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Long Term Food Storage

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A hundred years ago most people who were able, would store as much food at home for as long as they could because there were not typically plenty of grocery stores nearby with a full range of groceries and food supplies. As life became less insecure for more people and people increasingly had convenient access to full service grocery stores, storage of food, particularly long term storage, became much less common. However, in recent years as the vulnerability of life has become more evident due to natural disasters, economic distress and other causes, long term food storage (LTFS) has become an important goal for many people. The following article describes setting up LTFS for your own home.

An initial step is to make an assessment of what food you actually have in your home, which of it is potentially used as a part of LTFS. You will then need to create a list of everything you will need, and develop a plan over time to acquire what you do not have. For most people the cost is an issue, and one must work on this over time. If you have not significant food storage, begin with storage for a few days. Then work one medium term which should be rotated with your regular diet. Then work on truly LTFS. It is important not to go into debt for LTFS if at all possible. For most people it is surprising to them if they work on it to have built up storage of a year or more after working on it for about a year if you put away just a little money every pay check for this purpose.

When one has containers for LTFS one must be careful about what the containers are touching. Do not put containers on a dirt or cement floor or against a similar wall. One must have wood or some other insulating material to create a temperature and moisture buffer. If possible it is best to store LTFS in a dark room that maintains a moderate temperature and does not have any excessive moisture. Most people do not have the luxury of having ideal conditions; so you should approximate as best you can. The less ideal the conditions, the more you should check the storage containers and the shorter the period your food will have integrity. If the storage area reaches temperatures regularly above one hundred degrees Fahrenheit or has significant humidity, you should try to find a better location.

For truly LTFS concentrate on basic staples that last a long time such as flower, sugar, legumes, rice, and other grains. One must be careful that every container is clearly labeled and dated. Even though you may need to stack containers several levels high and several rows deep, you need to work out a rotation system and use the oldest storage first. Unfortunately people tend not to use large bulk storage very efficiently, and it may simply be necessary to dispose of any kind of LTFS when it is compromised or expired.

LTFS is compromised when the container is compromise due to puncturing or even significant denting. If a container is bulging that is a sign that there is a problem. If you open up a container and there is an unusual smell, do not take a chance; do not use it. If you open up a container and there is any contamination or infestation, you need to discard the entire container. If the expiration date has expired and even it looks alright or even tastes fine, it is best to discard the storage. One should not take a chance. It may mean the health and well being of you and your family.