The Pantry: Storing Flour and Grain

One of the best seasonal sale items available in my local stores is Gold Medal flour.  Five pounds for $1.49 and they have a very nice bread flour.

The first thing I do when I bring home grains and flour intended for long term storage is treat the bags for insects by putting the bags in the freezer for 72 hours.  This kills off any eggs that may be hidden either in the product or in the folds of the bag.

Now it can be stored in the pantry, but not without being placed in a protective container.  I think that metal tins are the best.  You can pick up holiday themed, empty popcorn tins at thrift stores for a good price this time of the year.  Plastic bins may keep out insects, but any self respecting rodent can chew through plastic in no time.

Another good option are large glass jars.  These can also be found at thrift stores or if you ask at your local restaurant they may be willing to save some for you.  This is also a good source for five gallon buckets with lids.

If you are meticulous about treating and properly storing flour and grains insects should not be a problem for you.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Water and Other Supplies

People can live for days without food, but not without water.  It is essential to maintain life, so water storage should be one of your highest priorities when establishing a pantry.

Plan on at least a gallon a day per person to provide drinking and washing needs.  I am talking about dampening your face and brushing your teeth; not real bathing.

First things first, let's talk about containers.  They must be food grade, preferably opaque and not biodegradable.  Milk jugs and bottled water from the store are in containers that will begin to break down after a few months.  If I do purchase water before storm season I store it in an extra shower that we have, not near my food supplies.  I  found white, opaque, five gallon, food grade water containers at my hardware store.  Considering that a gallon of water weighs about 8 pounds, it would be difficult for me to maneuver anything larger.  There are also specialized containers available online, it depends on your individual needs and your budget.

When storing tap water it is important to treat it with household bleach.  Just plain bleach, not lemon scented or soapy.  Add 1/8 of a teaspoon per gallon of water.  Tap water is not sterile by any means, so be sure not to skip this step.  Your water should last for several years if treated this way.

Water that is stored for a long period of time can go "flat".  This means that it is no longer oxygenated, but it is still safe to drink.

It is always a good idea to stock up on toiletries and other essentials (to your family) that you cannot make for yourself.  Just figure out what your usage is per month, multiply by 12 and start shopping wisely.

When preparing your pantry for an emergency situation (eg. hurricane season)  it is always advisable to keep two extra weeks of medication on hand.  The emergency management departments suggest this every year, but good luck convincing your doctor and insurance company.  I always manage to stockpile a small amount of my medication by ordering two days early each month.  This way I am acquiring two extra pills each month and after seven months I have my emergency supply.

The subject of what to store in your pantry is endless.  Your supplies should be based on your personal preferences and needs.  Keeping your pantry supplies up to date is a constant process and should be a part of your weekly/monthly shopping trips.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Food

The pantry locations have been chosen and shelves built; now it is time to start stocking it with food.  First you need to think about a few things to help you with your choices:  How long do I want this food to last?  How many people do I need to feed?  What do they eat?

In my county our Emergency Management Dept. suggests that we keep a supply of food that will last several days.  This is in case of a hurricane, but after seeing the slow response to hurricane Katrina I think that several months supply is more prudent.  But what if dear husband were laid off or one of us became seriously ill and our money supply dried up?  In this case, a year of food in storage sounds much more reassuring to me.

Now you need to decide how many people you will be feeding.  What are their ages?  Will it just be immediate family or will some long lost relatives come knocking on your door?  How about the elderly neighbor across the street?  Look at this hard and fast.  Are you willing to turn people away?

The best way for me to figure out my family's year long food storage needs is to use a food calculator.  This takes away the guess work, but you may need to tweak the list to meet your individual needs.  If your family never eats rice, but loves noodles, make a substitution.  Does an elderly relative drink a nutritional supplement drink every day?  Add it.  You get the picture.

If you are one of those people that wants to spend thousands of dollars buying a years worth of dehydrated foods in #10 cans, then go for it.  Most of us will be building our pantry supplies slowly, but surely, buying extra during sales and canning what we can grow and hunt.  With steady, economical purchasing you will have a pantry grandma would have been proud of.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry: Shelves

We've located our pantry spaces and now we need to construct shelving.  Don't be tempted to buy some inexpensive, steel shelves; they won't hold up.  Canned goods are extremely heavy.  Even the most sturdy metal shelves will begin to bow in the middle under the weight.  Thick wood shelves with plenty of extra support are the way to go.

In a perfect world you have a handy, woodworking spouse that would be thrilled to build you custom shelves for your pantry.  Most of us live in an imperfect world with little time or money for those custom made shelves.  My BFF's husband Lloyd came up with a shelving system that is sturdy, inexpensive, portable and easy for anyone to put together.

First measure your space.  Now measure again.  Yep, it's that old saying, "Measure twice, cut once".  Measure the jars and boxes you will be storing for height and add an inch.  Now it's off to the hardware store to buy solid wood interior doors (unfinished) and four inch pvc pipes.  That's it.  The doors should be less expensive than wood of similar width.

Hopefully, we can construct  the shelves without cutting the wood, but if you've taken good measurements, have them cut them for you at the hardware store.  Make sure you have a hacksaw or a jig saw with a hacksaw blade at home (for the pipe).

Once we're back home it's time to cut the pipe into sections to match your shelf height measurements.  If your shelves are very long you will need to cut extra pieces to use as center braces.

Let's put it all together:  Put sections of pipe (vertically) at each end and one in the center if necessary.  Lay a section of door on the pipes.  Put more pipe sections on ends and center, then another piece of wood door.  Keep building until your shelves are the height you desire.

Now you have sturdy, portable shelves for your pantry spaces and are ready to begin storing food and other essentials.

God bless,
Pam

The Pantry

Pantries used to be common in American homes. The shelves were filled with baking staples and home canned foods. Families were ready for hard times or being snowed in for weeks; they could survive because of their well stocked pantry.

Well, what if you or your spouse lose their jobs, bad weather strikes or "fill in this space with the disaster of your choice"? Could your family live on the food in your house? A pantry can be just as important for us as it was for our grandparents.

So, let's find a location for our pantry. It needs to be cool and dark. Light, heat and freezing will cause foods to degrade quickly.

Most of us don't have unique spaces for a pantry, but let's get creative. How about under the beds, under a staircase, in a closet behind the coats, in a corner of the basement. Any little space will do. Think of having many mini pantries instead of one large space.

Start searching now. It's never too early to start preparing for the worst.

God bless,
Pam