Copy canning is what I said above. First heard the name used by Karen Hood. It is nothing magical but it is logical. If I buy 6 to 12 months of an item all at once I've used a lot of money on one item that will all expire at the same time. By copy canning you are increasing your food storage more evenly and the expiration dates are spread out in a first in first out method FIFO.

People need to pick the methods that are right for them. Apartment dwellers have little choice but to store bought goods, while suburban dwellers can do a combination of bought and grown but suburban people are not full time growers, farmers could grow most of that they need but still have to can it or otherwise preserve it.

I think everyone, including farmers, will be using a blend of methods. Even the city dweller can go out to fish, hunt, or pick berries/greens.

You see some people obsessed with bugging out while others say they will never bug out. The reality for me is that I don't get to decide, the disaster decides for me. If my house is on fire, under water, or in the direct path of a forest fire...well I'm not bugging in! On the other hand, the benefits of bugging in can not be disputed.

Hello everyone,
I'm still finding my way around this site so please, forgive me and my mistakes.
I've been reading on prepardness for a rainy day, not talking money either. I decided it would be a good thing for my household to start buying in bulk and storing the food items.
What I have is a large trunk like the one sears sells. So far I've got 22 kg of white flour, about 12 kg of long grain rice
2 kg salt 6 kg of sugar.
Everything is vacuum sealed and placed in a contractors garbage bag and place in the trunk, which is in my cold room,which is not sitting directly on the cement floor. So I have a start, but it won't last too long if I can't purchase mylar bags which won't cost me a fortune.
I also just purchased a food dehydrator, put lots of vegtables in mason jars, again need oxengen absorbers for theses. I also have a Sealameal vacuum sealer.
My reason for storing is my son does not work on a steady base and either do I. Alot of seasonal work. So if I stock pile when i have the funds, I'll be better off when the funds are not there.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
Thank You.
Pepperdog

Food Storage,

This is one I've struggled with. Off and on for years I've stocked up on dry goods with long shelf lifes for the sole purpose of "Being Prepared". As a result these items would sit until they expired and ended up getting thrown out. A waste of money and resources, but they did provide a sense of security during their shelf life.

The attitude one needs on Food storage is Simply: "Store what you eat and Eat what you store"

I admit I am still struggling with this concept, as I like the idea of "store it and forget it" until you need it. An approach that has made me waste more money over the years then I care to admit.

These days I have wisend up a bit and have started moving towards Freeze Dried Foods with a 20 - 30 Year Shelf Life, plus buying more of the normal products I actually eat as well. This way I can kind of live by both approaches.

This has turned out to be a good thing, as I have discovered that some of these Freeze dried foods are not all that great tasting and will take some getting used to so I now snack on them from time to time as well as maintaining my normal diet so my body and personal tastes can start to adjust to this new kind of diet that I may someday have to depend on to survive.

I don't think anyone has to have it just one way or the other. I do both. I don't have time to make ketchup and I can't afford freeze dried - so I store it. It lasts nearly "forever" and it's not worth my time to make it - but I suppose I could IF I ever needed to - who really NEEDS ketchup anyway? 🙂

My preps consist of lots of basic canned foods - diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, canned fish, canned fruit etc. These are foods we eat every week. I also store wheat, a myriad of other grains, and everything else needed to make bread, scones, cake, cookies etc. I bake regularly but I still buy bread at the store when it's on sale.

In my mind there is so much to do to get stuck in a rut. Right now I am vegetable gardening for the first time in many years. The garden is 100 feet long and 40 feet wide. OH MY! I didn't start it - it was here when we moved in a year ago and I decided it was worth the effort to just get to it. It needs a lot of work before it becomes easier to take care of. I also don't expect bountiful harvests this year - that's OK because I am learning! I consider it the cost of my education.

All of these roads lead to a good base for food storage.

Personally I don't have much in the way of freeze dried foods because of the expense. It seems to me there isn't much in a can for the cost. Anyone else feel differently?

Personally I don't have much in the way of freeze dried foods because of the expense. It seems to me there isn't much in a can for the cost. Anyone else feel differently?

I agree. The cost of Freeze Dried Foods is rather prohibitive. At an average price of $16.00 - $30.00 per #10 can of Fruits and Vegitables you certainly don't seem to get much for your money.

I really struggled justifying this cost, then decided that the 20 - 25 year Shelf Life justified the expense as I still tend to throw out alot of everyday foods that expire in my pantry.

So although I agree the portion cost for the price of Freeze Dried Foods with 20+ year shelf life is rather high, I figure if I compare the cost of Freeze dried foods to the cost of all the everyday food I'll likely throw out over that same 20 year period I'm saving money in the long run. But in the short term, it definitely hurts the pocketbook.

Hello all!

I'd just like to raise a flag that the Basic Shelf cookbook Sue mentioned near the beginning of this thread has been updated again for 2011. My copy came in the mail yesterday, and I can't thank you enough for recommending it!

Many of the recipes are very similar to things I do now, except that my versions were stumbled into over the years with ruined meals that still got eaten due to a tight budget. Fortunately I'm not in quite so dire straights as I was in the starving student days.

The book contains useful tips for how to aquire a full pantry, notes on marking your purchases and the common sense basics on rotating your stock. Overall a very useful book, and a welcome addition to my traditional housewarming 'survival kit' to give to nieces and nephews (and the occasional cousin) who are venturing out into the wilds of suburbia to make it on their own.

I just moved 1200 kms so I am starting over again in food storage... first things on the list, flour, rice, sugar and dried peas to get the pantry going. I love this thread ~ at 44, I have seen a few lean times over the years and learned that a basic pantry can get you through almost anything....

I have done a terrific amount of reading on freeze dried versus dehydrated foods and tend to be a fan of the dehydrated variety and wish to pursue this avenue for expanding my food storage. Purchasing this is a bit cost prohibitive though I am seriously considering a 3 month pack from this company http://www.efoodsdirect.com/ just so I have the basics available in my apartment for an emergency. Costly, but considering the shelf life and great packaging, a worthwhile investment in my eyes!

B.T.W, they will ship you 6 free meals for the cost of shipping and handling, which was $14,95 the last time that I checked...

I just moved 1200 kms so I am starting over again in food storage... first things on the list, flour, rice, sugar and dried peas to get the pantry going. I love this thread ~ at 44, I have seen a few lean times over the years and learned that a basic pantry can get you through almost anything....

I have done a terrific amount of reading on freeze dried versus dehydrated foods and tend to be a fan of the dehydrated variety and wish to pursue this avenue for expanding my food storage. Purchasing this is a bit cost prohibitive though I am seriously considering a 3 month pack from this company http://www.efoodsdirect.com/ just so I have the basics available in my apartment for an emergency. Costly, but considering the shelf life and great packaging, a worthwhile investment in my eyes!

B.T.W, they will ship you 6 free meals for the cost of shipping and handling, which was $14,95 the last time that I checked...

Paintergirl,

Did you ever ordered anything from eFoodsDirect? If so, how was the shipping and duty? Worthwhile?

I've been getting their newsletter for several months, I've heard the company owner interviewed several times and thought of buying from them several times, but so far have only dealt with Canadian Companies. I would certainly consider dealing with an American company if I'm not going to get cleaned out with Shipping and Duties charges.

I don't know as of yet but will soon as we are discussing ordering a mid-size package with vanislemom to check it and see if it is worth continuing on with ordering from them. Stay tuned!

(I am especially interested in their meat/ main dishes... but keep hearing rave reviews!)