Food Storage: Short and Long term

Last updated Jun 8, 2023

• Food
• Storage
• Years
• Months

Wheat, hard red winter wheat- 200-365 pounds per person per year Powdered Milk- 60-100 pounds per person per year, 1-5 year shelf-life Sugar or Honey- 35-100 pounds per person per year Salt- 1-12 pounds per person per year

This won’t make a complete diet, but it will help keep you from starving.

Food Storage Requirements for 1 Adult Male* For 1 Year (approximately 2450 calories per day)

• Grains (300 lb.): Wheat, white flour, oats, white rice, dent, corn, rye, barley, millet, popcorn, pasta.
• Beans and Legumes (75 lb.): Black beans, lentils, pinto beans, navy beans, soybeans, sprouting seeds: (mung beans, alfalfa seeds, red clover), split peas.
• Milk/Dairy Products (50-75 lb.): Non-fat milk powder, cheese powder, dried eggs, powdered sour cream.
• Meats/Meat Substitutes (10-20 lb.): Beef freeze-dried, chicken freeze-dried, textured vegetable protein.
• Fats/Oils (20 lb.): Powdered butter/margarine/shortening, cooking oil, peanut butter, olive oil.
• Sugars (60 lb.): Honey, sugar, maple syrup, molasses, hard candy, jelly/jam.
• Fruits/Vegetables (10-30 lb.): Bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, sweet corn, onions, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, tomato powder, apples, blueberries, peaches, pineapple, raisins, strawberries.
• Adjunct Foods (weight varies): Baking powder, vitamins, salt, yeast, gelatin, hydrated lime, pepper, cinnamon, garlic powder, chili powder, basil, oregano, vanilla extract, liquid smoke, hot sauce, bouillon, cocoa, chocolate syrup, protein powder, tofu solidifier, vinegar, powdered drink mixes, sourdough starter, parmesan cheese.

*Note: For an adult female- multiply weight by .75/ For children ages 1-3 multiply by .3; ages 4-6 by .5; ages 7-9 by .75

Storage Food Baby Formula

_ 2¼ oz. non-fat dry milk _ 1 oz. vegetable oil _ .7 oz. sugar _ 4 cups water

Short-term, up to a year: Canned food, pasta, stuff you eat every day. What’s in your cabinet now.

Medium: rice, beans, pasta, sugar, cooking oil… stored in plastic containers.

Long-term: #10 cans or Mylar bags inside of plastic buckets, with oxygen absorbers. Grains will last indefinitely, rice and beans will start losing nutritional value sometime after 15 years. Don’t use oxygen absorbers with salt or sugar. It will turn them into a solid clump.

Plastic coke bottles will permit oxygen to enter. but are a good cheap way to store grain, beans, and pasta for 5 years or more. Salt and sugar can be stored indefinitely. Transfer food into bottles quickly after you get it to reduce chance of insect infestation.

_ Tornado-in-a bottle connector, amazon.com . Ream out restriction on inside.

1. Variety: Store less wheat than is generally suggested, and more rice and other grains. Also store a variety of beans. Include plenty of spices and flavorings.
2. Extended Staples: Store dehydrated and/or freeze-dried foods as well as home-canned and “store bought” canned goods. Add cooking oil, shortening, baking powder, soda, yeast, and powdered eggs.
3. Vitamins: A good supply of multi-vitamins and vitamin C are the most vital, especially for children, as they do not store body reserves of nutrients as adults do.
4. Quick and Easy “Psychological Foods”: “No cook” foods such as freeze-dries, MRE’s, canned goods, etc. are good for times when you are physically or psychologically unable to prepare your basic storage items. Also include ‘goodies’- Jello, pudding, candy…
5. Balance: Keep well balanced as you build your storage. Buy several items, rather than a large quantity of one item.
6. Containers: Always store bulk foods in food storage containers. Food left in sacks is highly susceptible to moisture, insects, and rodents. Be sure to line plastic buckets with a mylar liner.
7. Use Your Storage: Buy a good cookbook and actually cook with storage food now. This is not something that you want to have to learn under stress. Your family needs to be used to eating these foods.

Rice and Beans and Tasty Things, A Puerto Rican Cookbook by Dora Romano

Cooking with Home Storage by Vicky Tate