It is both wise and economical to be prepared for any occasion
and keep a store of food and water in the home. You never know when a
time might occur that you cannot get out buying groceries through bad
weather or being housebound. Another reason for keeping stores of food
is inflation, through which food prices continuously tend to rise.
However, before you rush to the shops to stock up with quantities of
food for storage, decide where you are going to keep it. You will need a
place that is cool, dark, dry, and equipped with shelving. These can be
made from wood, plastic, or metal as long as they can hold the weight
you put on them, you do not want your boxes or cans to land up on the
floor, nor should boxes or food in general be stored at ground level.
Your cache of food needs to consist of items such as complete boxed meals, food that is non-perishable, canned food, flour, salt, seasonings, peanut butter, sugar, tea, coffee, long life milk, olive and other oils. It is also a good idea to keep a supply of a variety of rice, noodles, and beans. Items such as sugar, rice, and flour need protection from mice and insects so they must be put into containers that have tight fitting lids. This system prevents moisture and air entering your sealed stored food. Remember to use food in rotation, in other words use the longest kept food first.
For indefinite food storing it is advisable to use food grade containers for storing food as these will ensure there are no hazardous chemicals used in their manufacture that could be transferred either to the food or to humans.
Food grade containers have either #2 marked next to the symbol for recycling or else HDPE (high-density polyethylene) stamped on the bottom. The most popular containers to buy for bulk storage are the five-gallon ones. Before you put in any food do wash them out well with soapy water and make sure to thoroughly dry them. The lids with gaskets are excellent to use in preference to usual bucket lids. They may be slightly more expensive but are far easier to open and shut tightly.
Thick Mylar bags (5mill or over) make good protection food liners and can last for more than twenty years. They are durable and can be reused many times. It is a good idea to add oxygen absorbers to your containers for storing food for added prevention against pathogens or mould as they begin working immediately on contact with oxygen. They come available in assorted sizes, so buy the correct size for the container you are using. For example, 2,000cc's of oxygen absorbers need adding to one 5-gallon container. They are inedible, non-toxic and the smell and taste of the product in the container is not affected. Using a barrier system, the food in storage is kept in the best condition for long- term protection.
Your cache of food needs to consist of items such as complete boxed meals, food that is non-perishable, canned food, flour, salt, seasonings, peanut butter, sugar, tea, coffee, long life milk, olive and other oils. It is also a good idea to keep a supply of a variety of rice, noodles, and beans. Items such as sugar, rice, and flour need protection from mice and insects so they must be put into containers that have tight fitting lids. This system prevents moisture and air entering your sealed stored food. Remember to use food in rotation, in other words use the longest kept food first.
For indefinite food storing it is advisable to use food grade containers for storing food as these will ensure there are no hazardous chemicals used in their manufacture that could be transferred either to the food or to humans.
Food grade containers have either #2 marked next to the symbol for recycling or else HDPE (high-density polyethylene) stamped on the bottom. The most popular containers to buy for bulk storage are the five-gallon ones. Before you put in any food do wash them out well with soapy water and make sure to thoroughly dry them. The lids with gaskets are excellent to use in preference to usual bucket lids. They may be slightly more expensive but are far easier to open and shut tightly.
Thick Mylar bags (5mill or over) make good protection food liners and can last for more than twenty years. They are durable and can be reused many times. It is a good idea to add oxygen absorbers to your containers for storing food for added prevention against pathogens or mould as they begin working immediately on contact with oxygen. They come available in assorted sizes, so buy the correct size for the container you are using. For example, 2,000cc's of oxygen absorbers need adding to one 5-gallon container. They are inedible, non-toxic and the smell and taste of the product in the container is not affected. Using a barrier system, the food in storage is kept in the best condition for long- term protection.
My name is Gloria Herman and I find that writing about the
happenings around us is very inspirational and a tonic for the soul.
Life is so interesting and I find that I can can never gain enough
knowledge.
Travel and writing are two subjects that for me have become a way of stimulation
By
Gloria Hermanhttp://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gloria_HermanTravel and writing are two subjects that for me have become a way of stimulation
