"Know the peace that comes from providing for yourself and your family in case of emergency or financial difficulty."


Food storage gifts that make a difference

If you're looking for food storage gift ideas for Christmas or for birthdays, check out Leslie's article here.

Emergency Sanitation and Hygiene

Go to National Terror Response Center for important information about preventing the spread of disease after a disaster strikes, including how to deal with human waste when sewer mains are damaged or broken. EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS. Ideas are given for making temporary toilet provisions and waste disposal.

Disaster preparedness

Don’t be fooled by FEMA administrative difficulties during recent disasters…FEMA’s Are You Ready? book is an outstanding resource for individuals and families to prepare for disasters. Disaster preparedness information can be complicated to gather and remember. This concise information is laid out in easy- to- read bullets with a simple self-test at the end of each section. Order a free copy at www.fema.gov/areyouready or call 1-800-480-2520. Don’t forget to read the “After A Disaster” section at the back of the book…ahead of time.

FEMA also offers a children’s coloring book with simple information for teaching children about disasters. This is a great resource to help children remember what to do in case of a disaster.

Rice over 30 years

Even though stored in a container without oxygen, rice will develop a slightly yellow color and rancid smell. These will disappear when the rice is cooked. If rice has more that a slight rancid smell and a darker color, it should be discarded.

Shelf life of spices

When food storage becomes complicated, people become discouraged and give up. Keeping track of the age of spices is a complication!! Spices keep their flavor for many years. If the flavor of a spice seems to be fading, add a little more to recipes until it is used up.

Buying bouillon

When storing bouillon for food storage, it doesn’t have to be purchased in a #10 can. Store your favorite brand from the grocery store.

Some bouillon in #10 cans may have a less intense flavor, requiring more in a recipe. Be sure to ask for a taste before buying in bulk.

What if you have allergies?

You'll find some ideas for food storage here.

Buying powdered milk

When comparing prices of different brands of powdered milk in #10 cans, check the number of ounces per can. Some brands contain only 30 oz., while others contain around 50 oz. Make sure you know how much you are buying, even if the milk is on sale.

Whey-based powdered milk can taste delicious. Be aware that dairy creamer containing corn syrup and other additives is often added to improve the flavor. This sweeter milk, when added to cream soups, can alter the flavor of the soup, and having few milk solids, cannot be used to make yogurt or cheese.

Buying powdered dairy products

All the brands of powdered eggs, butter, margarine, or shortening we have tried are very similar in quality. Look for sales and check the list of ingredients on the label for only 1-2 additives.

News Articles

For more information on food storage, read Leslie Probert's articles in the Deseret News Mormon Times online. Click here.

Buying food in buckets or #10 cans?

We highly recommend rotating the food you store in fast and delicious recipes. If you know you will find it hard to open a more expensive bucket of food, consider buying your food in #10 cans. Many people find it easier to open and experiment with food in a #10 can.

Keep in mind that larger containers, like buckets, are heavy to lift, move, and stack. #10 cans come six to a box and are easy to carry and very space efficient to stack.

Some people like the large amount of food stored in buckets. If you store them, be aware that you cannot stack buckets more than three high without risking breakage of their airtight seals.

When #10 cans seem too large for single people and couples

#10 cans of powdered eggs, butter, margarine, shortening can feel daunting to open and consume when only one or two people are using them. #10 cans of dried celery and green peppers, usually used only 1-2 tablespoons at a time in recipes, can also feel overwhelming. Keep in mind that once opened, these foods will be good to use for a year, as long as they are kept away from moisture and light.

You can freeze half the contents of a can until you can use them. Or share the cost of a can among interested family or friends and divide the contents into ziplock bags for use over a period of a year. Bags should be stored in opaque containers to protect food from light. This allows you to rotate what you store.

Plastic Storage Buckets with Mylar bags

Plastic buckets are air permeable, and resent studies have shown seals in both regular and gamma lids are unreliable. Lining buckets with Mylar bags, which can be sealed, protects food from oxygen.

You can buy food packaged in buckets lined with Mylar bags, called Superpails. Or you can purchase the bags, buckets, and oxypaks (oxygen absorbers) and package foods yourself. Look for bags with ziplock closures, which close easily after opening, protecting your food from moisture. Ziplock closures make bags easy to seal after adding your own food and oxypaks. Some people prefer to buy Mylar bags that must be heat sealed to ensure bags are sealed well.

This method of packaging is especially beneficial for rice, oats and other foods that have a greater risk of going rancid. (Rancid foods are dangerous to eat.)

Simple way to kill insects in food for long term storage

When food is stored an oxygen deprived environment for 12 days, insects in all stages are killed. Oxygen absorbers in sealed containers are the most effective way to kill insects.

Oxygen absorbers work very well in #10 cans. However, buckets must be lined with Mylar bags to ensure an environment where insects cannot survive.