Wednesday Why: Long-term Food Storage Guideline

What is the current guideline for food storage?

In the current guideline, the ALL IS SAFELY GATHERED IN pamphlet, we learn what each family and household should do in order to prepare themselves. (see ALL IS SAFELY GATHERED IN:  home storage pamphlet, Ensign March 2009 p56-60)

Guideline 4:  Where possible, gradually establish a longer-term supply of foods that will store for a longer time, that sustain life.

1.  Store foods that store 20-30 years when stored properly.  When stored properly they will retain much of the necessary nutrients and even flavor quality.

2.  Storage of these items:  dry, cool, airtight containers.  Off the floor, away from chemicals.

1. If unable to store in these conditions, the storage life will be lessened.
2. Storage life is based on when the food still contains and maintains nutrients.  Flavor may lesson long before this time depending on the food, that is why it is wise to rotate through your food.

3.  Foods to store:  wheat, dry beans, rice, sugars, flour, etc.  Things your family likes that store for years when stored properly.

4.  Ways to do this:

• Use the cannery!  For many of the long-term items, the cannery has the best prices (especially wheat!).  Things that the cannery price is usually better:  wheat, dry milk, potato flakes, dried apples, dried onions, dried carrot flakes, dried refried beans, and more.  Some things you may be able to get cheaper at warehouse stores or on sale:  sugar, flour, pasta (macaroni and spaghetti), sometimes even oatmeal and maybe dry beans.  But, in general the cannery price is the best or close enough.
1. Estimate the current price per pound to find the best price of items.  Dried fruits and vegetables will cost more per pound than fresh, but last longer and can be used in seasons that they might not be available fresh.  Also dried foods once rehydrated can double or triple in volume, so be aware of this too.  You can buy fresh and dry or freeze at home.  If drying for storage:  need remove most if not all of the moisture.
• Watch for sales of these items, compare to cannery price too, or online prices.  Buy at best price (but don’t sacrifice quality—quality foods store better).  If they are products that can be canned in #10 cans, mylar bags or put in buckets do so.  Note:  you cannot bring outside food into the cannery, but if the stake or cannery has a canner you can borrow (either individually or as a ward), you can buy the cans from the cannery (with oxygen absorbers), and can at home/church.
• If setting aside a cup of rice/pasta each time you make a dish, put into container until have enough to fill a #10 can or mylar bag.
• Ways to determine how much:  open an item, write date on container when it was opened, when contents are used up, divide the days it took to use it into 365 days (this tells you how many containers you need for a year’s supply.

5.  Rotation:  these food items store for a long time, and so don’t have to be rotated as often.  But, it is still wise to learn how to use them, and to use them regularly both as a way to rotate them more often, but also so your family can become familiar with the tastes, textures and preparation methods of these foods.  Also, if you aren’t accustomed to certain foods, your body may have undesirable affects from the food (wheat and beans for example can cause digestive discomfort or gas—but with regular use these conditions are lessened or not noticed at all).