Food Storage

Over the weekend I noticed a trend in the blogging world. Blog upon blog that I read was talking about emergency food supplies. I’m thinking the earthquake in Turkey probably sparked it. And it is a good thing to invest in for several reasons.

I have briefly mentioned in a few previous posts that we do ‘food storage’. I haven’t went into too much detail about it and debated this post mainly because I don’t want people to look at us like we go around wearing tin foil on our heads in an effort to repel alien radar scans. (smile) We are not storing up for religious reasons because we are not an LDS family, though I admire their storage abilities and tips for storing, and we are not storing up for the apocalypse. ( BTW I did watch the 2012 movie and the only thing I came away with was that in an emergency all you need is a limo- that tank of a vehicle will outrun anything, takes a lickin‘ and keeps on tickin‘)

Mainly we do it for less hassle in case of an emergency. We live in the country and our local grocery store sells out of bread and peanut butter when the weather man mentions flurries. So imagine the shelves in the actual event of an earthquake or such. We store so we will already have it here. And not only for emergency but due to sickness or job loss. A few months ago it seemed like doctor bills and insurance hit all at once on top of the mound of monthly bills and the food storage got us through the pinch. Now I’m having to restock it slowly so not to stress the budget too much.

I was very excited to find that our local grocery store this past week was carrying their regular size peanut butter (normally $1.89) for $1.28. That’s a great price so we bought 12 for food storage and I went back today and bought 6 more just for the pantry. We eat a lot of peanut butter and with the holidays approaching I’ll be using quite a bit for candy and desserts. It’s shelf stable and would be great to throw in a backpack for camping. It provides quick energy and is lasting. Meaning it doesn’t take much to fill you up and it sticks with you allowing you to go longer in the day before needing to eat again. That makes it a perfect emergency food.

I keep our supply in storage containers in our cloak room. A large hall closet.  At one time we kept it under the stairs but it was such a hassle to get at. And you do have to keep it rotated so ease of use is a necessity for me.

I use storage containers in hopes that if rain got in say, heaven forbid, a tornado takes the roof, then the beans and rice would stay dry. And if things got blown around hopefully some of the lids would still be intact. There seems to be more of a chance to keep it safe that way then just on the shelf. Or maybe I just feel more secure with it in there. :)

Each tote has a number or letter and it’s contents is listed in a binder along with the size, quantity, and expiration date.

I try to store things sustaining like beans and rice. Staples like flour and shortening, milk powder and baking powder. Along with sweeteners like sugar and honey. Canned vegetables and fruits for necessary vitamins. It is also suggested to store up a few comfort foods especially for children to keep up morale. Possibly fruit snacks or granola bars. I remember reading in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book, The Long Winter, they survived on bread and potatoes for so long that they didn’t even taste them anymore. They only ate to survive and the only thing that broke the monotony was the supply of tea they laid in right before the seven months of blizzards started. So a little variety stored up is probably a wise decision.

Water is the main thing to store. You need water to drink, to cook with, and to clean with. There are water calculators on the web to help you figure out what amounts would be best for your family.

Infant needs or special medications for certain family members are things to consider. As is first aid supplies. Don’t forget about the pets too. Having a plan in place to supplement their needs as well will reduce stress in an already stressful situation.

Every one's food storage will vary from one family to the next. We all have different likes and dislikes and different situations and allergies. Being prepared isn’t such a bad idea and it doesn’t have to be a big production either. Just add a few extra items to your shopping cart each time you shop and it will add up. With a little organization you can keep it streamlined and see what you have and what you need, what needs to be rotated and what needs to be used up.

In any case it’s a lot like insurance, it’s a comfort to know you have it but you pray you’ll never have to use it.

Until next time…….Kristi.