Food for storage

[Guest Revelator]

I was wondering what types of food folks out there use for long-term storage. I'm rather partial to the Campbell's Chunky line of soups. They come in large portions, are easy to open, have a two-year of more expiration date, and cost less than $2 each. Plus they're pretty tasty I think. I also have some canned tuna, Jello, and dried fruit, but the soups make up most of my supply. I figure the two-year expiration date is good--that means I don't have to rotate my stock very often--but are there other options that would last longer? How are MREs? Any other types of food?

So for those of you that do food storage, let's hear what you've got stashed away.

[Guest RISC777]

I was also wondering about those plastic vacuum packed systems and what people store in that manner.

[Guest Astra900]

RICE! A Little goes far. I poke a hole in the plastic bag it comes in, then put it in a ziploc bag but don't seal the ziploc! THEN, put it in a vacuum seal bag and seal it up! It'll keep a looong time, and when you open it, you don't have to look for a re-sealable container cuz ziploc is waitin' right there:up: if you're mindful to not let it take funny shapes when you vacuum seal it, it will stack pretty nice inside those mortar cans. You know the ones that look like a normal ammo can, but are like 4ft tall. Fill'er up!

If you buy a bag or two every time you go to the grocery store, it'll add up quick and you won't notice a bite in the wallet.

[Punisher84]

Beef jerky and water. That's all I eat lol Seriously though, any of the MRE type meals or what I refer to as "magic pasta" type meals are good stock up items, but regular canned Chef Boyardees and Chunky soups could be great comfort foods.

[towerclimber37]

the dried pasta is excellent for storage. the rice is a great idea..never thought of that one.

MRE's are great..and keep a very long time..but they're expensive.

[Guest Crunchman]

If you are big time serious about long term emergency food storage, then follow the LDS church lead. All members must keep a years supply for each family member on hand at all times. Here's a link for foods of this type:

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/foodpak1.aspx

[BryanP]

the dried pasta is excellent for storage. the rice is a great idea..never thought of that one.

MRE's are great..and keep a very long time..but they're expensive.

Rice can easily be stored long term. The simplest way is to buy some of the sealable plastic buckets intended for food storage. Then pick up some dry ice. Put a chunk of dry ice in the bottom of the bucket, cover it with some paper towels, pour in the rice, lay the lid loosely on top of the bucket, wait long enough for the dry ice to sublimate (thereby displacing all of the oxygen in the bucket with carbon dioxide), then seal the bucket. Voila, seriously long term food storage. Stuff your grandkids could dig out when they're full grown and it would be fine.

[Guest Abominable_Hillbilly]

If you are big time serious about long term emergency food storage, then follow the LDS church lead. All members must keep a years supply for each family member on hand at all times. Here's a link for foods of this type:

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/foodpak1.aspx

Rice can easily be stored long term. The simplest way is to buy some of the sealable plastic buckets intended for food storage. Then pick up some dry ice. Put a chunk of dry ice in the bottom of the bucket, cover it with some paper towels, pour in the rice, lay the lid loosely on top of the bucket, wait long enough for the dry ice to sublimate (thereby displacing all of the oxygen in the bucket with carbon dioxide), then seal the bucket. Voila, seriously long term food storage. Stuff your grandkids could dig out when they're full grown and it would be fine.

Yeap.

It depends on how much food and for how long you want to store it. What type of emergency are you preparing for? Something that would probably be short term, like a "mild" earthquake on the New Madrid, or are you preparing for TEOTWAWKI? The plan I'm currently executing is basically a mix of longer and shorter term storage and calorie count. It doesn't seem feasible to me right now to put back three years of food for every member of my immediate family, but, for minimal investment, a few hundred pounds of rice and beans (with bullion cubes) will give me quite a bit of comfort.

[G27]

Mainly rice and beans here but also a variety of canned veggies (the water the veggies are packed in can be used for drinking/cooking/etc.), some canned meats (tuna, spam, vienna sausages), and a good bit of water. Water's the hardest thing to store in any real quantity but is vitally important - you can find grey water (for toilets and bathing) all over the place but drinking/cooking water may or may not be easy in a SHTF situation (like a >8.0 earthquake).

Also, don't skimp on spices - while you can get by on very basic foods, in an emergency situation, good flavorful (warm) foods are known to go a long way towards boosting moral...

[Guest tnmale46]

sardines have a long shelf life

[Guest RISC777]

If you are big time serious about long term emergency food storage, then follow the LDS church lead. All members must keep a years supply for each family member on hand at all times. Here's a link for foods of this type:

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/foodpak1.aspx

Will take some time to look at their list and to calculate other ways of storing food for one adult to see what is most cost effective. Then again, divide that by four and you'd have 3 months for a family of four. One aspect is, for me, I don't have young children or babies to consider (different food/dietary, medicines/ailments, etc.).

[Cannon Fodder]

One of the things I read years ago was a guy that rotated his food. The cabinet he stored the food in was open on both sides. He would take inventory and go shopping then when he placed the food in the cabinet he done so from the back where he used the old items first. I wish I could remember where I read that.

[Guest canynracer]

"Meat with a pause button"

[G27]

"Meat with a pause button"

Hahaha, I'm not sure whether to laugh or wince...

[Guest devilsalmostfree]

hey guys, when u r stacking up on ur food, be sure & rotate it out, as in putting the new stuff in the back, that way u wont get to it, & it be bad & all that stuff! i just got me some good ole chili beans, & the life span on the can was a lil more then 2 yrs, also canned tuna is right at 2 yrs! u people that live on a farm & have a pond, stock it, ya never know!

[ZenDog]

We actually box food up (wine-liquor boxes) and label the outside with the inventory and general expiration dates-- We stack it up. When we need that sort of food, we open a box instead of going to the grocery.

When we go to the grocery, we are buying 1-2 years ahead on items that store well. The wife waits for big sales at Costco/Sam's etc and buys a lot- she says she gets some strange looks- like the day she found our favorite ready-made pasta sauce for $2.00 off a jar, she bought something like 3 dozen jars. But now we have great pasta sauce at a great price for the next couple of years.

Food insurance, I heard it called. We have fire insurance, auto insurance, and I see our guns and training as a sort of "violence prevention insurance", so, why not have food insurance?

[Guest devilsalmostfree]

We actually box food up (wine-liquor boxes) and label the outside with the inventory and general expiration dates-- We stack it up. When we need that sort of food, we open a box instead of going to the grocery.

When we go to the grocery, we are buying 1-2 years ahead on items that store well. The wife waits for big sales at Costco/Sam's etc and buys a lot- she says she gets some strange looks- like the day she found our favorite ready-made pasta sauce for $2.00 off a jar, she bought something like 3 dozen jars. But now we have great pasta sauce at a great price for the next couple of years.

Food insurance, I heard it called. We have fire insurance, auto insurance, and I see our guns and training as a sort of "violence prevention insurance", so, why not have food insurance?

hey man, i think thats a swell idea, anytime people can save money, then i say go for it! im glad im not a bag boy anymore, it was crazy when y2k was going on, there was like 200 people in the grociery store, i didnt think i was ever going to get to leave! so i think u & ur wife r very smart, i wish more people were like u all!

[Guest Astra900]

Specially

Prepared

Armadillo

Meat

[enfield]

Meat is tasty, but carbohydrates are food. A bag of rice will keep you alive longer than a ham will.

I'm big on dry rice/noodle/soup foil packs, plus spices and dried milk. A safe drinking water supply is more important than food. You can live 3 weeks (6+ for me ) without food, but only 3 days without water.

[Sheepdog]

Meat is tasty, but carbohydrates are food. A bag of rice will keep you alive longer than a ham will.

I'm big on dry rice/noodle/soup foil packs, plus spices and dried milk. A safe drinking water supply is more important than food. You can live 3 weeks (6+ for me ) without food, but only 3 days without water.

Actually, in a famine situation, the most scarce, most expensive foods are the proteins.

Carbs are not food. They are energy.

In order for the body to repair itself and grow muscle, it needs protein. The best source for that is meat.

Carbs can be scavenged from wild, edible plants, or grown in a garden.

I second the potted meat for storage. Also, learn to make jerky. And if you don't already know how, learn how to hunt.

[molonlabetn]

Other than the MRE's and water in the bug-out-bags, I just keep a bunch of canned stuff and crackers in rotation... I plan on getting a bunch of dried stuff, and a way to store alot more potable water, but that'll have to happen after I move.

[towerclimber37]

guys, if you're passionate about storing water, why not build a cistern?

it needs be no more than big waterbarrel...the hardest part is making the run off from your gutters go to it...also I would think some sort of matter and particulate screens to keep the icky stuff out.

I know that's how it was done in the old days, when a fresh water spring wasn't available.

[Guest Abominable_Hillbilly]

guys, if you're passionate about storing water, why not build a cistern?

it needs be no more than big waterbarrel...the hardest part is making the run off from your gutters go to it...also I would think some sort of matter and particulate screens to keep the icky stuff out.

I know that's how it was done in the old days, when a fresh water spring wasn't available.

I've thought about similar things. It's not cheap to excavate and pour concrete, though. Buried polyethylene barrels, assuming they were rated for food and water, could be effective.

[mousegunner]

I don't think anyone has mentioned vitamins and minerals. You can easily find a couple jars of multiple vitamins that will last for a year. You must have vitamins and minerals or you will get scurvy and other diseases.

[ZenDog]

We are blessed (at the moment, at least) with adequate rain in my part of TN. My plans for the coming year include building a rain water collection system that utilizes run-off from the roof, through the gutters, into a linked series of food-grade barrels.

There are some good books on this. In drier climes, locals are encouraged to build such systems by tax breaks, etc. Rainwater harvesting is really big in some parts of Texas.

I figure I'll collect enough to at least not have to worry about watering the vegetable garden and the fruit trees. And if there ever is a Katrina-type situation, I'll have a few hundred gallons to draw upon.