Hello James,
Not long ago, our friends at FEMA destroyed six million MREs, (which we taxpayers had purchased at a cost of $40 million). Why? Because of storage conditions. Now this is an extreme example: FEMA placing food products in unrefrigerated containers under the Gulf Coast summer sun. But it does serve to illustrate that no matter how large one’s pantry may be, to avoid turning that food into so much garbage, you have to monitor storage conditions.
Our “summer kitchen” at our home/retreat occupies a 200 square foot area in one of the outbuildings. This room is double insulated and drywalled. In the summer, with outside temps as high as 100 degrees, it seldom rises above 75 inside and no air conditioner or cooling mechanism is used. We do have a 220 volt thermostatically controlled baseboard heater, plus a wood/coal stove to provide backup heat in the winter when it may drop below freezing inside. Two deep freezes and a small refrigerator are situated here, as well as an apartment sized propane gas range/oven. (A 500 gallon propane tank sits outside.). In a true emergency, we could prepare all our meals here. It is 50 feet from the main house.
A door on one wall of the summer kitchen leads to our insulated and finished pantry area. (In essence, the pantry is a room within a room). Both cooling and heating are provided, although ambient temperatures generally stay above 40 degrees in the winter and below 65 in the summer. We monitor the temperature using a remote thermometer with a readout in the main house. The walls are lined with commercial grade shelving (sold at the big box stores), so nothing rests on the concrete floor. Our food storage is deep and diverse, supplying a well-rounded, 3-year diet for a family of four. To track all this inventory, shelf-life, etc.., we have come to depend on a computer program called “Food Storage Planner”.
Our freezers are stocked with meats, fish, butter and other perishables such as chocolate bars, nuts and dehydrated fruit. We have a commercial grade vacuum packer and everything that goes into the freezers is vacuum-packed and labeled. Hint: When vacuum-packing fish, freeze it before packing, or you’ll end up with seafood mush. During the summer, the refrigerator holds several cases of canned cheese (University of Washington Dairy Farm) and canned butter ([Best Prices Storable Foods aka] The Internet Grocer). In cold weather, the refrigerator is shut down and the contents moved into the pantry. We recently added a 5 cubic foot freezer which is filled with MRE main meal (entree) packets.
The recent thread on fats and oils highlights an often overlooked area of food preparedness. Our pantry contains 25 gallons of oils, including olive, canola, peanut and corn, plus 100 pounds of butter (canned and frozen). We also stock a large amount of canned meats and fish, smoked salmon, UHT processed whole milk, etc.., so the dietary intake of fats and oils should be sufficient. We have found that by storing these oils between 45 and 60 degrees at all times, their shelf life is extended almost indefinitely.
Man does not live by bread alone, so comfort foods occupy some shelf space. Grandma’s Fruit Cakes (the big ones!), cases of MRE pound cakes and number ten cans of brownie mixes constitute the bulk of this category. Maple syrup, sweet sorghum, pancake syrup, cocoa and lots of coffee are also on hand.
Several shelves hold first aid and OTC drugs and medications as well as use-only-as-a-last-resort antibiotics and anti-fungals purchased at aquarium supply shops. Another shelf is stocked with whiskey. (Neither one of us drink the stuff).
A 6.5Kw Yamaha generator and a solar system provide backup power for the freezers. Plans are to install a fuel efficient diesel power plant and 500 gallon diesel tank next year.
How long did it take us to put this whole shebang together? A good ten years. We couldn’t afford a big shopping trip, so we always tried to bring home that extra item from the store. Maybe a brick of .22 ammo. Maybe an extra can of coffee or a bag of flour. It’s amazing how quickly the shelves fill. Those items that we can’t cycle through fast enough, we donate to the local food kitchen.
Hoping for the best, planning for the worst. – Dutch in Wyoming (A 10 Cent Challenge Subscriber)