Et cetera : Have you considered long-term food storage?

Many folks have purchased extra canned goods to store at home for emergencies. Along with home canned goods from their own garden, they could likely have meals for a couple of weeks. But what about milk, eggs, butter and other “buy fresh” items? 

Thus far, disasters in Benton County have knocked out electricity for at the most around 7 days. We all knew someone fairly close who had electricity. Grocery store shelves were never truly empty.

None of us knows in advance how long a disaster could affect our area. A regional disaster could prevent food trucks coming for weeks. Could you imagine empty store shelves for weeks? For this reason it can be wise to consider more than standard canned goods for your emergency supply.  

Long-term storage food can be purchased from many companies. Use your favorite search engine to check them out. Before you buy, compare shipping costs, nutritional facts, serving sizes and return policies.  As with any purchase, the lowest price is not necessarily the best choice. 

Considering purchases of long-term storage food can seem overwhelming at first. I admit, I looked around at websites and their informative articles and finally felt I was ready to make my first purchase in about 6months.

Most companies have sample bags available for purchase or even free so you can taste the product yourself before purchasing a large quantity. After all, they do want your business! 

You can buy single cans or pails of just fruits or vegetables, beans or complete entrées, like lasagna, butter noodles, stews or meat dishes. They even have those “buy fresh” products like butter, eggs and fortified milk. You can complete your pantry shopping with items such as flour, sugar, yeast and baking powder. They even have ready-made desserts to round out your meals! 

Some may think long-term storage food would taste bad, or have a lot of fat or salt to make it taste good. But some products state they are free of MSG, trans fats, gluten-free or GMO-free. They are similar nutritionally to what you find in your grocery store.  These food items must have the FDA Nutritional Facts label included on the package. 

For any food, the following factors will affect its shelf life and nutrition. Optimal storing conditions would be in a cool (between 50 to 60 degrees or less), dark, and dry environment, free of pests and away from cleaners, gasoline and solvents.

This food should be stored only in HDPE #2 plastic pails, or #10 cans when purchased. A #10 can does not refer to how much it will hold, but the quality of the can with double enamel coating inside and out to prevent rust. Food in Mylar bags is usually stored in plastic food grade buckets. These bags are metalized and provide optimum barriers to light, heat, moisture, odors and air. They are easily punctured though so keep them in the pails.

Long-term stored food comes in basically 3 types:  MRE’s (meals ready to eat). They are lightweight, easy to pack and can work well in your backpack for a 3-day emergency. Shelf life may vary, but 5 years under ideal conditions, 2 years in less than ideal conditions. MRE’s are the most expensive of the three. 

Freeze-dried food (FD)- Most freeze-dried foods have a 25-year shelf life under good conditions of heat, light, and moisture. FD food maintains much of the color, texture, shape, flavor and nutrition. It is somewhat more expensive than dehydrated food and takes up more space. Keep this in mind when you measure how much water to store per day. 

Dehydrated food- (DH food) High heat is used to bake out 97% of the moisture, without cooking it. It is the least expensive option for pre-packaged food. A disadvantage is most food must be reconstituted and usually cooked, which requires a heat source. Fruits, jerky and fruit leathers would not. Stored properly, these also can have a long shelf life 

Many foods use a mixture of FD or DH foods. Home dehydrators make this method a very inexpensive way to preserve food.  

If you have 20 –25 year shelf life food, some would say to begin gradually eating it at 5 or 10 or 15 years. Purchase more first so you aren’t caught empty-handed! After all, you will be 5 to 15 years older, and your family size and needs will be different during those years! 

As you look into this type of food, for example, you could buy a large pail of one item. Once opened, you may need to use the entire pail within a week to a year for example.  Most items will have twenty, 8 serving pouches in a pail. This allows you to use as much as you need and just reseal the pail.  

Some of the common companies to purchase long term storage food from are: Mountain House, Provident Pantry, Wise Food, Augusons, Alpine Food Storage, etc.  

By having some long-term storage food, you have greater options for tasty meals. Of course, if a disaster leaves you without electricity, you’ll need that grill, camp stove or dutch oven and fire starting skills! The ability to provide hot, nutritious foods during disastrous times is a great stress reliever and morale booster. For any questions, use Projectjoseph00@gmail.com.