Introduction to Long Term Food Storage

Laura from Waverly, Alabama knows what it means to cook under tough circumstances.  In 1995, category 4 Hurricane Opal hit the southern coast the United States.  The night it hit, as Laura and her family huddled in their basement listening to trees crashing around their home, she had no idea she was about to experience three weeks without power.

Have you ever considered what it would take to live without power for three weeks? Laura remembers how her family quickly adapted and learned to bathe in cold water, live by candlelight, and cook using charcoal and propane. She also remembers the frustrations and panic that led to shopping frenzies, causing depletions of ice, charcoal, propane, batteries, gasoline, water, generators, and chainsaws.

Those who have lived in times of great stress such as Laura know the importance of preparing for emergencies.  They also know that just because it has not happened to you before is no excuse.

This article series will focus on a much discussed element of emergency preparedness: long term food storage.  We’ll cover what exactly is long term food storage, how to start a food storage quickly and affordably, how to make food storage rotation easy and finish off with a few recommended long term food storage recipes.

What is Long Term Food Storage

You have a pantry full of food, that’s long term food storage, right?  Well, it’s a start.

Long term food storage is a food supply dedicated for times of need, emergencies such as natural disasters or job loss.  Ideally, your food storage should be composed of foods that can be cooked without the use of your microwave, stove or oven a la camping or BBQ-style.

Foods that qualify for long-term storage are those that are low in moisture content and can be stored at room temperature.  They have long shelf lives so you can store it without worrying about the food rotting or molding.  Foods that do not require refrigeration or freezing are ideal for food storage, especially for emergencies where you lose power for extended periods of time, just as Laura experienced.

Some food items examples and their expected shelf life include:

White rice (3-4 years)
White flour (5 years)
Dried beans and peas (6-8 years)
Non-fat dry milk (2-3 years)
Non-egg pasta products (6-8 years)
Rolled Oats (4-5 years)
Salt, baking soda (3-5 years)
White granulated sugar (20 years)
Beef and chicken bouillon (2-3 years)
Properly processed canned goods (check labels – generally 2 years)
Fruit flavored drink mix (8 years)
Dehydrated and freeze dried foods (3-5 years)

Your food storage will also require a few others basics:

Matches, charcoal, lighter fluid, butane lighters (seal matches in Zip-Lock bags)
Flashlights, candles, radio and batteries (batteries have a shelf life)
Propane camp stove or grill and multiple propane cylinders
Toilet paper, dishwashing liquid
Coolers for ice storage
Emergency Cash (when the power goes out, stores cannot process debit or credit cards but they can always take cash).

How Much Food Should You Store?

The actual amount of food storage you have is dependent on many things: space in your home, budget, what type of disaster you are preparing for and even religious beliefs.  At the low end, a three day supply is the absolute minimum.  At the high end, a 1-year food supply is recommended.  Most families serious about food storage start with a goal of 3 months of food.

My goal for you in this article series is to have you finish with a three day supply of food storage for your family.  The reason for this is that a three day supply can fit in even the smallest of apartments and just by building a food storage for three days you will have learnt all the tools necessary to build a 3-month supply.

Next steps:

Step 1: In preparation for building your food storage, start by deciding where you will store it.  A 3-month food storage is not a small matter.  Most families find it is easiest to store their food supply on shelves in their garage, but that may not be the best option for your home.  Your three day supply that we will work on together this month can easily fit in a pantry, but make sure to clear out space to keep this food supply in its own separate section.

Step 2: Pull out a few of your family’s favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  We’ll use those in calculating your first three days of food storage.

Ready for the next step in long term food storage?  Take the food storage challenge at our blog: Ready Set Go Kits Blog.