By Kevin Taylor

After food has been freeze dried what else can be done to preserve it?

The freeze drying process removes 98% of the water from food, stopping bacterial growth as well as killing insects and their eggs.

Beyond freeze drying further to preserve food and increase shelf life, oxygen is the main enemy. If the food is stored in a way that it is not exposed to oxygen, the shelf life can reach 25 to 30 years. Shelf life here refers to the food maintaining it’s properties of nutritional value, taste, and appearance. It may still be safe to eat beyond this time but the aforementioned properties are degraded. Oxygen Absorbers

Some freeze dried food producers use oxygen absorbers to extend shelf life.

Oxygen absorbers are materials that chemically react with oxygen in the environment they are in, combining with the oxygen and thus removing it from that environment. The most commonly used material for absorbers is iron in the forms of iron powder or iron carbonate. Both combine with oxygen very effectively.

Once oxygen absorbers are exposed to oxygen they will continue to react with it until the material is fully “oxidized” meaning it can not absorb any more oxygen. For this reason they need to be very carefully sealed and stored so that they are not consumed before their intended use.

The application in which oxygen absorbers are used for freeze dried food storage is to place them in the can of food before it is vacuum sealed.

The idea is that any oxygen that leaks into the sealed container over years of storage will be absorbed by it, rather than the oxygen reacting with the freeze dried food and degrading it.

There are two types of oxygen absorbers commonly used. One type, Multisorb Technologies’ FreshPax Type-B requires some moisture from the environment it is in to be present to work and is used for moist foods like bread and processed meats. Type-D absorbers contain there own moisture source and are thus suited to dry foods like freeze dried food.

You may remember the old adage Aristotle proclaimed in 350 BC, “nature abhors a vacuum”. So any vacuum packed container will over time be invaded, if ever so slightly, by the surrounding air and with it the 21% of air that is oxygen.

So while the oxygen absorber will extend the shelf life by absorbing the oxygen in the air that is present initially during packing as well as the air that leaks in over time, eventually the absorber will be “maxed out”, that is it will be fully oxidized and can not absorb any more oxygen.

I have seen the guarantees for shelf life for this type packed freeze dried food at 10-15 years. This period may be a reflection of the limit of the process and process controls that the producer of the food uses, as well as that of the oxygen absorber. http://bulk-survival-food.com

Nitrogen Packing

Nitrogen packing or “nitro-pak” on the other hand takes a different approach to dealing with oxygen “enemy”.

Rather than relying on the properties of the container to fight the invading air trying to get in, the container is flushed with nitrogen or packed in a nitrogen environment. As a result the sealed container has the same or slightly higher pressure but with nitrogen and not air. This means that air is not fighting to get in. There is no abhorrence so to speak.

Thus the period that the food remains unexposed to significant concentrations of oxygen is much longer and thus the possible shelf life is longer.

What is the longest shelf life for nitrogen packed freeze dried food?

Mountain House, the commercial brand of Oregon Freeze Dry which has been around for over 40 years, states on their web site regarding their #10 cans of freeze dried food;

“Our foods will have the longest shelf life available…up to 30 years!”

It may be the result of superior process controls, not only the nitrogen packing process, that makes them feel comfortable making this statement.

There is information online on how you can nitro-pak foods yourself with some equipment but I would be leery of assuming your process control would be on the same par and have the same shelf life.

In any case “nitro-pak” freeze dried food has the longest shelf life for any type of commercially available stored food I have seen.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kevin_Taylor

By Michael Russell

Keeping your foods properly stored in the cabinet or refrigerator is something that should be taken seriously. Not only will storing your food correctly make it last longer, but it can also keep you healthier. Improperly storing foods can lead to harmful bacteria and spoilage. Let’s take a look at a few helpful tips to keep your foods fresh and lasting longer.

Vegetables

Keep your vegetables stored in the food crisper in your refrigerator. You can put all your vegetables in there except for tomatoes, onions, potatoes and garlic. Keep your potatoes, onions and garlic in dark place, or even in a paper bag, but not the refrigerator.

You should keep your vegetables in plastic bags to hold their moisture and nutrients. You will also put tomatoes in a plastic bag after cutting them.

Fruits

Most people think they should leave apples sitting out on the table in a fruit bowl, but the truth is, they should be stored in the refrigerator. All types of berries should also be stored in the refrigerator. One fruit that should never be put in the refrigerator though is a banana. It will immediately turn black. Not a pretty sight.

Melons, including watermelons, should be stored at regular room temperature until they become ripened. Once ripe they should then be stored in the refrigerator. The same can be said for grapes.

Other citrus type fruits can be left outside at room temperature or kept in the refrigerator. It doesn’t really matter with these fruits.

Frozen Foods

When freezing leftover foods, be sure to put them in an airtight container, or Ziploc bag to maintain freshness. If you don’t, you will have ice crystals form and your foods will be freezer burnt.

Meats, chicken and pork can also be put in the freezer to keep. Be sure you do not re-freeze these foods after thawing them out. You must use them after thawing, or throw them out.

Milk And Dairy Items

Naturally you will always store milk in the refrigerator, but be sure to keep an eye on the expiration date. Throw it out after the expiration date. Another good tip is to buy milk from the store with an expiration date well into the future. Look for gallon containers in the rear of the dairy shelves in the grocery store. They will have the latest expiration dates.

It is also a good idea to check expiration dates on all your dairy items at least once a week. This includes eggs also.

Meats

Always keep fish, meats, chicken and pork in the refrigerator until you prepare them for eating. You want to make sure you keep these items wrapped and away from other foods in your refrigerator to prevent bacteria and keep them from contaminating other foods.

One important tip to keep in mind is that fish should be eaten within two days of purchase.

Other Items

Keep your canned foods in a pantry that is cool and dark. This includes cereals, oils, breads and pasta.

Food storage certainly is not difficult, but it does require a little bit of attention on your part. By properly storing your foods you will keep your foods lasting longer and your family will stay healthier.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell

By Nonna Joann Bruso

In 1999, many families decided to beef up their pantries for Y2K. It was thought computer chips would fail with the rollover to January 1, 2000. Computer chips hold our energy grid together and there was concern food distribution would be effected along with other services. Thankfully, Y2K turned out to be a non-event and the millennium began as any other year.

Why have food storage?
Turns out computer chips were a new concern. Since Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, it became necessary to store food. It’s only recently that families don’t grow and prepare their food for at least a year’s storage. One group, the Mormons, still encourage their members to store a year’s food supply for their families (and neighbors in case of a disaster), but only 15 percent actually do it.

It’s 2009 and Y2K is long-forgotten; so why have food storage? Convenience is one reason. I get irritated when a favorite item isn’t available at the grocery store. Just recently, the brand of applesauce I purchase has been unavailable. To avoid this in the future, I decided to buy a case of applesauce when it’s restocked.

With the recession, many families have found their pantry was more than a convenience. A friend of mine, whose husband was laid off six months ago, told me during the past months they have been eating the food she had in her freezer and pantry. The food in her home became a savings account, which they could draw on in their financial crisis.

In recent years, we experienced natural disasters disrupting the food supply and the energy grid for various regions in the U.S. We’ve all seen what happens when a weather alert advises families to stock up for a hurricane or blizzard. In short order, grocery shelves are emptied.

Disasters include more than the weather or losing a job. Other disasters include a terrorist attack, illness, injury, divorce, and death in the family. These almost always have severe financial repercussions. When you have food storage, it’s comforting to know that your pantry won’t be empty in a couple of days.

There’s one more important reason we should be looking at storing food, today. Food storage is a hedge against inflation. Last summer, when the price of gas jumped to over four dollars, the cost of food went up, too. What will happen, when inflation hits hard and everything goes up…a lot?

Our country is experiencing tough financial times. The banking bailout and the stimulus package are massive spending plans. The government has been printing new money to finance the bailout debt. It may take six months or a year, but rapid inflation is inevitable. Just when we will see inflation hit in a big way is still unknown. (Hopefully we won’t experience hyperinflation.) Massive money creation always destroys the purchasing power of the currency. It hits hardest on those who are retired and others on fixed income or families who’ve lost one income. It’s worst for those who have lost their only source of income; who can’t purchase at any price.

Food bought and stored today may be a smarter investment than putting money in the bank. Present interest rates are in the tank. A really good interest rate is a mere 4 percent and that’s very hard to find. Most CDs are at 3 percent. When you factor in the Current Economic Indicators for February 2009 with a inflation rate of 9 percent: stored food becomes a savings account earning more interest than bank are offering.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nonna_Joann_Bruso

By Sirrae Parker

With stores like Costco and Sams club food rationing for the first time, getting some extra food storage has never been a better idea. Even on a purse string budget you can get some extra food for your family. Remember that anything could happen and the time is quickly coming where you won’t be able to buy anything from your favorite grocery store. And if you think you can go “buy up” everything at the last minute you will be disappointed to find that the only things left are crumbs and dust.

Food Storage is an investment!

Many see food storage as a “waste” of money, time or effort. But remember that food storage is a sound investment, bringing you maximum gain with minimum risk. Unlike stocks or bonds food will always hold its value, even under different currencies or failing economies.

“Agriculture… is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.” -Thomas Jefferson

What Jefferson meant was, the ability to feed ourselves is our highest priority, without that nothing else matters. Money means nothing if you are starving. Food storage is life insurance.

Common Excuses:

-I have no money

-I don’t have the room to put extra food

-I have no time for that

-I don’t know what to buy

Easy Food Storage Tips

-Just buy extra of whatever you normally buy each grocery store visit

-Sign up for warehouse stores like Costco or Sams Club. You can buy bulk and save

-Use “bonus” money like tax returns to purchase supplies

-Get rid of expensive or unnecessary food items, the money saved can be put toward food storage

-Cut back on excess spending.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sirrae_Parker

By Drew Powell

Before you start assembling the items for your 72 Hour Kit, define what survive means to you. If you come out alive, regardless of missing a limb due to frostbite, is one end of the spectrum while a spare Winnebago might be the other end. I generally fall in the middle- I don’t mind suffering a bit but would rather keep my digits.

Another decision you need to make early is whether you want a ‘one time use kit’ with disposable items, or a kit that can be reused. This becomes quite important for two reasons, the first being that a one time use kit will only get used when death is on the line, the second is that the ‘one time use’ kits fall into the “barely survive- maybe even without my fingers or toes” end of the spectrum. A reusable kit can become part of a lifestyle, turning many “disasters” into inconveniences or even adventures.

One last item- DO NOT OVERPACK. It is tempting and it will take some discipline, resist the urge to say “I might need this”. A kit that is too large or too heavy is many times just as useless as no kit at all.

Shelter. This is the highest priority. The sun will bake you, the rain will freeze you (hypothermia can set in quickly during the fall, spring, and winter if you are wet), and unless you are lucky enough to be stuck in a benign environment (like Tahiti), lack of shelter will be more than an inconvenience. Shelter can be a tent, tarp, or a bivy sack (I don’t consider the ubiquitous tube tent an option). The best thing I have found is a rip stop nylon poncho that folds flat and can be used as a tent. These are very versatile, they are lightweight, very tough, they do double or triple duty (a must if your kit is to be light enough to carry), and some of these can be used together to make a larger tent if you are with others. Make sure you have a small rope, stakes and a large, strong plastic trash bag (to slide your bedding into) along.

Water. There are recommendations galore for how much water to put into your kit. My opinion is 30-60 oz per day, depending on your size. If you are very small take the former, larger the latter. If you try to get by with less than this you will start to gamble with your life on many occasions. I have to note that the government says one gallon per person per day- but this includes water for washing, cooking, etc, all of which I deal with later.

Options for water include sterilized boxes, sterilized mylar bags, water bottles, and reusable containers. The sterilized water (bag or box) are awfully convenient if you don’t let their relative inavailability keep you from using them when you need to. They have a 5 yr shelf life and you can just forget about them. Water bottles have to be replaced yearly and take up a lot of extra space due to their shape- but are otherwise good. You can also get reusable containers (generally collapsible plastic) which work well if you sterilize the water (and keep it sterilized) or wash them and replace the water often. I don’t consider water purification tablets an option due to their taste and the fact that water isn’t available in any form during some crisis.

Food. Take 2,000 calories per person per day. There are plenty of options but the best require no preparation, no utensils, and no dishes to eat. Food bars of all types fall into this category, as do granolas, GORP, etc.. They all work well but should be replaced yearly or according to their expiration dates. The Coast Guard uses a food bar with a five year shelf life. Get ones with lots of variety, such as nuts, whole grains, etc… The next best type of food is the mylar type- mylar bags of tuna, MREs (military meals), etc.. They do require utensils, but the tuna (available at the grocer) can be eaten out of the bag, as can the MREs albeit with a bit more difficulty. The excessive amounts of packaging and superfluous items in MREs have always kept me from using them as a serious food source if space and weight are an issue. NOTE: EAT AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE. Do not fall for the “take plenty of candy and junk food for comfort and energy” gig. Sugar causes a crash in energy proportional to its high. It also pulls nutirents from bodily stores in order to be digested, and it stresses out the body, and in a stressful situation it is the last thing that should be eaten. Whole grains, nuts, etc. will give gradual, even energy and provide the necessary fats, proteins, and nutrients needed - needs which increase during times of stress.

Bedding. Wool and fleece are the best blanket choices. Wool retains some of its ability to keep you warm even when wet, and is flame retardant, fleece is very lightweight and also retains some of its ability to keep you warm when wet. It is NOT flame retardent. If you are in an area where fire is likely an issue, stick with the wool unless it is just too heavy. Stay away from cotton, as it wicks heat from your body when it is moist. Get orange blankets if you can, this is a lot of surface area for signaling (even if a child is wrapped up in it). I think it is a good idea to include a foil type of emergency blanket. They fold up very small and can act as a ground cloth, it can retain body heat, act as a vapor barrier and wind breaker, etc.. Don’t buy all the hype about its amazing heat reflection properties though- it only reflects radiant heat- and it is, after all, just foil. Persons in very cold climates might investigate buying a down sleeping bag for all of your camping and storing it in your 72 hour kit. It packs incredibly small and light and is amazingly warm.

Hygiene. Pack what you need to stay comfortable, but don’t overdo it. Toilet paper, cotton bandanna (for face mask, wash cloth, etc), baby wipes, soap, potty bags, and an N95 dust/virus mask are what I think are essentials. Additional important items include a toothbrush/paste, latex gloves, and feminine napkins.

First Aid. DO NOT get a standard first aid kit with 3,200 band aids and a few aspirin. Get a roll of gauze, some gauze pads, medical tape, some painkillers, alcohol wipes, some burn/wound cream, some blood coagulant (such as cayenne, which is also antibiotic), and some petroleum jelly or some other lubricant/moisturizer. You’ll have to make your own band aids from gauze and tape, but you’ll be able to cover most other minor injuries.

Tools and Rescue Aids. Again, DO NOT over pack. You need light (light sticks or a crank flashlight), warmth (heat packs), and a whistle. Additional ‘might need’ items are: Fire starting it, multi-use pliers, small rope, hand crank radio, duct tape, and a folding saw. Generally everything else is superfluous compared with the instances in which it might be needed. If you live in rural Idaho might pack a bit of fishing string and a hook, but don’t overdo it.

Now you have to decide what you will pack it all in. A Rubbermaid is easy to access but don’t try to carry it anywhere and the lid can come off easily (yes, I have had contents scattered across the highway from the back of a trailer). Dry Bags, duffels, daypacks, etc are all viable options depending on your budget and location. If you want to be able to carry it, and want it to be waterproof (a good idea- keep in mind that most natural disasters in the US are related to water, and wet contents are a surefire way to kill your spirits), a dry bag that can be carried as a back pack is the best option. Many are tough and waterproof, and a few can be carried in several different ways.

The last thing- try it out! Take it camping, use it often. Buy the items as camping gear and store them in your 72 hour kit. You’ll get your money out of it and know how it all works when you really need it. Likely, your kit will become that place where you always go when the lights go out, when you can’t get that bag of chips open in the car with your teeth, when you are stuck on the side of the road, when you can’t find a flashlight anywhere else, and of course when that 3 feet of snow pins you down on a desolate stretch of Iowa highway.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Drew_Powell

Jodi Moore

Step 1 - Make sure you have saved 1 milk jug and 3 (2-liter) bottles per person. Wash them all out with soap and let dry.

Step 2 - Multiply the number of kits you want by the items listed in the shopping list (see below or for a printable worksheet visit our blog) and purchase the food items from Walmart or your neighborhood grocery store.

Step 3 - Purchase a wing stove and fuel pellets from an emergency preparedness store such as Emergency Essentials or if one isn’t available in your area follow the links on our blog to order online. Only one stove is NECESSARY per family, but they are pretty cheap so if you’d like to have one per kit that is fine too. It will make it much more convenient in a true emergency.

Step 4 - Cut straight down the middle of a milk jug diagonal from the handle. Go about 1/3 of the way down. At the bottom of that cut, make a horizontal slice coming from each side but leave about 2 inches of the jug intact. This should make a sort hatch that you can pull open and insert the items in. Watch the video on our blog if you are having trouble visualizing how to do this.

Step 5 - Place the necessary items into each milk jug according to the contents list. Put the Tang and cocoa servings into small zip-lock bags (1/4 c. per serving). If you have extra food left over, stick it in as space permits. Tape the milk jug up. Tape the contents list (see below) to the outside of the jug and record today’s date and the family member who will use that kit. VOILA!

Step 6 - Fill your 2 liter bottles with water and store all of the items in an easily accessible place (your car trunk is the ideal place if you have room). Check out our Step 2: Water page for more information on how to properly store the water.

This kit requires a 2-liter bottle of water to reconstitute the foods included.

Mix 3/4 cup water with Tang and hot cocoa mix.

Plastic spoon and matches are included.

Save and reuse the Beenie Weenie can to heat other foods if no other container is available.

3 (2-liter) bottles of water are suggested for each person.

NAME: _________________________

DATE PACKED:___________________ (use within 1 year)

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jodi_Moore

By Joan Crain

So you think you can’t afford to have food storage and still feed your family on a day-to-day basis. Well, you can - and I’m going to tell you how to do it.

Start with an inventory of your cupboards and pantry.

Take a notepad and write general headings such as “canned goods, meats, frozen foods, and dairy products. Jot down the names of items and how many of each you have on the shelves.

Plan your menus for the week using only the foods you have in your house.

Pretend that there is no way for you to get to the store until payday. I bet you would be surprised to discover that you can usually gather up supplies for several meals. Try to create enough simple meals to last until the following payday, even if you have to eat the same thing several times.

Now assess your basic needs.

You’ll find there are some meals you could make if you only had this or that item. Begin a “needs” list and add these things to it. Also list other must-have items; the things you cannot do without until next payday, like milk, formula, bread, etc. Be sure to include as needs only those items necessary to nutritiously feed your family and don’t forget nonfood items. When your list of needs is complete, estimate the cost of each item and add the prices together for an estimated total.

Okay, it’s payday. Here’s what you will do.

Write down the amount of your paycheck. Subtract all of your bills and other obligations, like rent/mortgage, utilities, insurance, bus fare, car payments, etc. Also, deduct the out-of-the-ordinary but necessary expenses for this pay period, like birthday presents, school pictures, haircuts, etc. When all these fixed expenses are subtracted, what remains is your grocery budget.. (Stop crying and keep reading.)

Take the estimated total from your assessment chart and subtract your grocery budget. The remaining amount is what you can spend on adding to your food storage. Don’t be discouraged if this amount is small. Even a few dollars will get you started. If your finances are so tight that having an amount left over each payday seems impossible, consider this option: Set aside an amount, however small, from each paycheck as if it were another bill. Use this amount as your food storage amount. If this amount is too small to even buy anything, save it up until the amount is larger.

So now you have added a few items to your food storage and it’s payday again.

For the next paycheck (and all paychecks from this point forward), follow the formula you used on the first payday. If you are careful in planning and preparing your menus, you may notice an increase in your food storage amount each payday. But don’t be discouraged if it’s nothing or really small; sometimes it takes several pay periods before you see progress.

Save money on groceries.

To save money on groceries every time you shop, you have to know what a “good” price is. Take a few hours and price-shop a couple of grocery stores. Take a copy of your “needs” list, add items to it that are perishables you buy often, and write down the store prices next to each item. Write only the “normal” prices. Knowing the “normal” prices will help you to know when an item is a good buy and/or on sale.

To consistently save money on your groceries, even the perishables, follow these two rules:

1. Buy only when the price is right;
2. Stock up as much as possible, using a specific list of items and dollar amounts.

Eventually your pantry should contain enough varieties of foods (including perishables, fresh or frozen) in sufficient amounts that you could survive several weeks with well-balanced meals without going to the store. This should include nonfood items as well.

As you work with your new meal planning and shopping skills each pay period, your pantry will grow fuller and fuller. Now don’t you just feel more in control and prepared?

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Joan_Crain

By David Hardin

Global warming, climate change, eco-terrorism and an unstable economy should make American families think about returning to some of the practices of our grandparents.

Following a disaster, be it natural, or manmade, local emergency providers will probably be facing the same problems as the rest of the community. It can take three days, 72 hours, for anyone to come to your assistance, but in certain circumstances you may find yourself on your own for much longer than that.

We Americans take an endless supply of food for granted. Recent studies show that the average American family has less than a one week supply of food on hand. Grocery supermarkets and warehouses are the same.

Food storage is a major part of disaster preparedness and one that many people neglect to consider. In my articles I stress the need to be prepared to survive the 1st 72 hours following a disaster, but you would be well advised to store enough food your family to live for a month. In a true fuel crisis, in a widespread winter weather emergency, or following an act of terrorism, our normal food supplies will be depleted quickly.

In our unstable economy no one is sure if they will have a job next month, next week, or even tomorrow. Today, we Americans are more vulnerable to events beyond our control than we have been at any time since world War II. Food storage is an insurance policy that we can take to protect ourselves against such things as loss of power, job loss, unemployment due to injury or illness, or a loss of food supplies due to an interruption of food transportation.

This is not paranoia, survivalist thinking, or hoarding. It is a common sense practice that we have neglected because we could.

Here are some food storage tips that will make the practice more palatable, no pun intended.

The Basics

1. Always store a larger than normal supply of the basics, grains, dehydrated milk, sugar, salt, oil, flour, garden seeds and storable produce like potatoes, onions, beets, cabbage, etc.
2. Store food that is familiar and acceptable to your family and know how to prepare the food you store.
3. Use food from your stores that have a limited shelf life and replace them with fresh items, immediately.
4. If you have a limited budget, buy one item at a time until you have your stores in place.
5. Shopping at wholesale markets can save you a considerable amount of money on such things as salt, flour, oil and sugar.
6. Protect stored food from rodent and insect infestation by storing it in large tins. Empty potato chip cans make excellent storage containers. Many thrift stores and feed stores have these at rock bottom prices.

Once you have adopted this forgotten practice you will find that you actually feel better about your circumstances. Self-reliance is always better than depending on the charity of others who may, or may not, come to your rescue.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=David_Hardin

By Lisa Carr

Are you taking steps to procure food while it is still affordable? According to the Agriculture Department as reported by Reuters, “U.S. consumers should brace for the biggest increase in food prices in nearly 20 years in 2008, and even more pain next year (2009) due to surging meat and produce prices.”

Are you braced? If you are one of the “smart” ones and have started to purchase bulk foods, grains, cereals, etc. and have started a home food storage program, make sure you implement the following tips to ensure your food stays dry, fresh, and insect/ pest free.

SANITATION Whether you are canning or simply storing bulk grains and cereals, be sure to use the upmost care in cleanliness. Containers should be clean and sterilized before putting any food into them. If you are using plastic buckets or barrels, be sure they are “food grade”. You can sterilize these containers using a diluted bleach solution. After you have sterilized the containers, make sure the containers are thoroughly dried before putting food into them.

AIR TIGHT! Oxygen is what causes food to deteriorate. Therefore, it is imperative that you keep air out. In canning, this is done by ensuring you have a properly sealed lid. In bulk food storage, this can be accomplished by filling your bucket/barrel as near to the top as possible and then having a good lid to make an airtight seal. Oxygen absorbers or dry ice can be placed inside the container to help ensure the absence of oxygen.

CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE It is important to store your food at the correct temperature, and preferably in a cool, dark space. At all costs, avoid food being frozen, especially your canned goods in glass jars. Equally important is to store your food in an area where the temperature does not get above 50 degrees for bulk foods…insects and bugs become active above this temperature. Ideally, your canned foods should be stored in temperatures that do not go above 70 degrees.

ACCURATE INVENTORY Keep an accurate record of what has been stored and when it was stored or canned. Another helpful key is to keep a record of how much of an item you have on hand. You don’t need to double or triple up on some items, and then not have another item at all.

ROTATION Be sure to rotate your food storage, using the oldest items up first. Keep dates on the lids or on the containers themselves.

By implementing these simple, yet essential steps, you and your family can enjoy the peace of mind of having adequate food supplies at your home. You will also be protecting your food investment by keeping your food free of insects, mold, etc. By starting a home food storage program today, you will also be hedging yourself against higher and higher food costs, or even a food shortage. Don’t wait. Start today. Keep your food storage safe.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Carr

By Greg Shuey

Disasters - either natural or man-made - and the unstable economy should make the majority of American families go back to the traditional ways of our grandparents. When we face these calamities, there are cases where emergency providers or assistance could take a few days, around 72 hours, before they could get to where you are. In most cases, you are on your own for the time being.

Most of us, Americans, take food storage for granted because we are more concerned with other things we deem more important. As reflected by recent studies, an average American family has food supply for less than a week on hand. Same with mini-groceries, supermarkets, and warehouses that do not have enough food supply.

Being prepared with food storage is a major disaster awareness and preparation that every people neglect and pay less attention. Based on personal experience, being prepared is really essential to survive. I have actually survived the first three days after a disaster and it paid off. A sure advice is to store food enough for your family to last a month. Normal supply of food can deplete fast during the time of extreme widespread winter, a disaster caused by terrorism, or a huge catastrophe.

Due to the fact that our economy is unstable, the next day or the other some of us do not have our jobs anymore. It should then become an imperative that every American citizen have a food storage plan to secure ourselves from disasters, loss of power, unemployment, or food loss due to traffic in food transportation.

The following are basic things you could do to start your food storage survival program.

1. Store large amounts of your basic food necessities, such as grains, powdered milk, flour, sugar, salt, garden seeds, and other produce that you could store like potatoes, cabbage, onions, beets, and the like.

2. Food with a limited shelf life must be consumed first. But make sure you will replace them with food that comes with longer expiry periods or if not, with fresher or newer ones.

3. Given that you have just a little budget, you can purchase food for storage little by little until you get all the items you need in your storage area.

4. Shop at wholesale stores or warehouses to save your money when you buy large amounts of supplies. They do price their items lower than retail stores.

5. Keep food from rodents and insects by putting them in tin containers, or even in air-tight plastic containers or boxes.

It is one good practice understanding the value of preparation. If you do not want your family to be at risk of starvation during the time of crisis, then you yourself should take some action as well, and not just wait for the rescue team to save the day.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Greg_Shuey