Are You Building a Raft? a Boat? or an Ark?

Remember, it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark!
This post and the next two to follow will give you a guide to building your food storage in three levels.

This first of three, is just the bare bones minimum that you need to have for You and Your Family!
The following list is the amount you need for EACH member of your household. Should you ever 
have to rely exclusively on these items, they will sustain life though it won't be what you are now accustomed to consuming. 


Adjust foods and quantities based on food preferences and individual needs. Please note that it says to store 'White Rice'. This is because brown rice, though much higher in nutrition, does not store well for long periods of time. It becomes rancid easily and therefore not very tasty. Also, eight pounds of salt sounds like a lot but salt is dense and heavy and the body requires it, especially in warm climates!

Budget wisely and add a little each week when you grocery shop.


Store what you eat and eat what you store!

         BASIC FOOD STORAGE PLAN

                (Per Person for One Year)

                    (Suggested Amounts)

Grains                                                    400 lbs.

 (wheat, white rice, corn, popcorn, oatmeal, cornmeal, pasta, rye, etc.)                                                  

Legumes    (beans)                                 60 lbs.

Powdered Milk                                      16 lbs.

Cooking Oil                                            10 qts.

Sugar or Honey                                     60 lbs.

Salt                                                           8 lbs.

Water (2 weeks)                                   14 Gal.

This list is the BARE Minimum which would sustain life for one year. Build a complete one month supply, then two, then three until you have a full year’s worth of these foods.  It is better to obtain a well-rounded supply of basic foods than to simply store a year’s supply of milk, say, with nothing else to use with it.  Meats, fruits, vegetables, seasonings and other foods are also recommended once you obtain these basics.

Store as much as your circumstances will allow.   

Prayerfully seek means and methods of obtaining and storing these essential items to sustain life. 

It is wise counsel to secure a financial reserve as well as home storage.

Don't get caught off guard and unprepared. If you are prepared, you will have peace of mind knowing that you and yours will be fed. Prices continue to soar and shortages are beginning to appear worldwide. Just because it has always been readily available, does not mean that it will continue to be.

Canning Crackers! Say What?

A couple of days ago, a friend dropped by and I was busy canning crackers. Say what? That was exactly her reaction. They had a big sale on Premium Saltines and I stocked up. Before I share with you the easy method for preserving food this way, let me introduce to you how and why I know such things.

As long as I can remember, I have been preserving and raising food. As a child, I spent long hours with my mother and grandmother picking, snapping and canning beans and lots of other things too. As a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have been taught that is both frugal and provident to store and preserve food, water and other commodities for times of trial.

All my life, I have been on a budget so I am always on the outlook for a bargain. We have a big freezer that is filled with wild game and other meats, vegetables and fruits we have either raised ourselves or bought at a bargain price and an enormous pantry (well, it's actually a walk-in closet and half of a bedroom) filled with foodstuffs and other necessities.

Over the next weeks, months and years (God willing) I will share some of my techniques and hints. I will also post pictures along the way.

Now back to the story that started this blog. My friend was amazed at my wisdom and knowledge (and that amazed me) and was fascinated by all that I have stockpiled for my family. Dry pack canning is the method I used for the crackers. Living in the Heart of Dixie has it's perks, but heat and humidity are not among them and items like crackers have a very brief shelf life in this climate.

My first experience with dry packing in my oven was when I found oyster crackers on sale a few years ago. We opened up the first jar about a year later and they were as crispy and crunchy as if I had just opened the bag.

You can also preserve any other type of cracker and most cookies using this method. Other food items that dry pack well include: pasta, grits, cereals and other grains, beans (except for pinto beans and I don't know why that is), rice, popcorn, cornmeal, flour, instant potatoes, powdered milk, and many more items. You can also use Macaroni & Cheese, Hamburger Helper, Rice-A-Roni, etc. by putting the pasta or grain in first, placing the seasoning packet on top and also include the directions.

Now here is how easy it is. Fill clean canning jars with the food. Place the lid on top but do NOT tighten it. Place in a cold oven and do NOT let the jars touch. Use the middle rack if possible. Set the oven to 225° F. and use the following time table:
Start timing when the oven reaches the desired temperature.
Pints - 20 minutes
Quarts - 30 minutes
Half Gallons - 45 minutes
Tighten the lid on each jar, being careful not to get burned, and set on a towel to cool. The shelf life of these items is about 10 years if stored in a cool, dry place.

Over the next few weeks, months and maybe years, I will be adding other tips and photos.

Canning Crackers! Say What?

This blog was my friend's idea. She stopped by the other day and I was in the middle of canning crackers. That's right. She questioned my sanity briefly until I explained. Several years ago, I canned several bags of oyster crackers because they just plain don't keep well here in the Heart of Dixie--heat and humidity for sure.

When we opened them up about a year later, they were are tasty, crispy and fresh as if I had just opened a new bag! They were great. All my life I've been on a budget and when a good sale hits town, I stock up. We have always raised a garden and as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I have been taught that having a food storage is paramount in being prepared.

We have a big freezer filled with all sorts of things from cooking oil and butter (yes, they don't go rancid in the freezer) to meats and produce we have either raised ourselves, my husband hunted for or we shopped on sale. We have a large pantry (actually it is a walk-in closet) filled with canned and dehydrated foods. We have a well on our property and enough trees that we could heat and cook for a good while. I believe we are as prepared as we can be . . . but, and it's a big but, you are never finished. Because we use and eat the things we store, it is necessary to always be diligently replaced and replenishing them.

Now back to the crackers. . .you can safely do almost any dry food this method. (Don't try sugar though) but you can preserve cornmeal, flour, cereals, popcorn or any other grain, crackers of any type, macaroni, cookies, grits, instant powdered milk, instant potatoes, dried beans (except for pinto and I don't know why) and more with this easy method.

Fill clean canning jars with your item. Place the lid on but not tight. Place in a COLD oven on about the middle rack, making sure that the jars do NOT touch. Set the oven for 225° F. and use this following time table:
Pints - 20 minutes
Quarts - 30 minutes
Half Gallons - 45 minutes
Tighten the lids as you remove the jars. Careful, they will be hot! Allow to cool, mark the date on the lid and store in a cool, dry place. They will keep for up to 10 years.

Now how easy is that? Especially in warm climates where weevil and other nasty little critters love to invade our food source, this method will eliminate them and keep your items fresh for years.