Dehydrated Food Storage
Having a food storage full of freeze dried or dehydrated foods can be a very wise investment for you and your family. It will give you peace of mind to know that you are will have the food necessary to survive in the case of an emergency. Storing your food can be a cheap, worthwhile process if done right.
The Basics of Food Storage
It is important to store a few key ingredients:
- • Grains (wheat, oats, etc.)
- • Legumes
- • Dehydrated milk
- • Sugar
- • Salt
- • Oil
- • Garden seeds
These foods have a lot of things going for them. For one, they produce foods that are high in calories, meaning that you don’t have to eat a whole lot to stay full. This can be very useful in the case of an emergency. These foods are also known as ‘staples,’ proven to help sustain life throughout history. Another added benefit is that these foods go with everything! They can be combined with hundreds of other ingredients to create satisfying and nutritious meals. Their long shelf life also makes them wise purchases for any food storage.
You’ll also want to start storing food that your family regularly eats rather than just foods that you think you might need. Your food storage should reflect your family’s lifestyle. If you’re storing things you know you’ll want to use, you’ll be more inclined to continue your food storage into the future.
Don’t be afraid to use your food storage as your go. You don’t need to save it for emergencies. Good storages can be very useful for when you want to save a little extra money on your grocery bill every month. Keep track of your food storage to make sure that nothing is on its way to expiring. If it is, eat it before it goes back so you can make good use of your money.
What is the Difference Between Dehydrated Foods and Freeze Dried Foods?
The biggest difference between freeze dried and frozen foods is that freeze drying removes the water from the product after flash freezing them. Dehydrated foods are picked, cleansed, and trimmed to keep only the best parts of the food. Dehydrating foods removes about 98% of the food’s moisture, leaving a little bit of moisture to keep the food’s freshness.
How is My Food Dehydrated?
The liquid is removed from the food using a very precise and sophisticated drying process. This process removes the moisture from foods without removing the flavor. After the process is complete, the food is packed into a thick, steel can and sealed using an inert atmosphere. This type of seal ensures that the food will remain at peak freshness for as long as possible.
What are the Benefits of Dehydrated Foods?
Dehydrated foods are much more convenient for storage. Removing the moisture from foods takes away most of its weight, making it easy to transport and store. For example, one case of regularly canned food such as corn or beans can weight up to 25 pounds. The same case filled with dehydrated foods can weigh as little as 46 ounces. Dehydrated foods are also much easier to compact into smaller spaces, which mean that you’ll be able to store more food in your storage area while taking up less space.
A dehydrated food storage can also produce much more food than regular canned food stored. This is because there is no water to bulk up your foods, allowing them to remain as compact as possible. The more compactly your food is stored, the more you’ll be able to produce with it.
Top Foods to Buy Dehydrated
Cereals: Grains, Rolled Oats, Granola, Bran, Germade
Baking Essentials: Yeast, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Cocoa Powder Garlic Powder, Flour, Salt, Sugar, Pepper
Dairy: Milk, Soy milk, Margarine Powder, Instant Chocolate Milk
Fruits: Apple slices, Banana chips, Mango Slices, Pear slices, Pineapple slices
Vegetables: Dehydrated Broccoli florets, Peppers, Potato flakes, Celery
Pasta: Macaroni and Cheese, Egg noodle pasta, Spaghetti, Penne pasta
Soups: 16 bean soup, Baked potato soup, Beef stew, Beef and Chicken Base, Chicken noodle soup, Tomato soup base
Drink mix; Cocoa powder, Hot Chocolate mix, Orange drink mix, Grape drink mix
Assorted Side dishes: Buttermilk biscuits, Muffin mix, Bread mix, applesauce, Fried rice, Brown rice, Corn, Peas, Mushrooms
Starting Your Dehydrated Food Storage:
Some people fail to start their food storage because they don’t know where to begin. Trying to plan a food storage for you and your family can be an intimidating thing to think about if you don’t know where to start out. However, starting your dehydrated food storage can be as easy as doing an online search. There are tons of websites online with a variety of different foods to get you started on your emergency preparedness.
While shopping, make sure that you’re getting high quality products. Try asking friends of yours with food storages already to see which company they bought their food from. Companies such as Mountain House and Saratoga Farms already have very good reputations when it comes to dehydrated food supply. You might also want to compare the price of different foods as you continue your search. Food storage can be a bit pricey if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for.
Make sure to purchase a variety of foods when you begin your food storage. You might consider purchasing kits with an assortment of meals to keep things interesting once you do decide to eat your food storage. Kits can also save you money by bundling your favorite foods together into one purchase. Whatever you choose to buy, your goal should be to have at least 72 hours worth of food ready for consumption in case of emergencies.
Food storage can be a wise investment in your future. Having food on hand, ready to eat in case of emergencies or financial hardships can save you a lot of stress in the end. To begin your food storage today, simply go online and begin your research. Begin thinking of what your family would need in case of emergencies. You can easily find your favorite foods on food storage websites if you know where to look. Beginning your food storage today will mean being prepared for whatever may happen tomorrow!
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