Food

Preserving Foods

Prepper Food ,
Preserving Foods

Food preservation is something many people take for granted because they are not involved in the actual preservation process. It is easy to go to the store and purchase freeze dried fruits or canned meats. But what if you had to preserve food yourself? The three most popular food preservation methods are freezing, drying, and canning. Not only are these effective methods, but they are cheap methods as well.

Preserving Foods
Preserving Foods

The reason food spoils in the first place is due to microorganisms that get on the food as it sits for extended periods of time in the open air. During the canning process, food is placed into a jar and then heated. The heat kills any existing microorganisms on the food and then air is forced from the jar with a vacuum before it is sealed. That way no other air from the outside can make contact with the food and expose it to more microorganisms. Canned foods can typically last for a couple of years.
Freezing food is another popular food preservation method. Of course, it won’t do you much good if you have a power outage because your freezer won’t be able to stay cold anymore. But if you are preserving food before an outage, a freezer is the easiest way to go. All you have to do is purchase fruits, meat, vegetables, desserts or whatever else you want to preserve while they’re still fresh. Take them home and immediately package them securely with plastic wrap. It is very important the foods are sealed to the point where the outside air cannot get through to them. Now place the packaged food in the freezer at 0 degrees and leave it there. Make sure the temperature stays at a freezing level without any fluctuation.
Now the oldest method of food preservation is drying the food. With an electric dehydrator, you can simply remove all of the moisture from the food with a temperature that is just hot enough to dry it and not cook it. In the old days, people would dry food out under the sun or in their oven. But an electric dehydrator creates a very precise temperature so that you can dry the food properly.
As you can see, food preservation is a lot easier than you probably thought. You should always have some food preserved around your house in case disaster strikes. The best part about preserving your own food is that you get to choose which foods you want to preserve. They may not taste fresh when you eat them, but they will be edible and they may possibly even save your life.

Food Storage Ideas

Prepper Food ,
Food Storage Ideas

Food storage is a practice that many people should partake in, especially if you live in an area which is prone to dangerous storms and power outages. In most natural disasters, all of the nearby supermarkets will be out of food which means you can only rely on the food that you have stored away. This won’t be the most pleasant tasting food either so try not to be too picky about the taste. The majority of the food you store will be canned food because it will last for a long time. You should also purchase freeze dried fruits and vegetables because they contain no moisture and can last for many years.

food_storage_ideas

The typical person will just store food in their kitchen cabinet. But you want to have more food stored around the house just in case. One popular area to store food is underneath your bed. Just get a box or a bucket and place all of your preserved food in it. Then if you’re in your bedroom when disaster strikes, you will have food available to you right away. For those who have staircases in their homes, there should be plenty of space to store food underneath the staircase. Other places include the garage, attic, and even a shed in your backyard. Some people who are really worried about disaster will turn their shed into a small pantry. If you have a basement then you can turn that into a pantry as well. Some people even build extra shelves in their kitchen and living room that are up high near the ceiling. Then they just store all of their preserved food on these shelves and only use them in emergencies.

Aside from canned and freeze dried foods; you should also store white rice, honey, grains, and MREs. You could purchase huge bags of white rice right from the farm and place them in a room temperature environment for up to 30 years and it will stay good. White rice is cheap and will give you lots of calories and carbohydrates per serving. Honey is another food source that can literally last forever. Due to its low moisture content, it does not go bad since microorganisms are not attracted to foods with little moisture. Grains such as oats, rye, and quinoa should last for about 8 years as long as they are sealed in an airtight container and placed in a room that stays around 70 degrees. As for MREs, these are “meals ready to eat” that are usually given to soldiers in the military. They are basically like rations which can last for up to 10 years in a cool environment.

Low cost steps for preparedness

Prepper Advice, Food ,
Canned food, preparedness

Low cost steps for preparedness

Canned food, preparedness
Canned food, preparedness

When it comes to preparedness for an emergency or bad situation then there are low cost steps that you can take in order to ensure your survival. Firstly, you will need to prepare by stocking up on food and water because you won’t be able to survive any situation without them. Some common low cost foods that you can store for a long time include ramen noodles, macaroni and cheese, canned chili, canned vegetables, and peanut butter. Pretty much anything canned will be cheap and easy to preserve for years. As for water, all you need to purchase are water purification tablets. You could purchase bottled water, but that would actually be a waste of money. Just take a bunch of empty bottles that you already have and fill them up with tap water. Store the water along with your canned foods and water purification tablets. When disaster strikes then put the tablets in the water to clean out the germs and bacteria that may be in there.

Next you should go to your local thrift store, like Goodwill, and stock up on cheap clothes. Since you won’t have a vast supply of water, then you won’t be able to wash your dirty clothes. So you need extra clothes to change into in an emergency situation. You should also look for medical kits, duct tape, hand tools or any other necessities as well. If you can’t find any at the thrift store then try shopping on eBay for some of these necessities. After that, you’ll need to focus on how you’ll generate a source of heat. The easiest way to do this is by purchasing an assortment of lighters at your local dollar store. You can usually purchase eight disposable lighters for just a buck or two. Either that, or purchase a box of matches because they are also cheap and will last you a long time. These lighters could help you start fires to keep warm or even cook food in a survival situation.

Finally, you’ll want to invest in a low cost tent. If your situation puts you outside in the wilderness then a tent will help you sleep better at night. It will keep out the bugs and it will also reduce the impact of wind or rain hitting you while you are trying to sleep. You can find cheap $20 tents on Amazon.com or go to a local garage sale because you are bound to find one there.

Read also: Survival and Preparedness Gear, Food, Tools, Kits, Knives (List)

Preparedness Food Storage List

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canned_Food

Preparedness Food Storage List

canned_Food

Food is a priority during a crisis even through the average person can survive up to three weeks without food. Food is comfort and can immediately bolster morale and make the crisis easier to handle. Even the process of making a meal can return some normalcy to an otherwise chaotic situation. Nutrition is a priority, and to ensure you do not lose your food supply to spoilage, rodents and insects it must be processed and stored properly.

Basic Essentials

• Salt/Pepper
• Various Dry Spices: Store To Protect From Moisture Rodents And Insects
• Cooking Oil
• Vinegar: Cider And White
• Flour Stored In Moisture/Rodent And Insect Proof Containers
• Powdered Milk Properly Stored: Used For Nutrition/Making Sauces And Gravies

Food Storage

Canned foods are popular for emergencies and relatively inexpensive and can be purchased virtually anywhere. However, the typical shelf life is one year from date of purchase and the variety can be limited, so persons with specific dietary concerns would have to shop carefully. Because of the limited variety, you will have to stockpile multiples of cans. When calculating amounts the average person will need one can of protein, one can of vegetables and one of fruit daily. Store where there is no chance of freezing and store in a dry area. Canned foods are already processed to prevent spoilage and the freezing and thawing of the contents can ruin the food and cause the can to rupture. Excessive moisture will cause the can to rust prematurely causing holes in the can.

Protein is important during a survival situation to maintain energy levels and proper red blood cell production. Keep in mind your physical activity level will rise during a crisis and you likely burn more calories as a result.

Avoid consuming high sodium foods. Do have comfort foods available but do not consider them a substitute for a well-balanced meal. For children and adults alike have cookies, dried fruits, hard chocolate and crackers available. Crackers and peanut butter will provide needed carbohydrates and protein to supplement a canned food diet. Peanuts, jerky and trail mix make ideal supplements during the day as well.

Dehydrated foods have an extended shelf life up to 30 years in some cases if unopened. They have a large variety from which to choose to include meats, fruits, vegetables, gravies, potatoes and even desserts. Once opened however the shelf life is reduced. The preparation requires water for reconstitution and a means to heat that water. The foods can be stored at room temperature and while the containers can be relatively large, each can contains a large number of meals. Keep in mind when ordering foods for long-term survival the amounts calculated are based on two meals a day.

Meals Ready to Eat (MRE’s) have a shelf life of between five and seven years when stored on the shelf. They require no preparation, so they can be eaten from the package. Each meal has about 1,200 calories and two per day is recommended for each adult.

Considerations

Have a variety of food packages on hand that can be easily carried in backpacks and vehicles. Canned foods are ideal for short-term if you shelter in place but can be cumbersome to carry if you have to relocate or evacuate. Dehydrated foods can be broken down into smaller containers for packing in a backpack, but consider the fact you will need water, a vessel for cooking and a heat source for preparation. MRE’s can be carried in a backpack relatively easily and can be eaten cold or immersed in hot water for heating the food.

1. Stockpile over time to lessen the economic burden
2. Inventory your stockpile once completed and note amounts and expiration dates
3. Rotate foods into your daily diet that are close to expiration and replace
4. Inspect all foods every 90 days for damage from insects and rodents
5. Do not become complacent because a crisis has not occurred and allow your food supply to be used for camping or other outdoor adventures