Food Storage

This is a little index for the "must haves" in our immediate pantry, three month storage, as well as our long term food storage pantry.   This blog will help us learn how to use these items!

IMMEDIATE

Olive Oil - Olive oil is extracted from olives and is a healthy source of fat.  Extra virgin and virgin olive oil are less processed and so have more monounsaturated fatty acids than other oils.  That is why olive oil is a great substitute for butter in cooking because it reduced the amount of saturated fat, helps balance your body's different omega acids, has great antioxidants, and is good for your heart, skin, and hair.

THREE MONTH

Water - Store drinking water for circumstances in which the water supply may be polluted or disrupted.  If water comes directly from a good, pre-treated source then no additional purification is needed; otherwise, pre-treat water before use.  Store water in sturdy, leak-proof, breakage resistant containers.  Consider using plastic bottles commonly used for juices and soda.  Keep water containers away from heat sources and direct sunlight. - from LDS Family Home Storage

LONG TERM

Wheat - Wheat is a cereal grain and one of the main staple foods for humans.  The whole grain can be milled to leave just the endosperm to make white flour; this, in turn, is used as a leavening agent in breads, pastries, and noodles.  While the byproducts of the whole grain are bran and germ.  The whole grain is a very condense source of vitamins, minerals, and protein.  The refined grain is mostly starch. When ground as a whole grain, wheat makes whole wheat flour which is more nutritious but a heavier agent in cooking. Wheat can last up to 30 years in food storage when packaged in a cool and dry place. Make sure you have a wheat grinder to make flour if you store this! Otherwise you will be eating a lot of boiled wheat for breakfast!
White Rice - White rice is milled rice without the husk, bran, and germ.  White rice, therefore, is better than brown rice in long term food storage because it has a longer shelf as a milled product.  Although it is law in the USA to enrich white rice with B1, B3, and iron- it is still stripped of essential nutrients and fiber that brown and wild rice have.  However, this plant will also last for 30 years in food storage when properly stored.
Beans - There are many types of beans because they are the large plant seeds of several different legumes.  In long term food storage, the beans are harvested dry for a longer storage life (also up to 30 years).   When storing beans, keep in mind that they must be soaked over night, and then cooked the next day for edibility and to get rid of some harmful toxins.  The older the bean, the longer it needs to be cooked.  Beans are a great source of fiber (for one cup of beans there are 9-13 grams of fiber!), protein, complex carbohydrates, iron, and folate.
Water Filter - A water filter would be a great item to have in long term food storage because large amounts of water can be hard to store.