Comments on: How can I get started on food storage?

By: Linda Olsson

Linda Olsson — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 13:23:16 +0000

Knowing how to prepare simple foods in a delicious way is really important too:).

By: mamasmith

mamasmith — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:40:49 +0000

I have a freezer full of food too and have had many power outages. If the power goes out, the first thing we do is cover the top of the freezer with lots of sleeping bags and blankets and then something heavier to give it some weight. and then don’t open it! most of the stuff will be safe for a few days! we had power out for about 5 days once and all was well. when the power comes back on we open it up and go thru everything and take out the softer stuff, usually bread and things like that. Some of the fruit & veg close to the top will be soft so we take them out eat them.

By: mormonwomen

mormonwomen — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:52:54 +0000

Mistiy,

I agree with your caution, in the sense that one shouldn’t rely completely on the freezer for food storage. I use it as a compliment to my shelf-stable foods, not a replacement for them. I also use it more for shorter-term storage (three-month supply) rather than a longer-term storage. I’ve taken an approach similar to yours, where I have meats, veggies and fruits, etc. in canned/freeze-dried form so that if we lost power or ran into a problem like you did, we’d still have food storage.

Thanks for the input!

~Michelle

By: Mistiy

Mistiy — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 16:51:27 +0000

Wow! What a helpful article with so many great resources / links. I 2nd everything you’ve linked to here. Love all those sites!

But I just have to add one caution against storing TOO much in your freezer. I keep about a 3 month supply of produce, meats and dairy (other than milk) there now. But I used to keep a 9-12 month supply. My husband lost his job and we were able to live off our food storage for quite a while, but eventually we couldn’t afford our rent and moved in with my parents two states away. We lost all the food in our freezer ($$$$). The power went out here recently and I don’t yet have a generator, so once again I was afraid of losing all that food. If we were to face a serious natural disaster, chances are we would be without power, and those with a lot of food in their freezers will lose it. So, instead I’ve opted to store a smaller supply in my freezer and the rest in shelf stable foods. I get freeze dried for produce, meat and cheese b/c it works & tastes just like the foods in my freezer, but lasts 25 years on the shelf. It is usually a bit more pricey, but worth the investment b/c it won’t go to waste if you lose access to power!