Why do you need food storage?

I personally just think food storage makes sense and I can’t imagine living without it. Having this “buffer against the storm” is a big area of safety for me; to know that no matter what may happen to us financially, I can feed my family. We have a well-stocked pantry and more than a 3 month supply of food, so I can basically make any kind of meal without having to go to the grocery store.

This is smart because it keeps me from going to the store every day. You might say this is a country skill and while I don’t live in the country right now, it still saves me money in the long run to buy in bulk.

In addition, I have a year’s supply of various grains, beans, sweeteners, and spices. Many years ago, while my husband was going to college, we lived off our food storage. It was a valuable lesson in self-reliance for our family.

The 10 Laws of Food Storage | PreparednessMama

What you need to store and how much do you need?

You should only store what you eat. It is a complete waste of money to buy food that your family doesn’t like, even if some “preparedness guru” says you need it. That goes for canned food and prepackaged items. I think of those food bricks that people say you should have in your 72-hour kits. While they may be 2000 calories each, no one would actually choose to eat it. Why not spend your money on what you like.

The first thing to do is make a list of 10-15 meals that your family likes and build your pantry and short term food storage around those items. Take each recipe and list the individual ingredients. Now start buying extra of those items for future meals.

How to get it?

If you can purchase food on sale or in bulk you will obviously get a better price. Check warehouse stores like Costco and Sam’s Club. I’ve also found great prices at stores like Grocery Outlet and dollar store. Remember, don’t buy it if it isn’t a family favorite.

Gardening can also play a key part in your food storage plan. People who live in apartments can still grow a surprising amount of produce in pots on the balcony.

You see it on the grocery store shelf under many different names: canning salt, kosher salt, sea salt, and table salt. Are they interchangeable for canning? | PreparednessMama

What is Canning Salt and Do You Need It?

You see it on the grocery store shelf under many different names: canning salt, kosher salt, sea salt, and table ...
Read More

Cooking with Peanut Flour

This year, in an effort to diversify my food storage, I am trying to add new items to my plan ...
Read More

Lemon juice powder is a kitchen standby for any pantry. It gives you the ability to add a punch of lemon flavor to any recipe you are creating | PreparednessMama

How to Use Lemon Juice Powder in Cooking

Include this flavorful addition in your pantry. Lemon zest is a kitchen standby for any pantry. It gives you the ...
Read More

8 Family Friendly Chest Freezer Organization Ideas | PreparednessMama

8 Chest Freezer Organization Ideas

Make the Most of Your Freezing Friend Updated November 2016 - Since my original chest freezer organization post in August ...
Read More

5 Ways to store food using dry pack canning techniques | PreparednessMama

Use Dry Pack Canning Methods to Preserve Food

5 Ways to Store Food Long-Term Dry Pack Canning is the process used to store foods that have less than ...
Read More

The Make Ahead Kitchen

75 Slow-cooker, Freezer, and Prepared Meals for the Busy Lifestyle Years ago when my family lived outside of Seattle we ...
Read More

How to join or create your own food swap and 80+ recipes that will leave their mouths watering for more. Part how to, part cookbook, you'll be sharing and swapping in no time | PreparednessMama

Join a Food Swap Near You

Specialty Recipes for Bartering, Sharing & Giving What if you could get together with a group of like-minded people, once ...
Read More

Expiration Dates on Food Storage- Know When to Throw

Are you wasting food because of confusing dates? I love to get a good deal on the usual supplies I ...
Read More

4 Paths to Your Food Storage Plan

Looking for a ways to put together a solid food storage plan? Try these ideas. I find it's best to ...
Read More

Getting out of my dinner planning rut with the Cooking From Scratch books being offered in the Back to Basics Living Bundle | PreparednessMama

I’m in a Dinner Planning Rut

...but I found a promising solution This weekend I had a long talk with my husband and we lamented about ...
Read More

You voted and chose the top 10 food storage posts on PreparednessMama in 2015!

How to Repackage Bulk Food for Storage

For short or long term storage Purchasing in bulk is one of my favorite food storage tricks. Bulk purchases are ...
Read More

Preparedness Skill: Make Butter in a Jar

Have you tried this old fashioned skill? I've been collecting a list of preparedness skills that I want to learn ...
Read More

The Prepared Pantry: A 3 month supply of meals | PreparednessMama

The Prepared Pantry: 3 Month Food Supply

It's the working supply of your food storage. It's Friday after work, you had to stay late to finish a ...
Read More

Cookware Compariosn Chart | PreparednessMama

Cookware Comparisons Chart

There's a pot for that! Today I'm sharing an interesting infographic I found at fix.com. There are so many choices ...
Read More

Frozen Food Storage Infographic | PreparednessMama

Recommended Storage Times for Frozen Food

March is National Frozen Food Month Food preservation in cold temperatures has been practiced since the early days of mankind, ...
Read More

You may love to stock your freezer with the garden harvest, but hate to blanch vegetables ahead of time. Is it an extra step you can skip? Maybe, if you follow the rules | PreparednessMama

Preparing Vegetables for Dehydrator or Freezer: Blanching Rules

You may love to stock your freezer with the garden harvest, but hate to blanch vegetables ahead of time. Is ...
Read More

What is a slow oven? Cooking conversion chart for old time recipes | PreparednessMama

Old Time Cookbook Conversions

Finding Natural Recipes from the Past I love to look through old cookbooks and find recipes for my family. You ...
Read More

5 Ways to Use a FoodSaver Everyday

My FoodSaver is an indispensable appliance in the kitchen In fact, we use our FoodSaver more than our toaster! It has ...
Read More

5 Ways to Preserve 10 Pounds of Blueberries

Preserve Your Blueberry Harvest This is one of my favorite times of the year when all the perennial fruits ripen. In my ...
Read More

Preserve Strawberries - 5 Things to do with 10 pounds of Strawberries | PreparednessMama

5 Ways to Preserve Strawberries

Preserve strawberries and retain that summer flavor By now you know I love a good bulk food buy. It is ...
Read More

Rethinking food storage - The Law of 3's | PreparednessMama

Rethinking Food Storage – The Food Storage Law of 3’s

The Food Storage Law of 3's I learned a valuable food storage lesson a few weeks ago by a Master ...
Read More

Powdered milk cooking conversion chart | PreparednessMama

Powdered Milk Cooking Tips and Recipes

Learn to use nonfat dry milk in your food storage, it will save you money and time I have about ...
Read More

February is National Canned Food Month | PreparednessMama

February is National Canned Food Month – How Will You Celebrate?

Now is the perfect time to add canned food to your food storage plan Yes, there really is such a ...
Read More

Storing Yukon Gold Potatoes

Freezing is the key to potato storage I purchased a 40-pound box of Yukon Gold Potatoes last week. I’ve done ...
Read More

Baking substitutions download for inside your cupboard | PreparednessMama

Baking Substitutions – Don’t Get Caught With Your Measuring Cups Empty

Download this baking substitutions chart and keep it in your cupboard for handy reference. It's that time of year. Just ...
Read More

If you could only prep one kind of cooking oil...Cooking fat storage | PreparednessMama

Using Cooking Fats in Your Prepper Storage

If you could only prep one kind of oil what would it be? There are many answers to that question ...
Read More

Re-think your food storage | PreparednessMama

Re-Thinking Food Storage

Rethinking Your Food Storage We've all heard the adage "don't put your eggs all in one basket." It's not just ...
Read More

The 10 Laws of Food Storage

PreparednessMama’s 10 Laws of Food Storage When I was beginning my food storage I thought it was all about long ...
Read More

The Prepared Spice Rack: Adding Spice to Life

The Prepared Spice Rack: Adding Spice to Life I love to cook, better yet I like to experiment in the ...
Read More

How to Store It

I learned a valuable food storage lesson from a Master Food Preserver. It has me rethinking my whole food storage plan. It’s this concept – to think about HOW you store your food and not just WHAT you store. For example, if you live in an area where storms frequently knock out the power, then relying on your freezer as the only source of food storage could be asking for trouble.

Grandma’s adage, don’t put your eggs all in one basket, rings true even today. The Law of 3′s in food storage is this: Always have your foods stored in at least three ways.

Why do you need food storage?

What you need to store and how much do you need?

How to get it?

How to Store It

Shopping Cart

Your Shopping Cart