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Food Storage Facts (PREPPING FOOD)
Flour Facts You Need To Know
When it comes to preparing for economic collapse, job loss & natural disasters, we are taught to store food those hard times.
Let’s face it, with all the information out there on how to store your food, it can get mighty confusing. Flour seems to be controversial as to how long it is *safe* to store. After much research, I put together a list of facts I have found on many different types of flours. Remember to do a basic test of any staples before using them. Observe and smell. If either test fails, then be safe and toss it out.
All Purpose Flour is a blend of hard and soft wheat. As one of the most commonly used flours in America, it can be bleached or unbleached. Chemically treated flour is labeled bleached and flour that is allowed to age naturally is considered unbleached.
Shelf life: If properly sealed or wrapped, all-purpose flour should last safely on your shelf for 10-15 months. If refrigerated, then up to 24 months. I found reports of people who have used it well beyond this (but not too many) and that is up to you. Heat and moisture accelerate staleness, so store in a cool, dry place. When weather is hot and humid outside, store it in your freezer.
Bread Flour is made from hard, high protein wheat. It is unbleached and conditioned with ascorbic acid. This creates better texture and increases volume. Bread flour is used primarily with yeast products.
Shelf Life: If properly sealed or wrapped in an air tight container bread flour can last 6 months on the shelf or up to a year in the freezer.
Self-Rising Flour does not need salt or leavening agents added because they are already added by the manufacturer. It is sometimes referred to as phosphate flour and is primarily used for biscuits, quick breads and fried chicken.
Shelf life: If properly sealed or wrapped the all-purpose flour should last safely on your shelf for 10-15 months. If refrigerated, then up to 24 months. You can make your own self-rising flour by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda and a half teaspoon of salt to one cup of All Purpose Flour.
Instant Flour is wheat flour in which barley flour has been added. Its purpose is to dissolve quickly and is primarily used in sauces and gravies. It can also be used for making pie crusts and recipes calling for cake flour. However, it is not the same as all-purpose flour. It is lower in protein. If you have a recipe that calls for instant flour and you cannot find it, many cooks will substitute with cake or pastry flour.
Shelf life: Properly sealed instant flour has a shelf like of 6-8 months on the shelf and a year or so in a freezer.
Cake Flour is white flour that is fine textured and should always be sifted before measure as it has a tendency to clump after being on the shelf too long. It is 5-7% protein being the lowest protein flour on the market. When using a cake/pastry, muffin, quick bread or cookie recipe that has more sugar than flour, this is a good flour to use because it is less likely to collapse. If you cannot find this flour in your area then you can substitute all-purpose flour by removing 2-3 tablespoons of flour per cup used in the recipe.
Shelf life: see notes below.
Pastry Flour is not intended to make bread with, but is used to make a flaky biscuit, pastry, cookies, pie crust and quick breads. It has between 7% and 9% protein. This flour is hard to find in super markets but can be found online and in bakery shops. I have heard it is possible to make it yourself using a 2:1 ratio of all-purpose flour (2) to cake flour (1), but I have not tried this.
Shelf Life: see notes below.
Brown Rice Flour
Rice Flour is flour made from finely milled white or brown rice.
Shelf life: White rice (Known as white flour) shelf life, if stored properly can be stored indefinitely. Brown rice flour on the other, has a shelf life in the refrigerator of about 5-6 months and in the freezer it can last up to a year. Brown rice has a higher oil level in it because of the bran and germ in it which causes it to go rancid if not stored properly.
Whole Wheat Flour is made from the whole kernel of wheat. The shelf life is considerably shorter than that of white flour due to the presence of wheat germ, resulting in an unsaturated oil. This causes a higher potential for rancidity if not stored correctly. Wheat flour should be stored in a tight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Shelf Life: If stored on the shelf, 3 months. If stored in the freezer, 6 months.
Gluten Flour is milled from spring wheat and is primarily used for diabetic recipes. These flours are also for people who can’t eat wheat flours or anything made with wheat. These flours can affect a recipe’s cooking time, flavor, and texture.
Shelf Life: In the freezer up to one year. On the shelf, about 6 months and check for rancidity.
Buckwheat Flour is a gluten-free flour as well. It has a great nutty flavor and is easy to work with. It is used for anyone who has gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
Shelf Life: 3-6 months on the shelf and up to one year in the freezer.
Spelt Flour is a wheat based flour that is very popular and widely used among people who have wheat allergies but are okay to use gluten. Spelt has a nutty/sweet flavor that is among favorites for many who bake bread.
Shelf Life: 3-6 months in the pantry if properly sealed. 6-12 months if stored in your freezer.
White Flour also known as white rice flour is the flour that can be stored for 10 years or longer and what most preppers store in their long-term storage. White flour is made by stripping wheat of everything useful and then using chemicals to bleach the color out of the flour. Important medical facts you need to know about white flour.
Shelf life: Indefinitely if stored properly in air tight container.
Flour must be kept in a cool, dry place. All flours have a limited shelf life. The main changes that occur is the oxidation of the oils in the flour which can cause the flour to become stale or rancid. If your flour is stored in a cool, dry place it prevents the flour from absorbing moisture. To kill any bugs/eggs, place your flour in the freezer for 48 hours. If possible, to extend the shelf life, keep the flour in the freezer when you’re not using it.
Store your flour in an air tight container. This can mean Tupperware, or a plastic freezer bag. Anything to lessen its exposure to air. If you’re storing your flour in a canister or container on the shelf place a bay leaf in with the flour. This will protect against bug infestation. Bay leafs are a natural insect repellent.
Throw away any flour that has a strong odor, smells stale or rancid.
I know there are many more flour choices out there on the market to learn about. I have focused this article on the most popular types used today to help you better understand what each kind is used for and what you might think about adding to your food storage. Feel free to leave comments in the section below.
Keeping It Spicy
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jessie W. Garrett III on
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Preppers Staple Food Storage Quantities
"Experts" have said that the average adult will consume the following amounts of fresh food per year.
- Meat - 150 to 200 pounds
- Flour - 200 to 300 pounds
- Sugar or honey - 60 pounds
- Fats or Oils - 60 pounds
- Salt - 5 pounds
- Powdered Milk - 75 pounds
- Vegetables and Fruits - 600 to 700 pounds
- Water - 375 gallons
These figures are just basic guidelines, however considerations should be made from the aspect of preserved foods, rather than fresh foods.
Meat: In severe conditions, people could easily get by with less protein than 150 pounds of fresh meat per year, as that averages to almost a half pound per day. A canned, cooked one pound ham, for example, would be a real treat once a week, and easily feed a family of four. For weekday meals for a family of four, a 5 ounce can of tuna, canned chicken, 12 ounce can of luncheon meat, or 12 ounce can of corned beef can be used in a casserole (or whatever) and provide the required protein.
Flour: The listed amount of 200 to 300 pounds of flour per year is fairly realistic, in a SHTF scenario people would be making their own bread and pasta, for example. Using a hand cranked mill to produce flour from whole wheat is a sure way to limit the amount of flour required.
Sugar or honey: The recommended 60 pounds is the absolute minimum needed, in reality far below the actual amount desired, as sweeteners are the carbohydrates needed for energy, and survival is hard work. The 60 pounds listed does not take into account home canning, for example, and people will need to make jellies and jams and can fruits, all of which require a considerable amount of sugar or honey.
Fats or oils: Again, this is an absolute minimum amount needed, as 60 pounds of fats or oils does not go far when used in baking, frying, and other uses. In hard times, people actually require fat in their diet in order to do hard work. In every country in which food is rationed, cooking oils are one of the first items of scarcity. Corn oil stores for years, and so does plain, inexpensive hydrogenated lard.
Salt: Five pounds of iodized table salt would be the recommended minimum per person per year, but what about making kraut, salt preserving meat, or preserving fish in a barrel of salt? For those needs, a family should have at least 50 pounds of fine grade, non iodized salt, available for less then $5.00 from a feed and seed store.
Powdered Milk: The 75 pounds recommended per person is fine, but for cooking needs a couple of cases (48 cans) of canned, condensed milk is an absolute necessity.
Vegetables and Fruits: In hard times, greens and fruits can indeed be a vital food item, as they provide the vitamins and minerals our bodies require to remain healthy. Storing vegetables and fruits is where a food dehydrator really shines. Combine the dried veggies with fresh greens from a garden and canned fruit juices and sauces, and the 600 pound per year amount becomes far more attainable.
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Permalink Reply by saint.357 on
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Yes, everyone knows they need water to survive, but aside from getting it from the tap or a mass-produced bottled water, many people don’t know the first thing about how to get clean water in the wild.
In any zombie-survival scenario, securing clean water is a key need that must be addressed early and frequently. In a Phase 1 zombie outbreak, you’ll probably be just fine drinking water from your tap as the situation develops. But as society breaks down, even that tap water might not be safe to drink without processing. Microorganisms and particulates can make you ill in a matter of minutes, and dehydration from diarrhea caused by water-borne illness is the leading cause of death after a large-scale natural disaster.
As part of my path to prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse, I’ve decided to study up on methods to purify water in order to find a solution suitable for my family. What follows are some of the key points I’ve learned and my thoughts of the benefits and drawbacks of each water purification method.
Boiling water – Almost everyone knows that boiling water will kill most nasty microorganisms. Simply strain the water through cloth to remove large particulates, like algae, and then heat the water until it reaches a full, rolling boil, and you’ll be able to use it for basic drinking needs.
- Pros: Simple to perform, kills heat-sensitive microorganisms, suitable for larger-scale water cleaning in camp or at home
- Cons: Time-consuming, requires the time and capability to build a fire (a convenience you won’t always have if you are on the run from a horde of the undead), requires equipment suitable for high-heat such as a pan (although I did find this article which explains how to boil water in an everyday plastic water bottle, a neat skill for unexpected survival situations).
Iodine – Iodine tablets or crystals provide a safe method to kill even the nastiest microorganisms causing waterborne illnesses. Simply add tablets or crystals to the water in the quantity specified by the instructions, and in about 30 minutes the water will be safe to drink.
- Pros: Low-cost, long shelf-life, compact and easy to transport
- Cons: Many people complain of a bad taste from water treated with iodine
- Example product: Potable Aqua Water Treatment Tablets
Chlorine – Much like iodine, chlorine provides an effective method to clean water. You can use simple household bleach (2 drops per quart of clear water is the standard) or tablets or crystals that provide a more portable solution.
- Pros: Provides a better tasting water compared to Iodine, low-cost (from household bleach), tablets and crystals are very portable
- Cons: household bleach has a shelf-life about 6 months and is not very portable, whereas the more portable tablets and crystals have a long shelf life but a high cost-per-dose compared to other solutions.
- Example product: Katadyn Micropur MP1 Purification Tablets
Water filters – There is quite a large market for outdoor pump water filters, especially appealing to backpackers for their ability to quickly produce clean water. The filters typically are made of up a plastic housing, replaceable carbon filter, a plastic tube which is submerged in water and may have a pre-filter to remove large particulates, and a pump or crank to move water through the filter.
- Pros: Provide a very fast method to produce clean water, designed to be portable, trail proven by backpackers who put these devices to use, can treat large volumes of water if spare filters are available
- Cons: Generally a high up-front cost (though the cost per quart is lower than most other methods), mechanical in nature so more likely to break down than previously mentioned methods, require replacement filters
- Example product: Katadyn Vario Multi Flow Water Microfilter
UV light water purifiers – The newcomer to water purification, UV light filters kill microorganisms by submerging the light source in water for about a minute, and the bottle will be safe to drink. Business travelers are using this method now to avoid common illnesses caused by drinking tap water in other cities and countries.
- Pros: Destroys or disables 99.9% of all waterborne microorganisms, portable and fast
- Cons: Many UV purifiers are electronic and thus more likely to break, usually requires a power source like batteries (although some are manually or solar-powered)
- Example product: a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FVINV8?ie=UTF8&tag=zombi0b0-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004FVINV8">SteriPen AdventurerOpti Water Purifier
Redundancy
If you’re like me, you want redundancy in your zombie survival kit. To me, this means combining two methods, like using a water filter as your primary method, and iodine tablets as a backup method. I think I’ll also outfit my wife’s kit with a second filter and tablets. Boiling water is the most effective fall-back method, and should be used in addition to other methods for maximum protection when time allows.
Best option: SteriPen Sidewinder
This device offers the benefit of UV light purification without the dependence on an external power source. The device is hand-crank and will purify a liter of water in about 90 seconds. This is the option I’ll be ordering for my own survival kit,
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12 Brilliant Meal Prep Ideas to Free Up Your Time
When it comes to healthy eating, preparation is the key to success. (Those Boy Scouts are onto something.) In fact, one study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine suggests that spending time on preparing and cooking meals at home is linked with better dietary habits. But if you love the convenience of prepackaged foods and restaurant meals, it might be hard to go cold turkey on your take-out routine.
Luckily, planning and preparing your meals ahead of time will make healthy choices a no-brainer. Instead of running to the deli for a cold cut calorie bomb, you’ll have a home cooked feast on hand that can be heated up faster than you can walk two blocks. And hey, you’ll save money while you’re at it.
RELATED: How to Eat Healthy for Less Than $4 A Day
Plus, if you’re intimidated by cooking, there are tons of sneaky tricks that can help make assembling delicious meals a cinch. From easy breakfast options to methods for whipping up meals in bulk, we’ve got expert tips to set yourself up for a fuss-free and healthy week. Whip out your favorite Tupperware and get started.
12 Meal Prep Ideas to Try Now
1. Season meat three ways using just one pan.
If you’re sticking to lean meats like chicken, chowing down on the same flavors can get tedious after a while. Save time without boring your taste buds by preparing two or three variations of chicken at once, using aluminum foil dividers in your pan. Sriracha, BBQ, honey mustard — you can have it all. Three birds, one pan! Photo and recipe: Kevin / Fit Men Cook
2. Hard-boil eggs in the oven — not in a pot.
An excellent source of protein, vitamins A and B and healthy fat, eggs should be a staple snack for any health fiend. The problem: You can usually only fit up to five eggs in a pot. To make a delicious dozen in one go, bake your eggs in muffin tins for just 30 minutes. Ta-da! You’ll get a perfectly hard-boiled batch. Pro tip: Do a small test run first to ensure your oven doesn’t run too hot or too cold before cooking a full pan of eggs. Photo and recipe: Lindsay / The Lean Green Blog
3. Freeze blended smoothies in muffin tins.
Never have the time to measure out a million fixings for a morning sip? Save time by buying the ingredients in bulk, blending your favorite beverage, and then freezing the mixture in muffin tips. Next time you need a shake, stat, toss two or three “smoothie cups” in a blender for a quick and easy breakfast. Photo and recipe: Matt / Muffin Tin Mania
4. Chop or spiralize raw vegetables in advance.
Too hangry to make dinner at the end of a long day? Cut veggies in bulk ahead of time to avoid wasting precious minutes chopping on busy weeknights. Zucchini noodles (“zoodles”) and butternut squash noodles will stay fresh in the fridge for 3-5 days, and chopped vegetables like carrots, onion and pepper will last a week when refrigerated properly in a sealed plastic bag or tupperware. Photo and tip: Ali / Inspiralized
5. Roast different vegetables with same cooking time.
Roasting vegetables is a great way to bring out their natural sweetness, but waiting 30 to 40 minutes for each pan of nutrient-rich goodness to cook can be time-consuming. To prep a large batch of veggies, try pairing them based on roasting time. Fast-cooking vegetables that can bake in the same pan include asparagus, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes; slow-roasting vegetables include carrots, cauliflower, onions, potatoes and parsnips. Photo: Jenny / Picky Palate
6. Make portions crystal clear.
Guard against overeating by portioning your nuts, pretzels, veggies or favorite nibbles into plastic baggies or portable jars. It’s easy to mindlessly munch when you’ve got an entire bag sitting in front of you, but having just enough ready to go for lunch or a snack will keep you from going overboard. Jars: Blender Bottle Go Stack Twist ‘N LockRELATED: What 200 Calories of Nuts Looks Like
7. Customize healthy oatmeal jars.
Fiber-rich foods like oatmeal are ideal for keeping you satiated until lunchtime, but most packets have lots of added sugar and unnatural preservatives. If you DIY and use portable glass jars, you’ll control exactly what and how much you’re eating. From “monkey mix” to “raspberries and dark chocolate,” these genius flavor combinations will keep your taste buds happy, too. Photo and recipe: Rachel / Clean Food Crush
8. Bag up smoothie ingredients.
Ever put a little of this, a little of that in your blender and end up with a supersized smoothie? Save yourself from unnecessary calories by pre-assembling and freezing the ingredients. By measuring out your berries, yogurt (frozen in an ice cube tray) and greens ahead of time, your shake will be perfectly portioned, every time. Photo and recipe: Rachel / The Chic SiteRELATED: 15 Creative Ice Cube Tray Recipes
9. Use muffin tins for smarter breakfast frittatas.
You could enjoy a fancy frittata every morning of the week, and only turn your stove on once. The secret? Make-ahead egg muffins! Make several of these recipes in advance (you can store in the fridge for up to five days) so you don’t get bored throughout the week. Wrap them in a paper towel to microwave them so they won’t dry out. Photo and recipe: Kendra Montgomery / Full Fork Ahead
10. Always roll with some protein-rich snacks.
Protein is essential for muscle recovery after a tough workout and it also keeps hunger at bay — making it an A+ choice for snacks. Instead of reaching for a packaged protein bar that could have more than 400 calories and 28 grams of sugar, try making your own energy balls. Whip up a batch and store them in the fridge for up to six days. Photo and recipe: Lee Hersh / Life by DailyBurnRELATED: 11 No-Bake Energy Bites
11. Skewer meats for quick portions.
Kabobs aren’t just for street meat. Weighing your chicken (or salmon or beef) and putting it on wooden skewers can help you control how much you’re eating in one sitting. (Four ounces of chicken has approximately 36 grams of protein, and six ounces of salmon has 34 grams of protein.) Cook up a batch and save some skewers for the rest of the week. If you’re using wooden ones, remember to soak them in water so they won’t catch fire in your grill or oven. Photo and recipe: Emily Miller / Life by DailyBurn
12. Pre-assemble jarred lunch salads.
Think salad from home is a no-go because it always gets soggy? Think again. Using a glass jar will save your veggies from getting mucky before lunchtime. Put your dressing at the bottom of the jar, layering sturdier vegetables like peppers and beets, and then saving the leafy greens for the top. Put a paper towel square at the top to absorb moisture if you’re storing the salad for multiple days. Photo and Recipe: Cassie / Back to Her Roots
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Been Awhile, BUt I'm still Alive
Greetings Everyone, Well it's been awhile. As things go, life carries us all in different directions from time to time but you always find your way home sooner or later. Well, life ain't all fun and games, but right now, things are going good. I have restarted my writing on my book again, and as I learn more about about some of the ROle-playing games I have gotten into, I am seriously thinking about rying to create an actual Zombie Survival Role-playing game. But have not set any time…
ContinuePosted by Jessie W. Garrett III on May 22, 2024 at 12:32am — 1 Comment
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