Advice about food storage

[LDSJewess]

Hello everyone,

I would like to start a discussion regarding food storage.

Throughout my career life I traveled extensively, and my children had a nanny, so I never got in the habit of lerning to prepare food. If not eating out, I prepared very easy micro waveable meals. My husband and I eat out or eat a lot of convenience foods.

The subject of food storage has come up at our Ward. Some of the suggested sites for freeze dried long shelf life food is extremily expensive, not to mention that you have to add a cup of watter to every meal, so how would one store a year's worth of water for a years worth of food?

We were also told about Berley water purifying vessels, little stoves to cook on that require no fuel just twigs I think, and some kind of living sprouts thing (now how that works I have no idea). I am a little ovver whelmed over this (actually a lot over whelmed) and do not want to sound totally incompetant about this even though I am not feeling very competant about the food issue.

We are not poor by anyone's standards, but we are pretty much living from month to month, check to check and paymant to payment. So although we are meeting our bills and financial obligations, there is not extra to add to our expenses.

I would enjoy hearing from those who are activelt in the process of storing food. How much do you store, what costs re actually involved. Any advice or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[mirkwood]

Here is what I have taught for years.

Easy Preparedness: Why Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness?

I have well above a years supply of food of all the varieties I talk about in that blog post. I believe a broad mixture of all the options available is the best way to go.

[Magen_Avot]

There are many levels of being prepared. From what's now in your cupboards to a couple years supply of food and water neatly tucked into a re-purposed missile silo with an arsenal sufficient to quell a large suburban army.

There are a couple of shows like Doomsday Shelters & Doomsday Hoarders. Fun to watch with an occasional neat bit of info. Like rubbing vegetable oil on eggs to make 'em last up to a year.

You can start out slow. Put a 72 hour emergency bag together (a little at a time if needed), then just buy an extra can of this or package of that when you shop. Go from there. Lots of info can be located on line.

[Martain]

Seeds/Grains - Enzyme Inhibitors

Before using most seeds/grains/legumes it is best to soak them for a set period of time. By doing so the enzyme inhibitors that give seeds/grains/legumes such a long shelf life are removed as they start their growth processes. By getting rid of the enzyme inhibitors first, you increase the bio-availability of the nutrients and the ease by which your body processes seeds/grains/legumes.

The basic premise: It's easier for the body's own enzymatic activity to function if you're not feeding it enzyme inhibitors at the same time.

I don't know how practical this would actually be in real life application over a long period of time but... hopefully useful information all the same.

[shine7]

Here's a site that I want you to take a look at:

Eat Wheat

Food storage can look so very different for each family!! The main idea is to store what you eat/like.....BUT over the years, our family's tastes have changed from tasting/trying storable and healthy items such as whole wheat, dry beans, lentils.

Also, LDSjewess, let me give you some guidance I use when helping people start their food storage, but I'll tweak it to fit the information you gave above. It looks like you are just beginning with food storage, but let me tell you, even living month to month, you can do food storage.

#1.......get some water stored......humans can live about a month without food, but only about 5 days without water. To keep it simple, buy some gallons of water that are in plastic containers.....NOT milk-type, but containers that have symbol on the bottom of a triangle with letters PETE.....this is storable plastic. Don't focus on having a year's supply of water. The church recommends a 2 week minimum emergency supply per person of 14 gallons. Don't try to get all the needed water at once, just start working it into the budget now, and build up the supply one step at a time.

Next, some questions:

What whole grains do you already use from this list?

whole wheat

quick or old fashioned oatmeal

rice

What dry beans do you already use? Do you prefer canned beans?

Do you already use lentils? Some beans to consider:

pinto beans

black beans

white beans

brown or green lentils

Is there an lds cannery near you?

Are you willing to make step by step changes to integrate food storage into your daily meals?

Are you willing to do more cooking at home? I'm a total believer that when someone learns to cook, they automatically start saving more money on the food bill; and that saved money can then go to food storage.

#2.......Your action assignment:

After getting some water, I want you to......

Write down one meal you/your family likes, then write down all the ingredients it takes to make the meal at home. The

next time you go grocery shopping, buy 2 of each item IF you can afford to. Take it home, make one meal; store the

other meal......Congratulations, YOU have now started your food storage!!! As President Hinckley said......start small.....

even ONE item at a time.

ps.......choose a favorite meal that has items that could be 'storable'. For example, a really simple meal might be:

One pot spaghetti (if this recipe interests you, let me know and I'll post it)

green beans or broccoli

you could also add an easy foccacia bread made in a zip loc bag

Grocery list for 4 servings:

8 oz. thin spaghetti noodles

1 can or bottle spaghetti sauce (?I think it's about 26 oz.)

garlic salt

italian seasonings

ground meat if using (can freeze some for using as part of 3 month supply)

canned green beans or frozen broccoli

(and ingredients for the foccacia if making it)

#3......make your own homemade pizza.....we use the following recipe and add a tray of fresh veggies for the side dish......

Dollar A Day Meals - Pantry Pizza / Three Bean Salad

Can't begin to tell you how many people have started making pizza at home and thus saved a lot of money.

You knead this recipe and raise it right in the zip loc bag, how easy is that??

I have other helps for you, and recipes I'll ask you to try, but it is best to take one step at a time with food storage or it can get way too overwhelming. This is very close to what I teach for beginning food storage.

Next we will make a lentil recipe that most everyone tries/likes and are surprised that they like it. We made it for a ward food storage lunch n' lesson when I was ward emergency prep. specialist; it was all gone, none left!!

I think one mistake some people are making with the most recent guidance from the prophet to store a 3 month supply, is in not integrating longer-storing items such as whole grains and dry beans into that shorter-term supply.

Edited March 26, 2012 by shine7

[lds2]

I would like to start a discussion regarding food storage..

For longer-term storage you can walk into a "dry pack cannery" and walk out with cases of beans, wheat, rice, oats and mashed potatos without a canning appointment...they are ready to go home with you. Other things like carrots, dried apples, onions, other types of beans, milk, hot chocolate, etc. are also available but you might need an appointment in order to can those before taking them home ready for storage.

How much grains/beans to get for basic survival is found here...

Food Storage Calculator

Perhaps sprouting could be a good place to start because sprouting is healthier for you than eating the seeds cooked for several reasons..more fiber, better digestibility, live enzymes, and even slightly more nutrition and is very easy to do. And beans and wheat when eaten in the same day make a complete protein...

Some nutritional facts.

Wheat sprouts

Wheat Sprouts

Bean sprouts

Navy Bean Sprouts

Vitamin C (mg per 100 grams)

Orange has 53 mg

Kidney bean sprouts 39 mg

Pinto bean sprouts 22 mg

Wheat 3 mg

Vitamin A (IU per 100 grams)

Carrots (easily grown) 17200 IU

Broccoli 1967

Pea sprouts 166

Pinto beans 2

etc.

There are many how-to videos on Youtube, here is one of them...but you can use just a large "nut milk" cloth type bag for sprouting as well.

Some other good seeds that are sproutable include many types of beans, oat groats, millet, kamut, amaranth, corn, fenugreek, lentils, green peas, brown rice, sunflower seeds, broccoli, radish, alfalfa, etc.

The Sproutpeople's Sprouting Device List Review on sprouters...I bought mine on Amazon but they are also available at many preparedness sites, stores.

Some sites specialize on sprouting seeds. My friends buy a lot of theirs locally delivered using the Azure Standard co-op, I have bought sprouting seeds from Walton Feed as well. But any whole grain is sproutable and it doesn't have to be "organic" in survival/emergency situations. The various grains have different nutritional contents, so if you can, it is good to have a variety of whole grains and beans for better nutrition.

Edited March 27, 2012 by lds2

[lds2]

For three-month supply type ideas you might start small with something like the bag method where you put the ingredients for a meal (that is easy, quick and delicious) in a bag...and make as many bags as you might eat in a three month period and store those in your pantry. The people I know that do this only do two meals a day as in an emergency situation you probably would not be cooking more than that. They even add the bottled water, canned meat if appropriate for the recipe and put the spices in a tiny baggie.

I find easy and delicious recipes on this site...usually if hundreds of people liked it, it won't be too hard and it will taste great.

Rice Allrecipes - Search (page down to see recipes)

Pasta Allrecipes - Search

etc.

Also, for my three month supply I store things like canned meats, vegetables, fruits and soups (both wet and dry). Oil, salt, sugar, dried milk, dried eggs, baking soda and powder, and spices. I also love tomato products like soups , chili and spaghetti sauce. Other sauces like alfredo and butternut are family favorites. Many of these things can be used with rice or cooked grains or pasta for a simple meal to make these "longer-term" storage foods a lot more palatable.

Edited March 27, 2012 by lds2

[lds2]

Water - the church recommends storing 2 weeks worth of drinking water.

The Church has found a really great little filter that is very reasonably priced that can be used in an emergency when your two weeks of stored water is gone. Missionaries have used these in disasters I have heard. They are found at the Church distribution centers and in the LDS Catalog.

Water Filtration Bottle - LDS Online Store

[lds2]

Things like Berkey filters, rocket stoves and lifesprouts are all good products but are not really beginning preparedness items.

The "peace of preparedness" site was made by a friend of mine for her stake . She has a LOT of good ideas on how to get started and the items she likes, ways to cook without power, and she covers some of the more advanced preparedness items as well.

Peace of Preparedness

Edited March 27, 2012 by lds2

[LDSVALLEY]

If you do it right Food Storage actually saves you money.

We took two years to reach what I call critical mass food storage but at that level 80% of what we purchase is on sale which saves us money.

Food Storage also allows us to divert grocery money to unexpected expenses from time to time.

Example of Food Storage for no extra cost.

Each week you eat 5 cans of soup for $1.25 per can. ($6.25)

Grocery store has them on sale for $0.50 per can. ($2.50)

Food Storage- you purchase 12 cans and save .50 cents.

Eat your normal 5 and food storage the remaining 7

Next week buy your normal 5. You just created over a week of food storage soup for no extra cost.

or

You like stew a can is over two dollars each.

If you can your own you get exactly what you want in it, healthier as well for as little as 50 cents a can.

There is a misunderstanding that Food Storage costs money and only those with money can afford to do it. If we are talking Emergency Rations like MRE or K rations then there is truth in it. But when we talk about normal everyday living the opposite is true.

We have practiced this for several years, we save around 20% off our food bills or buy 20% more food thanks to Food Storage. PS it is really Home Storage as it applies to everything we use, light bulbs, 2x4's, tires and anything else we need to use someday.

The trick is to get to the level when you can buy most things on sale and not when you need them in the moment.

[shine7]

"The trick is to get to the level when you can buy most things on sale and not when you need them in the moment."

YES!!!!!!

This is so true, and money is saved continuously. When making out our menu, we

go to our food storage, grains, and dry beans first........Rotate, Rotate, Rotate!!!!!!