GM/GA/GE Anon!
Thanks to all the new subscribers and folks that have read my stack!
If you haven’t subscribed, you can enjoy eating zee bugs or just hit the subscribe button below.
If you aren’t up to date please go back and read my previous post on ST vs. LT storage.
But here is a brief recap-
ST food storage = shorter timeline until expiration but greater variety of foods. Budget friendly and ability to cycle.
LT food storage= expiration date can be decades, if not indefinite, when stored correctly. Types of food are limited due to expiration timeline. Best to bulk buy and invest in storage material = more $’s.
The best time to plant a tree was yesterday. The next best time is today.
Check out the graph below showing trends for google searches for LT food storage.
It fits perfectly with my thesis that no on cares about preparation until the emergency hits.
Spike #1 is Covid arriving in the consciousness of the world. Spike #2 is supply chain shortages/inflation/shrinkflation and other anxieties created by the world’s covid response.(It’s gonna get worse btw)
Covid isn’t the important part and neither is the supply chain part. This could have been 9/11, Y2k, Hurricane Katrina or any other emergency.
The point is humans are irrational and they increase in irrationality under stress.
(I’m not immune either. I found myself not comfortable with my ammo situation and paid 3x on bulk 9mm/.556/.308)
Now, to be fair. These are actually the smart more cautious people (especially if they took action to build up a food cache). The other folks were buying toilet paper (buy a bidet on amazon) and miller lite. Or making fun of the folks buying the stuff they actually need.
Good luck eating that TP, Karen!
My hope is that the people searching this haven’t got comfortable and are continuing to stock up.
I like bulk buying for my long term supply cause I’m going to spend money to store this. If stored correctly, this food will not go bad for a long, long time.
But what causes food to go bad?
3 things-
-
Microorganisms
-
Damaged/Improper packaging
-
Chemical reactions
Do what? Ok, simpler explanation
-
Light
-
Oxygen
-
Heat
-
Humidity
-
Bacteria
-
Being a shitty cook
So how do we avoid these things affecting our bulk food supply in order to keep them safe for years?
-
Store the right long term foods (Grains, beans, etc.)
-
Package those foods correctly (Food buckets, mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, sealed and labeled) Here are the supplies I use and recommend -
-
Store them in a climate controlled environment (Ideally below 70 degrees, not in your attic)
***I’m a bit overkill. I put my stuff in the mylar bag AND in the food bucket.
But let me tell you why - I’m not opening these for maybe 20+ years so I need to get it right. I don’t want to NEED this food and then open it up it to find it has spoiled.
But also - pests. I live out in the country. It’s not unusual for field mice to find their way to my home. It’s going to take them a long time to gnaw through that bucket. And the buckets have carry handles making it easier to transport your stuff and easier to stack to conserve space.
Bulk foods to buy and how to store them for decades
(Not meant to be an all encompassing list)
-
Grains
-
Types
-
Wheat berries - can be ground into flour. BREAD!
-
Oats - can be soaked overnight or cooked to make edible. OATMEAL!
-
White rice - can be ground into flour or cooked like normal white rice. MY FAVE!
-
Corn (Flint/Dent/Field Corn - no popcorn) can be ground into flour. If you want to eat whole kernel corn, you are better off buying freeze dried or addressing this with your ST supply) IT’S GOT THE JUICE!
-
-
Storage method
-
Mylar bag w/ oxygen absorber. Place inside food bucket and seal.
-
-
Shelf life
-
+20 years
-
-
MISC - You will need a grain grinder for some of these. The one I use and recommend is this one. But it’s expensive. You can check Amazon for better deals but make sure you read the reviews and make sure it can handle the type of grain you are using it for.
-
-
Dried Beans and Legumes - These are dried so they will need to be soaked and cooked to become softened to eat.
-
Types
-
Chickpeas
-
Lentils
-
Kidney beans
-
Black beans
-
Navy beans
-
Pinto Beans
-
Mixed bean soup
-
-
Storage method
-
Mylar bag w/ oxygen absorber. Place inside food bucket and seal.
-
-
Shelf life
-
+20 years
-
-
-
Potato Flakes (Avoid flakes w/ added butter and oil. Those oils and fats cause the flakes to spoil)
-
Storage method
-
Mylar bag w/ oxygen absorber. Place inside food bucket and seal.
-
-
Shelf life
-
+20 years
-
-
-
Dried Pasta
-
Types
-
Elbow
-
Spaghetti
-
-
Storage method
-
Mylar bag w/ oxygen absorber. Place inside food bucket and seal.
-
-
Shelf life
-
20+ years
-
-
-
White Sugar (Hear me out - if it gets bad out there, I might want a damn cookie! But in seriousness, think not about just comfort foods but the ability to make preserves/jams/jellies)
-
Storage method
-
Mylar bag, NO OXYGEN ABSORBER (Hardens sugar). Place inside food bucket and seal.
-
-
Shelf life
-
Indefinite
-
-
-
Salt
-
Types (PURE SALT/NaCl IS A STABLE COMPOUND. It can store indefinitely as long as no additives are present and it is stored correctly)
-
Sea salt
-
Pink himalayan
-
Canning salt
-
-
Storage Method
-
Mylar bag, NO OXYGEN ABSORBER. Place inside food bucket and seal.
-
-
Shelf life
-
Indefinite
-
-
Where to buy these foods in BULK?
I use 3 places but feel free to find other alternatives
-
Sam’s/Costco
-
Great place for bulk white rice, pinto/beans beans, potato flakes, and dry pasta.
-
-
-
I like this place for my dried beans because they have a better variety, salt, and sugar, and my grain needs (outside of white rice -easier to buy at Sams/Costco)
-
-
Amazon
-
Yeah. I pick stuff up from Amazon here in there but it’s usually not my 1st choice for bulk. This is where I buy all my packaging material though.
-
DIY/SAVE MONEY
Never and I repeat NEVER buy these items from a LT food supplier. You will pay double if not more for less food. Just DIY if you can.
A 50 lb bag of rice at Sam’s is less than $20.
Here is a #10 size can from a LT food supplier. Costs $15.
With that being said, LT food vendors have their place in my cache and we can cover that on the next post.
Thanks for reading and if you haven’t done so please consider subscribing.