Food Storage Basics

   There are a lot of things you should consider when beginning to prepare for the future. What you store will depend on your own family’s needs. Every family will be different. Then the question is where should we store our prep’s?

Reasons to Prepare?

   Food is essential to sustaining life. In an emergency situation you may not be able to rely on stores or relief aid. Food storage allows you to provide for yourself and give you the energy and nutrients your body needs in order to survive. Let us start with the types of storage.

Shelf Life Of Basic Foods

Grains and rice have a shelf life of up to 30 years
Freeze-dried foods have a shelf life of up to 25 years
Dehydrated foods have a shelf life of up to 15 years
Canned goods up to 4 years is recommended but Read Below

Canned goods and what you should know

   Canned goods: Most expiration dates on foods in cans range from 1 to 4 years—but keep the food in a cool, dark place and the cans undented and in good condition, and you can likely safely double that shelf life from 3 to up to 6 years.

USDA: “Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling). Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the ‘best by’ date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off flavor. You’ll know when you open the package if the food has lost quality. Many dates on foods refer to quality, not safety. See FSIS’ Shelf-Stable Food Safety fact sheet for more information.”

How Much Food Storage Will I Need?

    The Harvard Medical Review recommends that a daily minimum of 1,200 calories for women and 1,500 calories for men is necessary for survival. However, in order to maintain current body weight, you may need a daily minimum of 2,000 calories for women and 2,500 for men. .

What Is Short Term Food Storage

   Short term food storage is the food that you buy and eat on a regular basis to feed your family. It is typically the more perishable foods that you keep in your freezer, refrigerator, and pantry. These foods are part of your everyday diet and are consumed within a relatively shorter amount of time because of the shorter shelf life . These include items such as canned tuna, baked beans and bottled water.

What Is Long Term Food Storage

   Long term food storage supplies you with anywhere from three months to over a year. These foods will typically have a longer shelf life. A year supply of food per person in your family is a good goal for the amount of food you should store. There are many options for long term storage such as staple items like grains, oats, and pastas that have a shelf life of over 30 years. However, you can now also include dehydrated and freeze dried fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. that have longer shelf lives than fresh foods. You can even have entire freeze dried meals in your long term food storage like beef stew and lasagna.

Where Should I Store It?

   When looking for a place to store your food, there are three main factors to look for: cool, dark, and dry. Your food storage will last for a much longer amount of time if all three of these factors exist in your storage area.
   The temperature of your storage room should be consistently cool all year long. A dark room with little or no light helps to preserve the nutrients of your food for longer amounts of time. And lastly, a dry place for your food prevents moisture from contaminating your dry foods and reconstituting your freeze dried items. For more information on where to store your food,