Food Storage Faux Pas
#1 Overwhelmingly, the first error people make in obtaining and using food storage is not having an inventory. A food storage inventory provides a multitude of services and helps prevent a multitude of errors. There is a food storage inventory outline on this website that you can print out and use. If it does not fit your needs, I would encourage you to create your own.
#2 Know what you are shopping for. Once a food storage inventory is established you can spend your money where it is most needed. You won't make the mistake of buying more wheat when what you really need is more powdered milk!
#3 Store variety. Too many people only store what is referred to as the basic four and assume that they have a food storage. The basic four are wheat, milk, sugar, and salt. Don't fall into this trap; you won't live for long on that for many reasons, and while you do live you will be miserable. Sooner or later your body will begin to react negatively to an over abundance of gluten. Very young children can not digest large amounts of gluten and must have their diets supplemented with other grains. Regardless of your age, you will begin to experience appetite fatigue and prefer hunger over one more helping of the same old thing. It is dangerous to assume that you can survive on wheat alone.
Variety does not refer only to grains. You must store a variety of grains, legumes, milk products, and fats. Store cooking essentials such as yeast, baking powder and soda. Store a variety of spices and flavorings. You will need fruits and vegetables, and I recommend sprouting seeds for added nutrition.
The more variety you have stored, the happier you will be when the time comes that you will be expected to live exclusively on what you have stored.
#4 Not storing something because it tastes different than what you are used to is a bad idea. I have heard so many people say that they don't store powdered milk because they do not like the flavor. The flavor of powdered milk is not bad, it is just different than what most of us are used to. I am certain that there will come a time when those who refuse to store and use it will wish they had powdered milk. It is a good idea to start training your taste buds now. The transition can be done easily with little effort, and it will pay off in the long run.
#5 Include a variety of "mood foods" in your storage. There is no commandment engraved in stone that your food storage has to be boring. I have a child that would have a melt down if she had to go too long without chocolate pudding! Don't hesitate to include special items that your family really enjoys. Sunday is cookie day for my family, that means that I need enough chocolate chips to make cookies at least 52 times! No problem.
#6 Use what you store. It doesn't do much good to go to the time and expense of storing food that you never use. That is like having an expensive car sitting in the garage just in case there is an emergency and you need to evacuate. When the time comes—and it will—you will find that the car has dried up and won't start. If by some miracle you get the car out of the garage and onto the road, you will put your entire family at risk because you never learned to drive!
#7 It is recommended that you build your food storage using balance. It is important to store a little of several items instead of storing a lot of only a few items. Wholegrains are the foundation of any food storage program, not only because of nutrition, but because of the extended shelf life when stored properly. With wholegrains and a little water you can make cereals. If you add a leavening agent to your storage you can make breads. Add sweeteners and you add flavor and enjoyment. Add peanut butter and you can make PB&J as well as cookies! Add milk and all of the sudden you have hot cookies and cold milk. With hot cookies and cold milk you can rule the world, at least my world. In other words, all the wholegrains in the world will not be that useful unless you store a variety of ingredients to mix with them.
#8 Once you have invested in your storage, store and rotate it properly. Left in bags, your food will soon spoil due to exposure to air and light. It will also be a nice meal for the bugs that are sure to come. Likewise, food storage left in a hot garage or attic will render itself worthless very quickly. Your food storage needs the TLC of your climate controlled home.
Don't be so foolish as to limit your food storage to how much "hiding space" you have in your home. If your space is limited, then get creative. Your food storage is much too important to the security of your family to skimp on because of vanity. If you were to come to my home, you would see that my kitchen table chairs are 6 gallon buckets full of wheat. Sure it is not the dinette set of my dreams, but I would rather provide my children with nutritional security than fashion security.
There is an age old debate over whether you should use cans or buckets. I use both depending on the item that I am storing. I always hear misinformation about both. Probably due to an over zealous specialist who has inadvertently crossed her facts. It is like the telephone game. The first person tells the second person a fact and by the time it has reached the last person it is completely twisted and ridiculous. All of my grains are in buckets. You have to decide what works best for you. For more on the pros and cons of buckets and cans please read from the Why Food Storage section of this website.