What's in your food storage?

[AngelaBarbara]

"I want to get those mylar bags and the sealer (lds.org). Then I can save sugar and rice I just got on special. Has anyone worked with the mylar bags? Do they last as long as a can? Someone just told me that they didn't but that didn't seem right to me."

Mylar bags are great, and they will last indefinitely. The only downside versus a can is that you have to put them in something, because if you puncture them, or a little mouse chews on them, they are now not good, along with whatever is in them (unless you eat the contents right away.)

You can put mylar bags in 5 gallon pails. It's a really good way to store small amounts of stuff (like grain) that you are going to use soon. Heck, you could put them in anything vermin-proof. Why package 50 lbs of whole grain in a 5 gallon pail, when you don't know if you can use it up fast enough? If you pack it in a smaller mylar bag, and then put several small bags in a pail, you can pull it out of the pail, use it in a month (or whatever) and then get more from your pail when you need it. No pressure to have corn bread or wheat whatever for a month.

Save your money on a sealer; a household iron set to "wool" works fine. Put your money into food storage instead, or see if your stake's cannery has one you can use. Just my $0.02.

[AngelaBarbara]

You'll want to cook all that stored food, right?

Kerosene

Kerosene stove

Kerosene lamp

Kerosene heater

Pri-D to stabilize kerosene

Boxes of matches (these are also a good barter item)

You need teeth if you want to eat...

Toothbrushes

Dental floss

Toothpaste

Emergency tooth filling

Some things you might find handy to seal up the house..

Nylon cord or rope

Garbage bags

Expandable spray-on sealer

Plastic sheeting (6 mm)

Duct tape

Remember to get some yeast if you want to bake bread. It stores just about forever in the freezer. You can buy a 2lb brick at Costco for cheap.

Oh, and here's a whacky idea...I found this stuff on the internet that you can actually paint on fresh eggs to keep them fresh. It makes it so you don't have to refrigerate them. I forget what it's called, but you could Google it. Omelet, anyone?

[Bookmeister]

Along with many of the food and toiletry items mentioned by everyone else, I have new clothes (summer & winter) stored, a large medical kit made up of the usual things plus emergency surgery and wound care items (never know when that axe might slip!!!) and a variety of OTC and herbal medicines, and most importantly, I have a small library of books.

These include medical handbooks like the US Army special forces medical guide, The Mountaineers first aid and medical care book, and herbal and homeopathic medicines guide, edible plants guidebooks for the geographical region I live in, books on 19th century home construction and building with alternative materials (straw bales, etc), boy scout handbooks and field guides, small farm operations, carpentry and woodcraft, basic metal working (and blacksmithing), a book on 18th and 19th century chemistry (heck, I might have to make my own black powder LOL), and so forth.

I've also taken first aid and first responder courses at the community college.

Of course, it could just be my natural paranoia, or the fact that I like to read...:)

[Misshalfway]

I keep trying to store kid medicine. And I always end up using it! Aweee! the joy of kids! :)

[fish4kitty]

Oh I thought the cats were a food source Iggy. :)

Ben Raines

YUCKY!!!Thats not funny quick question on a related note do they make a kitty helper?

[pam]

Oh I thought the cats were a food source Iggy. :)

Ben Raines

Only if you are ALF.

[Iggy]

"I want to get those mylar bags and the sealer (lds.org). Then I can save sugar and rice I just got on special. Has anyone worked with the mylar bags? Do they last as long as a can? Someone just told me that they didn't but that didn't seem right to me."

Mylar bags are great, and they will last indefinitely. The only downside versus a can is that you have to put them in something, because if you puncture them, or a little mouse chews on them, they are now not good, along with whatever is in them (unless you eat the contents right away.)

You can put mylar bags in 5 gallon pails. It's a really good way to store small amounts of stuff (like grain) that you are going to use soon. Heck, you could put them in anything vermin-proof. Why package 50 lbs of whole grain in a 5 gallon pail, when you don't know if you can use it up fast enough? If you pack it in a smaller mylar bag, and then put several small bags in a pail, you can pull it out of the pail, use it in a month (or whatever) and then get more from your pail when you need it. No pressure to have corn bread or wheat whatever for a month.

Save your money on a sealer; a household iron set to "wool" works fine. Put your money into food storage instead, or see if your stake's cannery has one you can use. Just my $0.02.

If you are going to store the bags in a plastic bucket, then why not save your self tons of money and seal those grains up in a Food Saver Vacuum Sealer??

[Iggy]

I keep trying to store kid medicine. And I always end up using it! Aweee! the joy of kids! :)

For over the counter meds, buy extra when it is on sale. Treat your kitchen food shelves, bathroom linen closet like a mini store. I have absolutely no cupboard or linen closets in my house. I have to buy Put It Together Yourself Cupboard and Pantry's. I now have two in my kitchen and two in my living room, two in my bedroom (for towels, sheets, and blankets)

When you purchase soup, get two or four cans extra. When they are on sale, and you eat a lot of soup, then buy a case. Keep a small clipboard with a pencil attached hanging on one of your cupboards or pantry's.

When you only have a few items left, write it down and then write how many you have/ how many will fit on the shelf. 3/12. On the day before you go shopping, sit down with the store ads with your clip board and a black marking pen. Circle everything that is on sale that you need. Go through the sale ads at least three times. The second and third time you should circle the meats, fresh produce that you can make meals with during the coming week or weeks.

Now, put the name of each store on a separate piece of paper. Get that sale ad and write down everything that is circled. Put it's price per lb, each, etc.

When you are doing it for the other stores and see the same item, like Fresh Express Salad Kits for 2/$5.00 at one store and 10 for $10.00 - which FE Salad Kit are you going to cross off???

I go shopping with four lists. There are three stores in my town, plus Wal Mart _ will NOT shop at Wal-Mart unless I only have X amount of dollars and we don't care what we eat. My fourth list is my storage list. It doesn't bother me one bit to hit all three stores and then go back to the 1st store to get some items on my storage list.

I start with the store that is closest to home and work my way out. So store #1 & 2 are on my way home.

If you treat your kitchen cupboards, pantry and storage just like your own private grocery store - then you will always have rotated foods.

Remember when you put your groceries away - pull the old out, put in the new and then replace the old. JUST like they do at the grocery store. ROTATE!!

[Iggy]

Remember to get some yeast if you want to bake bread. It stores just about forever in the freezer. You can buy a 2lb brick at Costco for cheap.

Once you open that brick of yeast, separate it out into 4 equal portions and vacuum seal three with a Food Saver Vacuum Sealer. Put them in the freezer. The remaining 1/4 put in a glass jar with a good seal in the fridge.

Before you use your yeast, measure out what you need at the very beginning of making bread, etc. Let it warm up some - I don't care how "fresh" I think my yeast is, I always proof the yeast before I add it to my bread. To PROOF the yeast: Put your yeast into a 1 or 2 cup cup measuring cup. Add the required amount of 100 - 110 degree water and a pinch of sugar or 1/8 tsp of honey or molasses. I use a small whip to mix it well with. Within 5 to 10 minutes your yeast should have risen to the top of the cup and be frothy. Stir it up a bit and add to your bread mixture.

[AngelaBarbara]

If you are going to store the bags in a plastic bucket, then why not save your self tons of money and seal those grains up in a Food Saver Vacuum Sealer??

Because it's not any cheaper; I've priced the rolls vs the mylar bags. Even with the oxygen absorbers figured in, mylar is still cheaper. And you'd still need a plastic bucket for the foodsaver bags, for the same reasons that you need them for mylar. Mice will chew on anything. Please let me know if you have a good source for cheaper Foodsaver bags. I only buy the name-brand bags; the cheapie off-brand ones are thinner and don't work so well for long-term or freezer use.

Edited August 10, 2008 by AngelaBarbara