Be Prepared: Food Storage

You might be looking at the picture of my food storage room and asking yourself, “Is Sassy getting help for this hoarding problem of hers?  If I read this post, will I end up with a pantry full of  Spam?  And why should I store food, anyway?”

Why not? It can only be a good thing to have extra supplies in your home. From the mundane—you forgot to pay your water bill—to the extreme—a natural disaster cuts you off from all services and assistance—it makes sense to have storage at home.

Have you ever noticed what happens during an emergency? Bottled water and canned goods disappear from the store shelves. If there’s a disaster, do you want to be among the hordes of people clamoring for the few products left in the supermarket, only to find that the cash registers aren’t working, and they’ll only take cash for their now ridiculously overpriced goods? Me neither.

If you lose your job, you’ll be glad you have food to tide you over. If you run out of sugar in the middle of a recipe, you’ll be glad you have a few extra bags in the basement. This isn’t rocket science; it’s not even wacky survivalist zealotry. It’s just common sense. Prepare now, relax later. So let’s get started!

You Can Survive On This (but you really wouldn’t want to)

• Water—store at least 14 gallons per person in food-grade containers. This will last two weeks if carefully rationed. More is better. Empty and refill every six months for fresher taste.  You can buy water containers and fill them yourself, or just buy bottled water (which you would not want to empty and refill, obviously.  Unless you’re bored, I suppose).
• Wheat—store in a cool, dry area where mice can’t get into it. Don’t let it get wet! Consider putting it in 5-gallon plastic buckets (new, food-grade) with a tightly-sealed lid. Don’t forget a grinder. A hand grinder will do in a pinch, but it’s hard manual labor for little yield. Get a good electric grinder, and you’ll have fresh flour. You can also soak the wheat, or crack it (roughly ground) for cereal. Wheat stores for ages if properly cared for. 
• Legumes—beans, peas, lentils. These store very well, and can help you get protein you need when meat isn’t available.
• Honey or Sugar—honey will store practically forever. Consider storing it in smaller, more manageable containers, because it will crystallize over time, and you will have to heat it to soften it. Sugar doesn’t last as long as honey, but it’s more convenient, and more affordable.  If you’re crunchy, honey is the more natural, unprocessed choice.
• Salt—your body needs salt almost as much as water. And salt is very cheap. There’s no excuse for not having this!  Go to the store immediately. 
• Oil or Shortening—shortening lasts longer, but oil (vegetable, canola, or olive) is more heart-healthy.

You’ll Be Glad You Did

• Spices, flavorings, pepper, herbs
• Yeast, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, chocolate chips
• Canned or powdered milk, eggs, and butter
• Rolled oats, pasta, dried potatoes, dried onion, rice
• Canned fruits and vegetables, soup
• Pasta sauce, applesauce, salsa
• Canned meats, stew, chili
• Packaged mixes and quick dinners
• Quick snack foods: raisins, fruit leather, popcorn, nuts
• Peanut butter, jelly, other familiar foods for kids
• Multivitamins

Don’t Forget

• Manual can opener, bottle opener, jar opener, etc.
• Good cookbooks for cooking with basics, such as grains
• Alternative cooking methods (see When the Grid Fails)
• Non-food supplies, such as toilet paper, feminine products, toiletries, baby supplies, first aid supplies, etc.  Anything you really wouldn’t want to run out of in an emergency!

P.S.

Don’t worry.  Spam makes me dry heave.