Food Storage Blackberry Pie

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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My husband is pretty much obsessed with blackberries. If I ever make a recipe that has blackberries in it he goes crazy for it. Well of course, being me, I always have to try to turn everything shelf stable so I can see if we could still have that recipe in a powerless situation. Tonight’s Easter Dinner blackberry pie was no exception … and I have to say the results were great!

Food Storage Blackberry Pie

Pie Crust
2 cups flour
1 T. salt
3/4 cups butter flavored shortening
1 T. egg powder
3/4 cups cold water

Combine flour and salt. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is crumbly. Combine the egg powder and water. Add to the flour mix and stir until dough is formed. This makes a VERY VERY soft sticky dough. Split into two pieces. Put in refrigerator for an hour for easier rolling. Roll out half the dough on a floured surface and place into a 9″ pie crust. Put back in fridge while you prepared the filling.

Blackberry Filling
5-6 cups freeze-dried blackberries, rehydrated and drained
1 T. lemon juice
3/4 cup white sugar
3 T. corn starch
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
(Adapted from this joyofbaking.com recipe)

After the blackberries are hydrated and drained, mix with lemon juice. Combine the other ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour into the blackberries. Mix it all around and pour into the cool pie shell. Roll out the other half of the dough and cut it into 1 inch slices. Lay in a criss-cross pattern over the blackberry filling (feel free to actually weave them if you are that talented).

Mix up a tiny bit of powdered milk with about twice the amount of powder as it normally calls for. Brush over top of the crust and then sprinkle with white sugar. Cover the edges with tinfoil and bake at 425 for about 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and delicious.

Cooking Options
This could be cooked in a volcano grill if you have the tent “lid”, in a cardboard box oven, or probably even in a Sun Oven although I’m not sure how brown the crust would get. I may have to experiment with that. Check out our FREE ONLINE POWERLESS COOKING CLASS for more on these cooking options.

Posted in Recipes, Shelf Stable Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Water Storage Series FAQ

Posted on April 5, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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Well it’s time to wrap up our Water Series. Storing water is something that is SO important, and something we get asked about all the time. We thought we’d wrap it up with a Summary/FAQ post that you can use to refer back to as you continue to work on your water storage.

Here are some of the questions we were asked by you, our readers when we started the series. Through out the series, we’ve covered these answers in different posts.

What types of water storage containers are best?
In our post about “Water Storage Containers”, we covered all sorts of container options. Some were free, some were more expensive to fit custom needs.

Where can you find containers for free or cheap?
Our post about “Water Storage Containers” covers this topic as well. You can use old juice bottles, and soda bottles. Make sure not to use old milk gallon type containers as they deteriorate over time and will leak.

How can you store water with limited storage space?
Many of the “Water Storage Containers” we talked about can be stacked in closets, under beds, or behind couches. If space is still a limitation, it may be wise to determine where your closest source of water may be (river, pond, lakes) and have “Water Filtration Versus Water Purification methods you can turn to.

When and how should you treat your water before storing?
In the post “All About Water Rotation”, we give you tips on how to rotate water less often. This can be accomplished by treating your water.

How often should you rotate your water and how do you do it easily?
In our post “All About Water Rotation” we covered why you rotate water, how often you rotate water, tips to rotate less often, what to do with rotated water, and how to improve water that hasn’t been rotated.

How can you make water rotation more efficient?
Using containers that are either easy to move, or have built in rotation mechanisms like the “Water Barrels” we talked about, helps make water rotation easier. Being able to pour water out easily, or drain it easily help with rotation.

What is the difference between water filtration and water purification?
The basic answer to this question is: Filtration is taking larger impurities out of water (like a strainer). Purification is taking out bacteria and viruses from water. Learn more about this, and methods to filter and purify in our “Water Filtration Versus Water Purification” post.

How do you deal with long term water emergencies?
There are many water saving tips we talked about it our “How to Deal With Long Term Water Loss” post. There are many things you can do to conserve water in an emergency where you may not have stored enough.

WATER SERIES POSTS
Here is a list of all the posts we did throughout our water series the past few weeks. There are also a few here listed we covered in the past. We hope they have been helpful and good luck starting, or keep on working on storing your water:

WATER STORAGE PRODUCTS
Here is a list of useful water storage products we talked about throughout the series, and a few extras you may find suitable to your situation:

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Water Barrel Towers

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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Last week we talked about water filtration and purification methods you may need to use, should you not have enough actual water stored. The idea is, that you would be able to find a water source and filter and purify that water should you need extra. While this is a good option, it’s always a great idea to store as much actual water as possible. In our “Water Storage Containers” post we talked about water storage containers, one of which is a 55 gallon barrel. Storing 55 gallon barrels comes with Pros and Cons:

Pros
– Great solution for storing LOTS of water
– Available in multiple sizes from 30 gallons up to 250 gallons
– With additives, can extend rotation needs to every 5 years

Cons
– Slightly difficult to fill and rotate
– Not very accessible when you have to actually USE the water
– Not an ideal solution in small homes/storage areas and shouldn’t be stored outside

WATER BARREL TOWER

A couple of months ago, we were contacted by Trigen Manufacturing and we got some of their water barrel towers. Their water barrel towers solve the typical cons to the regular way of storing 55 gallon barrels. Rotating and filing the barrels is a breeze compared to when they are upright. Not only is rotation easier, it is a space saver too!

Both of us got one of their 3 barrel towers. Jodi’s husband built her tower and they took a video of it in case you are wanting to know how to build the actual shelf. The shelf comes with instructions, and the shelf is pretty basic so it’s not too difficult:

Darin from Trigen was kind enough to come over and help Julie get the barrels plumbed and ready for filling. This video shows you the tower fully built with the water barrels on it, and how to assemble the plumbing kit:

Check out our post on the barrels we did a few months ago when we introduced them and learn more about discounts available for Food Storage Made Easy readers!

To order call: 801-997-0575. Make sure you mention Food Storage Made Easy when you order to get the following discounts:

  • $20 off the Triple Barrel Tower with Upgraded Plumbing kit
  • $10 off Triple Barrel Tower with Basic Plumbing Kit
  • $10 off the Double Barrel Tower with Upgraded Plumbing kit
  • $10 off the Double Barrel Tower with Basic Plumbing kit

Visit Trigen Manufacturing for pricing and full list of contents. To get the discount, make a phone order and mention Food Storage Made Easy.

Pick up your barrels here:

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How to Deal With Long Term Water Loss

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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We hope you’ve learned some new things from our Water Storage series so far. We have a few more posts coming next week, and then we’ll be onto new things. Today we’re going to talk about how you can save your precious stored water in an emergency where you may not have stored enough (see water container post). Ideally you will have a filtration and purification method, and ability to gather more water in case of a long term emergency, but this may not always be the case.

  • First off, FILL YOUR WATER CONTAINERS. We hear from SO many people that they have containers that they just haven’t gotten around to filling yet.
  • Bathe in a large bucket or bin, and use bottles that have the types of tops that squirt (refillable condiment containers) when pressure is applied. This will help with faster rinsing. Use the remaining bath water in the bucket for flushing toilets.
  • Use coralite bath wipes, for quick bathing.
  • Store some no rinse shampoo and conditioner for hair.
  • Have paper plates, plastic cups, and disposable tableware to use to allow you to cut back on dish water.
  • Use recipes that mix most ingredients in one dish or pan that you serve straight from to cut back on dish-washing.
  • Store wet wipes and hand sanitizer to help clean up messes and wash hands.
  • Tap into your water heater and toilet tanks for water if you run out of stored water.
  • Wear your hair in ponytails, or wear hats when you can’t wash your hair as frequently during prolonged times with no water.
  • If you have a swamp cooler that runs on water, make sure you have back-up cooling methods such as fans or wet rags to cool your body off during hotter weather.
  • Fill liquid soap/detergent bottles with water. You’ll have water for washing small load of dishes. Soapy water for hands, and the bottles squirt out better then soda or juice containers.
  • Save water from cooking noodles or other foods to use for other things. Use water from canned vegetables.
  • Don’t wait until you are out of clean clothes to do laundry! If you’re always on top of your laundry, hopefully if crisis hits you won’t be stuck with 7-10 loads of dirty laundry to do.
  • If you have to do laundry get a bucket, put a little baking soda, a tad of water, plunge by hand or with plunger. No need to rinse with baking soda. Baking soda will eradicate smell too.
  • If you’re water has a funny taste, store drink flavoring to improve the taste. You can also aerate the water by pouring it back and forth between two containers. It adds oxygen to the water and gets rid of the stale taste.
  • Flush conservatively. Use water you previously used for bathing or washing dishes to flush the toilets.

We hope some of these ideas are useful. It may be a good idea to print out this list so you have access to it and add it to your Food Storage Made Easy binder. You never know when emergency strikes if you are going to have access to the internet!

Posted in Water | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Water Filtration Versus Purification

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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There are three main situations where you need water storage. We’ve talked about the first two on our blog already, and today we want to cover the third one.

  • Grab N Go: Have some small, portable water containers included as part of your Disaster Kits so you can grab them in case of an evacuation.
  • Bulk Storage at Home: In case of an emergency where your water supply is cut off for a short period of time, you should have at least a two week supply of drinkable water on hand. Choose water storage containers that fit your space and budget constraints.
  • Long Term Water Needs: Since you can’t store endless amounts of water, if there is a long term water shortage, you must find a source of water and have some means of ensuring that it is drinkable via filtration and/or purification.

We want to explain the difference between filtration and purification so that should you need to access water for a long term emergency, you will know how to properly treat your water. Depending on how contaminated your water is, a simple filter may be safe enough. But it is usually better to be on the safe side and fully purify all drinking water.

Water Filtration

Think of water filtration like a strainer. You have a filter with tiny holes in it which will block certain undesirable things from getting through. Any chunks of dirt, rocks, bugs, etc. will be filtered out. Most filters today will also do a good job at blocking protozoa (i.e. Cryptosporidium, Giardia) and bacteria (i.e. Salmonella, E. coli). However, viruses are so small that they will get through the holes in a regular filter. If you use a water “filter” it is a good idea to also purify the water once you have strained out the larger impurities. Here are some of the common water FILTERS you may be aware of:

Water Purification

Water purification makes water safe to drink but does not necessarily remove all undesirable elements from the water (large items such as dirt, rocks, etc.). Water can be purified by boiling it (for at least 3 minutes to kill everything), by using chemicals such as iodine or chlorine, by using UV, or by using special water purifiers that are rated to actually kill viruses (i.e. Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus). Here are a few products that only PURIFY your water:

Filtration/Purification Combos

If you prefer to have one product that will both filter and purify your water there are two great ones that we recommend. The Berkey Water Filter is very popular among our readers and it’s great for both every day use AND for emergency situations. There is a new product called AquaPail which works in a different way than the Berkey but is equally effective. It has an indefinite shelf life so you can store it and know that it is available in a long term water emergency.

Posted in Water | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tools to Use Your Food Storage Daily

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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When you get more involved in using and preserving Food Storage, you start realizing there are a lot of appliances out there that are either necessary or certainly helpful in getting the job done!


When determining what it is you need in terms of appliances, we recommend the “test yourself” theory. What we mean by that, is test yourself by either borsrowing, or doing things the hard way before buying an appliance. Try making bread by hand before buying an expensive mixer. SURE the mixer WILL make the job easier, and oftentimes make the bread turn out better, but see if you are dedicated enough to the habit or lifestyle before buying something you may never use. We borrowed wheat grinders, canners, and dehydrators before ever getting our own, and it was great practice to allow us to see what it was we wanted. So here are a few of our favorite appliances to help us use and preserve our Food Storage.

A Few Of Our Top Picks!

Wondermill Electric:
In an extended emergency with no power, we’ll use our Wonder Jrs, but day in and day out we LOVE our Wondermill Electrics. We have become so familiar with how to use our wheat, other grains, and legumes because the electric mill is so handy, that we’d be ready to use a hand grinder and not change our diets much at all. Emergencies aside, grain mills are great appliances to have to help you cook whole foods from scratch.
Pressure Canner
One of the cheapest and healthiest ways of increasing your supplemental long term food storage is to can your own foods. High acid foods can be canned with a regular and inexpensive water bath canning. But to get into more advanced things like canning meats and certain vegetables, you need a good pressure canner. Jodi currently uses a Presto pressure canner which works well for small amounts of canning, but is also saving up for an All-American pressure canner which is a little more industrial and doesn’t have a gasket that needs replacing.

Electric Pressure Cooker:
An electric pressure cooker is great for cooking dry beans, brown rice, and a variety of other foods that usually take much longer to cook. We’re talking from dry to cooked beans in an hour or less! It’s awesome. You can also use this for cooking a variety of meals in a hurry. We both use and love the Cuisinart Electric Pressure Cooker.
Food Dehydrators:
Another great way to add to your food storage is by dehydrating your own foods either from your garden or bought in bulk at a farmer’s market. Foods you dehydrate yourself have less preservatives and are much cheaper than purchasing dehydrated foods. When the time is right, this can be a good investment for your long term food storage. Our favorite brand is the Excalibur Dehydrator.

Super Blenders:
Super Blenders are great to have for everyday, regular cooking, but also can help you use your Food Storage in ways you wouldn’t expect. Often times, these blenders can grind wheat or other grains into flours so you can avoid buying a wheat grinder. The more you start using your Food Storage, the more you’ll find you cook from scratch and eat healthier and these blenders sure come in handy. You can view our two favorite blenders at this link.
Tortilla Press and Cooker:
After making tortillas by hand a number of times, and testing out this press of one of our friend’s, we were sold on it! Whole wheat tortillas that are made from scratch are so much yummier and healthier than any you could buy at the store. Use your Food Storage, be healthier, and make them much faster than by hand! This tortilla cooker presses, and COOKS the tortilla at the same time.
Bosch Mixer:
If you plan to make bread, pizza, or other baked goods frequently as you practice using your food storage, a Bosch can be a dream. It really does make your doughs turn out better and it is soooo much easier than hand kneading. We’d definitely consider this a luxury item, but if you can afford it, go for it! If you are shopping online you can check out the Bosch Universal Mixer with Cookie Paddles and Metal Whip Drive from Emergency Essentials or a stand-alone Bosch Mixer from Amazon.com


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Top Picks for Emergency Prep Products

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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There are hundreds (probably thousands) of Emergency Preparedness products available out there. Some products are critical to have, while others just make life easier. Over the past 4 years of doing this blog, we have tried lots of different things, and have become dealers for many of them. Our basic rules for becoming dealers of products are

  • 1. Do we honestly like and use the product?
  • 2. Can we sell it for the cheapest possible price to our readers?
  • 3. Does the company do drop-shipping for us? (hey we’re still moms of young kids and running to the post office all the time isn’t always feasible).

If the answers are YES to all these questions we work to be able to sell them to you our readers for CHEAP. Below you will find a few of our hand chosen products we love for Emergency Preparedness. Tomorrow we’ll show you some of the products we love to use daily to cook with our Food Storage in our regular lives, and check back often as we’re always adding products when we like them, and can get them for you at the best prices.


When determining what it is you need, we always recommend taking care of basics first. Take care of your 72 hour kits, your water storage, basic first aid, and sanitation supplies. After you have taken care of the basics (and have either saved up money or get a nice chunk of change) add to your supplies. If you follow our blog, you know we often try to teach you cheap or free solutions to tie you over in the mean time :)

A Few Of Our Top Picks!

Wondermill Jr:
In an extended emergency with no power, and pounds and pounds of wheat, you’ll need a good hand grinder to make use of your wheat. The Wonder Jr is a fantastic mill that can grind all sorts of grains and by simply swapping the stone heads for the stainless steel burr heads you can make delicious peanut butter or other nut butters, grind flax or any oily or wet grains, grind herbs and spices, and even coffee or soy beans.
Global Sun Oven:
One of the things that really intimidated us about even getting started with food storage was the idea of powerless cooking. When we discovered Sun Ovens we were thrilled with the possibilities. Anything you can cook in a regular oven can be cooked in a Sun Oven and usually turns out even better! Without having to worry about storing a fuel source, Sun Ovens are the perfect tool for a long term powerless emergency.
Volcano Grills:
The Volcano Grill is a great stove that gives you all sorts of cooking options. We love them because they work with a variety of fuels, and cook with pots and pans, grills, woks, or dutch ovens. We use ours for camping, eprep, and just for fun!
Water Bricks:
Water Bricks have a unique stacking capability that allows you to store them in virtually any configuration. From small nooks and crannies to large storage rooms or even outside, these containers will fit your needs. When we first saw Water Bricks we knew they could be a GREAT option for people who are struggling with space issues, or who are looking for an easy to carry, light-weight, portable water storage solution.
Insta-Fire:
Insta Fire is a safe, simple, and versatile new fire starting product. It has water-repellant properties, a fifteen minute burn time and a thirty year shelf life. Use it to light campfires, prepare charcoal briquettes, or as a safe and reliable fuel source for cooking or heating in emergency situations. In an emergency you will most likely need to boil water, cook your food, and heat your shelter.
Berkey Water Filters:
While most good filtration systems use a ceramic filter which gets out most of the contaminants in water, you still need to purify it afterwards to get out all of the viruses. The Black Berkey Purification Elements are unique filters in that they remove viruses, harmful pathogenic bacteria, cysts and parasites as well as unhealthy chemical contaminates and impurities while leaving in the essential minerals your body needs.
Humless Solar Generators:
When just getting started with food storage, it is overwhelming to think of what to do in a true powerless emergency situation. Generators can be intimidating, loud, huge, heavy, and require the storage of fuel which is scary, limited, and expensive as well. When we discovered the Humless Solar Generators we knew they would be the perfect solution for many of our readers. The Humless Sentinel is strong enough to power virtually anything in your home from a Bosch or Wheat Grinder to a washing machine or microwave.
Prepare My Life Planner:
The Prepare My Life Planner is an organized emergency preparedness plan. Not only does it contain a step-by-step plan to help prepare your home and family for an emergency, it is also designed to store and organize your important documents. All of the pages, pockets, pouches, and folders are included. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a death in the family, every household needs a plan in order to survive, cope, and recover.


Posted in Emergency Preparedness, Recommended Products | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

What Type of Food Storage Shelves to Buy

Posted on March 23, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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Our BabyStep 1 is to get your shelves, and food storage area ready. The reason we have shelves as step number 1 (after your basic eprep) is because when you have a room set up, building and adding to your food storage feels fun. It no longer becomes a task of figuring out where to put stuff. So whether its cheap and temporary shelves, or if you’re more experienced and run into extra money, some of the food rotation shelves can be really nice solutions.

When deciding on which shelves to put in your home, there are a lot of things to consider. We go into this is greater depth on our BabyStep 1 page. You may have space or budget issues to deal with, but there are options out there. Depending on what types of foods you are storing, rotating shelves can be a great thing to have. It’s also okay to start small with one shelf, and then add to it as you grow your food storage.

Shelving Options

Heavy Duty Shelves:
You can get some decent shelves at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart and other stores like that. You can also price check them on Amazon’s Shelf page to see if you are getting a good deal. These shelves vary in size, and pounds they will hold. If you will be storing heavier foods on them, invest in quality shelves if you can. These types of shelves are good for boxed foods, oils, honey, and a lot of miscellaneous cereals etc. Depending on how tall between shelves, they aren’t always good for cans, since you can only stack cans so high.

Pantry Size Can Rotators:
If you store a lot of cans, there are different options for you. If you have space on your regular shelves, you can get inexpensive cardboard can rotators, or heavy duty, plastic Cansolidators from Shelf Reliance (on sale this month).

Can Rotating Shelves:
If it’s in the budget, these shelves are an absolute dream. They make rotating, and keeping track of everything so easy. When deciding which type of Food Rotation System to buy, make sure you take into account the width of the different shelves, and what kinds of cans they hold. The traditional shelves hold some small (soup), medium, and # 10 can shelves. You you can also get shelves that carry all small, or all #10 can shelves. Again, it becomes a matter of what kinds of foods you store more of.


There isn’t a “one size fits all” shelf out there. Some people recommend shelves based on what works great for them, but if you don’t eat the same types of foods as them, they may not work great for you. For example a rotating shelf with small soup size cans may be perfect for a family that eats a lot of canned goods, however for a family who rarely eats canned food, it may be useless. On the other hand, you may find that as you grow your food storage, you start eating differently so a shelf that may work now, may not work forever. When Julie moved into her new house, she moved her food storage shelves out to her garage to store her e-prep supplies and got new shelves that fit her room, and foods better. Change is good. Even with food storage shelves.


Stay tuned as we continue Tax Refund Week


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What to Know When Buying “Just Add Water” Meals

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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We used to consider storing Just-add-Water meals to be “cheating”. However, over the years we have come to realize that there is a time and place for this type of food storage. If you go through a short term disaster or need to grab some food and go, having a bucket or two of this kind of food will be invaluable to you. We learned this in our 7 Day Challenges over the years. Also, for people who will not rotate traditional food storage (for whatever reason), or do not know how (or want) to cook with traditional foods, this can be a great option.

If you choose to store “Just Add Water” meals there are several things to consider as you determine what you need to store.

  • First, decide how many servings your family will need to store. The servings are typically 200-300 calories so I would recommend planning for 2 servings per meal per adult and one per child.
  • Second, decide if you want to supplement with other foods. Throwing in some meat or having some fruits and vegetables to add can make your food storage a lot more well-rounded (view yesterdays post for more on those items).
  • Third, plan for the appropriate fuel and water. If your whole storage plan revolves around adding water to your food, you better have a good water storage plan in place! You also will need to be able to boil the water or heat the meals so you need to plan a cooking source that will work for that. (More on those two topics later this week!)

Where to Buy “Just Add Water” Meals

Here are a few of the companies that we have had experience with and offer good selections at good prices. (View the “Did you know” section below to see why the prices may vary)

Meals in Pouches

WISE FOOD STORAGE
Two 10-ounce servings per pouch. Just add hot water and wait 12 minutes. 6 different flavors to choose from. These meals do not contain meat.


MOUNTAIN HOUSE
Packages sizes vary from 1-person to 4-person. Wide variety of meal options. Add boiling water and let stand 5-10 minutes. Most meals contain real meat.


Meals in Mylar Bags Inside Buckets


LINDON FARMS
19 different meals in each bucket. Packages based on 2000 calorie per day diets. Most meals must be cooked for several minutes.


WISE FOOD STORAGE
14 different meals in each bucket. Packages based on 2-3 servings per day rather than calories. Most meals only need to add boiling water and let stand.


Meals in #10 Cans


FOOD INSURANCE
Click on long term meal plans. 16 different meals. Gluten-free options. #10 cans with long shelf life. Free shipping on orders over $1000. Comes in large packages.


MOUNTAIN HOUSE
Lots and lots of varieties to choose from. Purchase in individual #10 cans to see what you like, then buy more later. Shipping capped at $12 per order.


SHELF RELIANCE THRIVE ENTREES
11 varieties to choose from. Available in individual #10 cans and cases of 6 at a discount. Available in a large 1-year entree package.

When you are price-comparing these foods, there are several reasons why the prices may vary.

  • Whether or not the meals contain real freeze-dried meat can make a huge difference. Some companies include TVP rather than meat, but most often they just use meat flavorings rather than any meat or meat substitute.
  • A “1-year supply” can mean different things between different companies. If they are going by servings versus calories it can appear to be a lot cheaper when really you are getting less servings for that year.
  • Products that don’t need to be cooked tend to be more expensive than ones that need to be cooked. This is because of the processing required to cook them and then dehydrate them for storage versus storing dried uncooked foods. Meals may be cheaper but you’ll have to store more fuel to cook them. It’s a balance you’ll need to consider.


Stay tuned as we continue Tax Refund Week


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Best Ways to Purchase Traditional Food Storage

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Jodi and Julie
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When referring to traditional food storage, the food items typically include grains, legumes, sugars, oils, etc. These foods provide a life-sustaining diet and at the very least these should be the ones you store. These items also have a long shelf life thus they are ideal for long term food storage. We recommend including additional foods such as fruits, veggies, meats and powdered dairy products in your traditional food storage to add a variety to your diet, and to allow you more flexibility to make your regular recipes using foods you have stored.

A lot of people like to shoot for a goal of storing a one year supply of long term food storage, so buying a big chunk of that at one time when you come across some “extra” money is a great way to make a dent in it.

Long term food storage can feel daunting so we dedicated a whole babystep just to PLANNING what you are going to buy. Look at our Babystep 4 page for an excel calculator (or pdf worksheets) that can help you how much of the basics you need for your family. Then add to your worksheet whatever “extra” items you want to store. One way to figure it out is to decide how many servings of fruits, veggies, meats, etc. you would want for your family per day and then multiply that by the length of time you are planning to store for.

Where to Buy Your Traditional Food Storage

All-In-One Packages:

Some people like to just buy a “1 year supply” package and call it good. If you choose to go this route, you need to think about what you ACTUALLY want to store and then do your homework on all the packages out there. For example, a one year supply can mean anything from a One Year Supply of Basics up to a Supreme One Year Supply including fruits, veggies, meats, meals, etc.

Grains/Legumes:

If you live in North America near an LDS Home Storage Center (or cannery), this is generally the least expensive place to purchase your bulk grains and legumes. Click here to look for a Home Storage Center in your area. You purchase the foods in bulk and either can them there or package them yourself in buckets at home. Please make sure to call your local cannery to find out their policies before you just show up. Each one seems to have different rules regarding needing an appointment, member policies, etc.

A few limited items are available online from the cannery. Wheat, rice, pinto beans, and oats can be purchased in #10 cans at good prices with free shipping. Click here for more information.

If the cannery is not an option for you, there are multiple places online you can purchase these basic items:

EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS: Buckets and #10 cans. Grains and Beans

HONEYVILLE GRAINS:Bulk bags and #10 cans. Grains and Beans and Peas

SHELF RELIANCE: Buckets, #10 cans, smaller pantry cans, sample mylar pouches. Grains and Beans.

Freeze Dried Fruits and Vegetables:


These are a great addition to meals and desserts, to use as a side dish, or just to snack on. You can store dehydrated or freeze-dried, or a combination of both. It’s a good idea to try smaller packages of different kinds to see what varieties and brands your family likes best.

You can get these in a wide variety of package options. Here are a few options online to check out:

LINDON FARMS: Mylar pouches inside a plastic bucket. (all freeze-dried)Fruitsand Vegetables

WISE FOOD STORAGE: Mylar pouches inside a plastic bucket, includes dips as well (all freeze-dried). Fruits and Vegetables

EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS: #10 cans or smaller MyChoice cans (freeze-dried or dehydrated). Search Fruits and search Vegetables

HONEYVILLE GRAINS:Small and large cans (freeze-dried or dehydrated). Fruits and Vegetables

SHELF RELIANCE: #10 cans, smaller pantry cans, sample mylar pouches (freeze-dried or dehydrated). Fruits and Vegetables. For current fruit and vegetable package sales click here

Freeze Dried Meats:

Freeze-dried meats are great for adding bulk, calories, and flavor to your meals. They allow you to easily turn any recipe into a “shelf stable” meal.

You can get these in a few different packaging options. Here are a few options online to check out:

WISE FOOD STORAGE: 4 serving mylar pouches inside a plastic bucket. 6 chicken and beef options seasoned in a variety of flavors. Learn more.

EMERGENCY ESSENTIALS: #10 cans, cases, and packages. Search “meat” to learn more.

HONEYVILLE GRAINS: #10 cans and cases. Learn more.

SHELF RELIANCE: #10 cans, smaller pantry cans, sample mylar pouches. Learn more.

“Other”:
A lot of these stores offer a variety of other products you may choose to purchase to add to your traditional food storage. Make sure to check out some of the powdered dairy, cheeses, desserts, drinks etc. Tomorrow we will be focusing on “Just Add Water” meals, which is a different topic all together.


A lot of these extras we are talking about (fruits, vegetables, meats) can be items you dehydrate or can yourself. Although they wont have as long of a shelf life as freeze dried products, they can be much cheaper if you have the time to do it and a good source for cheap produce/meat. We have some informative articles about these topics in the Self Reliance section on our blog.


Stay tuned as we continue Tax Refund Week


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