Suggested Food for Medium & Long-Term Storage

Dry cereal, instant cereal, instant rice, crackers, granola bars, canned spaghetti/ravioli, wheat, quinoa, brown rice, white, rice, lentils, barley.

Canned beans, canned meat, shelf-stable tofu, peanut butter, beef jerky, canned soup/chili/stew, canned nuts, dried Beans, dried eggs/cheese/butter.

Salsa, canned tomatoes, dehydrated vegetables, popcorn, pickles, canned vegetables, corn, pickles.

Canned fruit, applesauce packs, dried fruit, jam & jellies, canned juice, fruit leather.

Pet food, coffee/tea, bottled water, boxed juice, cocoa packets, dried milk, comfort foods, pudding cups, sugar, salt, spices.

How to Get Started

• Designate a space for your long-term food storage.

• Buy foods that your family enjoys that are high in calories and nutrition.

• Slowly buy extra food each week until you have the desired food storage amount.

• Your utilities may be out during a disaster, making it difficult to cook. Have a camp stove, grill, cooking and eating utensils, paper plates, cups, towels, and a manual can opener.

• Don't forget your pets. Make sure they have food and water.

• To prevent sickness, have a supply of soap and hand sanitizer.

• Have a refrigerator thermometer.

• Invest in plastic PETE containers and food-grade buckets.

   

  How much Water Will I Need?
  

  Be prepared with at least 1 gallon of water per person, per day. However, water needs vary according to age, physical condition, activity, climate, and diet. Nursing mothers, children, and ill people may need more. If you have enough advance warning about a possible power outage, you can extend the storage time of food left in the freezer by filling empty spaces with water to freeze. Fill clean, food grade containers with water and freeze them. Your food will stay frozen longer and when the ice melts, you can drink the water.

  Water Containers

  There are many types of containers for storing water. For safety, the ideal ones are “food grade”, meaning they are designed to hold food or water.

  Water Purification

  There are many ways to purify water. Some of the most common ways are by boiling, or using chlorine bleach, purification tablets, and filters. Before purifying water, remove particles by filtering it through paper towels, a coffee filter, or a clean cloth.

  Boiling Water

  Rapidly boiling water for 1 minute is the safest and most effective way to kill all bacteria, disease-causing organisms, and giardia parasites, which can cause infections. However, it will not remove salts, heavy metals, or other contaminants.

  Household Chlorine Bleach

  Add 16 drops of bleach into one gallon of water. The water should have a slight bleach smell. If not, repeat the dosage and let stand another 15 minutes.

   

  How Long to Store Canned Goods?

  As a general rule, unopened home canned foods have a shelf life of 1 year and should be used before 2 years. Commercially canned foods typically retain their best quality until the expiration code on the can. High acid foods (tomatoes, jams, jellies, preserves, and pickles), usually have a shorter shelf life than low acid foods (meats, poultry, seafood, and vegetables).

  Rotate Food Storage

  Always use FIFO (first-in, first out), meaning use your oldest cans first. Inspect cans before opening. Discard any badly dented, bulging, rusty, leaking cans or jars that have broken seals. Don't open it! Don't taste it! Discard it immediately!

  If you open a can that looks fine from the outside, but the content smells or looks bad, dispose of as above. Some basic foods need more frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil (every 1-2 years).

          
  

Please go to next post:   Long-term Food Storage Basics Pt. C