Food Storage As Convenience Food



How do you think of your food storage? 

Over time, the way I have thought of my food storage has evolved.  In the beginning, when I was building my food storage, it never entered my mind that I should rotate it.  In my mind it was an insurance policy for the future and not to be used until the time of need actually came.  I remember purchasing 100 lbs. of powdered milk and sealing it up in 5 gallon plastic buckets feeling very comfortable that it would provide for me and my family if we needed it.  Fortunately, no major time of need came.  However, at the end of the 20 years I realized that the milk along with many of the other items I had stored for so long had lost their nutritive value and in essence had been wasted.  This filled me with guilt.

I began to realize that if I was going to have food storage it needed to be rotated and managed.  At that point, I began to learn how to use my food storage in the everyday meals that I made for my family.  At that point, I learned to purchase only the items I would actually use.  I also learned how to manage the items so that they would be used before they reached their expiration date.  I wasn’t always successful, but I greatly decreased the food that was wasted.

When freeze-dried foods became available, I found that they were not only good for long term food storage, but that they were also great for convenience foods.  Freeze-dried foods with their vivid taste and aroma are very desirable.  They can easily be substituted in your own recipes without loss of taste, aroma, nutrition, texture or color.  The fact that they are fast and easy to rehydrate and require no slicing or chopping speeds up the cooking process.  They make the task of rotating all of my food storage easier and more convenient.  I find that they are great time savers, giving me more time to spend with my family.   I stock my pantry with the following items to use as convenience food:

1. Freeze-dried meats
2.      Freeze-dried cheese
3.      Freeze-dried onions
4.      Freeze-dried celery
5.      Freeze-dried mushrooms
6.      Freeze-dried spinach
7.      Freeze-dried strawberries

 A large variety of freeze-dried foods are available, making it easy to find the items you use most often.

Why I find using freeze-dried foods convenient.

1. Fast and easy to use.
2. Easy to use in my own recipes
3. Always available, even when the fresh item is out of season
4. Have vivid delicious tastes and aromas
5. Allow me to use only the amount I need (no waste)
6. They are always in my pantry ready to be used even if I haven’t had time to shop for fresh items
7. Long shelf life
8. They make great healthy snacks for children just as they are
9. My family loves them  

I enjoy cooking meals from scratch.  I find that freeze-dried foods used in combination with my regular food storage items make it possible to make a large variety of very desirable meals that my family loves.  This makes it easy to continually rotate my food storage and prevent waste.  If you don’t enjoy cooking or don’t have the time to cook from scratch, freeze-dried foods can be a great convenience food for you.  You will be surprised at the amount of time you can save by using them.  They can make it possible for you to actually keep and rotate a viable food storage for your family. 

If you are interested in more information about freeze-dried foods or would like to purchase freeze-dried foods, please click the link below to go to my Shelf Reliance website.

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

Cooking Outdoors, The Best Part of Camping!

My sons and their families are going camping this weekend.  I am not a dyed-in-the-wool camper, but I must admit that I am jealous.  My favorite part of camping is cooking outdoors over the coals of a campfire or in a Dutch oven.  There is just something special about the taste of food cooked in the great outdoors. 

Camp meals can require a lot of pre-planning and preparation.  Shelf Reliance Thrive foods make cooking for your group of campers fast, easy and delicious.  Check the list below to see ways Thrive foods can make your camping experience more easy and enjoyable.

• Many are freeze-dried making them very light, compact and easy to carry
• Can easily be substituted into the recipes your family enjoys
• Refrigeration is not necessary, less food to keep in a cooler
• Easily rehydrated in a small amount of water
• Can be measured out at home according to your recipe, stored in a zip lock bag and cooked at the campsite. 
• Cut back on prep time because they are already chopped and ready to use
• Come in a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, meats, cheeses, beans, dairy products, eggs, and grain products.
• They are great as snacks, no rehydration necessary
• Thrive Express Meals are available for those who prefer pre-made meals.
• Thrive foods have vibrant, fresh tastes and delicious aromas

Imagine cooking a delicious Spanish omelet made from Thrive ingredients such as:

• scrambled egg mix (It is new and it tastes just like the real thing)
• freeze-dried sausage, freeze-dried cheddar cheese, freeze-dried tomato chunks, freeze-dried onions and freeze-dried peppers

It would taste great, be light and easy to pack.  The best part is that you wouldn’t have to struggle to keep the ingredients cold. 

Thrive foods can be used in millions of different recipes.  Sometimes it is a little difficult to imagine how to use freeze-dried ingredients if they are new to you.  If this is the case for you, please visit my Shelf Reliance website to see many recipes that can be adapted to your camping needs.  You can also purchase directly through this site.  Just click the link below and follow the directions below:

 susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

1.   At the bottom of the page you will see three boxes.  The first one says, “Shop for Products”.  Click the words “Shop Now”

2.   Hover over the tab that says “Tools, Making It Easy For You

3.   A blue drop down menu will appear.  Click “THRIVE Recipes”

4.   On this page you can find recipes from all categories from breakfasts to desserts.

Emergency Food Storage - How Do I Educate Myself

It is very important that you take time to educate yourself on the aspects of how to store and prepare your food storage.  You may have just what you need to survive an emergency right in your own home.  However, if you don’t know how to use it or even more important, how to maximize its potential, what good is it? 

I have found that it is essential to study the following when planning and building a food storage plan:

1.   How much to food to store. 

·      Refer to a food storage calculator – see Thrive Planner at susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

·      Calculate your own plan using your own recipes, then compare amounts with a food storage calculator

2.   Basic Nutrition

·      http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/pyramid-full-story/index.html     

    3.  Where to store your food storage

·      Refer to my post – “Emergency Food Storage – Where Do I Store It”

·      Refer to http://survivalacres.com/information/shelflife.html

    4.  Shelf Live of Food

·     Refer to susansakurai.shelfreliance.com

·     Refer to http://survivalacres.com/information/shelflife.html

    5.  What Affects Storage Life

·     http://shop.conserva.de/long-term-food/What-factors-affect-the-shelf-life-of-foodstuffs

The websites listed above are only a few of many that offer good information on these topics.  Check the Internet and library for more information.

The above information can be learned from studying websites, articles and books.  However, don’t stop there.  The rest of the knowledge that you need comes from personal experience.

1.    Find simple recipes that can be made from your food storage that your family will enjoy.  Try them out on them.  If they won’t eat something now, they won’t eat it in an emergency.

2.    Experiment with quantity of food a recipe makes.  You want to make just enough for your needs.  You may not be able to store leftovers and you certainly don’t want to waste food.

3.    If you have stored whole grains and most people do, experiment with cooking them.  Find recipes and cooking methods that you like.

4.    Experiment with the characteristics of different storage food ingredients.  For example, do you know how freeze-dried foods can be substituted for caned or fresh ingredients

5.    Experiment with different cooking methods that are available to you – grill, campfire, solar oven, etc.

6.    Identify any special equipment you will need

Education is important.  If you take time to educate yourself and put your knowledge into practice before the emergency situation occurs, you will be much better prepared to handle the unexpected.  Don’t think of your food storage experience as difficult or unpleasant.  Rather, think of it as something you can learn and have fun with.  Your attitude will transfer to your family, so make the best of it.

Rotation vs. Static Food Storage

I have found that there are differing thoughts on the best way to get and maintain food storage.  Some believe that it is best to buy it and store it away until the emergency occurs.  I like the idea of buying my food storage along and rotating it.

Arguments for Rotation:

1. I don’t have to keep track of food expiration dates 10 – 25 years in the future.  Foods that have been stored for long periods of time often pass their time of usefulness unnoticed.  There is nothing more expensive than wasted food. 
2. I can enjoy using my food storage now as a convenience and because it has an extended shelf life, I can feel free to mix in fresh foods in season, making our meal plan more manageable and cost effective.
3. Because I am using my food storage now, I will know how to best adapt it in an emergency situation. Experience will give me the knowledge I need to make the best tasting foods.
4. I will know what equipment I need to use with my food storage.
5. I will know how to make recipes that my family will enjoy.  It is important that food is a comfort in an emergency rather than a stress.
6. If I rotate my food storage, I will be able to add new and improved products as they come out and won’t be stuck using or throwing away out dated, less convenient and possibly less nutritious foods in the future. 

Arguments for Static Food Storage:

1. It gives peace of mind just knowing it will all be there when needed.
2. Once it has been purchased there is nothing else to do.
3. With the long shelf lives of food available today, it may last for the time period that is left in the owner’s lifetime.
4. They feel it is more cost effective to buy it once and risk that their emergency will come before it expires.

  

At any rate, I believe that you should go with the method that fits your needs.  The most important point is to be prepared for emergencies that may come your way.  It may be something as small as a lost job or as large as a damaging earthquake.  The point is that none of us have a crystal ball to know what is in our future.   So, we need to prepare now.

For information on Shelf Reliance Thrive foods, rotation systems and emergency supplies, check my website:

susansakurai.shelfreliance.com