Peace!
With the recent coronavirus, so many people are being compelled to stay home, and in countries like Italy, who recently enacted a country-wide lockdown, one wonders if this would continue for other places in the world.
Whether it be for a pandemic, or a natural disaster, as a homesteader you should have at least a 2 week food supply for emergencies.
Tips For Building An Emergency Food Supply
- Set a goal- The goal for short term emergencies for me is 2 weeks. You can build for as little as 3 days or longer.
- Buy in bulk – There are great bulk stores like Costco or cheaper ones in your neighborhood like Bulk Nation for me.
- Buy Foods You Will Eat – You don’t want to buy things you would hate to have, even in an emergency. Try to stick to foods you like that are tasty and nutritional.
- Rotate Your Supply – check periodically that your supplies are still fresh, and be sure to restock where needed.
- Buy Fresh Where Possible – Fresh foods like apples, citrus, potatoes and yams can last a bit longer than others and are great to stock where you can.
Suggest Emergency Food Supplies
My suggestion would be 20 cans if things are canned, and 20 lbs in bulk for 2 people. You want to have up to 28 servings. Use more for more people. Of course glass cans are fine, and you can learn to can here at this link but be sure to use aluminum where you can and open the can before you heat it. This by no means is an exhaustive list, but here are some items to have in an emergency:
- Food for infants
- Canned juices
- Dried fruit
- Peanut/ almond butter
- dry cereal
- granola
- protein or fruit bars
- canned beans
- canned meats (tuna, fish, chicken, ham)
- Pasta
- Canned pasta sauce
- Canned vegetables ( low sodium where available) – spinach, tomatoes, carrots, corn, mixed vegetable, green beans.
- Ramen noodles, instant rice, yams, instant mashed potatoes.
- Canned milk (coconut)
- Non-refrigerated cheeses
- Pancake mixes
- Instant coffee/tea/ cocoa mix.
- Fruit snacks or comfort foods
- Vinegar, oil, salad dressing, sugar, ketchup, packages of condiments
Cooking In An Emergency
Not only should you build a 2 week food supply for emergencies, be sure to have access to alternative cooking sources if the power goes out. This can include charcoal grills, camp stoves, dutch ovens, sterno stoves. Be sure to have matches on hand, also candles and charcoal.
Storing Perishable Food With No Power
If the power goes out, there are ways to hold on to your food for as long as you can. Be sure to:
- Discard food that has been left about 40 degrees F for over two hours or more
- Keep the refrigerator closed as much as possible.
For more tips on managing food without power, head over to foodsafety.gov for more tips and the foods should be thrown out in an emergency.
These are just a few tips to help you get an idea of what you may need in order to build your own 2 week food supply. This of course is just a portion of what you may need, so check back for more tips for emergency situations.
