A Home Food Survival Storage Plan
My main food storage of survival food concerns are;
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Fast cooking. A means of cooking may be limited to a small, low fuel usage source. Such as an open fire, coffee can stove, solar oven, Sterno, alcohol flame or eaten cold. Foods that can be cooked quickly and thoroughly on a small heat source would be first on my list! By pre-soaking beans, peas, lentils, etc.. can also cut this cooking time in half at least.
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Water usage. Water supply lines might be down or contaminated (see water catchments tips). Foods that already contain fluid or juice that can be used to cook dry foods are best. Example: A can of mixed vegetables can be added to a package of ramen noodles to make a fast, simple soup, with very little extra water being added. Quick rice, oats and fast cooking pastas would be good choices. Black eye peas cook faster, as do split pea, beans are a good source of protein, but some can take all day to cook and still be hard. I add a small (1/2 tsp) of baking soda to mine, it helps with the gas problem, also seems to help them cook faster. Pre soaking overnight also helps with cooking time.
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Nutritional content. Nutrition is important, but hunger has to be satisfied as well. A tiny piece of something "good for you" will not go as far as a big portion of something that fills you up and still has some nutrients. I vote for volume, hunger can be a real stress factor in a already stressful situation. Add several bottles of multi vitamins to your storage to cover the nutrients needed. Especially bottles of Vit. C and B Complex, these will be hard to get in survival food, and deplete quickly from our systems, we will need all the energy we can get in a real disaster situation.
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Storage of cooked food can be hazardous, without refrigeration. Cook only what can be consumed in a few hours or that day. Don't waste what you have, there is not any way to gauge how long it will have to last you.
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Variety. The same old thing to eat everyday gets old. Include variety and treats. A cheap box of instant pudding can spice up a meal a few times a week. It can be made with dry milk, or even without milk. It won't set as thick but it is still edible. Or a can of mixed fruit, is always welcome after a week of "soups". Keep a separate five gallon bucket or box of special foods that will break up the boredom and add sweets (that will keep the energy and spirit both up).
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The first week or two of a disaster situation will most likely be the most trying and stressful which can lead to bad decisions being made. See first weeks survival guide for food, recipes, how to do's.
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Get some boxes/refill packs of Handy or baby wipes for personal hygiene, cleaning up spills, disinfecting pot and pans. Used sparingly they can greatly enhance your living conditions.
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Updated from Goldenrod.net from 1999, my other site.