# Food storage - begin at the beginning



## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

I have been broke more often than not in my life. With food storage preps, it is much less traumatic when a wage earner gets laid off, injured, arrested, dies, or becomes very ill. When the car dies or is in an accident, tires need replacing, the roof springs a leak, there is a fire or disaster, or a child needs emergency dental work, food money gets diverted. Food storage is almost mandatory for someone living on the edge of budgetary disaster. Here is one easy way to get started. 

I started my food storage quite simply, limiting myself to $20 a month on food to be put aside. I did some research, and liked the food storage minimums recommended in the book “Nuclear War Survival Skills” by Cresson Kearny and the rock bottom minimums listed by the Latter Day Saints’ manuals. These amounts will keep you alive, but you will still be hungry on only 2300 calories a day. You will get bored eating just these foods, but if you are penny pinching out of necessity, you will end up buying plain, basic foods and storing the same for emergencies. The idea is to avoid starving to death, not to enjoy fine dining. Most folks expand upon these minimums as soon as they can. 

You should not buy entire years worth of one group of foods at a time. It is better to have a 3-month balanced assortment, in case an emergency suddenly comes up. After buying a 3-month supply of each group ($20 at a time), I bought 3 months worth of each group, for a 6-month supply, and so on until my years’ worth was stored. After the yearly basics for each person are bought, you can expand for more variety.

Start collecting recipes right away. You can find them for free on the internet or in library books. Look for prepper sites, LDS sites, frontier living sites, camping sites, re-enactor sites, and historical sites, as they all have recipes for basic foods. We are talking survival recipes here, not so much gourmet foods (yet). This research will cost you nothing but time, but will pay off when you use your foods. It does not hurt to cook some up for practice cooking them, and to get palates familiar with these basic foods’ taste.

The amounts I list below for each food group are for an adult male. For an average adult Female - multiply the weight by 0.75. For children ages 1-3 multiply by 0.3, ages 4-6 multiply by 0.5, ages 7-9 multiply by 0.75. For adults engaged in manual labor multiply by 1.25-1.50. So first total up how much of each thing you will need.

GRAIN FOODS 400 LBS. (one days’ ration is 17.5 ounces) (3 months = 100 lb)
Whole wheat kernels store best, but if you’re not used to eating it, store some white flour to be used in transitioning over to whole wheat. Rye flour, white rice (brown goes rancid quickly), oatmeal, dent corn, barley, quinoa, millet, and other grains in proportion to how much you like them can be substituted for some wheat kernels. Noodles, pasta and popcorn are grain foods, too. If you have an allergy to wheat, substitute something else that can be eaten. (I could not find wheat when I started making my own pantry (there was no such thing as a prepper then) so I stored things I could find in the grocery stores such as rice, flour, pasta, popcorn, and oatmeal. 

When I started purchasing bulk grains, I bought wheat from the feed store, knowing that I would probably have to clean it before use. When a feed store employee told me he fed his family all the time on feed store grains, my interest was piqued. But when I found I could get 50 lbs for under $20 at the feed store, instead of the $2 a pound the health food store wanted, I was sold on feed-store grains. 

Dent corn is still hard to find cheaply unless you buy from the feed store. Buy whole kernels, not cracked, as the air starts to degrade the cracked corn more quickly. Whole kernels can be easily ground or cracked as you need them, and feed store corn makes wonderful hominy, posole, etc. Whatever you do, don’t mention that you will be using the feed store grains for people food, as feed store folks get awfully excited about that. Probably a liability thing. So simply tell them you want your grains with NO additives at all. If the feed store employee asks too many questions, or resists selling you plain grains, then you will need to go to another feed store that asks no questions. Most feed stores in rural areas don’t give a hoot what you plan to do with the grains as long as they get your business.

Fortunately for preppers now, many Wal-marts carry whole wheat kernels in bags. (Look near the flours.) If you can, get the ‘white’ whole wheat. It is quite palatable to non-wheat eaters when cooked like rice. The red has a sturdier flavor; some say it is a little bitter. As a cooked dish, red wheat’s assertive taste blends better with spicier foods and sauces. 

MILK 75 POUNDS (3.28 oz per day) (3 months = 18 3/4 lb)
Non-instant powder stores longest and is most space efficient, but is harder to find. In starting out, the store bought brands that are divided into 1-qt size mini-packets will keep best and longest. I like that I only need to open 1 quart size packet at a time, as milk powder deteriorates when exposed to air. In later years, after I saved up some cash I bought canned, non-instant dry milk in #10 cans for extended storage. The Latter Day Saints reduced their minimums to 16 pounds per person in 2003, but I choose a higher amount for its nutritional value. Milk is a good source of complete protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and other nutrients especially critical to growing children.

FATS/OILS 20 LBS (8/10 oz per day) (3 months = 5 lb)
I save primarily solid fats in cans, although butter flavor shortenings are nice too. Oils deteriorate faster, going rancid when exposed to air. I don’t use enough in fat lamps to use it up, so I limit my oil storage to only a few small bottles. I store canned shortening, and have collected some older recipes for its use. 

Peanut butter is an interesting addition, falling between a protein food and a fat. It lasts quite a while unopened – I have eaten 2-year old peanut butter and it was OK. It is a useful bug-out food, as it is easy to eat several ways, even right off the spoon in a pinch. It is palatable to children. I tried the LDS recommendation of spreading it on graham crackers (one of their bug-out food recommendations included a 1-pound jar of peanut butter and a pound of graham crackers for each person’s pack) and they were very tasty, almost like a crispy cookie. I also have very small jars of the white cooked salad dressings, since once they are opened they need refrigeration. I’ll use smaller jars faster. I also found recipes for home made Miracle Whip from storage foods to back those up.

SUGARS 60 LBS (2.6 oz per day) (3 months = 15 lb)
This includes honey, brown sugar, white sugar hard candies, gum, mints, etc. This is more sugar than some plans have, but a spoonful of sugar does indeed help the medicine go down, as well as improving palatability of basic foods. 

SALT 8 POUNDS (3/10 oz per day) (3 months = 2 lb)
This covers table use only, and you will need much more for preserving food. Get the iodized salt for table use. Once you have the basic storage you want, you can add canning salt, kosher salt, sea salt, etc. I classify bouillon powders as salts because they are basically flavored salts. They are a nice addition to add flavor to basic foods, if you can afford them. One can generally find chicken and beef flavors, but ham, bacon, and seafood flavored soup bases are also available. Ham or bacon base adds a satisfying taste to plain old boiled beans.

BEANS, 60 POUNDS (2.6 oz per day) (3 months = 15 lb)
Get any kind that you prefer. I get an assortment. Beans rotate on sale in my area, so I buy some of whatever is on sale that we like. I started with pinto beans, because I have the most recipes for them, and then added other beans as we liked them. If your family doesn’t like beans, pick a milder flavored one as they are easier to flavor or even sneak into foods. White beans make a fine, mild, bean flour.

A word about soy beans. I like them, they are commonly raised in my area and I can find them in bulk, so I have quite a few of them. Others have different opinions on their usefulness. They do have a higher protein profile, and are less ‘starchy’ but they do not cook as soft or as fast. They are also quite expensive from the common grocery stores. If you can find TVP (bacon bits are one kind) and like it, it adds variety. Unflavored soy grits are useful for adding to rice. 1/4 cup grits per 1 cup white rice added before cooking makes a more complete protein. The grits are not noticeable to bean-haters in flavor, though you might be questioned about the beige bits in the white rice. A sauce or gravy camouflages the bean bits.

WATER FOR DRINKING
2 weeks worth for one person is 14 gallons. This is for eating and drinking only. As you can see, it isn’t much, and won’t last long, so one of the first additions you purchase should be some way of making found water drinkable, either by boiling, chlorine, filtering, or a combination. Start now finding places where you can find water near you to replace depleted supplies. That part is free. 

Storing water does not necessarily require an expensive barrel, though those are nice. 
Water is heavy so consider that in case you need to move it. (It weighs about 8 pounds a gallon.) I have had good luck storing water in bleach bottles (make sure they held plain bleach, not one with scents or additives) as any bleach that would leach out of the plastic would not be harmful to ingest. Soda-pop bottles also make excellent recycled storage containers for both water and dry goods. They are made strong to handle the pressures of the soda, and will not degrade as fast as the flimsy gallon milk or water bottles from the grocery store. They are also easier for women and children to carry and handle, and if dropped will usually not break (but keep your toes clear!!) It also makes water rationing easier – give out two 2-qt bottles per person, and that’s all they get. Adults can (generally) pace themselves; children might need the bottle marked with magic marker lines in 4-6 ounce increments to remind them to pace themselves. 

CRITICAL ADDITIONS
Multi-vitamins. Even if you do not use them normally, in an emergency, stress depletes the body of vitamins, and a limited menu does not help replenish them as well as desired. A vitamin pill is cheap ‘insurance’ and they store unopened for a year.
Bleach. It is used for sanitation (you can even sanitize hands and dishes using it in a pinch) and water purification. You need at least 1 gallon per person. 

These rock-bottom basics can be acquired in $20 blocks quite quickly. 
Now that you know what to start with, start collecting recipes for these basic foods. The Latter Day Saints’ websites have many excellent recipes as food storage is encouraged by their church. My earliest notebooks were hand copied on notebook paper and put in loose leaf binders, as I started before computers and could not afford the Xeroxing to copy the recipes. I highly recommend you make ‘hard copies’ of your plans, recipes, and sources so that you are ready in case of power or infrastructure failure that prevents you looking things up on the computer! Buy note-books and paper at back to school sales for best prices! Buy dividers, too, because one good topic always leads to another!


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

Kappydell. I like this post I allready have most of it but its not bad for a beginer. I also started on a $20 a week system. The first time I had to actualy eat my stored food I relized I had forgotten any kind of spices. So now I keep some basic spices in my preps. That also helps brake the mononenty. Food fatigue can be a real problem. The old and young are very likley to choose not to eat.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

absolutely. this is to keep from starving, period. i posted some recipes for these basics under the recipe section in DaVarm's recipes with basic foods post. this was the start of a series of articles on food storage. #2 was basic recipes. #3 was (drum roll.....) adding to the basics to make them more palatable. Spices are a MUST and they are the first things I listed! Good job on prepping on $20 a week. I suspect lots of folks want to get into it but THINK they cant afford it. I hope to encourage them to get started!


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## md1911 (Feb 9, 2012)

Kappydell. I guess I have been a preper all my life. Just knew no other way. I buy extra stuff when its on sale. Even if I don't always need it. But 2 times I have had to eat out of my preps. Years ago I was in the hospital for 6 mths by the time I got out all my savings had been spent. Then another 3 mths before I could return to work. Then in 2009 I lost my job 6 mths with no work my employer fought paying unemployment so ya.


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## ContinualHarvest (Feb 19, 2012)

Great breakdown.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

kappydell said:


> Fortunately for preppers now, many Wal-marts carry whole wheat kernels in bags. (Look near the flours.) If you can, get the 'white' whole wheat. It is quite palatable to non-wheat eaters when cooked like rice. The red has a sturdier flavor; some say it is a little bitter. As a cooked dish, red wheat's assertive taste blends better with spicier foods and sauces.


I like this post, what I would also like is to find one of those Wal-marts that carry bags of wheat. I guess I cant complain though, the Wally's around here carry powdered whole milk in #10 sized cans(price just went up from $12.00 to $14.00 a can), according to many of you, most of them dont.


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

Really nice instructions. Might I suggest however, you can break it down further. I had 2 friends that would have loved to have $20 a month but didn't. So I started them on 72 hour kit. Than a week, then a month, 3 months etc. They bought 1 extra main canned good or bag of rice, a can of fruit etc. To have protein meals every day for 72 hours. When they realized how important prepping was they started to panic. Keeping them focused on short term assignments helped them not panic. As they saw their stores grow, they could see how doable it was even on their extremely limited finances. Much to their surprise when power went out or money dried up for a season they could eat and rather well.

Thanks everyone for your input. Beginner preppers can get so overwelmed and depressed over it.


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## LilRedHen (Aug 28, 2011)

Davarm said:


> I like this post, what I would also like is to find one of those Wal-marts that carry bags of wheat. I guess I cant complain though, the Wally's around here carry powdered whole milk in #10 sized cans(price just went up from $12.00 to $14.00 a can), according to many of you, most of them dont.


I would also like to find wheat at Wally World. The price of whole milk in a #10 can here is 15.88 and it is really hard to bring myself to buy a can, although I know I need more than one.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Looks like wal-marts vary a lot! I have the same trouble with Farm & Fleet stores. Some have one thing, others don't. C-Granny, another cool way that the LDS folks break down food storage is to have 1-month increments. I'll go look up what they call 1 month's worth, then post it here. They suggest those 1 month 'kits' as gifts for financially challenged friends and those you are trying to encourage to prep. I'd throw in some recipes, myself. I posted some more over on Davarm's post - for more expanded storage foods and for bugout foods. Recipes to me are a critical part of learning to prep since plain foods are not something everyone learns to cook with nowadays.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

the LDS 1-month "kit" (for Cyber-grannie)
The LDDS tends to think in terms of #10 cans becasue that is what their food storage operations put up. I can only guess at weights using the old "a pint is a pound the world around" rule....

Food Storage Kit
One-Month Basic Food Supply for One Adult --------------------------------------------

Product #10 cans best if used by 
Wheat 3 cans 20+ years 
White Flour 1 can 3-5 years 
White Rice 2 cans 3-4 years 
Quick Oats 1 can 4-5 years 
Macaroni 1 can 6-8 years 
Pinto Beans 1 can 6-8 years 
White Sugar 1 can 20+ years 
Powdered Milk 1 can 2-3 years 
Cooking Oil - or - 1-24 oz bottle 2 years 
Shortening* 1-3# can 8-10 years 
Salt 2-8 oz shakers 20+ years
* Shortening can be melted and then measured according to the recipe when
substituting for oil. It should be allowed to cool slightly before adding to other
ingredients.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EXPANDING YOUR PANTRY
To Enhance Basic Storage
yeast, baking powder, baking soda, bouillon, cornstarch, cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, tomato
sauce, onion flakes or powder, dried egg mix, powdered margarine or butter, canned soups, dried
vegetables, soy sauce, garlic powder, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, pepper, mustard, Worcestershire
sauce, salsa, vinegar, ketchup, jams, gravy mixes, syrups, vanilla, pasta, pickles, cocoa/carob, vanilla
and maple flavoring, canned meats, butter-flavored shortening, dehydrated fruits and vegetables,
parmesan cheese.
Commonly Used Spices
cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, oregano, sage, cloves, bay leaves, chili power, ginger, curry, cumin, poultry
seasoning, parsley, celery salt, ethnic seasonings (Italian, etc.).
Varieties of Grains
wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, triticale, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, rice, spelt, amaranth, etc.
Varieties of Legumes
lentils, split peas, black-eyed peas, kidney beans, other beans: pinto, black, navy, garbanzo, red, lima,
soy, etc.
Nutritious Seeds
sunflower, flax, poppy, sesame, pumpkin. sprouting seeds: alfalfa, mung bean, radish, peas, lentils, etc.


frm the LDS publication: "Basic Food Storage Recipes (using only the ingredients found in the One Month Basic Food Stlorage Kit)"


The LDS recipe sites are a primo source for food storage recipes


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## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

Thanks a bunch. Great stuff for a beginner like me.
Once i retire and live in a house I will do this. for now I just keep a bunch extra food around


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

kappydell said:


> the LDS 1-month "kit" (for Cyber-grannie)
> The LDDS tends to think in terms of #10 cans becasue that is what their food storage operations put up. I can only guess at weights using the old "a pint is a pound the world around" rule....
> 
> Food Storage Kit
> ...


Wow Kappydell that's awesome. Wish I would have had that then for my friends. I did get the starter kits from LDS and have used them to give as a starting point for people. Thanks so much for putting this up.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

LilRedHen said:


> I would also like to find wheat at Wally World. The price of whole milk in a #10 can here is 15.88 and it is really hard to bring myself to buy a can, although I know I need more than one.


I think the reason it is cheaper here is the "BIG" Hispanic community. In many parts of Mexico most have no refrigeration so they depend on the Powdered Whole Milk for their children. They bring those buying habits here with them and Wally caters to them.

Around here if they started carrying bags of wheat, people would probably feed it to deer, goats and chickens.....:nuts:, times are not that hard here YET!


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

I found some storage "kit" info with weights of items listed...my guestimates were certainly off!!

ONE MONTH “STORAGE KITS” 

For folks who would like to see a plan for one month’s basic storage at a time, here is a one month “Storage Kit” from our friends the Latter Day Saints. These would make good gifts for someone you are trying to encourage to begin prepping, or for helping someone get started who’s very short on funds. 

Canned Version of the Basic One Month Storage Kit (one month supply for one adult)
Item Total Pounds Best if Used By
3 #10 cans wheat 17.4 lbs 20 + years
1 #10 can flour 4.8 lbs 3-5 years
2 #10 cans rice 11.4 lbs 3-4 years
1 #10 can quick oats 2.8 lbs 4-5 years
1 #10 can macaroni 3.4 lbs 6-8 years
1 #10 can pinto beans 5.0 lbs 6-8 years
1 #10 can sugar 6.1 lbs 20 + years
1 #10 can powdered milk 4.1 lbs 2-3 years
1 container cooking oil 24 oz oil / 3 lb solid shortening	2 years
1 canister salt 1 lb 20 + years
8 plastic lids

Pouch Version of the Basic One Month Storage Kit (one month supply for one adult)
Item Total Pounds Best if Used by
2 pouches wheat 14.0 lbs 20 + years
1 pouch flour 5.5 lbs 3-5 years
1 pouches rice 6.8 lbs 3-4 years
1 pouch quick oats 3.3 lbs 4-5 years
1 pouch macaroni 4.0 lbs 6-8 years
1 pouch pinto beans 6.1 lbs 6-8 years
1 pouch sugar 7.1 lbs 20 + years
1 pouch powdered milk 5.0 lbs 2-3 years
1 container cooking oil 24 oz oil / 3 lb solid shortening	2 years
1 canister salt one lb 20 + years

Store dry-pack items in cool dry location, away from sunlight or direct contact with concrete floors

I would add some supplement items (spices, dry eggs, some TVP, and some leavening) with a basic cook book to round out the package.


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## valannb22 (Jan 6, 2012)

Not to be argumentative, but does the average person really need 2300 calories a day? And they would still be hungry? That just seems like a lot to me. I keep track of my intake and I average between 800-1100 a day. I am not terribly active, so I'm sure that makes a difference. I do go to the gym a couple times a week.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

valannb22 said:


> Not to be argumentative, but does the average person really need 2300 calories a day? And they would still be hungry? That just seems like a lot to me. I keep track of my intake and I average between 800-1100 a day. I am not terribly active, so I'm sure that makes a difference. I do go to the gym a couple times a week.


This was for men. Women only supposedly need 75% of the amounts. Men burn more due to their larger muscle mass (not to mention they are often more active). Remember too, that the variety in these foods is limited and you might need those calories to get enough of the critical nutrients to sustain you in reasonable health.


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## Rachel (Mar 5, 2012)

I am a woman, and I can guarantee you that I need at least 2300 cals a day. That being said, I am also nursing, but I out eat my 240 lb, 6 3, hubs. If I don't eat like this, I rapidly lose weight. I have always been like this, nursing just ramps it up.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

Rachel said:


> I am a woman, and I can guarantee you that I need at least 2300 cals a day. That being said, I am also nursing, but I out eat my 240 lb, 6 3, hubs. If I don't eat like this, I rapidly lose weight. I have always been like this, nursing just ramps it up.


At last...another woman who eats like a viking! I thought I was the only one.
Seriously folks, this is an average, and you must know you have to adjust those as needed....


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