I have rubber maid totes in a storage shed outside where temps probably reach 115+ during the summer (like now...). In them I have everything from powdered milk to peanut butter, to instant oatmeal, canned food (all store bought meats, soups, fruits, veggies, etc) and I think that's about it. I was wondering what some suggestions were from you guys.
What's your experience with canned food spoiling? Due to heat? Long storage times?
I've only had most of it for less than a year, but we're going to start a FIFO rotation schedule to keep it all 'moderately fresh'.
Vacuum sealing dry goods surely helps from insect damage, what other food storage tips, ideas and items are there?
Oh and MREs go obviously without need for comment.

CaHermit, what you need is a root cellar, if you have a basement. you will need to build a stud framed insulated room next to a north facing window, as you know basement will stay cooler inside this room which could be about 6'x8' you could make separate areas for different food storage, you see some food veggies like high humidity and cool temps some like cold temps and some like medium humidity.

So lets say you have your room built put the veggies that like high humidity next to the window and install a swamp cooler for summer storage, it will make it cooler and moister next to the window. in the winter just open the window and close to maintain temp levels. in winter a humidifier will help keep humidity at the levels you want. As you have guessed I am assuming your in a hot area of Cali,

If you don't have a basement you will need to build a underground cellar. I will post more info on this later,self canned foods require a cool dark place and they should last about a year, but always check the seal before using and check color and smell.

As for the meats, you will need a freezer or you will need to learn how to dry or cure the meat. there are several way to cure, salt brine, air dried, jerky, I can't write all of the ways here today but will post a new post tomorrow or later tonight.

If you need more info contact me by PM and I will send you some plans...

Did you know............you can "can" meat? Check it out!

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay105.html

Another way to save your meat.....

I had assumed that you could can meat, seeing as how they have things like spam, chunky soups, and corned beef on the shelves at the supermarkets. MMM corned beef and hash.
For the purpose of this post I was referring to storing foods to pack out with me when TSHTF. I rent and ain't staying here in the flood lands. I'll be waiving with one hand, and flippin em off with the other!
We're looking at about a 50+ mile pilgrimage to the mountains... and I was wondering what to take with me, until I can get the crops planted, root cellar built, and game hunted.
Not to mention that we're also heading up to plant brambles, and other self sustaining food producing crops before TSHTF.
I have a HUGE ice chest and a bunch of distilled water in jugs frozen solid. That's to pack out the half a side of beef in our freezer, and all the dairy and fresh fruit we can muster. We'll feast like kings until the jugs defrost, then we'll be drying and jerking... and maybe crying
Currently I think I have 2 totes full, and we're working on a couple more, and some organization and rotation.
The swamp cooler thing won't work, and our windows might not have glass... We're gonna be in the woods, not on the outskirts. Back to colonial life.
We'll also be bringing a tote full of books some of which will be food storage and native american methods...
so what foods should I have in my totes?

Freeze dried food is lightweight, stores for up to 30 years in the #10 cans, and 5-7 years in the foil pouch single backpacker meals.

They do need water though to reconstitute but, they are good and the variety is like going to the grocery store. There are full blown main courses, desserts, breakfasts, veggies, meats, cheeses, milk, butter, etc. Check em out......
http://www.mountainhouse.com/

Can I assume that you already own the land, or have at least made arrangements with the owner? If so, dig that root cellar Greywolf mentioned. Keeping your food at lower temperatures will extend the shelf life. Canned foods will be edible after their expiration date, they will just loose some of their nutricial value and vitamin potency.

Those mountain house foods are a good idea. We have some. I tried it for lunch, and it was much better than I expected. And a 30 year shelf life is amazing.

my ex inlaws canned meat every year..pork chops and sausage fresh from the pig..used mason jars and a cut down metal 55 gal barrel for water bath..heat was supplied by a burner from a comercial gas dryer and a 100# gas bottle...it was an all day affair putting the meat in jars and cooking them..ate the stuff all through the year..

No, I don't own the land, we're going to be squatting or claiming a mining claim in the national forest.
Land in California is like a hot blonde with blue eyes in Viet Nam. No chance of purchasing anything remote without a $1,000,000 or so (that'll get ya spit in a bucket). We're hoping to be remote enough to evade detection until TSHTF, and hopefully after that too...

If you can't build a root cellar, then I'd look at burying a couple of plastic 55 gallon drums. Use the ones with the removeable top. Pre positioning supplies is one of the best things that you might be able to do.

Bury a couple of 5 gallon pails along the way with the supplies that you'll most likely need during the journey just so you don't have to carry as much.

I'd rather cure the meat then can it, but either will work.

I see a lot of planning short term here for right after the SHTF, but there is another scenario that you should plan for...

It is a lack of supplies in stores and a collapse of the economy. You don't just need food and perishable in barrels or buckets you must be able to grow your own and live without that freezer and electricity (unless your solar)

I see a lot not all of you living in a tent, out of you buckets and thats great one you need to be mobile but you need to work on long term survival skills also. what do you do once the economy has hit the fan. Good Luck if you have not been already living the old way, it takes years of trial and error to even grow a great garden consistently.

When I tell you I am a Mountain man, I mean I can trap, hunt grow my own food and store it long term, I can make my own clothes and shoes, I can live on my farm or if I had to leave I could live for years in the mountains, Look I am not bragging. Just letting you know that this is what you will need to be able to do also...

SURVIVAL IS NOT HAVING ENOUGH FOOD TO LAST A WHILE, SURVIVING IS HAVING THE SKILL TO LIVE IN THE WILDERNESS FOREVER.

I wonder if they'll go back to hangings/lynchings?

Why do I ask? Because as I see it, transportation will be needed (to get from point 2 point) if the fuel supply goes to hell and ones gas/diesel guzzler becomes a huge paper weight or immobile tent. That means "4 legged kinds of transport" will be necessary again and with that will come horse stealing.

If we are hurled back into the 19th century all of a sudden (through economic collapse or whatever) we will be forced to do things we deem necessary (such as taking what we need at times in order to survive). A horse will be as valuable then as an auto is now. Maybe even more!

Just a thought to ponder.....sorry for digressing! I guess one could technically be hung for stealing food as well though. Depends on the situation and how desperate it becomes to do that.

That's true Apatriot2, If you steal food after the SHTF I guess that they just might string you up...

But good prep will save the day for us, not for the sheep they will be stealing and robbing and killing each other for food.

So what are some examples of foods to store?
I have things such as canned vegetables, meats, fruits, instant oatmeal, powdered mashed potatoes, powdered milk, canned milk, soups, pinto beans, tuna, rice... Anything else?

Anything and everything you know you will need,not want.When and if the tshtf,all kinds of thing will come out of the wood work.Prepare for everything.Train as you would fight,and fight as you train.

what stores well? I have heard that wheat and grains were considered 'usable' in Egyptian terracotta vases in tombs dated to like 3-4000 years.

"what stores well? I have heard that wheat and grains were considered 'usable' in Egyptian terracotta vases in tombs dated to like 3-4000 years."

true and mummys stored well too..but they had like no rain and very low humidity..wet will be your biggest enemy (next to your nosey neighbor) when it comes to storage..what i see is a good list of foods to store..just about anything in cans will store for a few yrs with no problems..noodles beans rice etc. will have to be extra wrapped in ziplock to help keep dry..mak90 makes a good point make a list of needs and wants..needs are things like water food etc..the things one cannot live without(as in you will die) wants are everything else..chocolate cake is not a need even for a female*G*

A can of SPAM has a normal shelf life of 114 years. This only applys to SPAM as other canned meat is canned differently and has a much lower shelf life.

FYI...

Mike...

No way........I had spam stored from the Y2K sit and some of it went shitty on me. 114 years? :rolleyes: Try maybe 10.

Most all canned goods only lasts 2 years with a max of maybe seven. Beans-n-Rice store well as mentioned above. BUT........

Yer BEST BET for "storage food" is FREEZE DRIED. It has a confirmable 30 year shelf life. Ask Mountain House. They make it. http://www.mountainhouse.com/

cordially,
A.P2

Mountain House tastes better than Spam too.

Posted by: EastCentralMSMilitia Dec 17 2005, 02:54 AM
Storing a supply of food items for your family isn't hard to do. It takes time and money, and a commitment to a certain routine. But it isn't hard.

Let me walk you through a simple plan from zero to one year supply. You can "tweak" this to fit your needs. I don't have all the answers for your situation. I just have a small amount of experience to share.

First,
Prepare your pantry.
I don't know exactly how to describe what "YOU" need to do, but after you compute the amount of foodstuffs you will need to store you can figure the square footage the storage area will require.

You will need to buy/scrounge/construct a shelving system that allows you to "feed" your canned and dry goods from the rear. This will keep you from having to unload the shelf everytime you add new supplies. And it also promotes good rotation habits.

Also, during the pre-food phase, go to the paint department of WalMart, Lowe's, HomeDepot, or similar store. Buy 10 new 5 Gallon buckets, 10 lids with seals, and 5 snap lids. (kinda like the lid on a coffee can). You can also order very good lids from U.S. Plastics in Ohio.

The very first trip to the grocers, buy the biggest sack of sugar you can find/afford. Empty the sugar in a bucket and put a snap lid on it.

On the next trip, buy as much non-iodized salt as you can afford. Empty these in another bucket and top with snap lid. As you fill a bucket, seal with the permanent lids. Your goal is 4 buckets of sugar and 4 buckets of salt. The other buckets you can use to keep large "on hand" amounts of flour and such.

Rule Number 1: Eat what you store and store what you eat.

Rule Number 2: If you have any doubt as to what you should place in your food storage refer to Rule Number 1.

Rule Number 3: Have in sufficient quantity the foods you associate with comfort. This will allow you to transition from your usual diet to one totally from storage without undue stress.

The only practical deviation I can see to the 3 rules is having a food you don’t personally like but you keep on hand for barter purposes.

This is your goal, if you want a 1 year supply of EDIBLE food, you must make the effort to pack in foods which your family will actually eat because this MUST be rotated and the best way to do that is to use the older stuff rather than disposing of it.

It's easy to lay in a year supply of rice and beans in 5 gallon buckets. It's easy to have sugar, salt, etc... to go with that. It's NOT easy to eat that same diet EVERY DAY for months on end. Much less get a "little one" to eat it.

I'd advise making a list of what you AND your family eat in one normal week. List the things you like to eat normally. Next, Multiply that amount by 55. (that's 52 for the weeks in a year and 5% more or less added on to account for stress and loss/spoilage)

Example:
If you eat 3 cans of tuna and 4 boxes mac&cheese a week, you should have 165 cans of tuna and 220 boxes M&C in storage to continue your normal routine for 1 year.

Don't forget the condiments. IE... pepper/spices/herbs/boullion cubes/syrup/molasses.

Now, you will need to figure GOOD substitutions for each item that might not store well without freezer/reefer.

Dry or evaporated milk is just one such item. Milk is an ingredient in almost every good recipe. Lack of it can ruin your whole plan.
Several boxed powdered milk varieties exist.
And do not, whatever you do, assume that Soymilk is a good substitute. I made the mistake of using my wife's soymilk to make Mac&Cheese. "ONCE".

"BUTTER FLAVORING" is also a good substitute for your recipes. I've heard folks say they'd use butter flavor crisco shortening. Sounds good too. Wouldn't want to butter my toast with it though.

Any of the above ideas can be divided or multiplied for your own needs. 30 days, 30 months, or 30 years, it doesn't matter as long as you have something for "just in case".

BTW-
I had a bad run in my business after Y2K and we DID live off of our stored foods for almost a year. Believe me when I tell you some variety in your diet will make you glad you didn't perish, and, no variety will make you wish you had.

We can easily "survive" whatever comes our way. The real challenge is to "LIVE" through the hardships. By LIVE, I mean having quality to our lives. Not just existing but excelling.

I hope this information helps......


Also, see this thread Assume No Peace...Safeguard Now

Mureng4-
I STAND CORRECTED!! I confused the SPAM with canned "corned beef". It was THAT that spoiled on me.

This is what I just discovered on this web site:
http://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Spam.html

QUOTE:
Spam is an important protein source and economical as well. Unopened cans require no refrigeration and Spam has an indefinite shelf life because it is heat-sealed within the tin. It can, therefore, be shipped all over the world without spoiling.

Please, forgive the remarks I made about it spoiling.

cordially, A.P2

We have been storing food for years and rotate it by either eating the stuff after 3 to 5 years or donate it to charity as we replace it.
The comfort food is a must as stated, to help ease you into a beans and rice and a, what you can raise or grow diet.
Whole wheat, rice and beans store easily, and having extra sugar and salt are a must as these are used to salt or sugar cure meat etc. And as a trade item down the road.

Also spices are a must for meats and deserts, 'young children grow tired of a bland diet very fast and threats won't work on getting them to eat, a little (powdered) milk, cinnamon and sugar mixed with thick rice makes a nice rice pudding, or on the oatmeal and it's all gone in three shakes of a lambs tail. When the kids get older they will adjust better.' I read this in a book that was first published in 1848 for foods to carry on the trek west of Missouri, (I added the powdered milk as we don't have any milking cows.)

Check out www.mredepot.com for canned butter and cheese the products are very good and we have purchased them in bulk for our unit.

If you practice IA drills, mock bug out routes etc, then you need to eat the stuff you store in a practice drill and know how to make a balanced meal with it. Lots of books out here especially ones from people who lived through WWII. The British and French ones are the best as they faced far worse shortages then our parents and grandparents had to in the US and they made do very well.

I see, I like the idea of sugar and salt in buckets.
Got both spam and corned beef in my totes... I guess I'll just have to watch the date on those corned beef cans then, eh? Good info guys, thx for the response, perhaps soon enough I will provide some pics and lists of what is in my boxes.

To add just a couple things, according to our local university dinty moore beef stew cans are rated as the best commercially made for long term storage. Publicly funded universities will actually research subjects like this for the public so we have made use of it. A cup of salt in the bottom of a 2 liter soda bottle filled with pasta products and sealed will last for a long time too.

Ya I got the dinty moore too... I like that pasta idea, I wanted to include some but couldn't think of the appropriate way to store it.
Is there any way you can get a copy of that study?
Does anyone know if there is a 'preference' or advantage to using certain types of salts (kosher, flake, rock, iodized, non iodized, sea...) as opposed to others?

CaHermit, I don't think they did a study per se but after a few days when we called them back they told us they had found that dinty moore beef stew's cans would last the longest of any made. The salt we used was just table salt but after 4 years when we rotated the pasta we took it right home and used it and it was like new.

Pardon the lack of following along but, how is the pasta stored? Cooked? Raw? In water /w/ salt?

Please clarify 4 lil ole me as I lost it somewhere along the line. THX!

DUHHHH :rolleyes:

Probably dry... I have eaten year old mac&cheese i found in the back of the cabinet. it was odd, because it had this old-looking box, and didnt look at all like the ones on the shelves.
I'm still alive soooo.... I guess it is supposed to be stored dry.

That makes sense to this Italian dude. We keep dry pasta products for long periods and all is well with it upon using it.

The thing that I'm confused about is why the salt? For what purpose is it used if the pasta is already dry?

The salt absorbs moisture from the condensation inside the 2 liter bottle from being stored at 52 degrees (which should only happen once) and then when you cook it you can use a little salt and you will have extra salt to use in other foods.

10-4 Falsarge. Thanks for the clarification. That makes all the sense in the world...NOW!

Honey ,

Stays good forever, if it hardens just re-heat.

I will add it is a "natural anti-biotic". Next time you get cut or have an open wound, put some honey on it.

Also for fellow brothers living west of the mississippi river, where sunburn can become REALLY serious, I'd suggest getting aloe vera and sun lotion.

When I went to front sight, I tried to tough it out, but only proved my momentary stupidity. By the second day, my arms were in REALLY bad condition. However my friend had this Aloe Vera lotion he bought from wally world the night before in Pahrump, stuff works like a miracle cure. Instantly takes away the pain. I know, Aloe Vera isn't a food, but...

I dont see how requiring water to reconstitute, is a problem. I mean, if you cant get a source of water, and your worrying about food, well...your priorities are out of whack.

Actually, although I wouldn't recomend it except in emergency, freeze dried foods are edible without reconstituting. But as you say, without enough water, why worry about food.

Here's where I got mine:
www.beprepared.com

Honest folks with a good selection and good prices.

Honey is the only natural preservative and ancients used to put things in it for preservation. Also honey from marijuana plants is called 'ambrosia' and rumored to produce intoxicating effects...
Take note, in nature, to smoke the bees IN the hive and then grind them up and eat them as well.

ASSUME NO PEACE - SAFEGUARD NOW


Nancy Levant
July 10, 2007
NewsWithViews.com

It seems that things are rapidly boiling over the Iran issue. Too many meetings, weapons sales, high-level comings and goings that spark a familiarity and one that bears notice - if Iran is attacked by anyone in the world, and most especially Israel or America, American people must take heed. An attack on Iran WILL bring consequences to our country. We need to think of our children, grandchildren, and our elders. Be very assured – our “representatives” will only be concerned with their personal CoG (Continuity of Government) a$$es.

Following 9-11-01, we were gently told to stock up on a few things and to have supplies for 2 or 3 days. Almost no one paid attention to that ridiculous governmental suggestion. Today, I’m going to suggest to my countrymen to do far more than stock your kitchen shelves.

Iran is a nuclear issue that will snowball. Many Mid-Eastern countries have nuclear capabilities and we know for a fact that many sleeper cells exist inside of our nation (thanks to the welcome mat borders created by our “representatives”). We’ve had years of threats regarding the knocking out of our power grid systems and chemical, biological, and radiological attacks. Iran has promised retaliation for any attempts to take out her nuclear capabilities. Therefore, American citizens need to prepare for far more than a 2 or 3-day period of self-help.

I suggest to the citizenry that you stock a minimum 6 to 18-month supply of goods. Food, water, medicines, prescription medications, pet food, diapers, wipes, formula, etc., and I also suggest that you have an alternate, non-electrical heat and cooking source, such as a wood stove, and other fuels. I suggest that you and your families be prepared to buckle down and burrow in and to prepare for self-defense.

Consider buying big bulk items, such as 5 to 6-gallon buckets of staples - rice, beans, pastas, sugar, flour, soup mixes, powdered milk, honey, wheat, oatmeal or farina, etc.. Baking powder, salt, cooking oil, and yeast needs to also be purchased in bulk. I suggest buying fruits and vegetables freeze-dried or dehydrated in #10 cans, and buy a lot! Also stock up on multi-vitamins. I strongly suggest that you purchase good heirloom garden seeds and enough for 3 years. I suggest that you plant fruit trees and bushes – a lot of them. In other words, be prepared to live off the power grid. As unthinkable as this may seem, it is a given that power grid failures WILL occur if there is any retaliation on American soil. I doubt, however, that this will be an issue for our “representatives.”

There are many, many websites which provide help and calculations for family food storage needs, but it is easy to figure out what you would need for 6 to 12 months based upon what you now purchase in one or two weeks. By buying in large bulk, you will save literally thousands of dollars. Though the initial purchases will be expensive, you will be properly prepared. The last thing you want to do in an emergency is stand in food and water lines with your children. I also recently read that power grid failure due to radiological interference could take up to a year or more to repair. We need to be prepared to care for our children and our elderly. We need to encourage our extended families and neighbors to stock up and to make self-sufficiency a neighborhood-by-neighborhood priority. We currently live under extremely vulnerable conditions – vulnerable to the lies, deceit, and gaming of global politicians. No heat source if the power goes down, no extra food or water, no extra prescription medications, no emergency communication devices, no emergency power or light sources, and a myriad of other necessities that we now depend upon others to provide every day.

I ask American woman to spearhead the effort within your families, churches, and women’s groups and to begin, today, to buy bulk food and supplies. Below is a highly suggested list for initial purchases:

Five 5-gallon buckets of each of the following:

*
Wheat berries and a hand-crank grinder
*
White sugar
*
All-purpose flour
*
Powdered milk • Beans (any kind – main protein source)
*
Oatmeal or farina • ABC Soup Mix

Cooking Oil

*
15 gallons
*
15 cans vegetable shortening (like Crisco)

Fruits and Vegetables

*
3 to 5 cans of “Garden In A Can” (3 to 5 full years of heirloom garden seeds)
*
10 #10 cans of each: strawberries, dried banana chips, orange segments, apple flakes or apple sauce, broccoli, onions, green beans
*
Buy 15-20 cases each of canned green beans, corn, potatoes, carrots

Non-Perishables

*
15 cases of peanut butter (important protein)
*
10 #10 cans TVP (Total Vegetable Protein), Ham, Burger, Sausage, Chicken, Taco, Bacon flavors
*
Tang, powdered fruit drink mixes, cocoa mixes – buy cases
*
Trail mixes – buy in bulk
*
Hot sauce – buy cases
*
Non-condensed soups – buy cases
*
Canned meats – buy cases

Special Needs

*
Good weight-bearing shelving units
*
Store hundreds of pounds of extra pet food in large plastic containers like large trash cans
*
Supplies and prescription medications for the elderly
*
Store a lot of first aid items. Buy one large first-aid kit and buy triple extras of everything in the kit.
*
Buy several car first-aid kits.
*
Camping equipment and 4 or 5 extra-large tarps, bungee cords, rope, camping knives, good hatchets and shovels, rain gear, camping mattresses. A lot of stove fuel – 30 to 50 canisters.

Clothing

*
Sweat shirts and pants, jeans, waterproof shoes, extra gym shoes, extra socks, waterproof and hooded coats, work and warmth gloves for everyone and laundry detergents

Water

*
The least expensive way to store water is in 55-gallon drums made for water storage. Bottled water is far too expensive to store for the long term. Depending on family size and number of pets, you may need 10-40 drums. Begin with 6 and work up from there. There are many websites to help you learn about proper water storage.
*
Regular bleach (no additives) – 30 gallons

This seems like a lot, but when you consider a scenario where grocery stores are empty and you have no access to the money in your bank accounts, your loved ones will be far safer with such stores on hand.

There is really nothing different about buying food and supplies in bulk minus the fact that your pay larger sums up-front and very little on a weekly or monthly basis. But all totaled at the end of the year, you will have saved thousands of dollars, you will have driven far less, and you will have safeguarded your families and particularly your children.

I also strongly recommend that if you know any LDS families, ask them for advice on food storage. Most LDS (Mormon) families store food, water, and supplies, and most are very skilled in the art of food storage, storage rotation, and cooking.

My instincts tell me that things are heating up and I want American people to be as prepared as they can be in case of problems. Just think in terms of 6 months to 2 years and the basic needs of each member of your families– water, food, heat and cooking, potential medical needs, toiletry and personal needs, elderly needs, pet needs, and emergency supplies.

Make sure your guns are in proper working order and that you have the tools and necessities to keep them in proper working order. Make sure you have proper ammunition and build your storage. Remember that there is nothing as dangerous as frightened and starving people.

However, also remember that FEMA has the right to suspend all Constitutional rights and to take all your money, food stores, water stores, guns and ammunition, and your homes. Executive orders, issued by presidents, provided this “community” service for you and your family. Why would they do that – and especially during times of a catastrophic national crisis? Hmmm. Perhaps your total vulnerability to the paramilitary orders that will immediately follow crises is more to the new world point of America’s demise. A 72-hour kit?? Think, people, think! Please pass this article throughout your neighborhoods. Our vulnerability is monumental and is present and current. NOW is the time to act. Surely, by the actions of “representatives,” you can assume that there will be no peace.

Bulk food and supplies sites:

1, highly recommended site
2, www.purityfoods.com/storage
3, www.waltonfeed.com - highly recommended site

© 2007 Nancy Levant - All Rights Reserved

Sign Up For Free E-Mail Alerts
E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, not for sale

Nancy Levant is a renowned writer for Constitutional governance and American culture. She is the author of The Cultural Devastation of American Women: The Strange and Frightening Decline of the American Female (and her dreadful timing).

She is an opponent of deceptive governance and politicians, global governance by deception, political feminism, the public school system, political economics based upon manufactured wars and their corporate benefactors, and the Federal Reserve System. She is also a nationwide and lively radio personality. To book an engagement with Nancy Levant, send an email request to:

E-Mail: nlevant@juno.com