Food Storage
The Need to
Store Food
A person asked Mr. Tobias of Tobias
Financial, “What’s the best investment for someone who has only $1,000?”
Mr. Tobias said, “Nonperishable consumer
staples.”
Howard Ruff, another financial guru, tells
about attending a conference years ago with a number of noted hard money
advisors.
He got up to speak in front of 800 people
and asked, “Do you honestly believe that in a period of monetary collapse that
you will be able to safely drive down to your supermarket in your gas-guzzling
car, make a selection from a dazzling variety of goods on the shelf, pay them
with your personal check, walk safely out the door to your car, drive home and
put them in your dependable, electric-operated refrigerator?”
He said that was the first time he ever got
an ovation for a question! (Then he was able to give his advice about storing a
year’s worth of food.)
The Mormon Church has been advising its
members for the last few years that they should have a 2 year supply of food
stockpiled.
Statistics on
how long various foods can be safely stored
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Longer-Term
Storage—30 Years or More Properly
packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C
or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought
according to findings of recent scientific studies. Estimated shelf life for
many products has increased to 30 years or more (see chart for new estimates
of shelf life). Previous estimates of longevity were based on
"best-if-used-by" recommendations and experience. Though not
studied, sugar, salt, baking soda (essential for soaking beans), and vitamin
C in tablet form also store well long-term. Some basic foods do need more
frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil every 1 to 2 years. While there
is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the
original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged, and stored, the
studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help
sustain life in an emergency.
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Storing Flour
If you are actually serious about storing foods for
your own survival, you MUST store whole wheat and a grain grinder! There simply
is no substitute for long term storage of whole wheat that can be home ground
into flour for cooking. But you can store any kind of flour by sealing it into
bags (I use a small kitchen garbage bag), freezing at 0˚F for 4 days, then storing it on a shelf or
closet...it will keep at least several years this way.
To store whole wheat in small quantities, place a
tall kitchen garbage bag into a 5 gallon bucket, fill with whole wheat, use a
straw to remove all air, seal the bag, snap on the lid of the bucket, and
freeze it for 4 days...it will last for decades this way. A normal (white) 5
gallon bucket is actually only about 4 gallons, and will hold 30 pounds of
rice, 25 pounds of beans, or about 25 pounds of wheat. You should have at least
10 buckets filled with each of the above for each person.
Bean Storage Trick
Putting 2 or 3 whole bay leaves in dry beans will
keep beetles away but not affect the taste of the beans
Other
links
Here’s a link to a site
that discusses long-term food storage:
http://standeyo.com/News_Files/menu.food.store.html