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Post by Lexica on Apr 6, 2020 18:20:19 GMT
I don’t know if this is still a recommendation, but from what I remember from an LDS friend, their family kept a pantry with a minimum of 1 year’s worth of food and supplies for each family member. Is that still done? If so, you we’re so much more prepare for this pandemic than the average person. I’m envious.
Can you share any tips or tricks that you have learned that would help any of us that plan to slightly increase their preparedness going forward? I plan on buying a home with a usable basement if at all possible and will be setting up some shelves to hold my surplus supplies. I have a shelf in my garage now, but will expand what I keep once I’m settled in.
How do you set it up to be the most efficient? Do you date each canned product on the can itself? I know there is a use by date, but they are hard to see. I think writing on the top on permanent marker would be better for my old lady eyes. I don’t use that many canned items, but when you need one, you need one! For me it is beans and tomatoes. I know you must rotate to make sure things are getting used up, but what else should we know?
How do you store flour, sugar, cereals, etc?
Any peas who are not LDS but have a good system to share?
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Apr 6, 2020 18:29:17 GMT
Food storage is like insurance. You hope you’ll never need it but you are sure glad you have it if you do.
If items will expire before I can use them, I donate to the food bank before the expiration date.
My best recommendation is to know how to use what you store. I have a menu of dinners made entirely from food storage items.
I do write expiration dates on can lids with marker. It’s a good system.
I have food safe 5-gallon buckets for flour, sugar, pasta, etc. My long-term storage is in the basement - there’s a room under the front porch that stays cool year-round. I store cereal in my main floor pantry.
If you have other specific questions I’m happy to try to help.
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mommyv
Shy Member
Posts: 37 
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Post by mommyv on Apr 6, 2020 19:02:51 GMT
My advice is the buy what you USE and USE what you buy. It sounds simple, but it took awhile for me to get it! If you don't use or cook with dry beans, don't buy them to store them. If there is a kind of canned soup you like, buy that. I have shopped and stored food this way my entire adult life. If you see something on sale that you use regularly, but don't NEED right now, buy it. I use buckets to store my sugar and flour in. I'm lucky to have a storage room under by front porch to put my canned goods and other food extras.
Ann
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Post by maryland on Apr 6, 2020 19:39:56 GMT
I wish I had the room to store extra food. We have limited space in the basement. But we couldn't use it anyway because we have had mice the two times we attempted a small food storage area. Same with the garage.
What is your advice for those that don't have much storage in their house? I guess we could rent storage, but that would be expensive.
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,567
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Post by mich5481 on Apr 6, 2020 19:52:40 GMT
I wish I had the room to store extra food. We have limited space in the basement. But we couldn't use it anyway because we have had mice the two times we attempted a small food storage area. Same with the garage. What is your advice for those that don't have much storage in their house? I guess we could rent storage, but that would be expensive. What about under a bed or putting a bookcase in a closet? |
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Post by maryland on Apr 6, 2020 20:01:25 GMT
I wish I had the room to store extra food. We have limited space in the basement. But we couldn't use it anyway because we have had mice the two times we attempted a small food storage area. Same with the garage. What is your advice for those that don't have much storage in their house? I guess we could rent storage, but that would be expensive. What about under a bed or putting a bookcase in a closet? We have made great use of space, as under the beds are already full of storage stuff!  And our closets already have an extra dresser (we have a tiny walk in closet) that's full of my scrapbook stuff. I got some candy during my grocery trip today, and can't even think of a place to hid it! Everything is full! We are using our dining room full of clothes baskets to store our extra pandemic food! You can't even walk in there. If my family didn't feel the need to save everything (kids toys, books, etc.) it would help. But I am a minimalist in a home of packrats, and I can't change them (I've tried!). |
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mich5481
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,567
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Post by mich5481 on Apr 6, 2020 20:08:54 GMT
What about under a bed or putting a bookcase in a closet? We have made great use of space, as under the beds are already full of storage stuff! And our closets already have an extra dresser (we have a tiny walk in closet) that's full of my scrapbook stuff. I got some candy during my grocery trip today, and can't even think of a place to hid it! Everything is full! We are using our dining room full of clothes baskets to store our extra pandemic food! You can't even walk in there. If my family didn't feel the need to save everything (kids toys, books, etc.) it would help. But I am a minimalist in a home of packrats, and I can't change them (I've tried!). Oh, wow! Good luck!! |
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Post by scrapbookwriter on Apr 6, 2020 23:02:20 GMT
I wish I had the room to store extra food. We have limited space in the basement. But we couldn't use it anyway because we have had mice the two times we attempted a small food storage area. Same with the garage. ***** We sometimes get mice too. But I’ve never yet seen a mouse that could chew through cans or food-grade plastic buckets  When I first started on a food storage program 20 years ago, I found I could get food grade buckets for free from grocery store in-store bakeries. Frosting, icing, and fillings come to the bakery in those buckets. I would call ahead and ask if they could save some buckets for me and which day they would like me to pick them up. The bakeries usually open the buckets with razor knives so the tops have slits in them, but they still work. The buckets are sticky. I washed them with dish soap in my bathtub. I’m still using those same free buckets all these years later. It doesn’t take a lot of money to get started on food storage. Do it gradually. Watch for sales on things you normally eat and buy extras. Watch for case lot sales. Compare prices between stores (this has become easier with online grocery shopping). Shop at Costco. Check expiration dates when you shop. When you use something from your storage, replace it. I don’t recommend storing food in the garage. It’s not temperature controlled. In your particular case, maryland , where your family takes up all the storage space and resists your efforts at change, I would ask your family to solve the problem. Tell them your requirements (size, accessibility, cool temperature, out of direct sunlight - maybe show them a shelf unit you would like to use) and ask them to figure out where this storage space should be. I would NOT recommend renting a storage space for food storage. It’s just not accessible. Good luck! |
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Post by maryland on Apr 7, 2020 0:09:37 GMT
I wish I had the room to store extra food. We have limited space in the basement. But we couldn't use it anyway because we have had mice the two times we attempted a small food storage area. Same with the garage. ***** We sometimes get mice too. But I’ve never yet seen a mouse that could chew through cans or food-grade plastic buckets When I first started on a food storage program 20 years ago, I found I could get food grade buckets for free from grocery store in-store bakeries. Frosting, icing, and fillings come to the bakery in those buckets. I would call ahead and ask if they could save some buckets for me and which day they would like me to pick them up. The bakeries usually open the buckets with razor knives so the tops have slits in them, but they still work. The buckets are sticky. I washed them with dish soap in my bathtub. I’m still using those same free buckets all these years later. It doesn’t take a lot of money to get started on food storage. Do it gradually. Watch for sales on things you normally eat and buy extras. Watch for case lot sales. Compare prices between stores (this has become easier with online grocery shopping). Shop at Costco. Check expiration dates when you shop. When you use something from your storage, replace it. I don’t recommend storing food in the garage. It’s not temperature controlled. In your particular case, maryland , where your family takes up all the storage space and resists your efforts at change, I would ask your family to solve the problem. Tell them your requirements (size, accessibility, cool temperature, out of direct sunlight - maybe show them a shelf unit you would like to use) and ask them to figure out where this storage space should be. I would NOT recommend renting a storage space for food storage. It’s just not accessible. Good luck! We need to get our front porch torn out and redone. That's where the mice were getting in to our basement (we had an exterminator come out and that's what he told us). We thought we could do it this fall or next spring, but now with the financial crisis, I don't see it happening. But if we we would have been able to get it done, a shelf unit for the basement would be perfect! Our kids are 17, 20 and 22, we do not need to keep kids toys! |
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Post by SunnySmile on Apr 7, 2020 0:26:38 GMT
The key is to store what you eat and eat what you store. Rotate food. New stuff in the back, older stuff always in the front. I don't have bed frames, our beds are on boxes of food storage. Dried beans, rice, pasta, dehydrated vegetables, wheat (because it has indefinite shelf life rather than flour). Small amounts of these are kept in the pantry. Other canned goods and regular pantry items are in the pantry. I keep my home-canned goods in there as well. They are all marked on the lids what it is and when it was canned. Sometimes it's hard to keep things rotated, but that's the key to really keeping everything fresh. You can build it by just buying an extra of what you are already going to buy. Have a budget for building your storage, maybe $10 for extra canned goods and some sugar. Just do it steadily and gradually and before you know it you'll have a good bit set aside. Hope this helps answer your question.
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And our closets already have an extra dresser (we have a tiny walk in closet) that's full of my scrapbook stuff. I got some candy during my grocery trip today, and can't even think of a place to hid it! Everything is full! We are using our dining room full of clothes baskets to store our extra pandemic food! You can't even walk in there. 
