family food storage, Przetrwanie
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Family Food Storage and Emergency Preparedness
By Debi D. Koontz
I have a strong belief in the importance of family preparedness. In my home we live on our food storage whenever life throws us
an unexpected difficulty. We do not think of our storage as only being there in case of some drastic emergency like an earthquake
or civic unrest. Using your food storage in your daily life is the only way to be successful in having a complete and efficient
supply on hand for whatever you and your family may be called upon to bear.
I would be the first to admit that I am, by no means, an expert in this area, but I do have an interest, which has prompted me to
research this topic, and I can share ideas and experiences that I have had. I hope this information will be of some use to someone
somewhere, and that perhaps it may help families prepare in time.
This booklet is in two parts. The first part are some notes, ideas and hints on all aspects of starting, organizing and using your food
storage. It is beyond the scope of this work to be complete in all areas on this topic, but is simply a starting place with basic
information.
The second part is a detailed list of most of the items that should be considered for your storage. I did not simply list each item, but
described reasons, uses, advantages or disadvantages about each item. Many item descriptions include information on how best to
store them. Please read through the list and the descriptions and decide which are most important to you and your family. If you
are just beginning, it may be wise to prioritize what items you intend to store. The list is divided into three sections: Food; Health
& Grooming; and Household & Emergency supplies. Many medical and emergency uses are given for various food items,
however, if itÓs food then it will be listed in the food section, regardless of itÓs other uses (medical, emergency, etc.) Each part of
the list is listed in alphabetical order. This booklet covers everything from mild to extreme circumstances.
When you read through the list you may be tempted to think, Oh, I want so much! IÓll never do it! Well, take heart. DonÓt let fear
or doubt overwhelm you. Any storage is better than no storage and even the best storage had to start with a single item. Just begin
and then build it as you can. You can do it!
Should anyone reading this wish to contact me please feel free to contact me via e-mail at
debidawn@earthlink.net
. I would love
to hear from you. If you wish to pass the information in this booklet along, thatÓs fine, but please keep it complete and intact, with
my name attached (for copyright and possible future publication purposes). I appreciate this. So, now, read on and enjoy. I
sincerely hope this is of use to you and your loved ones.
Part One
Comments on Storage and Preparedness
*Buy and store what your family eats. You have to be able to eat and use your food storage everyday to be able to rotate it. The
best reason to store what your family eats is that in a time of emergency, if youÓve only stored the basics like wheat, beans, rice,
etc. and your familyÓs diet is suddenly changed, (perhaps even at the same time youÓre all experiencing stress), you and your
familyÓs stomachs and digestive tracts are not going to be cooperative and calm. Times of stress are not the ideal occasion to
suddenly change your whole diet. This is especially true for children.
*Most foods will last longer than many people think, (especially if they have to) if they are stored well. Rotation is the key. Also,
containers are important. Nearly everything must be kept dry and airtight. Temperature is important, and is often the determining
factor in the shelf life of many foods. Cool is better that warm. Dry is much better than damp. Insects must be kept under control.
Open containers invite pests to come and make themselves at home.
*DonÓt panic when you think of all you need and want to store. It wonÓt happen overnight. You should plan your storage as a
family and set priorities for storing what you feel is most important first. You can supplement it as time goes by, for as long as you
are able to. Sometimes it may require sacrifice from your family. ItÓs up to you to decide how much you want to invest. ThereÓs no
wrong way. Any storage is better than none, and every little addition is great.
*A simple, almost painless way to build your food storage is to just buy extra products every time you go to the store. Whenever
you buy something, buy two. When somethingÓs on sale, buy the limit. If there is no limit and you can afford it, stock up.
*Your storage should be kept in a dry, clean, cool and hopefully pest-free, and organized place in your home. If you have not
organized your storage either on paper or in its set-up, rotation will be difficult. ItÓs also hard to see how much you have and
decide what you still need. If space is a problem, you may decide to sacrifice a piece or two of furniture (ex. China cupboard,
potted plant, spare bed, end table, bedside table, etc.), then put food storage in its place. If itÓs impossible to fit all your storage in
one room in your home, you could break it up (ex.: water storage and camping gear-garage; canned food-kidsÓ bedroom; first-aid
supplies-bathroom; boxed items-your bedroom; candles, batteries, & other emergency supplies-front room; paper products-
basement). Be sure not to put tempting, easily opened foods in the childrenÓs rooms. The temptation may prove to be too much for
them. However, they need to be taught now the importance and sacred need for the food storage in which you invest.
If you really find it difficult to find space for storage, be creative. DonÓt let the lack of space be your excuse not to prepare. Try
unusual places like under the bed, inside coffee tables or end tables, behind the sofa, in empty spaces in drawers and closets, etc. If
this is the method you are forced to use in your home, be very sure you keep a good record of where youÓre putting everything.
Wherever you store, just remember that the temperature must be cool, and it needs to be as dry as possible.
*Besides your food storage and emergency supplies, you should have a separate 72-hour (3 day & 3 night) kit. This should contain
the minimum amount of food, clothes, and water for each family member. 72 hour kits should also include any needed medication,
an emergency shelter (a tarp or cheap lightweight tent), a first-aid kit, candles, waterproof matches, pocket knife, flashlight
w/batteries, and some kind of blanket, bedding or lightweight sleeping bag. Each kit can be added to as desired, but should be
relatively lightweight and easy to carry. Your 72 hour kits should be packed tightly into backpacks, duffel bags, etc. and should be
in an easily accessible location (ex: hall closet, near the front door, garage, tool shed, or the trunk of your car). Be sure to rotate out
all food, water and medicine periodically to keep them fresh. This is especially important if your 72 hour kits are stored in an
outside storage location (trunk, shed, garage, etc.). Complete kits are available for purchase, but itÓs less expensive to put together
your own, with exactly the items you desire to met the needs of your family.
*Remember: Store what you eat, and eat what you store!
(If you think preparedness is not important, imagine what would have happened to Noah and his family if they had put off building
the ark, gathering the animals, and laying in their food and supplies!)
Part Two
Storage List: FOOD
Alum (white, powdered
)- An imperative food item, with medical uses, to store. When sprinkled on an open wound it will draw
out infection and any drainage. It will leave the sore disinfected and dry, and will speed healing. (Buy alum in the spice department
at your grocery store.)
Applesauce
- Whether canned, bottled, homemade, or store-bought, cinnamon flavored or unsweetened, applesauce is very
convenient and nutritious. It has a long storage life if sealed airtight, and can be used in cooking (pancakes, bread, muffins, cake,
cookies, and even casseroles). Since it has natural sweetness it can even supplement or replace sugar inmost recipes. The old adage
"an apple a day keeps the doctor away" aptly applies to applesauce (and apple juice).
Baking Powder
- If youÓll be doing baking, youÓll want to have some on hand.
Baking Soda
- There are so many uses for baking soda that a boo could be written on itÓs uses. It can be used as a deodorant,
mouthwash, toothpaste, cleaning and scouring agent, degreaser, and a natural deodorizer. It has leavening properties and can be
mixed with cream of tarter to make baking powder. 1/2 tsp. mixed in a 4-oz. glass of water is good for upset stomachs (remember
bicarbonate of soda?). In laundry itÓs good as cleaner and water softener. It also makes soaps stretch farther. It can be used as a
coolant for the skin, especially for sunburn, rash, bee-sting, poison ivy and oak. Helps maintain pH in water. Baking soda can be
used safely without polluting the ground water. It also makes a great fire extinguisher.
Basil
- Excellent seasoning for all foods and dishes. Stores well in airtight containers. Basil tea taken hot stops vomiting and eases
stomach cramps. Helpful when applied to snake bites and insect stings. (The tea is made 2 tsp. per hot cup water once a day.)
Beans & Lentils
- Excellent and important storage item. Even when stored so long that they get quite hard, simply soak them for a
little longer before using. Put ginger in the water while soaking beans to lessen problems with gas. Beans are a great source of
protein. Cooks well over a campfire if soaked before cooking. When sprouted, their nutritional value increases greatly and offers
inexpensive, year-round fresh greens too add to your diet.
Beef Jerky
- or other cured smoked meat needs no refrigeration and tastes as good as it is convenient, while offering important
protein.
Black Pepper
- Convenient, versatile seasoning. Stretches a long way.
Bottled Salad Dressing
- Your favorite flavor will be a good way to eat sprouts (if youÓve discovered the benefits and ease of
sprouting your grains, beans, legumes and lentils). When sprouts and dressing are joined by canned or fresh vegetables, you have a
fiber-rich, nutritious salad.
Bullion Cubes
- Great for broth to feed an invalid or sick person. Good to use as a base for any soup. Simply add any vegetable,
grain, meat, pasta, etc. Can be used to make gravy, or r in the water while boiling rice. Stores well in airtight container.
Candy
- A special treat now will become an even more special treat in time of emergency when luxuries are scarce. WouldnÓt it be
nice to have candy to give a child on their birthday if they had no other gift? Candy also offers a quick burst of energy because of
the high sugar content. Candy could well be one of the more popular items for barter (as would soda pop). Luxury items usually
are. Most candy will store for a fairly long time (though it may lose color, flavor or texture slightly), if kept absolutely airtight,
cool and especially DRY. Individually wrapped candy is better than soft. If you decide too store candy be very cautious about
leaving any open for any length of time. ItÓs an invitation to ants and other insects.
Canned Foods
- Stores for a very long time. Try to keep dry and undented. Bulging cans must be thrown away. Rotation is very
important. Many canned foods are complete meals and donÓt require other foods to complete. Be sure to have at least one manual
can opener. A good variety of canned foods are a smart foundation to your food storage. Examples of canned foods you may want
to consider storing are:
Soup
Stew
Fruit
Vegetables
Juice
Pasta (ravioli, spaghetti, etc.)
Spam
Evaporated milk
Sweetened condensed milk
Chili
Pork and beans
Meat (turkey, chicken, etc.)
Tuna
Cinnamon
- Yummy added to oatmeal, bread, wheat, cereal, cookies, hot chocolate, etc.
Cold Cereal
- In itÓs sealed package, in a dry place, most cold cereals will store 1 to 2 years. Besides being eaten with milk for
breakfast, some kinds of cereal make handy, nutritious snacks straight from the box. ItÓs very important to use and rotate your
storage of cold cereals. This will provide you with maximum freshness for the longest period of time.
Condiments
- These are important to store for your own use as well as use for possible barter. These are the often-overlooked
items, which will make a big difference when you are dependent on your food storage. Important examples:
Mustard
Relish
Mayonnaise (rotate!)
Horseradish
Steak sauce
Ketchup
Barbecue sauce
Soy sauce
Tabasco/hot sauce
Salsa
Corn Meal
- Healthy, tasty, and versatile. Can be used for fry batter, bread, pone, muffins, cornbread, and pancakes.
Corn Starch
- Cornstarch can be used in place of talcum or baby powder. Great for diaper rash and other rashes. Absorbs moisture.
Great for cooking. Used as a thickener with simple broth to make gravy. Also will stretch soup and thicken it. It has carbohydrates
to provide energy.
Dehydrated and/or Freeze-Dried Foods
- These are the foods with the moisture removed. This allows for extremely long storage.
These are convenient and lightweight to carry, and are easy to prepare. Water rehydrates them. Flavor is retained, and it takes
much less space to store per serving than other food storage items because the process shrinks the food to 1/8 to 1/7
their normal
size. They donÓt need to packed in space consuming water like canned foods. (Often, though, the "water" from canned foods can
be used.) You can dehydrate foods yourself in your oven (lowest setting, door ajar), or in the sun at temperatures of at least 110
degrees. The process takes an average of about 18 hours. Turn the layer of food occasionally during process.
Dried or Ramen Soup
- Complete, nutritious, lightweight, and easy to prepare. Requires only hot water. Stores for a very long
time because there is no moisture in it. (which is what limits the shelf life of some foods).
Flavorings
- Vanilla, almond, and maple are the most common and useful, though others (orange, lemon, etc.) can be included to
suit your families preferences. These could one day be handy when creativity with your food supply has you trying to make new
and different foods.
Flour
- Many uses!! Thin flour water (plus dash salt) batter will make tortillas. (Fry on both sides dry or in oil.) Flour can also be
used as a thickener. Be sure to ROTATE. It can be stored in the freezer for longer storage but needs to be kept dry. Flour can help
blood clot on small wounds. (Put a handful over wound and hold firmly with hand until blood flow stops. If you add salt or alum
into the flour, it will help disinfect.)
Gatorade/Sports Drink
- These drinks can restore vital minerals and nutrients and prevent dehydration (which can be fatal). Their
shelf life is fairly long unopened.
Ginger
- Powdered or gingerroot. Made into a tea it can be used as a decongestant (like hot mustard plaster, but better because it
wonÓt burn the skin). Just immerse a towel, rag or old shirt in a strong, heated ginger tea and place on chest to loosen chest
congestion. It causes heat even after itÓs cooled, though it can be re-rinsed in the warm tea. A milder tea can be drunk for upset
stomach and gas. Ginger in the water of beans as they soak will control gas problems. Ginger is a good spice to add to any cooked
vegetable. ItÓs often used in Chinese cooking.
Hard Red Winter Wheat
- Of all grains this stores the longest. It can be sprouted to provide you with fresh greens, even with
limited water. It can be ground, coarse or fine, to make flour. It can be added whole to soups (or ground, as a thickener). It can also
be cooked and served as hot cereal. Wheat is rich in iron and vitamin E. When storing grains like wheat you should also get some
kind of grinder or handmill.
Honey
- Every food storage must have honey. It will last forever. Honey, which was found in the tombs of the Egyptian pharaohs,
still had itÓs beneficial properties. Honey can be used in place of sugar as a sweetener. ItÓs sweeter than sugar is so use it at a rate
of ď the amount you would sugar. When honey crystallizes simply melt it in hot water (rotate/turn/shake during process). Honey,
used on open cuts, will provide a protective covering and will disinfect (though itÓs sticky). Honey also helps coat sore throats.
Hot Cereal
- Though you can use your stores of oats and wheat to make hot cereal, thereÓs advantages in storing pre-packaged,
commercial brands. They store well and are very convenient. ItÓs especially nice to store a favorite of your family. (ex.: Malt-O-
Meal, Cream of Wheat, Maypo, etc.)
Instant Hot Chocolate
- A nice treat, quick energy and very convenient at home or when camping. It can also be a source of
warmth on cold mornings. Baking cocoa powder can be stored too, but it requires more ingredients to use it to make hot chocolate
(but it certainly does have many uses in baking that make it a good item for your storage).
Instant Mashed Potatoes
- A convenient source of the nutrients in potatoes. It will store a very long time. The better the
packaging, the longer its shelf life will be. Canned is better than boxed. Mashed potatoes leave stomachs feeling full faster than
most foods, which is an advantage when trying to stretch your food storage.
Jell-O
- This product offers a way to cover the taste of chemically treated water. It can be added to with canned, fresh or
dehydrated fruit. Jell can also help relieve diarrhea symptoms. To do this prepare jell as directed with just slightly more water than
normal. Then drink the jell water while still warm, like tea. This will also provide necessary liquid to avoid dehydration, which is a
big danger of diarrhea.
Jelly & Jam
- Stores well. Easy topping for pancakes, tortillas, crackers, and all bread items. Adds flavor and sweetness to bland
foods. Can be added in small amounts to cake or cookie recipes for extra zing, or for a sweet, fruity flavor if used in place of sugar.
Juice
- (canned/bottled/boxed/frozen/powdered) An essential storage item. Quick, convenient and very nutritious. Adding a variety
of flavors is good addition to your food storage. Juice can be used as a snack or small meal in and of itself. It can be used in cooing
in place of other liquids in many recipes. Apple juice can be poured over cold cereal or granola in place of milk. Tomato juice can
be used in cooking meat or pasta. Tomato juice or vegetable juice makes an excellent base for soups and stews.
Kool-aid
- This is another item that will help the water taste better when itÓs been chemically treated. ItÓs also a nice addition to
pancake batter or muffins to add a sweet fruity flavor. It contains vitamin C, which is an important one because the body is unable
to store it and therefore it must always be replenished. If you store the unsweetened kind (which is much cheaper and compact), be
sure you have sugar stored (or sweeten it with honey). You may prefer to store the kind that already has the sugar added because it
is so convenient. There are alternate versions of Kool-aid that contain less sugar, and are already sweetened (ex. Crystal Light).
For all of these, however, you absolutely must keep them dry. It is important that they remain airtight as well, so it may be a good
idea to keep them dry, airtight, and organized for easy access and the ability to rotate, by putting them into a plastic container
(Tupperware, Rubbermaid, etc.).
Marshmallows
- These can be eaten even if they get dried out (which just makes them crunchy). Toasted marshmallows are the
highlight of camping. They can be used when cooking yams and pumpkin. TheyÓre also good right out of the bag for energy. Kids
love them. Used in making "cereal treats" (ex. Rice Krispie treats- though most cereals will work). They should be fresh (not dried
out) though to be used this way. A handful added to Jell, during preparation, is also a nice treat.
M.R.E.Ós
- (Meals Ready To Eat) Good for 72 hour kits. Compact, complete, healthy, lightweight, and convenient. Needs no
refrigeration, and can even be eaten unheated if necessary. But they are expensive!
Nutmeg
- Should be used SPARINGLY only. Good sprinkled on hot chocolate and eggnog. Can settle stomachs, nausea, and
vomiting. Also can be used as an expectorant. Helps improve appetite and digestion. Good for helping maintain a healthy intestinal
tract. In boiling water it can be used as a deodorizer. A good seasoning to add to bland dishes. But remember to use it sparingly,
donÓt over do it.
Oats
- Excellent source of bran and fiber. Popular cookie ingredient. Can be added to meat loaf. Makes nutritious and filling hot
cereal. (Added nutmeg, cinnamon, raisins, or dehydrated fruit makes it even tastier.) Can be used to make pancakes. Oatmeal
baths, masks, and soap are healthy for skin and good for itches and rashes.
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