You are unable to predict the emergencies and how long it can affect is still a question. Availing healthy and sustainable food is the basic and primary requirement to survive. Regardless of your country and area, prepare yourself for emergency food storage. Either the hurricanes prevail or stuck in the earthquake-affected area, how would you survive. Definitely on your reserved food stock. Now change the scene to understand the importance of food during an emergency. Don’t go fry cry from the present and consider the COVID-19 situation. When the people in the United States were subjected to emergency lockdown, they rushed to store and avail food. The result is that people become furious and attacked the grocery shops. Even there was a great threat of chaos in America. If people have already stored food for an emergency, this situation could easily be avoided. That’s why stocking food is of vital importance and is your only way of better survival in an emergency. So, are you looking for an initiative to store food for an emergency? Well, you are at the right place. In this post, you will learn the best tips and tricks for emergency food storage. Let’s dive right in:

How Much You Should Store Food for Emergency

Every emergency differs in its intensity and the rate at which it affects the general population. Basically, an emergency may last from at least three days to a maximum of years. So, the best way is to start emergency food storage for 72 hours or three weeks. The general rule of thumb is to store one-gallon water and 2000 calories per person. Make up your mind and stock food for a minimum of three days. When you have stored food for three days, then heads for long-term storage. Moving one step forward, go with three weeks’ food supply. Now, you have stored enough food supply to survive for three weeks. But emergency may last for up to months and years. So, it is best to slowly store the food for about 3 or 6 months. During an emergency, it becomes a difficult task to avail food. Storing of food will give you satisfaction and peace of mind that you can easily survive on your stock food. Consider the family members and needs to store food for the long-term.    

Store a Stockpile of Canned Food for Emergency

Canned food is the best food type to be stored for an emergency. It is already processed, packaged, and preserved. It is easy to stock the canned food in your house. According to FEMA, use the following canned food within their shelf time:  

Canned fruits, vegetables, and juices	Use within one year
Powdered Milk	Use within six months
Condensed milk and vegetable soups	Use within one year
Canned Beans	Use within six years
Canned soups, cereals, and oatmeals	Use within two years
Peanut Butter	Use within two years

  You can use this general rule to store the canned food. Or according to the date labeled on the tank. Rotate the canned food within six months or one year and use the previously stored can, first. If any can seems to be damaged or rusted, don’t make the mistake of using it. Keep these points in mind to store the canned food.

• Never expose the canned food to direct sunlight.
• Store the canned food in a cool and dry place, maybe on shelves.
• Don’t put the canned food at high or low-temperatures but at 85 Fahrenheit (29 Celsius).

 

Freeze-Dried Food is Excellent for Emergency Storage

Basically, freeze-dried food is a type of preserved food in which the moisture is removed by freezing and then sealing in an airtight container. The addition of water upon eating retains the moisture of freeze-dried food. From meat to vegetables, you can freeze-dry any food. It’s not surprising to know that freeze-dried food can last up to 30 years when properly stored. Freeze-driers are in great demand these days as many homeowners are investing in them. By simple freeze driers, you can dehydrate any kind of food and then use it in an emergency. Freeze-drying increases the shelf life of food like:  

Freeze-dried cottage cheese	Can be used for about 30 years
Freeze-dried fruits and vegetables	Can be used for about 25 years
Freeze-dried meat	Can be used for 20 to 30 years
Freeze-dried coffee	Can be used for an indefinite time

In addition to the shelf life, freeze-dried food is also healthy with good taste. You don’t need to refrigerate the freeze-dried food.  

Use Mylar Bags to Stock Food for Indefinite Time

If you want to dissipate low energy and time but want long term storage of food, Mylar bags are the best option. The advantage of using Mylar bags is, the food can stay longer for 10 to 30 years. While packing the food in Mylar bags, follow these specific steps.  

• Open up the bags, keep them in the container or bucket.
• Fill with food and leave about 3-5 inches of space.
• Then add an oxygen absorber and seal the bag.
• You can use an iron, but the best way is to use sealers.
• Add up to seven pounds of grains in a one-gallon bag.
• Store the plastic bags in the resalable plastic buckets.

  Another point of concern for emergency storage of food in Mylar bags, preferably store the dehydrated or freeze-dried food. Because the moisture food can cause botulism, and is difficult to remain fresh long-lasting.  

Use Vacuum Sealing to Store Wheat and Rice

White rice and wheat are the best items for emergency food storage. Wondering how? The simple answer is it is super easy to store the wheat and rice with a long-lasting shelf time of about 10-30 years. If you have stored water, then you can easily cook the wheat and rice during the emergency, either it lasts for a year or two. You can use the simple process of vacuum sealing to store these items. Vacuum sealing will ensure the crops are free of rot.

For Wheat:

The rule of thumb for wheat storage is 2-4 lbs per adult and half of that for the child. Make a calculation for your whole family wheat requirements. Vacuum seal the wheat in approximately 10 lbs bags because it is easy to process, rotate, and use. Take a 5-gallon plastic bucket and keep your vacuum-sealed bags in the bucket. Avoid using plastic bags because rodents can easily chew them. Stock these buckets of wheat in a clean and dry place to about a temperature of 40-60 degrees Fahrenheit (4-15 degrees celsius). Above this temperature, the wheat will spoil soon.

For Rice:

White rice is also easy to store and serves a complete meal during an emergency. The rule of thumb is to store the 300 lbs of grains per person per year. Don’t hesitate in storing the rice long-term, it will benefit you a lot. Vacuum seal the quality rice with an oxygen absorber in the bags. A temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees celsius) will be best for the rice to stay well for 10 years. You can also store the rice in oxygen-free containers. It increases the shelf life of rice to about 30 years.

Other Food Items for Emergency Storage

Besides the above-mentioned food items, you can opt for the following items for emergency food storage. Dry Pasta: It is also the super option to store the pasta for an emergency. It has an amazing shelf life of 2-30 years. If you are bored after eating the canned food, the pasta will be a tasty snack then. Sweeteners: What would be life without sugar and sweeteners. Too boring! So consider storing the sweeteners. You can stock sugar by proper sealing that lasts for a long time. And you can also store the honey in the glass jar for an infinite time. MRE’s: Basically meals, ready-to-eat is a term used for self-contained food for the supply in an emergency. It is available in different tastes and may last for about 30 years. Eggs: You can store the eggs in freezers for about one year. But be sure the temperature of the freezer must be below 0 degrees Fahrenheit or -18 degrees Celsius. Before using, thaw the eggs by keeping them first in the refrigerator. Spices: Spices are also essential to make the food tasty. You can store any kind of spices like black pepper or cinnamon. The shelf lives of the spices are as:  

Turmeric	Can be stored for up to 4 years
Chili Powder	Can be stored for 3-4 years
Crushed/Powdered Red Pepper	Can be stored for up to 2 years
Cinnamon and Coriander	Can be stored for up to 4 years
Salt	Can be stored for infinite time
Dried Thyme and Parsley	Can be stored for up to 3 years

    So that’s it for my guide to emergency food storage. What did you like in the post? Which measure are you going to try first? Tell me by leaving a comment below.