Year's Supply of Food and Other Items

Latter-day Saints have been counseled to prepare to care for themselves and their families in time of need. Provident living involves being wise, frugal, prudent, and making provision for the future while attending to immediate needs.

This blog will discuss what to store, how much to store, how and where to store, where to buy it, and other important information.

WHAT TO STORE:

Remember: Store only what you and your family will eat and rotate what you store!!! In times of stress, it may be difficult to eat unfamiliar or disliked foods, especially for children.

After you have acquired your 3 Months Supply of Food for your family, as counseled by our First Presidency, then move onto your Year's Supply of Food. The Year's Supply consist of three categories of home storage: Basic storage, emergency storage, and expanded storage.

To know the amount you will need for your family go to TheFoodGuys.com and calculate how much you will need. This is a great chart!

Basic Storage:

This type of storage includes basic food items such as grains (storing a variety of wheat and regular flour, rice, corn, or other cereal grains), nonfat dried milk, legumes (store variety of dried beans such as soy, pinto, navy, red, split peas and lentils), sugar, salt, fat and water. A year's supply of these items should be stored first after acquring your 3 Months Supply of Food, then you can add other items. You can survive on basic storage items with supplement vitamins and herbs.

Follow the chart on TheFoodGuys.com website to see how much you will need to store for you and your family.

Emergency Storage:

Each person in your family should have a portable container with emergency supplies that will sustain life for 72 hours. It should be kept where it can be picked up at a moment's notice.

See the 72 Hour Kit posted blog for the list of items to include in the kit and our weekly challenge and assignment to help you set them up.

Expanded Storage:

This type of storage includes foods and other daily essential to supply total nutritional needs and allow for variety and personal preferences in diet and living:

Items that could be included:

Baking powder, baking soda, Vanilla extra, spices, yeast, etc
Canned milk
Soups (canned and dried)
Jello
Jams/jellies, peanut butter
Freeze-dried/dehydrated foods
Smoked, canned or freeze-dried meat, poultry and fish
Canned vegetables, sauces
Items that members of your family will eat, for age groups and are listed on your 3 Month Food Supply list
Soaps and cleaning supplies and an old fashioned washboard (ACE hardware has them)
Personal supplies (toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving supplies, shampoo/rinse, deodorant, comb/brush, feminine hygiene needs, Depends, diapers, etc)
Medications, prescription medications, supplemental vitamins and herbs
First-aid items (See posted blog First-aid)
Clothing of various kinds and sizes for all seasons
Sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, tent (see posted blog "Shelter")
A variety of fuel and light (see posted blog pertaining to these types of items, "Cooking, Heating, Lighting")
Equipment such as wheat grinder (may want to also consider a hand one in case on electricity), battery-powered radio with extra batteries, coal stove, sewing items and machine
Aluminum foil, plastic wrap, wax paper, plastic zip lock bags, large trash bags
Paper supplies--paper plates, cups, napkins, paper towels. utensils, toilet paper, facial tissue
Flashlights with extra batteries
Portable toilet
Generator and gas in fuel safe type container
Different types of cooking equipment (see posted blog "Cooking, Heating and Lighting")

(You might want to store unflavored gelatin so you can make an egg substitute that can be used in baking. To make a mixture that will substitute for 1 egg in a recipe combine 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin with 3 tablespoons cold water and 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon of boiling water.)

Water Storage:

See posted blog on Water Storage

You will need approximately 14 gallons per person for two weeks (seven for drinking and seven for other uses). For longer storage of water you should have one 55 gallon water barrel for each family member for drinking and other uses. Remember: In an emergency situation use water sparingly, do not waist water.

Suggestions for storage:

Home storage should consist of a year's supply of basic food, clothing, and where possible fuel. After this goal has been reached, emergency and expanded storage should be added.

If your job requires you to move often or you live in a small house with limited storage area, you should prepare as best you can for emergencies. It is wiser to have some food and emergency storage, a few weeks or months is better than none at all.

HOW MUCH TO STORE FOR EACH PERSON:

Go to TheFoodGuys.com, put in the number of family members by age and calculate how much you will need for a year's supply of food. The chart mentioned in the 3 Month Food Supply will also help you determine the needs of your family for everyday food and emergency items. See the 3 Month Food Supply posted blog.

HOW AND WHERE TO STORE:

1. The choice of foods for storage depends on availability, nutritive value, cost, storage qualities, and other considerations.

2. Store a variety of foods since no single food has all the essential nutrients in the correct proportions.

3. Store the highest quality or grade of food obtainable. Wheat should be cereal grade, double cleaned, at least 11% protein, and no more than 10 % moisture.

4. Foods should be stored in sturdy metal, plastic, or glass containers with tightly fitting lids. Sturdy wooden, straw, or earthenware containers may also be used., but a plastic bag liner should be used to protect the food from possible contamination. Do not use garbage bags.

5. Food should be stored in dry, well-ventilated cool room. Store near the floor on slats. Best place is under the bed or on closet floors. Rate of loss doubles for every 20 degrees the temperature rises.

6. Non-food items can be stored in attics, closet space near the ceilings, storage sheds or garages.
7. Foods should be stored in areas that permit easy access and allow control of temperature and humidity. In general, cool temperatures prolong storage life and quality. Not all storage items should be located in one area of the house. Not all should be stored in one type of container. The garage is not a good storage place for food, it gets to hot and lessons the shelf life.

8. To destroy insects that may infest grains, nuts, dried fruits or other foods, place the food in a home freezer and keep it at zero degrees Fahrenheit (or below) for four days. As an alternative, the food may be sterilized by being heated in an oven at a low temperature (setting of warm or 200 degrees Fahrenheit) for about one hour, depending on the nature of the food.

Spread the food on shallow pans so that the heat can penetrate easily. Stir the food occasionally to keep it from scorching. Dry ice kills most adult insects and larvae, but it probably will not destroy the eggs or pupae. Pour two inches of wheat into the bottom of the container. Add dry ice, then fill with wheat. Eight ounces of dry ice is recommended for one hundred pounds of grain, or one pound for each thirty gallons of stored grain. Seal the containers loosely for five to six hours, then seal them tightly.

9. Storage should be acquired according to an orderly and systematic plan consistent with the family's needs. Never go into debt to buy food storage!

10. Stored foods should be used and replaced on a regular basis to maintain quality and minimize waste.

11. Maintain a food inventory and replace items as they are used. (see posted blog about ways to rotate food storage).

12. Food costs can be minimized by budgeting and shopping wisely.

Important: Develop recipes using foods in your storage. It is important to use your powdered dry milk regularly and your other basic foods. If you haven't eaten wheat, then find yourself living on wheat, you may develop health problems. You must be able to eat your storage items.

WHERE TO BUY FOOD FOR YOUR FOOD STORAGE:

1. The LDS Dry Pack Cannery is the best place to buy the Basic Food Supply items. You can purchase Pinto beans, rice, wheat, and oats already canned by the case. Sometimes they have extras left over from previous people who came to can for sale. You can also buy Started Kits which include these items (these make great Christmas and Wedding presents). These items keep for 30+ years.

2. The LDS Dry Pack Cannery also has many other items you can can yourself, plus the basics listed above. Go to http://www.providentliving.org/ and you can print out a list of the items you can dry pack can. You can also bring in your own products to dry pack can. I find the prices at the Dry Pack Cannery are very reasonable but you may be able to find items at Costco, Sam's Club or other wholesale stores at a lower price. The best thing to do it shop around.

Note: The Dry Pack Cannery is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9-2. You can schedule a time at the cannery by calling 323-265-8051. Buddy Fox is the director of the Dry Pack Cannery. Anyone from 16 on up can use the canning machines. Anyone from 12-15 years old can help out putting food items in the #10 cans, putting together boxes and putting the cans in the boxes. They have to accompanied by an adult. A family or group of people (16-20 people at one time) can schedule a time during regular operating hours of business or schedule a special evening time starting at 6PM. It is best to only work on 3-4 products at one scheduled time. Let the Cannery know ahead of time what you plan to can and how much so they can make sure the supplies are there.

3. Of course, the best place for regular canned food items is your local grocery store. Watch the local sales papers for great sales items, but watch the expiration dates on the cans and other food items. Do not store something that will expire in a few months unless you plan to rotate them. Most canned items last for two years depending on where and how you store them. Some items have a lessor shelf life.

4. Major Survival Surplus Discount Warehouse is located on Alondra Blvd in Gardena. They have some great #10 can Freeze-dried items and other emergency preparedness items.

5. Online Freeze-dried items. I have notice there are Emergency Preparedness buckets that say they will feed you for 275 meals. You can also purchase them at Costco. As I have reviewed these I have noticed from comments from others that purchased them, their main concern was the calorie count for them. Our daily calorie count should be 2000 calories. These bucket meals only supply about 400 calories a day. You could supplement with other meats and veggies. They seem expensive to me $80-$300 each bucket. You would need 4 buckets for one person's year's supply if you decided to go this way. The do take a minimum amount of space. It also may be possible that your children and family may not store what your family will eat. But it might be good to have a few on hand for emergency purposes and you could barter with the food packets for other things you might need. Personally, I would rather store food I know my family and myself will eat. Some people in their comments said they like the Mountain Home freeze-dried products better. There are many other types of these companies. The only way you will know if you like any of these types of products is to order one or two and try them. Also remember you will be paying for shipping too. This is just something you will need to look into yourself and decide for yourself if is right for you.

Remember: The best plan is to store what you and your family will eat, store the basics, rotate what you store, store it correctly to extend the shelf life, watch for sales and shop around and do not go into debt for your food storage (add a little at a time).

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

Remember: In the event of an emergency when the power goes off:

FIRST: Use all edible foods in your refrigerator
NEXT: Use as many freezer foods as possible before spoilage sets in
THEN: Start on your supply of non-perishable foods

1. Dried fruits should be repacked loosely in clean glass jars and placed without lids in an oven, then heated for 20 minutes at 150 degrees, then sealed properly. This will protect them from insects and deterioration.

2. Some food items do not need a cool place, such as sugar, jello and some dehydrated foods. If space it a problem these may be stored in the warmer areas of the house--under beds, in closets, etc.

3. Use iodized salt to protect pasta products from weevils if not dry packed. Use 1 cup poured over each large box of macaroni or noodle products. Recover the salt after using the pasta. The salt won't hurt the pasta, since all pasta requires salty water in initial preparation.

4. Turn canned milk upside down every other month to prevent lumps from forming. Turning prevents the fats from separating. Use evaporated, condensed sweetened, and other canned milks within one year.

5. Turn honey upside down every 6 months. Replace honey in large plastic jars/bottles into smaller glass jars so you can heat the honey if it crystallized. It is not good to reheat honey to many times. The only requirement is to leave a little space at the top to allow for expansion when it crystallized. (If stored honey does not eventually crystallize, it is not pure honey.) It should not be stored in tin cans, cans may rust, discoloring the honey and affecting its flavor.

6. Food supplies and other needed articles should be stored in readily portable containers in case of an emergency.

7. As a further precaution for glass containers, hot paraffin wax may be poured over the contact point of friction-type lids to insure protection. With other types of lids, masking/duck tape may be used for sealing cracks where corrosion could begin.

8. Baking powder should be kept in original metal containers.

9. Discolored iodized salt is still good for seasoning food.

10. Large cans of yeast should be divided into smaller amounts in bottles and stored in the freezer or refrigerator.

11. Brown sugar should be placed in jars and tightly sealed. When brown sugar becomes hard, place a small pieces of apple in the jars for a day before using.

12. Let children help with the family preparedness program. Let them help make labels, itemize foods, bottle fruit and pickles in the summer, grind wheat, make bread, and package items that need repackaging.

Make Home Storage fun for the whole family, involve everyone!

This blog posting is complete.