Do you have adequate food storage in case of a family emergency? A family emergency may include things like job loss, family health crisis, an accident, the economy, drought, social unrest, weather related catastrophes etc.
Start by growing your food supply to a 3-6 month supply and then to a 1 yr supply of the foods you eat everyday. This will give you more security and peace so if for any reason you cannot get to the store, you know you can feed your family, pets included.
Long and Short-Term Food Storage
Consider your family's needs, allergies, requirements and tailor it for them.
Store gluten free options, if needed.
Staples, dry food storage with a long shelf life, beans & legumes, (several kinds), rice (basmati, white and brown, long grain, short grain, jasmine, white rice) wheat (soft, white, hard red), cereal grains like oats, and/or groats or steel cut, millet, buckwheat, quinoa (red, black or white), teff, amaranth, popcorn (grind and make cornmeal for yummy recipes) salt, (Redmond, Sea Salt, Himalayan, Celtic), baking soda, (for cooking and cleaning), baking powder, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, meats.
Honey, maple syrup, stevia, white or brown sugar, sprouting seeds, raw nuts and seeds (stored in glass jars with a food saver or stored in freezer bags) for extended shelf life, apple cider, balsamic and white vinegar, spices, herbs,
Freeze dried or dehydrated fruits and veggies, eggs, milk, canned foods (be sure to rotate, watch the dates), Your bottled and canned fruits, sauces, veggies, meats, etc.
In the fall, root veggies, potatoes, carrots, onions, apples, squash from the farmers market or your garden.
Meats, veggies, fruits etc in your freezer will round out your meals. And you may want to rotate through these first.
Paper products, plastic bags, (all the sizes) women and baby supplies, (consider cloth diapers, disposable take up so much space to store), laundry supplies, alternative fuel for cooking, light and heat.
Garden Seeds - Non GMO will allow you to save your own seeds and grow next year
**Become skilled in gardening, sprouting, making your own soaps, lotions, shampoos. Learn to sew, can, dehydrate, freeze dry foods, composting and anything else that will assist you becoming more self reliant.
So many homemaking skills are needed and may be learned as you create your plan to move forward.
Food Storage Plan Ideas
Long & Short Term
Minimum basic amounts for one person for one year
These amounts all depend on how you cook, adjust them as you experiment over time to your family’s needs
6 GALLON BUCKETS OF GRAINS (These store for many years)
Wheat (hard white, hard red, soft white (baking). Many varieties to choose from. (The harder varieties store longer) Rye, Barley, Kamut and Spelt for more diversity. (Kamut and Spelt are ancient grains.)
Also consider Einkhorn
ALTERNATIVE GRAINS
Millet, Quinoa, Teff, Amaranth, Buckwheat
Rice, Brown, White, Basmati, Jasmine
(rinse brown rice real well with hot water if it smells stale, the oils wash off. Then cook as usual.
Rolled oats, groats or steel cut in the bucket, can or bag. (roll oat groats with an oat roller, the advantage is that it has not been steamed like regular oats and will store longer), popcorn (a good quality can be stored for a long time and ground fresh to make cornbread)
DRY BEANS AND LEGUMES
Pinto Beans, Black Beans, White Beans, Kidney Beans, Great Western Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Brown Lentils, Yellow Lentils, Split Peas, (Yellow and Green)
RAW HONEY, SUGAR OR PURE MAPLE SYRUP
(Pure Maple Syrup has many minerals)
DRY MILK
(Country Cream is 100% dehydrated milk)
COLD PRESSED OILS
(Olive Oil, Grapeseed Oil, Avocado Oil, (Store in the freezer to extend shelf life) Also, extend the life of the oil by refrigerating it after opening). Cold pressed oils have essential fatty acids and antioxidants in them. We must have them for healthy hair, skin, nails, brain and heart function. Cold pressed oils have not been heated. Heat destroys vital nutrients.
SALT
(Sea Salt, Redmond, Himalayan, Sea Salt and Celtic Salt is excellent, good to have variety)
SPROUTS FOR LIVE FOOD
Sunflower seeds, golden flax seeds sesame seeds, fenugreek, broccoli seeds, alfalfa seeds. Expand your storage and give you more options, learn to sprout
Add:
RAW NUTS AND SEEDS
Soak and sprout for added nutrition, and or nut butters, nut milks
( products without added shortening gives you more for your money and is better for your health.)
DEHYDRATED OR FREEZE DRIED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Tomatoes, Onions, Carrots, Green Beans, Peas, Corn Celery, Peppers, Potatoes, Potato Granules, Tomato chunks and powder, Banana chips, Blueberries, Strawberries, Raspberries, Apples, Pineapple Etc. (Great shelf life.) Add water and blend and you have baby food.
BOUILLON SOUP STOCK
WHOLE EGG POWDER
BOTTLED, DEHYDRATED, FROZEN MEATS
BAKING SODA, BAKING POWDER, ARROWROOT POWDER, CORNSTARCH
YEAST
(Saf Yeast is vacuum packed and has a long shelf life. Dehydrate your sourdough start for later use)
MAKE YOUR OWN SOUR DOUGH STARTER
(dryed and bagged for long term storage.)
SPICES AND HERBS
(Some health food stores sell them in bulk, save your spice jars and fill them with fresh ones or buy online spices Anytime you can get the whole herb or spice you will have fresher and longer lasting flavor
The Spice Hunter
(Amazon or Sprouts)
PURE MAPLE SYRUP
(Costco, Sam’s, Good Earth Natural Foods (Good minerals)
DATES
(can store them in the freezer)
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
White Distilled Vinegar
Great for cleaning fruits and veggies and also your house
Shorter Term Foods
KETCHUP, MUSTARD AND MAYO, MIRACLE WHIP
(These have limited shelf life, learn to make your own. Learn how to bottle your own)
CANNED , BOTTLED OR BOXED FRUITS, VEGGIES, SOUPS, STEWS, CHILI, MEAT (These have a short shelf life, check dates)
PAPER PRODUCTS
Plates, cups, bowls (these come in enamel, plastic and stainless steel too)
utensils, napkins, paper towels,
Women and Baby Needs
Sanitary supplies (washable ones available online, as well as patterns for making your own)
Cloth Diapers
cloth diapers and pins and plastic pants or other washable ones available online as well as
(Uses less space and can be used over and over again)
MATCHES
FUEL
Think about fuel for your needs for heat and light
Wood, kerosene, fuel to run a generator, coal, solar power, wind power, lamp oil etc.
CLEANING & LAUNDRY SUPPLIES
White distilled vinegar, baking soda and essential oils are simple and can be used to clean just about everything. Laundry soap ( see our wonderful laundry soap recipe), clorox, Laundry Soda, Borax, Fels Naptha, etc.
By Karen Logan is a great resource
By Casey Kellar is a great resource
MEDICINAL HERBS
Capsules, bulk, tinctures, ointments, syrups, teas
FIRST AID SUPPLIES
Bandages, wraps, gauze pads, scissors
EXTRA MEDICATION
This takes time, so start now by re-filling your prescription when it is down ¾. Make sure you rotate it
VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS
Extras of all the products you use.
PERSONAL PRODUCTS
Soap, lotion, toothpaste, extra toothbrushes, floss, shampoo, deodorant (baking soda is good for this and so are essential oils, simplify by using oil for lotion, coconut, jojoba, apricot seed, olive oil is a little heavier and stays on the skin longer). Find products for multiple uses saving you storage space.
Multi-purpose soaps are available online such as Miracle II Soap Concentrate, Dr Bonners, Kirk’s Original Coco Hardwater Castile Soap is also a great soap. These soaps can be used for skin care, tooth brushing, shampoo, cleaning the house, car, laundry.
LAUNDRY SOAP
Find a powder, biodegradable and hypoallergenic concentrate, if possible
Fels Naptha and Zote are great bar soaps for stain removal (See our recipe for great laundry soap)
GARDEN SEEDS
(Non GMO Seeds are best and may be saved for the next year)
**Become skilled in gardening, sprouting, making your own soaps, lotions, shampoos. Learn to sew, can, dehydrate foods and anything else that will assist you becoming more self reliant
*Remember baby’s needs
Millet is a very alkaline grain. Dates are a whole food. Also, avocados and bananas are baby’s first foods. Use dehydrated fruits and veggies re-hydrated and blended.
*Grains stored will last longer if you tumble them in diatomaceous earth and store in 5-6 buckets. Also, every few years, pour your grains from one bucket to another and then back again to oxygenate the grain. This will assist in keeping your grains fresh and able to sprout
*Be cautious of storing prepared foods, crackers, chips etc as they go rancid if not rotated timely, check the dates
Blog of years past
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