Emergency Food Storage: how-to make five essentials last 30+ years

The most fundamental reassurance that any of us can hold is knowing we have the ability to feed ourselves and our families over the long-term. Most of us currently have the luxury of shopping for groceries on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, and can re-supply our needed items at local grocery stores like Walmart and Kroger, if not from Amazon.

This reassurance has only recently returned though, having had widespread shortages and empty stores earlier this year. Hopefully our economy’s market and trade routes see long-lasting stability, but hoping for the best and planning for the worst is now a necessity.

The past 11 months of 2020 have been concerning to say the least, and we’ve now had the opportunity to see what happens when pandora’s box is opened.

Though most of us survived the long lines outside of Sams Clubs and were able to scrounge enough resources together to make it through, the shortages revealed the frailty of our complex market. We also caught a glimpse into how a more menacing disaster could uproot our society’s intricate food production and distribution processes.

This article covers instruction on how-to efficiently seal (dried food items), while extending their shelf-lives well beyond the original expiration date. It will also provide a few examples of affordable food products that you can easily start storing anytime.

5 Essential Foods to Prep

I personally chose to store these items in bulk because they’re affordable, store well, and can be found at almost any local grocery store (I get my prepps at Sams Club)

This is not intended to be a complete list, as I’ve prepared these 5 foods through the described process below, and will provide updates as I make new additions. Consider these 5 items essential to survival, and a solid foundation for your own supply. They are portioned out for one adult, per day.

Long-Grain Rice

• normal shelf life vs air tight seal: 2 years vs 30+ years
• cost: $30
• amount: 75 lbs
• time to consume: 3 months

Pinto Beans

• normal shelf life vs air tight seal: 2–3 years vs 30 years
• cost: $29
• amount: 35 lbs
• time to consume: 3 months

Pasta

• normal shelf life vs air-tight seal: 2 years vs 30 years
• cost: $84
• amount: 63 lbs
• time to consume: 3 months

Salt

• normal shelf life vs. air-tight seal: 5 years vs. indefinite
• cost: $10
• amount: 10 lbs
• time to consume: 6 months

Sugar

• normal shelf life vs. air-tight sealing: 2 years vs. 30+ years
• cost: $13
• amount: 20 lbs
• time to consume: 4–6 months

How-To Properly Store

These tools and materials can be found at almost any local hardware and/or grocery store. I’ve personally used the tools and methods listed below.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Tools:

• Rubber Mallet
• Scissors
• Bag Sealer (hair straightener or crimp iron will work fine too)

Optional Tool:

• Vacuum Sealer (optional)

(used to reseal unused oxygen absorbers)

Materials:

• 5 Gallon Bucket & air-tight lid (food grade).
• Mylar Bag(s) 20x30 inches.
• 3,000cc oxygen absorber(s).
• Chosen Food Item.

Directions:

1. Place mylar bag in 5 gallon bucket.
2. Fold edges of bag over bucket edge, ensuring bag has a rounded snug fit inside.
3. Fill bag with chosen dried good, approx 4/5th’s of the way full.
4. Gently shake bucket until content fills entire space inside of bucket/bag.
5. Place oxygen absorber inside bag.
6. unfold exposed edges.
7. pinch corners of bag to form uniform line across mylar bag.
8. Cut excess bag with scissors, leaving 2–3 inches for error.
9. Push down on bag to allow as much oxygen to escape as possible.
10. lightly heat edges with device, allowing 45 secs to create an air-tight seal, repeat along full line.
11. Once properly sealed, cut final excess mylar with scissors.
12. lightly pound edges of bucket to fit top snugly in place.

If you can’t get the lid on the bucket because there’s too much air after you complete the seal process, don’t worry. The oxygen absorber will slowly condense the bag down significantly within 24–48 hours.

If you need the lid on ASAP, just cut a small corner of the mylar bag, push more air out, than repeat the seal process, or simply empty out a portion of the container.

Additional Resources

• How to Vacuum Seal Food in Mylar Bags for Long Term Storage
• The Shock of a Sudden Diet Change During a Disaster
• Longer-Term Food Storage, LDS
• Storing Salt for Survival
• Article: Preparing an Emergency Food Supply, Long Term Food Storage…
• Article: Storage Life Of Dry Foods

“If you enjoyed reading this article and want to see more related content, check out my main site at WritersInquisition.com, or follow my Facebook page.”

Thanks for reading

-Michael