store items that are relatively nutritious and also familiar and comfortable.
What should I store?
Beans - Beans are one of the most basic and beneficial food items you can store for emergency situations. Beans contain tons of fiber, are low in fat, and more importantly are a great source of protein. Even better they are super affordable and easy to store. I store a mix of canned and dried beans. Stick with beans that are versatile like black beans, chick peas, or pinto beans.
Rice - Rice is another great food to add to your food rotation plan. Rice is a great filler for meals and is a staple in most countries for good reason. White rice has a longer shelf-life than brown rice, but brown rice has some added nutritional benefits. I currently store white rice in both my short-term and long-term storage and brown rice in my short-term rotational pantry.
Canned Meats - I know canned meats might not be high on your list of items to store. Honestly I wasn’t a huge “canned meat” fan before I started prepping, but there are lots of options out there these days. I’m not just talking SPAM (which is honestly what always pops into my head when I hear canned meat). My husband and I store chicken, tuna, and salmon in cans and pouches. There are tons of flavors out there. This is another great way to add a source of protein to your shelf-stable food.
Canned or Dehydrated Vegetables - We store a combination of canned vegetables and dehydrated vegetables. In an emergency situation where power goes out, fruit and veggies may not last long in fresh form. Veggies provide critical vitamins and nutrients.
Canned or Dehydrated Fruit - We store canned fruit like pears, pineapple, and mandarin oranges. We also store dehydrated fruit like blueberries, strawberries, and pineapple. Pick fruits that your family enjoys and remember to add some you can add to the oatmeal you are going to store (raisins, craisins, and cranberries work great!)
Peanut Butter or Almond Butter - This is a great shelf-stable item to use at the beginning of an emergency. A PB&J sandwich is the perfect comfort food. Nut butters are also a great source of fat and calories you may need in an emergency situation.
Oatmeal & Cereal - These are two of the staples for breakfast in any emergency. Oatmeal if stored correctly can last for years. Cereal will go stale after a while, particularly if you live somewhere humid, but it can still be a great item to keep on hand as long as you are rotating it regularly.
Soup - Soup is often filling and relatively nutritious. You can make it stretch a little further by adding beans and or rice to the meal for extra protein or bulk. If you grew up with Campbells Soup like me, you might initially reach for dehydrated soups that you add milk or water to when you are ready to eat them. These can be great, but also consider buying non-dehydrated soup, which won’t require milk or water in an emergency. You can also add stews and other canned “meals” (think Spaghettios) your family enjoys. Make sure you are rotating them regularly!
Granola, Crackers, & Protein Bars - These are all great fillers and give you a way to snack even if things are a little crazy. We keep some extra Cliff Bars, Wheat Thins, granola, and trail mix in our pantry at all times. They can be packed in ziplocks and taken on the go if you need to leave the house for some reason and they all provide at least some nutrition. Pick bars that are high calorie so they can act as meal replacements if absolutely necessary.
Pasta & Sauce - Pasta is another great option for your short-term and long-term pantry. Keep a variety of shapes and sauces that your family enjoys. We keep a few boxes in our regular pantry, and have “canned” pasta for longer storage. We use half gallon mason jars to store extra pasta for longer-term storage.
We freeze the pasta first for a few days to kill any little critters that might be in the packaging. Once it’s been frozen for a few days, we remove the pasta from the freezer and let it return to room temperature (you don’t want any moisture left when you can it)
Then we place the pasta in half gallon mason jars and seal the jars with our FoodSaver jar lid sealer. This handy attachment sucks out all the extra air.
By storing the items listed above you’ll be more prepared than most of the US population for another food shortage.
What if I want to store more for longer-term emergencies?
Some of you may want to store a little more food than enough for just a few weeks.
As you build your preparedness strategy, I recommend a “layered” approach to food storage for longer-term emergencies. This includes dehydrated items and bulk food storage.
This is the strategy we use. In addition to our 30 day pantry, we store food for longer term emergency situations. If the food supply chains break down, I’ll still be able to make healthy and relatively nutritious meals without braving the stores.
Will the meals made from this long-term storage be fancy? Probably not, but we won’t be hungry!
What is long-term food storage anyway?
Long-term food storage consists of food that is shelf stable for years or even decades. These long-term shelf stable foods become the foundation for your meals. Add in some vegetables from the garden, eggs from the backyard chickens, and maybe some fresh meat and you are ready for anything. (I’m still working on all of these things!)
Most commercially dehydrated food can last 25-30 years if stored in a dark and temperature controlled room. There are a number of reputable brands you can buy online (Thrive, Augason Farms, and Nutristore are all highly recommended brands).
We store dehydrated fruit, vegetables, meat, and dairy items. Our dehydrated food is meant to supplement our bulk food storage items. We also store a few ready made dehydrated meals like Mountain House meals for really short-term emergencies where access to cooking supplies might be limited.
In addition to our dehydrated food, we store bulk items. We store things like wheat berries, rice, corn, dried beans, oatmeal, coffee, sugar, and salt. All of which are basic ingredients for old fashioned meals.
To effectively store these items we utilize mylar bags and 5 gallon food grade buckets for storage. Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers greatly extend the shelf-life of these items. Most bulk food items can be stored for 10-15 years or more if properly stored and kept at constant temperatures.
This is an image of our mylar bags and wheat berries (which we grind into flour as we need it)
We fill the mylar bags up, drop in an oxygen absorber, seal the bags with a hair straightener, and then label the bags with the contents and weight. Then we put the bags in a 5 gallon bucket.
You can purchase mylar bags on Amazon. We like to use 1 gallon bags for our food storage, but you can also get 5 gallon size bags that fit perfectly in the buckets.
I choose one gallon size bags because they hold a relatively small portion of most bulk items, which means once they are opened I’ll be able to use everything before the food expires. They are also easy to move and store. Finally, I like one gallon size bags because if I make a mistake somehow when I’m sealing them I won’t ruin a whole 5 gallon bucket worth of food.
Most companies sell mylar bags with the appropriate size oxygen absorber. This will ensure the food stays fresh.
I also recommend that you store your mylar bags in buckets that you can seal. This added layer of protection means your food will be ready when you need it.
You can purchase 5 gallon food grade buckets for a few dollars at WalMart or online. You can also get them for free at local bakeries or restaurants. Make sure if you are getting recycled buckets you clean them thoroughly before you use them.
Some experts say if you are using mylar bags you don’t really need food grade buckets, but I err on the side of caution and only use food grade buckets for all of my good.
What kinds of things can I cook with these items?
I’ll be the first to admit I wasn’t a “cook from scratch” kind of kid before I started prepping. I’m still only a partially from scratch kid, but I am trying to learn more basic cooking techniques.
Make sure before you start storing large quantities of bulk food or dehydrated food that you have the skills to actually make meals for your family if you need to. Having 250 pounds of wheat berries will do you absolutely no good if you don’t know how to grind them and bake from scratch with them.
If you are looking for some additional resources to help you learn about long-term meal planning and food storage, I recommend the following books:
Getting started on your long-term food storage can feel a little bit daunting, but with some effort it can actually be fun. Start with the food your family already eats and build from there.
I’d love to hear about your ideas for long-term food storage. Are there any items you can’t live without?
