Food Storage Containers

Only store food in food grade containers.
Food grade containers don't contain harmful chemicals that are hazardous to human health.


Plastic Containers
High density polyethylene bucket may have HDPE stamped on them, or a recycle symbol with a 2 in the middle.  You can also look for plastic containers made from polycarbonate, polyester, or polyethylene.

Metal cans

The can pictured is a "#10 can".  You can seal your food inside these cans at the home storage center (the cannery).  All cans need an oxygen absorber inside the can, except for sugar.

Vacuum pouches

Vacuum pouches are offered at the home storage center (the cannery) also.  These pouches also require an oxygen absorber inside the pouch, except for sugar.

Glass jars

Glass jars can be reused over and over again.  You can use a water bath to can jars of fruit and jam.  You can use a pressure canner to can meats.

Gamma Seal Lid

I LOVE the Gamma Seal lid.
You can place it on any 12" diameter bucket.
 It makes the bucket airtight and leak proof.
There are 2 pieces to the gamma seal lid.--The "o ring" and the lid.
There are 5 colors to choose from: White, Red, Blue, Yellow and Black
I bought mine at www.beprepared.com for less than $10.

WHY and HOW I USE THE GAMMA SEAL LID:

WHY?
The gamma Seal lid saves me a lot of money.

HOW?
I have my year supply of basics stored away in cans from the cannery.
I don't open my cans of oats, sugar, flour, and wheat. (These are foods I use all the time.)
Instead, I have 4 food-grade buckets with gamma seal lids.  I fill them with bulk bags that I bought from the cannery.  The bulk bags of food are really inexpensive!!

Here is the "o ring". It snaps on and stays on the top of edge of the bucket all the time.

As you can see, I am almost out of wheat.  Time to refill!

Here is the lid.  You can see the white rubber seal.

I just refilled my bucket with (1) 25 lb. bag of wheat.

The lid is so easy to twist on.  

Here is the top of the lid.  The bucket is now sealed.

Here is the 25 lb. bag of wheat I bought from the home storage center.

A Spreadsheet to Keep Track of Your Food Storage

I use the spreadsheet below to keep track of my year supply of "basics".
It tells me how many lbs. of food, cans, and cases I need for my entire family.
It also has a place where I write the location of where I keep my food.

TO PRINT THIS SPREADSHEET: right click on the spreadsheet below and click "print frame".

Pasta E Fagioli

1 lb. ground beef

1 small onion diced (or 1/8 c. dried onion)

1 large carrot, julienned (or 1/4 c. dried carrots)

3 stalks celery, chopped (or 6 Tbsp. dried celery_

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans (with liquid) (or 1/2 c. dried beans)

1 (15 0z.) can great Northern beans (with liquid) (or 1/2 c. dried beans)

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 (12 oz) can s V-8 juice

1 Tsp. white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1/2 tsp. pepper

1/2 tsp. thyme

1/2 lb. (1/2 pkg) ditalini pasta, or pasta shells 

Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat.  Drain off most of the fat.  Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic;  saute for 10 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients.  Cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat for 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente, or slightly tough.  Drain.  Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5 to 10 min.

Pinto Bean Cake

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans, mashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups diced apple without peel

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease one 9 or 10 inch tube pan.
2. Cream butter or margarine and sugar together. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Stir in the mashed cooked beans and the vanilla.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground allspice together. Add the diced apples to the flour mixture. Stir to coat. Pour flour mixture into the creamed mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Dribble with a simple confectioner's sugar icing.

Cinnamon Syrup

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/4 c. water
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 (5 oz.) can evaporated milk


In a saucepan, combine the first four ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Stir in milk. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

Maple Syrup

3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


In a saucepan, combine the sugars, water and corn syrup; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in maple flavoring and vanilla. Cool for 15 minutes. Serve over pancakes, waffles or French toast.

Wheat Blender Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat kernels
1 1/2 cups milk (or use powdered milk)--
(For Instant Powd. Milk: 1 1/2 c. water + 4 1/2 T. Powd. Milk)  
(For Non-Instant Powdered Milk: 1 1/2 c. water + 9 T. Instant Powd. Milk)
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 egg
2 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt

Blend 1 cup of milk with wheat for 2-3 minutes.
Add rest of milk and blend for another 2-3 minutes. 
Add the rest of the ingredients and blend. 
Cook on a hot skillet until done.
Batter will be thin. 

3 Month Supply List

This is a list of items I keep in my THREE MONTH supply of food.  
These are items I use all the time.  You might not use items on this list or use different items.  


I also keep a YEAR supply of basic foods*


CONDIMENTS
BBQ Sauce
Honey
Jelly
Ketchup
Lemon Juice
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Olives
Peanut Butter
Salad Dressing
Salsa
Syrup

BAKING ITEMS
Almond Extract
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Bullion Cubes
Brown Sugar
Brownie Mix
Cake Mix
Chocolate Chips
Coconut
Corn Syrup
Cornstarch
Evaporated Milk
Marshmallows
Non-Stick Cooking Spray
Oil
Powdered Sugar
Pudding
Spices and Seasonings
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Vanilla
Yeast (Lasts longer if kept in freezer)

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Applesauce
Corn
Green Beans
Peaches
Pears
Dehydrated fruits and veggies-carrots, onions, apple slices

MEAT
Canned Chicken
Tuna

OTHER CANNED GOODS
Beans-black, chili, kidney, pinto
Diced Tomatoes
Green Chilies
Soups-Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, Tomato
Tomato Paste
Tomato Sauce

OTHER
Medicine

Vitamins

NON-FOOD ITEMS
Foil
Hand Sanitizer
Paper Products-plates, bowls, cups, towels, napkins
Plastic Utensils
Plastic Wrap
Shampoo/Conditioner

Waxed Paper
Ziplock Bags

YEAR SUPPLY OF BASICS*
I keep these foods in #10 cans from the cannery:


Beans-black, pinto, white
Flour, White
Milk, Nonfat Powdered
Oats
Pasta-Macaroni, Spaghetti
Rice
Sugar
Wheat

3 Month Supply of Food

STORE a THREE MONTH supply of food to compliment your year supply of food

In my year supply of food storage I keep basic food that will keep my family alive. (wheat, rice, beans, flour, oats, sugar, and pasta--all items you can buy from the cannery)

Now if I added spaghetti sauce to my pasta I would have a real meal that my entire family would enjoy.

HOW TO START A 3 MONTH SUPPLY OF FOOD:

1. Think about food your family normally buys and eats.

2. Buy a few extra items each week to build a 1 week supply of food.

3. Gradually buy more until you have enough food for 3 months.

4. Rotate this food regularly.

TIP: On the canned goods I buy I write the date I bought them on the top of the cans with a permanent marker. Doing this makes it easy to know how old it is.

To look at a detailed 3 month supply list, go back to the home page and click on "3 Month Supply List"