Food Storage Secrets You Need To Know

I’m sharing some food storage secrets you need to know before buying food for your pantry. I’m talking about long-term food storage. Let me say one thing: I don’t look at the calories in the #10 cans I purchase because I don’t count calories in the food I eat today.

I probably should, but I don’t. This is how I see food storage for Mark and me; the food I purchase, we must both like eating. Sure, I can hear some of you say you will eat whatever if you are starving. Yes, I’m sure that may be true.

I updated this post today for several reasons. First, I struggle to recommend any long-term food storage. The prices are way too high for my budget. If the prices at the grocery store are too expensive, then the #10 cans are as well.

Then, we must factor in the can shortages and lack of employees, and the prices skyrocket. We must ask ourselves, do I need ONE #10 can of chicken or beef currently costing $93.00? I think not.

I’m not sure I will ever buy #10 cans again unless things change. The prices are way too expensive right now. I want you to consider why you may want to buy #10 cans for storage. I used to buy them to put on my pantry shelves to use in case of emergency.

I know some people use the cans daily and try to go to the grocery store as seldom as possible. Mark and I can’t afford to do that. Those cans are not always packed to the top; some companies’ products weigh more or less than other brands. Just because it’s a #10 can doesn’t mean that the can is filled to the brim, in most cases, it is not.

If there was ever time you needed to start a garden it is this year. If you live near a Farmer’s Market, you are so lucky, as long as you buy their products! Not everyone has land to grow food.

Please make a plan to purchase more locally grown and produced food products. If you live in a more rural area, we must know who our local farmers are and what they grow for sale, and then let’s buy local when we can. If you can have chickens or animals on your property or know people who do and might share, the time may come for you to need them to supplement your food storage to survive.

I Don’t Buy Meals

Here’s the deal: I do not buy those “meals” you see stacked on pallets at the store. Nope, I will not. I cook from scratch and don’t like some of the stuff listed in the packaged “meals” that are sold for long-term storage.

I may have told you before that I rarely eat out. It’s not just the cost, but also because restaurant food is usually cooked with lots of salt and butter. I love the flavor that butter gives recipes, but it’s called fat calories, and they are expensive calories.

That’s why people think it tastes so yummy. But if you’re used to cooking from scratch, you can get sick from all the butter and salt when you eat out. I’m not talking about just fast food places; I’m talking about your typical sit-down restaurants and even some fancy eating places, too!

Please note: We go out once a month with friends, and the restaurants are no longer complete. Before, we couldn’t get service, but now the prices are ridiculous. It’s as if people realize it’s too expensive to eat out.

Buckets With Meals

I have been at Costco or similar large box stores, and they have these buckets with small packages of food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner designed for emergency meals. I understand it may be easier for you to pick up a bucket, take it home, and set it on your pantry shelf for use later, and it makes you feel comfortable that you’ve done your part to be “prepared.”

Yes, that is very easy, and it’s better than not having any food storage. You can see the calories listed, the serving sizes, etc. Good grief. Mark would be starving if he had the breakfast shown in a bucket I saw.

No-Name Bucket Contents-Price $90.00 with 52 Servings

Recently, I looked at a bucket of food storage products at a local grocery store to give you an idea of what may be in the container. This is not 52 meals; it is 52 servings, and there’s a big difference. One of these servings may be fine for a toddler or a child but may not be sufficient for an adult.

• 4 Servings: Creamy Pasta Dish
• 4 Servings: Creamy Stroganoff
• 4 Servings: Tomato Basil Soup w/Pasta
• 4 servings: Beans and Rice
• 4 Servings: Maple Brown Sugar Cereal
• 4 Servings: Apple Cinnamon Cereal
• 16 Servings: Orange Drink Mix
• 12 Servings: Whey Milk Alternative drink

More than half of the food bucket’s contents are drink mixtures. The serving sizes are tiny, especially for an adult. Before buying, please look at all the meals, calories, and serving sizes to ensure they suit your family’s needs.

Cook From Scratch For Breakfast

I would instead make my pancakes from scratch or oatmeal for breakfast, with or without syrup or jam. My point is this: some of those pre-packaged meals have ingredients you can’t pronounce, so you don’t know everything you’re eating.

Particular companies require you to set an appointment with a salesman to purchase their food storage. I’m unsure if they still do this, but I would feel compelled to buy some of their offerings.

I used to buy a few #10 cans every month or so. Right now, my budget can’t afford a large volume of food to be delivered to my home. When you have time, sign up for available newsletters from companies you like to use for your food storage goals. You will then receive emails when they have items on sale, and you can make the best decisions about how much would be a good fit for your needs.

Please check the price per ounce because all those #10 cans are the same size but may differ significantly in weight and shipping costs. There is a big difference in the amount of food in the cans. I’m just giving you the heads-up here.

Food Storage Secrets You Need To Know

I get it when people say, “Where do I start?” when buying food storage. It goes back to this printout I use at every class where I teach about food storage: Where Do I Start by Food Storage Moms?

So before you buy, look at the sodium levels and all the ingredients to see what’s in the can or package. I know the pictures look fabulous on the bucket or those small packages, but the contents may not be so pleasing to see or eat. Please look at the serving sizes; it may be a toddler serving, not an adult serving.

Buy One And Try It

Before you buy several buckets, buy one ready-to-eat bucket and taste-test it at home. Then, if you or your family enjoys them, go back and buy more. Remember, if you don’t eat that stuff today, will you eat it next year?

Buy a few packages of those ready-to-eat bags where you only add hot water and see if you will like eating them for days or weeks. Please test them before you buy a LOT of them.

Simple Food Storage

I only buy #10 cans of fruits, vegetables, meats, milk, and cheese, and I have a few cans of bacon. This Yoder’s bacon is delicious, but remember, it’s not the thick-sliced bacon most of us like with breakfast. I’ll take bacon any day after a disaster. Please note that I found out that Yoder’s Bacon is no longer available.

Mark and I have yet to try any butter from any companies offering it as a storage product that tastes yummy. I wouldn’t eat what I’ve seen if I was going to put it on a slice of bread. I will use powdered butter for cooking but not for anything else. To me, most brands appear inedible, BUT I do like this brand: Red Feather Butter (super expensive)

Watch for sales, and it goes on sale a few times a year.

Thrive Life Can On The Left

I’m typing the statements from the cans above where the black arrows are: the can on the left is from Thrive Life, and it says the ingredients are “red peppers,” nothing else.

Honeyville Grain Can On The Right

The can on the right is from Honeyville Grain, and it says the ingredients in the can are a “vegetable blend” (freeze-dried corn, carrots, peas, red peppers, and tomatoes), nothing else. Great! SOLD!

This is where I buy freeze-dried fruits, some dehydrated vegetables, and freeze-dried meats. I can combine these to make soups, casseroles, and stews. I’ve started buying “Pantry” size cans (through Thrive Life). They are smaller and great for a small family of two.

Please remember, I also buy canned goods. If you missed the ones I stock up on, read this post from my archive: Canned Foods I Recommend You Store

The bonus is that their products can be stored for 25 years under optimal temperature conditions. Please don’t store your food in your garage if temperatures exceed 70 degrees.

What Temperature Is Best To Store My Food Storage?

This is where it gets interesting. You may think you can bring those #10 cans home and place them neatly on your shelves, and you are good to go. But wait, what is the best temperature at which to store my food?

The lower the temperature, such as 50-60 degrees, the longer your food will last. For instance, keeping our food at 75-80 degrees will cut the 25-year shelf-life down considerably. The challenge is that most of us cannot store at those low temperatures anywhere in our home or apartment. Some lucky families have a basement storage area under a porch without daylight, where the temperatures stay relatively calm and pretty much the same all year.

Food Storage Shelf-Life

I’ve listed below the typical average shelf-life for several foods we are likely to store for later consumption:

• Whole Wheat Berries: Last Indefinitely
• White flour: 12 – 18 months (#10 cans I have seen will store for five years unopened)
• Instant Milk: (Thrive Live) Unopened 25 years, two years open
• Salt: Lasts indefinitely (keep away from moisture)
• Sugar: Lasts indefinitely (keep away from moisture)
• Honey: Stores indefinitely, store in smaller containers: note that it may (crystalize or harden-you can soften it outside in the sun)
• Baking Powder: Often listed as Indefinitely, but I like mine to be as fresh as possible (typically, one year needs our baking goods to rise, and fresh does it best)
• Baking Soda: Two years unopened, six months opened
• Cornstarch: Lasts indefinitely
• Olive Oil: one to two years, depending on the temperature where stored and the brand
• Coconut Oil: One year, maybe two years, depending on the brand
• Vanilla Extract: 3 years
• Vinegar: Indefinitely

Don’t Forget Your Water Storage

The American Red Cross recommends one gallon of water per day per person. I recommend four gallons per day per person. I get thirsty just thinking about one gallon of water.

Please remember that we need water to drink, cook, take a mini bath, and wash our dishes. Hopefully, we will have enough water to wash our underwear daily.

Water Storage Containers I Use

Final Word

When it comes to purchasing your food storage, please read the cans, buckets, and packages and get a good understanding of what you are buying for your family’s use. Thanks for taking the time to read this post about food storage secrets you need to know. Hopefully, it will give you some worthwhile guidelines before you order them for long-term food storage. Read the labels, and buy what works for your family. Thanks for being prepared for the unexpected. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Pasta Containers Depositphotos_211824214_S By Tashka2000

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