What is Food Storage?
“We encourage [you] to prepare for adversity in life by having a basic supply of food and water and some money in savings. We ask that you be wise… [and] do not go to extremes… With careful planning, you can, over time, establish a home storage supply and a financial reserve.” (See All Is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage).
There are three main components of food storage:
- Short term supply
- Long term supply
- Water Supply
Short Term Supply
To build a three-month food supply, begin by storing enough food to feed your family for one day. Store food that is part of your normal diet. Multiply that amount of food by 7 to build a one-week supply. Once you have a week’s supply, you can gradually expand it to a month, and eventually to three months. Rotate these items regularly to avoid spoilage. You should also have a short-term supply of medications, hygiene items, and any other necessities for your family. (don’t forget your pets).
Long Term Supply
Where permitted, gradually build a one-year supply of food that can last for a long period of time. Focus on foods such as wheat, rice, pasta, oats, beans, and potatoes that can last 30 years or more when properly packaged and stored in a cool, dry place. Learn more about a long-term food supply. There are several great manufacturers in our area that sell food storage meals and items that taste good, are nutritious, and have long shelf life. These items make great Christmas gifts.
Some examples of ways we might build our food storage supply are:
- Buy one extra of the items we normally eat and store it at home, so that we have extra food items. Then use the first item purchased and replace it with a new item, for instance, if we normally purchase one box of pancake mix, we might purchase two. Then, to keep the items in our food storage fresh, we use the oldest box of pancake mix first. (a helpful hint is to use a marker and date the food containers, so it is easy to see).
- Make a written plan. Just like making a shopping list, it is helpful to make a written plan of what and when you will begin storing.
- Look for items that are on sale. It may seem simple, but the less each item costs, the more we can store.
- Some basic items such as salt, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies have long shelf lives, so they can be stored in bulk, but it is easy to overlook those items, so include them on your written list.
The most important step is the first step, so start with a written plan, then store one item at a time.