Emergency Preparedness (Now that you have a year's supply of food, what do you do with it?)

I started this thread in response to some people who want to know what to do with the food they store, specifically wheat. I think the best motto is "Store what you eat and eat what you store." As Freeper Spiff said on the first thread, a total diet of whole wheat can be really hard on your digestive system. Start slow, and rotate. I also store different kinds of flour (they are dry packed) so that I can lighten up my bread, etc. Go with what you are comfortable with. I am posting some ideas on how to use the wheat, as well as some ideas on food storage. Please post any recipes you have that you use that could be adapted for food storage, and other ideas of what to store in case of emergencies.

In church today, the theme was paying tribute, a memorial to the victims of the WTC and Pentagon bombings. Over and over again I heard "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." We need to get prepared as a nation and individually. Good luck!

Thanks for the posts about food storage. I had a couple questions - what do you do about pest prevention? I've had to battle meal moths in my cupboards, and I know they can crawl through tiny cracks. How do you keep them out of your grain? (They'll get into herbs, teas, anything loose almost, even raisins.) Do you have suggestions on mice?

Also, storing what you eat, and eating what you store - it sounds from the storage list you have, that the family is eating almost everything canned, not fresh, reconstituted milk, etc. Of course, if this stuff had a shelf life of three years or so instead of one, that would make a difference. Thanks again.

Mrs VS

UG:

A few helpful tips:

Canned fruits and vegetables are the best (particularly ones your family will normally eat - just buy in abundance). Why? You can cook the vegetables in the can's water (thereby not depleting your water supply for their preparation) and they can last on the shelf for several months. Also, if you run short on water, after you are done cooking, SAVE and DRINK the can's boiled/purified water. It will contain added nutrients.

For canned fruits, eat the fruit and drink the juices it came in. Heavy? Yes. Syrupy? Yes. But it will sustain you.

Jars of peanut butter, jelly, and boxes of inexpensive store-brand saltine crackers may not sound like much - but again, these will last for quite some time, give you a quick pick up, and will fill you in the event of an emergency. Further, the kids will usually eat them (like a snack) so no fussing around. FYI, try not to give PB to kids under 3, unless you've already confirmed they aren't allergic to peanuts. It could cause them to choke. Also, any types of nuts are a good source of protein if you can't purchase meat (which should be avoided for a time anyway if there is a chemical attack - it could be infected).

Rice. Stores well, easy to cook, remains edible if stored after cooking for several days.

Pasta/sauce with some type of vegetable in it. SAVE YOUR WATER after cooking for either drinking or additional cooking.

Near the year's end, we stocked up for about a month (instead of our usual 1/2 weeks). Having worked with insurance companies in a consulting capacity, I knew there was a potential for Y2K disruptions because several carriers were already facing lawsuits (POS equipment wouldn't read CCs, etc.). Built up slowly and didn't even notice it; also saved ourselves a trip or two to the supermarket because we bought stuff we would normally eat anyway.

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