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Food Storage Newsletter April 2007 (old but still good)

The secret to good food storage is simply rotation. If you are rotating out your food storage (using what you've been storing for awhile regularly and replacing it with fresher food storage,) then you are a food storage superstar! If you're not, it's time to evaluate what isn't working for you.

If your food storage is suffering from a rotation bog-down, ask yourself these questions:
1. Am I storing food I like to eat?
2. Am I storing food I can prepare regularly?
3. Is my food storage readily accessible?
4. Do I appreciate my food storage?

You'd be surprised what you can learn from answering these simple questions.

If you're not storing food that you like to eat, then why do you have it in your food storage? Who are you saving it for? Give it away or find a use for it, and store something you like. Storing food you'll never use is just taking up space with expensive garbage.

Storing food that you simply can't prepare on a regular basis is inefficient use of food storage. If you're storing whole grains, you'll need at least one grain grinder and possibly a sprouter. These items are pretty easy to come by. You may want an electric wheat grinder to grind up a quick amount of wheat for wholegrain baking. You might also want a hand-crank grinder in case the electricity is out. If you're storing corn, you'll want a corn grinder as well. If you want to add sprouts to your salad or make essene bread with them, you'll need a seed sprouter. You can buy these inexpensively or even make your own with a jar and netting. Always use caution when sprouting to prevent food poisoning. Some foods just aren't stored in a use-able form. If you're not going to grind or sprout whole grains, then store flour. Just store it sealed properly in a food grade container. Dehydrated vegetables may be unappealing to you. If so, store canned and frozen veggies. Butter or tomato powder may be out of the question. If you just can't stomach powdered goods, find a suitable alternative.

Storing food in inaccessible areas or unusable storage containers can seriously hamper the use of our food storage. If you have a large pantry or basement full of storage; but out of reach, bring smaller amounts of your stored goods into the kitchen cupboard for ease of use. A 50-lb bucket of wheat is an awesome food storage item; but you won't be lugging that back and forth to the kitchen every time you want to bake unless you're really into working out. When you open that large container, scoop some into a 1-gallon bucket or jar for use in your kitchen. Just refill the smaller container as you need to. Keeping smaller canisters accessible will ensure that you will use your storage.

We may get lazy about using our food storage simply because we do not appreciate it. Try to avoid buying ANY food item for a week. No water, milk, soft drinks, bread, or sweets. Buy NOTHING for ONE WEEK. By the second or third day you'll be tempted to run to the store; but DON'T! Nearing the end of the week, you will have a new-found appreciation for your food storage. You'll also know what you need to be storing. It's all that stuff you REALLY wanted to run to the store for. Yeah, you can't have pancakes without syrup or dry cereal without milk. You need tomato sauce for that pasta and butter for your toast and eggs. This is one simple exercise to help gain an appreciation of food storage. An even better exercise is to put together sacks of groceries from your food storage for a needy family. Fill grocery bags with enough food to feed a family of four for a week. Be sure to include a variety of items for good nutritional value, and complementary items so the family can prepare their meals strictly from the goods you have gathered for them. Think of possible meal plans and food combinations as you fill your bags. When you're done, give this cherished food storage to a needy family. If you don't know who to give it to, ask your church leaders or take it to a local food bank or other charity. Nothing has made me appreciate my food storage more than sharing it with someone in need. It fills my soul with peace and joy to know what great good can come from my humble food storage.

As we gain an appreciation of our food storage, we will treat it with proper respect and show our gratitude in our prayers and in our daily lives. We will be mindful of items we're in need of as we're shopping for grocery sales and browsing through kitchen gadgets. We will think of how our storage can be a blessing to others as well as ourselves while we plan family gatherings, make meal plans, and prepare for pot luck socials and picnics. We will kneel in humility as we thank our Heavenly Father for the abundant blessing of simply having "enough" and a little more for ourselves and for those in need. That's what food storage is all about.

April Buying Guide:
Wholegrain - 25
Flour - 4
Beans - 10
Vegetables - 24
Shortening - 1
Sugar - 6
Water – 7

Here is shelf life information for the items in the April buying guide:

Beans, Adzuki - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Black-eye - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Black Turtle - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Dried - 12-24 months (in their original container)
Beans, Dried - indefinitely (resealed in a food grade container w/oxygen
absorber or vacuum sealed in a food grade bag)
Beans, can - 24-36 months
Beans, Garbanzo - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Great Northern - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Kidney - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Mung Beans - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Pink - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Pinto - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Refried - 5 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Small Red - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)
Beans, Soy - 8-10 years (at 70 degrees F.)

Flour, Rice flour - 1-2 months
Flour, White - 6-9 months (some sources say up to 5 years)
Flour, White enriched - 12 months
Flour, White - 5 years (in Mylar pouch)
Flour, Whole-wheat - 6-9 months (some sources say up to 5 years)
Flour, whole wheat graham - 2 weeks

Grain, Barley, Whole (a soft grain) - 5-8 years (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Barley, pearled - 12 months
Grain, Buckwheat (a hard grain) - 10-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Buckwheat (kasha) - 6-12 months
Grain, Corn, Whole, dry - 2-5 years (indefinitely resealed in a food grade container w/oxygen absorber or vacuum-sealed in a food grade bag)
Grain, Corn, Whole, dry (a hard grain) - 10-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Flax (a hard grain) - 10-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Kamut® (a hard grain) - 10-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Lentils - 24 months (indefinitely resealed in a food grade container w/oxygen absorber or vacuum sealed in a food grade bag)
Grain, Millet (a hard grain) - 10-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Oat Groats (a soft grain) - 8 years (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Oats - 2-5 years (indefinitely resealed in a food grade container w/oxygen absorber or vacuum sealed in a food grade bag)
Grain, Oats, Rolled (a soft grain) - 1-8 years (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Quinoa, Whole (a soft grain) - 5-8 years (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Rice - 24-48 months (indefinitely resealed in a food grade container w/oxygen absorber or vacuum sealed in a food grade bag)
Grain, Rice, brown - 1-6 months
Grain, Rice, white - 24-48 months
Grain, Rice, white - 4 years (in Mylar pouch)
Grain, Rice, wild - 24-36 months
Grain, Spelt (a hard grain) - 10-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Triticale (a hard grain) - 5-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Grain, Wheat, Whole (a hard grain) - 10-12 years+ (at room temperature sealed without oxygen - possibly indefinitely)

Shortenings, solid - 8 months
Shortening, Crisco - indefinitely (in original container)
Shortening, Powdered - 5+ years (in #10 can with oxygen absorber)

Sugar, Brown - 4-18 months
Sugar, Confectioners - 18-48 months
Sugar, Granulated - 24-48 months (indefinitely resealed in a food grade container w/oxygen absorber or vacuum sealed in a food grade bag)
Sweetener, Artificial - 24 months
Vegetables, Beets, fresh (ventilated box @ 32° F. moist pit or cellar) - 6 months
Vegetables, Cabbage, fresh (ventilated box @ 32° F. mod. Moist pit/cellar) - 6 months
Vegetables, canned - 24-48 months (unopened)
Vegetables, Carrots, fresh (ventilated boxes/bags @ 32° F. moist pit or cellar) - 6 months
Vegetables, Carrots, dehydrated - 10 years (in Mylar pouch)
Vegetables, Dark green, fresh (flexible package @ 38 - 40° F refrigerator) - 7 days
Vegetables, Dehydrated - 8-12 (at room temperature sealed without oxygen)
Vegetables, dehydrated flakes - 6 months
Vegetables, misc. fresh veggies (flexible package @ 38 - 40° F refrigerator) - 1-2 weeks
Vegetables, Onions, dry - 2-4 weeks (Keep in cool, dry, ventilated area.)
Vegetables, Onions, dehydrated - 8 years (in Mylar pouch)
Vegetables, Onions, fresh, dry (net bag @ 32° F. cool, dry area) - 6 months
Vegetables, Peas, dry - 12-24 months (indefinitely resealed in a food grade container w/oxygen absorber or vacuum sealed in a food grade bag)
Vegetables, Potato, canned (original container 70° F. dry basement) - 30 months
Vegetables, Potato, dehydrated (original package @ 70° F. dry basement) -30 months
Vegetables, Potato Flakes - 3+ years (in #10 can with oxygen absorber)
Vegetables, Potatoes, fresh - 4 weeks (Keep dry and away from sun. Keep about 50 degrees for longer storage.)
Vegetables, Potato, fresh (ventilated boxes/bags @ 35 - 40° F. mod. Moist pit/cellar) - 6 months
Vegetables, Potato, frozen original package @ 0° F. freezer) - 8 months Vegetables, Potatoes, sweet - 2 weeks (Don't refrigerate sweet potatoes.)
Vegetables, Potato, sweet, fresh (ventilated boxes/bags @ 55 - 60° F. dry) - 6 months
Vegetables, Potatoes, Instant - 6-12 months
Vegetables, Potatoes, Instant - 3 years (in Mylar pouch)
Vegetables, Potatoes, Instant, Idahoan (in a can) - indefinitely (in original container)
Vegetables, Pumpkin, fresh (ventilated box @ 55° F. mod. dry basement) - 6 months
Vegetables, Squash, acorn, butter-nut, pumpkin, spaghetti - 6 months
Vegetables, Squash, winter, fresh (ventilated box @ 55° F. mod. Dry basement) - 6 months
Vegetables, Tomatoes, canned - 30-36+ months (unopened) (2-3 days opened, refrigerated)
Vegetables, Tomatoes, can, No Salt Added Stewed - 18 months
Vegetables, Tomatoes, fresh ripe (flexible package @ 38 - 40° F. refrigerator) - 2 weeks
Vegetables, Tomatoes, green (flexible package @ 55 - 70° F. mod. Dry basement) - 4 - 6 weeks
Vegetables, Tomato Paste - 30 months
Vegetables, Tomato Powder - 5+ years (in #10 can with oxygen absorber)
Vegetables, Tomato Sauce - 12-24 months (unopened) (3 days opened, refrigerated)

Related files in the FreeFSN Yahoo Group files are:
(1) Shelflife.doc - Shelflife of Food Storage Items (for MS Word) 20 pages
(2) waterstorage.doc - Water Storage (for MS Word) 1 page
(3) FoodStorageBuyingGuide2007.xls - 2007 Spreadsheet - Suggested items for food storage with monthly buying guides. (for MS Excel) 1 page

Recipe Ideas using this month's food storage items:

Classic Veg-All Chicken Pot Pie
--------------------------------------------
2 cans (15 oz. each) Veg-All Original Mixed Vegetables, drained
1 can (10 oz.) cooked chicken, drained
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 (9-inch) frozen ready-to-bake pie crusts
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In medium mixing bowl, combine first 5 ingredients; mix well. Fit one pie crust into 9-inch pie pan; pour vegetable mixture into pie crust. Top with remaining crust, crimp edges to seal, and pick top with fork. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes (on lower rack) or until crust is golden brown and filling is hot. Allow pie to cool slightly before cutting into wedges to serve.
(Makes 4 servings)
- from http://www.vegall.com/

Basic Sprout Bread (Essene Bread)
----------------------------------------------
2 cups Hard Wheat Berries
Sprout wheat (until wheat sprout is just the length of the wheat kernel itself).
Grind the sprouts (in a wheat grinder) into a paste.
Form a 2 to 3 inch round loaf and bake it in an oven at 250 degrees F. for approximately 3 hours.
(Bread will be a little crumbly and sweet even though the ONLY ingredient is wheat sprouts.)
- from "Sproutman's Kitchen Garden Cookbook" by Steve Meyerowitz
ISBN: 1878736868

Original Nestlé Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
----------------------------------------------------------
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 375° F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION: Prepare dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5dozen cookies.
* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.
>From http://www.verybestbaking.com/

Whole Wheat Buns
--------------------------
1 c. plus 3 Tbs. Warm water
1/3 c. oil
¼ c. sugar or honey
2 pkg. Yeast (2 Tbs.)
Combine the above ingredients. Let rest 15 minutes. (Mixture will double).

Then add:
1 tsp. Salt
1 beaten egg
3 ½ c. whole wheat flour
Mix well. Roll ¾" thick and cut into 10-12 4" rounds. Place on cookie sheet and let rise 10 minutes. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes or lightly browned.
- from "A Century of Mormon Cookery" by Hermine B. Horman and Connie
Fairbanks
ISBN: 1880328232

In the "Prepare" section of NurseHealer.com, you'll find lessons on food storage you won't want to miss. See "Food Storage Basics" and "Using Your Food Storage."

Related Links:

FreeFSN Group (Join to receive newsletter
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreeFSN/

Food Storage Made Easy ten easy baby steps

Everyday Food Storage"Food storage isn’t just for when the world ends, although I think it will really come in handy then. Don’t you have little emergencies every day?"