Want to get the most value out of your long term food supply? Here are some tips to help you when it comes to storing food long term:
Long Term food Storage Tips:
#1 Store in A Cool Dry Place
If you want to keep your food fresh and extend it's shelf life, store it in a cool, dry place.
Please Note: While every effort is made to stay up to date, products mentioned and terms of partner offerings may change at any time. We do not sell, ship or otherwise guarantee any products on offer at other websites mentioned on this page.
While some foods aren't as susceptible to temperatures (freeze dried, food rations bars), you can actually extend the life of some foods like MRE meals by storing it in cooler temperatures.
#2 Know How Much You Need
Different long term food storage packages will give you different amounts of food with different calories, snacks, meals etc. So it can get confusing to make sure you have enough food for your family.
One of the easiest ways to figure out how much you need is with a food storage calculator. You can also count the number of calories per meal in different packages to see if it's enough for you.
Keep in mind that in an emergency situation, you may need more calories as our bodies burn through calories like wildfire when stressed.
#3 Check Your Food at Regular Intervals
If you're storing bulk foods like rice, beans, flour, sugar, etc. you'll want to check on these at regular intervals. If you've stored them in proper containers in a cool, dry place, you are less likely to get mould or bugs - but check just to be safe.
There's nothing worse than running into a crisis and finding out your food supply is rotten.
#4 Remember to Rotate food Out At Regular Intervals
If you're storing food with a long shelf life like freeze dried food or some dehydrated foods, you don't really have to do this.
But if you're storing perishable goods and especially canned goods, you'll want to rotate these out and buy new ones every couple of years, just to ensure they are fresh.
#5 Don't Tell People About Your Food Storage
Sure you may want to get into a heated debate with your friends about how the dollar is toast or how we're heading towards hyperinflation. But it's really not productive.
You'll end up revealing that you have food stored away and people will remember that - especially if crisis hits and they get hungry. Then you'd better know how to defend yourself.
There will always be people who are not prepared. It's good enough that you're not one of them. Be happy knowing that - but keep it to yourself.
Final Note:
So those are some long term food storage tips to help you get the most from your food storage. For some of the best places to purchase long time emergency food see our long term food storage page.
