Food Pantry and Food Storage Tips

Eat what you store and store what you eat-

Having a food pantry or storage brings peace of mind in case of emergencies and hardships. Make sure to have food on hand that you and your family like to eat and enjoy. Feeding ourselves and our families should be one less worry to have on top of stress that you are already experiencing. Keep treats for the little ones and some comfort food for yourself. What is the use of having a food safety net that you don't want to eat.

Make sure to rotate your food-

Keep your food in rotation with your regular meals, so you food does not get old. Keep newer items in the back and older items in the front. It is helpful to use a marker to mark the purchase and expiration date, this helps to ensure that your food supply stays fresh. It would be bad if an emergency comes up and you need to use your food supply but is too old to eat.

Storing your food-

It is important to properly store your food for maximum freshness, store in a cool dry place such as basments, cellars. If you live in an apartment or smaller place you can use a spare room or unused closet. Try to stay away from storing your food in the attic or near heat souces such as dryers, water heater and vents. A safe environment to store your food is 60 degrees, out of direct sunlight also keep food on shelves off the floor.

Cans- Make sure that your cans are not dented which can cause bacteria. Bloated cans are not a good sign and should be thrown away.

Glass- should be stored away from sunlight and should be vaccumed sealed. You can place glass jars in the boxes they come in or even paper bags.

Boxes- Food in boxes should be stored in vaccum sealed glass or bags to ensure freshness. Air tight containers are also useful to keep away rodents and bugs.

Planning your food pantry or storage on a budget.-

Some of you may think i can't do this or it is expensive. Planning your food safety net does not have to be expensive you can stock your area one product at a time. Whenever things you use or like go on sale buy an extra or if you have extra money buy a little more. This should not be a burden to you. Shop around at places like aldis, dollar general, family dollar, dollar tree or a food discount store. Take advantage of coupons and in store savings.

In hard times a food pantry or storage is ideal in case of natural disaster, unemployment, hardships and emergencies.

This info was taken from be prepared.com and various youtube videos. May this information be helpful to anyone who reads this.

I have started my own pantry for my family and wanted to share with you what i have learned.