Next need: Food

Stored emergency food supplies can be an expensive proposition! And, if you squirrel away enough to last for a while, it may become inedible by the time you need it! Flour gets bugs, cans rust and so on.
One partial solution: buy at Sam's, Cosco, etc. in quantity! Store in the basement, garage or other protected area. And rotate your stock!
This approach not only helps in an emergency, it saves money. Kroger has a sale? Stock up!

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Vern Shotwell on June 29, 2009 at 9:25am

Some rules:
1. Forget finished foodstuffs. Last year's doughnuts are no good! Same with frozen meats,etc. obviously.
2. Canned foods are great! Anything you use often, stock up! But rotate your stock! Never use the newest!
3. Never stockpile more than perhaps 3 months worth of anything. You defeat the purpose ! Magic mark the storage date on the lids or bag of flour, or whatever of enough items to keep track of age!
4. Rules? None! Stock whatever you use! A can of crushed tomatoes makes a meal if you're hungry enough!
5. An old gasoline Coleman stove is a really good thing to have. I've got a couple. Find 'em at a garage sale for 5 bucks; worth a thousand bucks in a pinch! Propane type? Gotta stockpile cylinders, but you can always steal gas from a mower or a car.

This is not only the cheap way to do it, It's the most effective! No food products last forever! I had some dried milk on the shelf for a couple of years. Turned brownish and tasted bad! You need to rotate!

Permalink Reply by Walter T. Fitzgerald on June 29, 2009 at 9:11am

Military MREs are nice, but they can cost a fortune too. Don't forget BROWN RICE. Its healthy and last for ever.

Permalink Reply by Vern Shotwell on June 29, 2009 at 3:39pm

Right Walter!
Love brown rice! Got a 50 pound sack of Indian long grain as a joke gift about 5 years ago. Made great fried rice for a year or so!
Bugs got into it; threw 1/2 of it away. If I was really hungry, I guess the bugs would have been protein. If the bag were unopened, would the bugs have been there? Don't know! Did they get into the opened burlap sack, or were they already there? Don't know! What do the bugs do for water? Don't know! If it were stored for 5 years, would it have been nothing but dead bugs? Again, rotate your stockpile!

Permalink Reply by Walter T. Fitzgerald on June 30, 2009 at 7:44am

Containers is definately a must.
A german lady thats big on health and natrul foods, if its able to be resealed she said it would last. Never done it but its a start.

Permalink Reply by Vern Shotwell on June 30, 2009 at 1:33pm

Bet you're right, Walter!
I think that the "bug" eggs are present in the rice, as received, for instance. You know of this, given a farm background.
But I bet you could "zap" the dry rice in a microwave just a little. Heat to about 200F, then seal immediately. Last forever then!
Probably a web post on this, but I'd bet on it!

Permalink Reply by Jill Lester on October 11, 2009 at 6:18pm

Freeze it first , then bring to room temp and put into containers. do the same to wheat

Permalink Reply by Linda Walters on February 20, 2011 at 11:17pm

Maybe you could "zap" them, but depending on a microwave might not be a great idea! Better to store them in an air-tight container. One of those Rubbermaid containers is a great thing to have emergency food stuffs in, and they only cost about $5 Some of them are so tough, thy can double as emergency seating! White rice lasts longer,because,unfortunately,it has been BLEACHED, just like white flour and white sugar.

Permalink Reply by Kevin Zelhart on July 23, 2011 at 3:51pm

I noted this in a post later in the discussion, how'd er is worth placing here. I came across a prepper manual that recommended placing a chunk of dry ice in the bottom of the container. As it evaporates, it drives out the lighter o2, suffocating any pests. Once all the dry ice is evaporated, seal the container.

Permalink Reply by katy on July 22, 2011 at 9:44pm

Ther is a substance called Diatamaceous Earth. It is used in food storage to keep out all pests. It is a white powder, and you can use it on garden plants to keep bugs off. You can put it on pets to keep pests off. It is supposed to even kill roaches. It is food grade , and not harmful to people.

Permalink Reply by Mike on July 20, 2009 at 9:18am

Actually white rice lasts longer. Brown rice has some fatty acids and other minerals not found in all white rice. These oxidize and spoil (rancid) the rice faster.

Permalink Reply by Vern Shotwell on July 20, 2009 at 6:29pm

Right, Mike, but brown tastes better to many of us. And more nutritious. Answers remain to rotate your stock and seal in depleted oxygen atmosphere. Discussions later in this topic.

Permalink Reply by Grace Winters on February 20, 2011 at 7:37pm

Walter, stored brown rice becomes rancid if not frozen or vacuum packed and kept dark and cool. White rice lasts far longer. Beans and dried corn are good keepers. For long-term upheaval/unrest/whatever, think of storing ingredients instead of packaged goods. Dry pasta keeps well..

Everyone, check out the survivalmom.com. She's great.

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