Vegetables, fruit and lean meat can be dehydrated for long term storage.
An easy way to start a food storage program is to purchase frozen vegetables from the local grocery store, then dry them in a food dehydrator. If the vegetables are already chopped processing time can be reduced. When favorite foods are in season, very reasonably priced fresh produce may be available at a local farmers market.
The dehydrator can be put outside in a secure location if there are issues with high humidity inside the house, or with the house smelling like broccoli, spinach or onions.
If you are on a budget for stocking food, consider adding dried corn, dried beans and dried squash in addition to foods your family likes to eat. Corn, beans and squash compliment each other nutritionally, were staples of the Native Americans and are easily stored. For example, Countryside Natural Products, a local establishment in Fishersville VA, sells certified organic whole corn for $18.50 for a 50 lb bag. Corn intended for animal feed should be winnowed before being vaccum packed in mylar bags or mason jars to remove bugs that would otherwise eat the corn. To winnow the corn setup a fan to blow across the grain as it is poured from one container to another and repeat the process. If electricity is not available for the fan a windy day will do. Store the corn dry and do not rinse until it is ready to be cooked. One pound of dried beans cost around $1.15 at the local Food Lion. Squash can be purchased fresh in season or frozen then dehydrated at home.
Field corn intended for animal feed may taste different that sweet corn intended for humans, so it may be wise to try field corn in your favorite dishes prior to purchasing a large quantity.
Cooking usually involves rehydration by soaking in hot water. Some dehydrated foods don’t require hot water, such as bread, muffins, pancakes, waffles, drink mixes, etc. You just add cold water to these type of ingredients and then cook (bake or fry) or use as is.
How much food do I need to store? Try the Food Calculator from Preparedness Pantry.
Captain Dave’s Survival Guide, Chapter 3, Preparing Your Basic Survival Stash may be a valuable reference.
Canned Goods
Great ideas for high density storage of canned goods. Buy it Pharaoh’s Storehouse or build it yourself using wood or metal.
Food Storage FAQ version 3.5 by Alan T., Hagan
Bulk food suppliers
- East Coast Food Storage (Troy, VA). This page includes a link to an old price list of stocked items.
- Emergency Essentials (bePrepared.com). Very nice people to do business with!
- Honeyville Food Products
- Walton Feed
- Mountain House Food
- Nitro-Pak
- Emergency Preparedness Center
- Survival Acres
- Freeze Dry Guy
- The Ready Store
- eFoodsDirect
- Homestyle Mercantile
Food Preservation Using Dehydration
- Helpful Hints from Tammy, Dehydrate2Store.
- Food Drying Basics by Marcella Shaffer (Backwoods Home Magazine)
- Review of Solar Food Drying by Barbara Kerr (Backwoods Home Magazine)
- Food Dehydration
- Food Dryer from GeoPathfinder
Dehydration with Tammy (dehydrate2store)
The following videos from Dehydrate2store are excellent information sources, very much worth the time to watch if you are considering a food storage program.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10
Part 1: Excalibur; ginger; meat slicer; green peppers; broccoli; potatoes; sweet potatoes; blanch; cauliflower; lemon; orange; tomatoes; zucchini; summer squash; carrots; lemon juice; ascorbic acid; jalapeno pepper; spinach.
Part 2: Eggplant; summer squash; zucchini; test dehydration level; banana; salt; apple peeler; farmers market; lemon juice; apples; broccoli; spinach; Clorox kitchen spray; hygiene; corn; garlic; onions.
Part 3: Hot peppers; cucumbers; oranges; corn; mason jar; oxygen absorbers; hyperinflation; mylar bags; packaging.
Part 4: zip lock bag; food saver bag; oranges; mylar bag; plastic bucket; oxygen absorbers; bread crumbs.
Part 5: making soup; crock pot; chicken vegetable soup.
Part 6: fruit rollups; beef stew, cream of broccoli soup; cream of tomato soup with red roasted peppers; minestrone soup with elbow macaroni; quick bread; apple pancakes; rehydrate orange juice, mushrooms, sweet potatoes; raspberries, mangos, blueberries, and grapes; dehydrated eggs, milk and cheese; packaging flour and sugar; questions answered.
Part 7:
Part 8
Part 9
Part 10
Storage Life of Dry Foods As Influenced by Temperature from Walton Feed
Storage Life Differences
Depending on Temperature
Constant Storage Storage life
Temp in degrees F In Years
---------------- ------------
39.76 - - - 40
49.84 - - - 30
59.92 - - - 20
70.00 - - - 10
80.08 - - - 5
90.16 - - - 2.5
100.24 - - 1.25
Note: the above chart is not for a specific food but shows the relationship between temperature and storage life.
Storage Life of Particular Foods from Walton Feed
Storage Life Notes About Specific Foods:
| The Soft Grains | |
| Barley Hulled or Pearled Oat Groats Rolled Oats Quinoa Rye |
Soft Grains have softer outer shells which don’t protect the seed interior as well as hard shelled seeds. However, However hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, they will still have a storage life of 25 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. |
| The Hard Grains | |
| Buckwheat Corn, Dry Flax Kamut Millet Durum wheat Hard red wheat Hard white wheat Soft wheat Special bake wheat Spelt Triticale |
The Hard Grains all store well because of their hard outer shell which is nature’s near perfect container. Remove that container and the contents rapidly deteriorate. Wheat, probably nature’s longest storing seed, has been known to be edible after scores of years when stored in a cool dry place. As a general rule for hard grains, hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 30 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. |
| Beans | |
| Adzuki Beans Black eye Beans Black Turtle Beans Garbanzo Beans Great Northern Kidney Beans Lentils Lima Beans Mung Beans Pink Beans Pinto Beans Small Red Beans Soy Beans |
As beans age they lose their oils, resist water absorption and won’t swell. Worst case, they must be ground to be used. Storing beans in nitrogen helps prolong the loss of these oils as does cool temperatures. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 25-30 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. |
| Dehydrated Vegetables | |
| Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Celery Onions Peppers Potatoes |
Dehydrated vegetables store well if hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen. Plan on a storage life of 20-25 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. |
| Dehydrated Dairy Products | |
| Cheese Powder Cocoa Powder Powder Eggs Butter/margarine pdr Morning Moo Whey Powder |
Dehydrated Dairy Products generally store less because of fat content. If stored dry in hermetically sealed containers with the oxygen removed they will store approximately 5 years. If stored at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. dairy products may store up to 10 years.
Instant and regular milks that are non fat will store 20 years. One exception is Morning Moo. As a new whey based product, it hasn’t been tested for long term storage and may store less. Storing foods in refrigerators or freezers will help. Especially after opening. |
| Flours and Other Products Made From Cracked/ground Seed |
|
| All Purpose Flour Bakers Flour Unbleached Flour White Flour Whole Wheat Flour Cornmeal Mixes Refried Beans Cracked wheat Germade Gluten Wheat flakes |
After seeds are broken open their outer shells can no longer protect the seed contents and seed nutrients start to degrade. Don’t try to store unprotected flours longer than a year. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 5-10 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures. Note: Granola is not a long storing food because of the nuts. They contain high concentrations of oil which go rancid over the short term. Expect granola to last about 6-9 months. |
| Pasta | |
| Macaroni Noodles Ribbons Spaghetti |
Pasta will store longer than flour if kept dry. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 20 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. Pasta should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures. |
| Dehydrated Fruit |
| Fruit that is dried well may keep as well as many dehydrated items. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 25 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. |
| Honey, Salt and Sugar |
| Honey, Salt and Sugar should keep for many years if stored free of moisture. Watch out for additives in the honey. It is possible to buy honey with water and sugar added. This honey generally doesn’t crystallize like pure 100% honey does when stored for a long time. Honey can be warmed and melted down after it hardens. Avoid boiling honey as it will kill the nutrition. |
| Peanut Butter Powder |
| Peanut Butter Powder will not store as long as wheat flour. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 3-5 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. |
| Brown and White Rice |
| Brown and white rice store very differently. Brown rice is only expected to store for 6 months under average conditions. This is because of the essential fatty acids in brown rice. These oils quickly go rancid as they oxidize. It will store much longer if refrigerated. White rice has the outer shell removed along with those fats. Because of this, white rice contains less nutrition but will store longer. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life for white rice of 25-30 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. Stored in the absence of oxygen, brown rice will last longer than if it was stored in air. Plan on only 1 to 2 years if the temperature is kept cooler-50-60 degrees. |
| Total Vegetable Protein-meat substitutes |
| Total Vegetable Protein, made from soy beans, has an unusually long storage life. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 10 years at a stable temperature of 65 degrees F. Some of these products contain a certain amount of moisture that will shorten the shelf life. |
| Yeast |
| Yeast, a living organism, has a relatively short storage life. Keep yeast in the original metal foil storage container. The expiration date of yeast is 1 year from the manufacturing. However, if the seal remains intact, yeast should last at least 2 years at 65 degrees F. It is recommended that you refrigerate after opening and use within the year. Storing yeast in freezer or refrigerator will allow it to store longer. |
Dehydrated Food Shelf Life from Survival Acres
| Below is a chart to help you determine the shelf life of food stored in air tight containers at constant temperature of 70 degrees. ** All of the following products will store proportionally longer at cooler temperatures if kept at lower storage temperatures. Shelf life of 30+ years is perfectly feasible for many products! | |||||
| Years | Years | Years | |||
| Apples | 30 | ||||
| Adzuki Beans | 8 – 10 | Gluten | 5 | Powder Eggs | 15 |
| Alfalfa Seeds | 8 | Granola | 5 | Powder Milk | 20 |
| All Purpose Flour | 15 | Great Northern | 15 | Quinoa | 8 |
| Bakers Flour | 15 | Groats | 8 | Refried Beans | 5 |
| Barley | 10 | Hard Red Wheat | 25 – 30 | Ribbons | 8 – 15 |
| Black Turtle Beans | 15 – 20 | Hard White Wheat | 25 – 30 | Rolled Oats | 30 |
| Blackeye Beans | 15 -20 | Honey, Salt and Sugar | Indefinitely | Rye | 8 |
| Broccoli | 8 – 10 | Hulled Oats | 30 | Small Red Beans | 8 – 10 |
| Brown Rice | 6 | Kamut | 8 – 12 | Soft wheat | 25 |
| Buckwheat | 15 | Kidney Beans | 20 | Soy Beans | 8 – 10 |
| Butter/margarine Powder | 15 | Lentils | 20 | Spaghetti | 15 -20 |
| Cabbage | 8 – 10 | Lima Beans | 20 | Special bakery wheat | 25 |
| Carrots | 8 – 10 | Macaroni | 15 – 20 | Spelt | 12 |
| Celery | 8 – 10 | Millet | 8 – 12 | Sprouting Seeds | 4-5 |
| Cheese Powder | 15 | Mixes | 5 – 10 | Triticale | 8 – 12 |
| Cocoa Powder | 15 | Morning Moo | 10 | TVP | 15 – 20 |
| Corn | 8 – 12 | Mung Beans | 8 – 10 | Unbleached Flour | 5 |
| Cornmeal | 5 | Noodles | 8 – 10 | Wheat flakes | 15 |
| Cracked wheat | 25 | Onions | 8 – 12 | Whey Powder | 15 |
| Durham Wheat | 8 – 12 | Peanut Butter Powder | 4 – 5 | White Flour | 5 |
| Flax | 8 – 12 | Pearled Oats | 10 | White Rice | 8 – 10 |
| Fruit | 5 | Peppers | 8 – 12 | Whole Wheat Flour | 5 |
| Garbanzo Beans | 15 – 20 | Pink Beans | 20 – 30 | Yeast | 2 |
| Garden Seeds | 4 | Pinto Beans | 20 – 30 | ||
| Germade | 5 | Potatoes (flakes, slices, dices) | 20 – 30 | ||
Predicting actual shelf life of dehydrated foods is not an exact science, however there have been many studies done. In addition to the above average shelf life of food stored at a constant 70 degrees, you can dramatically increase your life expectancy by lowering the constant temperature. It is possible to double, triple or even quadriple the shelf life by lowering the temperature proportionally.
Solar Dehydrators, Build It Yourself
- Solar Food Drying, Build It Solar
- Food Dryer from GeoPathfinder
- Appalachin State University Food Dryer (Home Power #57)
- Improving Solar Food Dryers, Appacahin State University (Home Power #69)
- A cardboard and plastic food dryer from Mother Earth News
- A French Solar Chimney Dehydrator
- Farm Scale Solar Dehydrator
Store Bought Dehydrators
Electric, non commercial food dehydrators range from the inexpensive FD-60 4 tray 3.4 sq ft Nesco from American Harvest ($60) to the and the top of the line 9 tray 15 sq ft Excalibur ($250). The economy version of the 9 tray Excalibur (Model 2900 does not have a timer) is available for $179.95, with free shipping, from Everything Kitchens and from other sources found on the web.
Nesco
Exalibur
Food Storage – Package Food In A Vacuum
Moisture, oxygen, temperature and light work to shorten food storage life.
Bulk food purchased from vendors may be packaged in a #10 can or a Super Pail. If food is removed from either of these sealed packages whatever food is not used soon can be repackaged for long term storage in smaller containers using a Mason jar or mylar bag. Vacuum packing to remove oxygen can be done with oxygen absorbers or vacuum pump such as the Pump-N-Seal or Foodsaver. Mylar bags can be resealed using an iron after fresh oxygen absorbers have been put inside the bag.
Tests conducted by Norman Equipment Company show the vacuum created by Pump-N-Seal was 28.9 inches of Mercury (Hg) and FoodSaver was 24.2 inches of Hg. An absolute vacuum would be 28.9 inches of Hg, so my guess is that both are acceptable. The big advantages of the Pump-N-Seal are:
- $30 plus shipping vs $100 plus
- Size
- Electricity is not required.
Vacuum packed Mason jars are an excellent choice for storing dried food and seeds. To maiximize food storage life, it may be important to shield the Mason jars from light .
The Pump-N-Seal ($29.95) does not require electricity for operation and can be used to vacuum pack many types of jars, including Mason jars and bags.
The tabs used with the Pump-N-Seal can be homemade. Judy of the Woods shows how to do it.
Mason jars can also be vacuum packed using two oxygen absorbers. After about 4 hours an audible click of the jar lids should indicate the vacuum seal is complete.
If electricity is available Mason jars can be vacuum packed using a using a Foodsaver vacuum pump and jar sealer. The jar sealer, a separately purchased accessory, is available for regular or wide mouth Mason jars. The hose that connects the jar sealer to the vacuum pump is part of the FoodSaver package.
If FoodSaver jar sealers are not available a pressure cooker can be used as a vacuum chamber instead. A do-it-yourself manual vacuum pump can be constructed from a common bicycle pump.
Convert a manual tire pump into a vacuum pump.
Convert a 12 volt DC automobile tire pump into a vacuum pump.
The V2220 ($99.84) by FoodSaver are available at WalMart. If not in stock, shipping is free to your local store. Another mail order source for FoodSaver items is Cabelas. Note: The vertical model that I tried wasted too much bag. Buy the cheaper model.
Bicycle Pump
FoodSaver
Mason Jar Vacuum Accessory (2 sizes)
Storage Container Selection
Mason jar
- pro: easy to create a vacuum and reseal using a FoodSaver; impervious to mice and other pests.
- con: light is detrimental to food stored long term (so use a dark space for storage).
Mylar bags can be resealed with an iron or FoodSaver. Place oxygen absorbers inside the bag to remove oxygen before sealing or watch the following videos by Bill Garner for other methods that do not require oxygen abosrbers.
- pro: much greater barrier to leakage that clear plastic bags; blocks sunlight.
- con: easily punctured; mice can easily get through
FoodSaver bags:
- pro: inexpensive; can be resealed.
- con: plastic is not the best barrier to leakage over the long term and do not block light;
Vacuum Packing versus Oxygen Absorbers (answers provided by East Coast Food Storage):
- Either method can be used.
- A quart Mason jar would use 2 small packages.
Storing Food in Buckets
How To Seal A Mylar Bag In A FoodSaver by Bill Garner
Questions and Answers:
Question: How much food do I need?
Answer: Food Calculator
Question: What are common mistakes?
Answer: Seven Mistakes of Food Storage by Vicki Tate
