Long Term Food Storage Basics

Many people do not realize they can store food long-term and if done properly can save them money by storing food for their families. Knowing how and what to store are often the basic questions that need answering to fully understand long-term food storage.

What is Long Term Food Storage?

Long-term food storage can be thought of as an emergency supply of food in the event of a natural catastrophe or in times when work is slow and money is tight. In the early days of
American history, most people were farmers, and they used the food from the farms to store so they would have an adequate food supply in the winter months. They canned and stored properly so that their families had enough food to survive the winters. This was common practice at the time but as America advanced and only certain families and corporations were involved in farming, people stopped long-term storage of foods.

Benefits of Having Stored Food

Today, people can simply go to their supermarket anytime of day or night and purchase their food supply for the week. However, in the event of a power failure, how much food would these people truly have in order to survive a long power-outage or if they had no access to a supermarket?

In addition, by storing foods long-term, it allows a family to purchase many food items in bulk, which of course is cheaper than buying in smaller quantities. Many people think that long-term food storage means the food will be stale and will not taste as good as if it were just purchased. However, storing properly and in the correct containers, keeps the food fresh and no one would be able to tell by tasting if the food had been stored for a longer period.

Large families particularly benefit from long term storage of food because they consume more food, purchasing in bulk when items are on sale saves the family a great deal of money.

What is the Best Food to Store?

Food such as white rice, corn, wheat, and many other grains if stored properly can last up to 30 years. Additionally, dry milk, sugar, salt, cooking oils, and baking soda are all excellent items to store long-term and could all be used to survive for many months or years depending on the amount stored.

Storage containers need to be air tights bottles or jars that have airtight fitting lids and airtight cans that absorb oxygen are also recommended. Cans and jars all need to have sealers in order to keep out air, so that the food can be stored for years unharmed and remain fresh.

Final Thoughts

While many American no long work on farms and have gotten away from the basics of long-term food storage, it truly is something that everyone should engage in. Think of your family and your current food supply, if you could not purchase items from a supermarket for six months, would you have enough food to feed your family for that period. Storing food is a great way to prepare for emergencies, since no one can predict the future, you can determine how much food you have stored.