5 Common Food Storage Mistakes

Many people are realizing that having a food storage plan for their family is a good idea.  There are many situations when having your own food storage supply can come in handy from job loss to natural disasters.  Here are 5 common mistakes not to make.

1.  Storing food that your family doesn’t eat.  When we first started our storage we made the same mistake.  My husband filled a cabinet with beans and Ramen Noodles.  The problem with this is that I for one don’t eat beans!  In a true emergency situation it would sustain life but it is best to store items that your family will enjoy eating.  The other problem with storing a lot of one item is that canned goods only have a shelf life of a few years so if you are not eating them regularly and rotating them they will expire.

Photo Credit PBS.org

2.  Storing items that you do not know how to prepare.  For example, storing grains like wheat is a great idea but if you do not know how to grind them or even own a grinder they are not going to do you much good.  Make sure to cook with the items that you store so that you know how to use them and how your family likes them prepared.

3.  Forgetting to add sweets and comfort food.  Everyone loves a little sweet treat now and then so make sure to include some freeze dried fruits into your storage.  Freeze dried foods are crispy and are great to eat right out of the can. They are a sweet and healthy snack.

4. Not storing spices or cooking basics.  Your favorite dish is not going to taste the same without salt, sugar pepper etc. so make sure that you have the spices on hand that you normally cook with.  Another group of items that is a must are your cooking basics like oil, shortening, baking powder etc., without these it is hard to bake even the simplest recipe.

5.  Forgetting to store water.  Water is one of the most important items to have on hand.  You need it to keep you alive and you need it to rehydrate your dried foods, boiling meats and cooking beans.  If you have a natural water supply near by a water filter is great.  If you live in an urban area and do not have a water supply you can store fresh water in a 55 gallon water barrel or smaller sized H20 packs that can fit in a closet or under a bed.