How to Prepare Dry Foods for Long Term Storage
Keeping a long-term storage food pantry gives you a sense of security that if a natural or man-made disaster comes along, you won't starve. When preparing foods for long term storage, choose dried foods that store well and accept the fact that you won't be able to store everything you might want to eat. Even properly stored foods break down, so you'll need to rotate them out for fresh goods periodically. For ease in doing so, give everything a date label when you store it, using masking tape and a permanent marker. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Masking tape
- Permanent marker
- Sealable plastic bags
- 5-gallon food grade plastic containers
- Lidded glass jars
- Oxygen absorbers
Instructions
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Put bagged dry goods like flour or sugar into sealable plastic bags and seal the bags shut, pressing air out as you close the bag.
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Place dried foods like beans, flour and grains into either five-gallon food grade plastic containers or lidded glass jars. Place the bagged dry goods into these containers as well.
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Insert an oxygen absorber into the glass or plastic container. Use a 300-cc oxygen absorber for each gallon of food you are storing.
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Close the plastic container or glass jar when it is full.
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Stack the dry foods in a pantry on shelves. Do not place directly on a cement floor because cement can sweat. For best storage, keep the items in a dark place. The less light food gets, the longer it stores.
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Place canned goods like store-bought canned beans, tomatoes or jams directly onto the pantry shelves. Since they are sealed, no extra protection is needed.
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Tips & Warnings
Even under the best conditioners, food breaks down. Replace the flours, oils, beans and other bulk goods every two to three years. Use the canned produce within one year.
References
Resources
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