It’s time for me to get back to work with my food storage. This post should have happened last week, but it’s still important. For week 12, gather some dry pasta and macaroni and cheese.
STEP 1: 3-MONTH SUPPLY (per adult) – Dry pasta 4 lbs. AND macaroni and cheese 2 boxes
Why?: Pasta is a great shelf-stable food. I love pasta! This is one of those foods I store short-term and long-term. With all of the competitive runners in my family, those complex carbs go a long way. I usually serve some type of pasta each week, and there are so many varieties: spaghetti, macaroni, bow ties, rainbow twirls, rotini, fettuccine, penne regate, rigatoni. I just started speaking Italian! If you don’t like macaroni and cheese, just substitute another pound of beautiful pasta.
Tip: I love to find American Beauty pasta on sale at Smith’s (Kroger) for .50 cents and stock up. Awesome! You might find me gathering 10 or 20 packages at a time. In my basement pantry, I keep packages in plastic containers as you can see in this post. And opened packages in a kitchen cupboard in a air-tight tall container. Best to keep pasta in a cool, dry place.
Shelf Life: stores up to 3 years for regular pasta, but could last longer. See Still Tasty. Whole wheat pasta has a 6 month shelf life. Boxed macaroni and cheese has a 1 year shelf life.
STEP 2: DRINKING WATER – 14 gallons water
(FEMA) or about 4×24 ct. cases of bottled water per person
Tip: Stock up this month! It’s everywhere today, but it may not be tomorrow. Buy more to replenish what you use. Small bottles are for short-term storage, so slowly go through your supply and replenish. More durable containers are for long-term storage, but need to be refilled every 6 months.
Shelf Life: small commercially prepared bottles store indefinitely, see Still Tasty. Store off your cement floor.
STEP 3: FINANCIAL RESERVE (per person) – $2.00 +/- per week
Tip: Add to your fund each week for emergencies. Keep some in the bank and some cash in small bills at home.
STEP 4: LONGER-TERM SUPPLY (per adult) – Dry pasta 16 lbs. or 4 #10 cans
Tip: Egg noodles cannot be stored long-term (20 – 30 years), however some may be store 10 – 15 years. Check with your manufacturer. Spaghetti and macaroni store well long-term, and may be canned at the LDS Home Storage Center nearest you.
Shelf Life: If stored properly, spaghetti and macaroni can have a 30 year shelf life. I like to grab one long-term can from our supply every year and use it. This way it is slowly being rotated with the small packages from my 3-month supply.
OTHER STORAGE ITEMS
HOME STORAGE FIRST AID GOAL – Ice packs
Tip: It’s always a good idea to have a couple of ice packs in your freezer to grab quickly for injuries. You could also use ice in a baggie. Or you can add an instant ice pack to your emergency kit.
PREPAREDNESS GOAL – Collect pasta recipes
How: Type up some of your favorite pasta recipes for easy access. Or print them from your favorite recipe sites.
EQUIPMENT GOAL – Splints
How: Do you have an old finger or arm splint from a previous injury? Keep them with your first aid supplies. You or a neighbor may need them in an emergency. I remember borrowing crutches from my neighbor when my daughter broke her leg. These medical items are great to hang on to if you have space.
WEEKLY INVENTORY – Oils & Fats
How: Go through your supply of these shelf-stable foods and write down some goals of what you need to resupply. It’s especially important to see if your oils are rancid. Olive oil does not have a long shelf life. Read this helpful article, Good Oils Gone Bad, where they describe what rancid is.
Good luck on your weekly goals. You CAN do it! Here is the printout of the March 2013 Food Storage List.
Do you have any tips on gathering the items on this list?
INSTRUCTIONS FOR BEGINNERS:
If you are new around here, check out my START HERE page. Each week, I post various food storage and emergency items to gather. By stocking up year round, you build up your supplies economically, use some, leave some on the shelf, and buy some more. Cycling keeps your items fresh and integrated into your everyday diet. I’ve incorporated the LDS 4-Step Approach to Home Storage, but with my suggested items to gather.
Work on STEP 1, 2 and 3, before moving to STEP 4: Long-Term Food Supply. It may take you awhile to gather your 3-Month Supply, water and a financial reserve. As long as you are moving forward, that’s what matters most. Only gather what you can afford, will eat, and choose goals you have time for. Substitute other foods that work for your family.
Your food storage should consist of shelf-stable foods. What we store in our 3-month supply (STEP 1) is everyday foods or short-term storage foods which have an approximate range of 3 month – 10 year shelf-life. What we store in our long-term supply are foods that have a 20 to 30 year shelf life. Don’t consider what’s in your refrigerator or freezer as this type of storage, because it could be gone quickly with a 24-hour power outage. However, we all buy perishable foods and can continue to purchase them and inventory them. Hope that all made sense.