Help me stock up my STORE ROOM!

[Faithful One]

Lets play a little game, you tell ME what I need in my store room!
Tell me where I need to improve on my storage habits, one person lives at this home and would like a year of surplus materials in rotation.

This is what I got in my store room so far:

8 cartons of washing soda
50 bars of soap
55 gallons of drinking water
75 fireplace matches
10 cans of canned sweet corn
2 cans of peas
10 cans of Green beans-fresh cut
3 gallons of oil lamp fuel
3 jugs of CHEER color guard
12 60 hr. emergency candles
6 cans of shaving cream

SOON ADDITIONS:

150 lbs of long term storage wheat berries
50 lbs of sugar (white)
100 lbs of rolled oats
100 lbs of bisquick

[Beaners]

I wouldn't have all that canned corn without some TP...but that's just me. Add some rice too, if you eat it.

Kayleigh

[RoseGarden]

25 lb. baking cocoa
50 lb. shortening
Lots of coffee

Cant live without means to make chocolate stuff and coffee

[Wildwood]

The Bisquick will have added fat and will go rancid quicker than plain flour so unless you plan to use at least two pounds a week, I wouldn't store over twenty five pounds.

For starters, I would go much heavier on the canned goods and store cooking oil, baking powder, salt and yeast to go with those wheat berries. Some canned meat like tuna, salmon and spam would be good too.

I would add bleach for purifying water and any meds you may be taking. Well I could go on forever but you ar off to a great start...good job!

[sgl42]

fyi: you might want to visit the "survival and emergency preparedness" subforum, as this type of info is discussed a lot down there too. A frequent poster there, A.T. Hagan, has a FAQ that's very informative.

Alan's Stuff: The Prudent Food Storage FAQ and more.
http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/Index.html

in general, what you store depends on what you eat. some months back, someone posted a pic of their panty, and there was a few jars of marshmallow creme in there. If that's what they eat, then some should be stored. Having "comfort foods" is important during stressful times.

for my food prepping, I've discovered that I alternate back and forth between looking at what I eat, and looking at what's easy to store. For example, I didn't used to eat many beans, but they're easy to store (shelf stable for long periods), so I bought a pound or so, tried a few recipes, and now I've got kidney beans, black turtle beans, and split peas in storage, and eat rice & beans on a regular basis.

Note that altho beans are easy to store, they take a long time to cook. So, depending on what the purpose(s) of your storage is, they may not be ideal. For example, I bought a camping stove, so that if the power goes out I can still eat. However, cooking beans for an hour or two on a campstove would take a fair amount of fuel. So I try to make sure I've got other food that works well in that situation (and I'll eventually get a haybox/insulated box, so I don't have to keep applying heat the entire time). I have #10 cans of various dehydrated veggies. Easy to boil water, toss in a mix of dehydrated veggies, some boullion, and have soup in a few minutes, even during a power outage.

I've got:
25 lbs rice (brown for nutrition, altho it doesn't store for as long as white rice -- see Alan's FAQ above),
3-4 various sorts of beans & lentils, 25 lb bags of each
a few jars of home-canned chicken,
what started as 20 lbs of beef in the freezer, but is now about 1/2 that from eating it
dehydrated veggies (6 #10 cans, corn, mushrooms, potato cubes, tomato powder, broccoli,...)
50 lbs wheat berries (just ordered a grinder, which hasn't arrived yet)
5 jars pasta sauce

You probably want to store some spices too. (That's one of my shortcomings right now. I need to make a list and put in an order for a bunch of different bulk spices.)

I used to have some dehydrated fruit, but ate it and need to reorder more. Also had nuts, which only store for a few months, but ate them too.

I have some large cans of Nido dehydrated milk. (includes the fat, so it tastes better than non-fat dehydrated)

Salt, sugar, cooking oils (I use olive oil)

I haven't tracked my consumption real well so far, so I'm not sure how long my storage would last. I've purchased rice & beans in 25 lb bags, as that's the size I get a 10% discount on, and that will fit into a 5 gal bucket. When I get somewhat low, I'll look at when I ordered it, and see how much I use and estimate how long my stores will last at that time.

water -- i've got 4x 5-gal bottles stored, plus a big berkey water filter

hopefully this is somewhat useful. I'd strongly recommend (again) AT Hagan's FAQ. It'll probably answer many of your questions, and make you think about things you probably wouldn't discover you have questions about on your own until months from now.

--sgl

[fin29]

Originally Posted by Beaners

I wouldn't have all that canned corn without some TP...

lol...amen.

When I was starting to store more, a couple easy sources of protein that I added were summer sausages and the big pepperoni logs that I would always find on sale somewhere...that and velveeta. Both are things that I don't generally eat but do enjoy when I'm served, and they're all long-term shelf stable. I would let them go about 6 months past their expiration date before using and restocking, but I'm certain they could go WAY past that.

Easy and cheap additions would be bleach, peroxide, lots of vinegar and salt (to preserve perishables without heat) and I tend to stock up on first aid at Rite Aid when stuff goes in sale + rebate or clearance.

[stranger]

100 lbs of bisquick
why not forget the bisquick and just order more wheat berries, the bisquick will go rancid if not stored in the freezor or used up fast.

[veme]

Here' my Pantry & Supplies List for this year

http://grannymillerblog.blogspot.com...lies-list.html

[Ruby]

Originally Posted by stranger

100 lbs of bisquick
why not forget the bisquick and just order more wheat berries, the bisquick will go rancid if not stored in the freezor or used up fast.

You need to also be careful of the bisquick getting mold.

[Shinsan]

We began with a well stocked pantry - enough canned and dry foodstuffs to carry us over for two months.
Then I got serious about prepping - (something that many of my friends think is possibly a form of OCD) - after reading reports about the aftermath of Katrina.

Now when I use something from the pantry, I write it on my shopping list, then buy two of that item to replace it: One for the pantry, and one for the squirrel store. Over a period of time we have amassed a good stock of the things that we normally use. The exception to this 'buy two for one replacement' is when I find something on special: I'll get all I can afford, then adjust my later shopping to compensate.

(I recently got 10 cases of canned tomatoes @ 20 cents per can, plus 20 litres of good quality olive oil, 10 large packets of cous cous, and 22 X 9 packs of T.P. all at half price. We also managed to get 200kg (440lbs.) of white rice at the 'old' price when new stock began hitting the shelves at nearly twice the price.)

An important point: Don't stock up on foods that you don't normally eat or dislike, simply because they keep well. Believe me, you don't easily get to like them, and it could make you feel pretty grumpy if you're forced to live on them for any length of time. Then again, by trying out a few things, as suggested by sgl42, you may find some things that you will like, and perhaps add to your regular diet. (Happened that way for us with lentils.)

Another very good piece of advice was to have a good supply of spices on hand. We have herbs, spices, seasonings, condiments and sauces aplenty in our pantry, so we naturally included those in our preps.

One other important point is to rotate your stock out: When I get home with the supplies, I restock the pantry with the oldest items in our store then replace those with the latest items. Don't get too worried about 'Use By' dates though: Most goods, if kept in cool, dry, dark conditions, will last way beyond what is printed on the container.

[rika]

Well, in Texas, we don't usually cook our beans over a campstove, we do it over a wood campfire??? Not a campstove. There's usually plenty of wood and they cook quiet good over the open campfire, that way you don't use any bought fuel, just nature's fuel.....

[meanwhile]

Peroxide, alcohol, bandages.
Coffee, vodka, bourbon.
Tuna, Salmon, sardines.
Vegetable seeds.
Wet wipes, paper products.

Recently the grocery stores and Walmart in our area have started to ration out the plastic grocery bags and sometimes paper too. Since we recycle the bags and use for many, many things (trash bags, storage, firewood bundle bags, food storage, dog rugs, clothes storage and more --) I do not want to run out in emergency. We have thus collected a large quantity of paper and plastic grocery bags and put in our emergency supply closet.

Good luck

[MorrisonCorner]

I've seen the issue with cooking beans come up several times... we use a pressure cooker for beans. Once that thing gets rolling, which takes surprisingly little time, beans are usually done in 15-20 min. And that is without soaking overnight. I can speed it up even more if I soak them. Got beans? Get pressure cooker...

[gideonprime]

Pasta, Spices, Syrup (maple and Mollases), Oil Veg and Olive, Pata Sauce, Tomato paste and sauce, Crushed 'Maters, or stewed, canned sweet potatoes, canned greens, great vitamins (Alan Hagan wrote a great article about strting food storage and about how much Vitamin a and C etc you get from Carrots, greens, sweet potato and pumpkin in cans. Good stuff to have. Dried Beans (kidney, pinto, garbanzo, navy etc.)

Coffee, tea, cocoa, hard candy (I like sour balls they are fruity and give some variety of flavor).

Tooth Brush, Tooth paste, Razors, Floss, Bactine, neosporin, sudafed/benedryl, asprin, tylenol PM. Tylenol, Naproxin Sodium (let's just say pain kills that won't interact with any meds you take), Cough Syrup, Nyquil,Vitamins.

If you have a freezer Edemame (soy beans in the shell) boil, salt when done and then split em open and munch. I did not think I would like them but they are very good and very high in protien. A very good thing.

Canned meats or if you have a freezer Meat to freeze or can if you can, can.

Seeds for a garden, weapon and ammo, Paper Plates, forks, knives, spoons (plastic for short term emergencies, sometimes it is nice to not have dishes especially when water is at a premium)

I could keep going but you get the idea.

[DW]

powdered milk, evap. milk and we like parmalat. Pasta, all kinds, reg. flour...I think others above have added what I would say.

[Deborah Stephenson]

Unless you are planning to use it as emergency food, I'd say you might have gone a bit overboard on the soap and other personal cleanliness items. 50 bars for one person works out to nearly one bar per week - no way will you go through that much! But at least you have a good 3 or 4 year supply of that - it won't go bad.

I would definitely be stocking up on more vegetables and fruits - either canned or dry. (Dry saves space and weight and also retains much more of the nutrients than canning or freezing. It will also last much longer if done properly.)

I wouldn't go overboard on wheat and rice (especially the whole berries or brown rice) UNLESS you have the means to store them properly. (In which case I would really stock up!) Both contain a lot of fat and so will go rancid quickly in ordinary storage. The only long term way to store them (without electricity) is to use vacuum storage and/or oxygen absorbers in airtight containers. You can buy a really nice cheap little kitchen/lab vacuum sealer (as well as bags and oxygen absorbers) here...http://www.sorbentsystems.com/index.html (We bought their smallest - the VS280 (seen here http://www.sorbentsystems.com/sinbosealer.html) for $99 and it works fantastically!

Many of you mentioned oils and shortening, but did you know you can buy canned butter? A place in Australia sells it - Red Feather brand. Cheese too - a very good American style cheese in 8oz cans. Butter and cheese powders are also available, just as powdered milk is. Low or no fat, but handy for storage and if you add a bit of oil when reconstituting, they taste fine. You can also get freeze-dried cheese, so dairy choices are wider than you might think. This place has lots of freeze-dried and dehydrated stuff... http://beprepared.com/Default.asp?bhcd2=1214156393, and this place carries the canned cheese and butter...http://www.mredepot.com/servlet/StoreFront

On the subject of cooking... someone said something about cooking beans over a campfire to say fuel. I second that! If you have a good cast iron dutch oven you can make most anything on an open fire or in a coal filled pit, but you might also want to consider an investment in a really good quality stainless steel (not aluminum) pressure cooker. You can cook a pot of beans in between 10 and 20 minutes in a properly sealed pressure cooker (depending upon what kind of beans they are). That way, even if you are forced to come inside to cook, and only have a can of sterno, you can still have a nice big pot of beans or stew in minutes!

Do take all the advice on stocking the medicine chest with basic first aid supplies (including the usual over the counter pain relievers, band-aids, alcohol, peroxide, etc.) And don't forget to include some more elaborate or specific things like any prescription meds (get your doctor to write a longer term prescription if possible so you can have at least a 6 month supply of really vital medications); needles if you are diabetic; ephineprine if you are allergic to bees or certain foods, drugs, etc. (Keeping a small bottle of that handy can save yours or someone else's life if they go into anaphylaxis.) Really try to imagine the possible household dangers and be prepared. Getting to a doctor or emergency room may be out of the question in certain disaster situations. (Remember Katrina!) You can get epinephrine from a vet supply place cheaper than through a drugstore, and its the exact same thing. Penicillan as well (though they won't tell you that!)

Lastly, don't skimp on water! This is more important than food! Buy or build a big water tank - one capable of holding several hundred gallons at least. You can also build a cistern and collect rain water. Buy or build a water purifier as well if your water is at all suspect.

Two more things I just remembered... get some good reference books for first aid; survival skills; wild edibles and so on. Its always good to have expert advice available and you probably won't be in a position to "Google" for it! AND - this is more important than you might think - get some old fashioned board games like checkers or chess, and maybe some puzzle books and novels. Passing time in stressful situations may require that your mind be diverted once in awhile!

Good Luck on your pantry stocking - the world is getting scarey, so you may need it!

[patience]

I'm assuming you're vegetarian.(from your sig)
You need to up your protein stores. Maybe some TVP, dried beans and rice(combine for complete protein), peanut butter etc.

[Ruby]

You don't need to buy canned butter, you can, "can" it yourself.

[Deborah Stephenson]

Originally Posted by Ruby

You don't need to buy canned butter, you can, "can" it yourself.

I know, but not everyone has access to fresh butter or knows how to do home canning. Just thought I'd mention it for those who would find it easier to purchase than produce. I know there is a thread here somewhere for "how to can butter" - do you know where to find it? It might be useful to show that link here.

[soulsurvivor]

Well, I kept waiting for this to be mentioned, but so far, haven't seen it. So, make sure you have a manual can opener. When you're without electrical power for very long, it finally registers that you can't be without this. Everyone has different needs. For me, I have to have lots of those cheap Equate brand wet wipes that I got from Walmart. With a conserving of water, the wipes come in real handy for everything.

Also, for nighttime indoor lighting, I've purchased the 4 pak solar outdoor lights, around $14, from Walmart, to be used anytime, not just in an emergency. I have 8 of these outside already, but these extra 4 aren't going in the ground; they're being set out during the day and brought in at night to provide basic indoor lighting. . . for free. I'm still experimenting on finding a good way to hold and transport these from indoors to out. Right now, I'm using my Bybee pottery pitchers to hold them, but that's not a long-term solution. Any ideas for riggin these up would be appreciated.