July 2008 - Investing in Food Storage

You may already be aware that our ward has scheduled a cannery date for August 19th (6-9 PM), but you may not know what that means, or why it should be important to you. Here you go.

Church leaders have been advising members to store food for several decades now, but it has been an easy counsel to ignore, and many members have. The focus has recently changed from a year’s supply to a three-month supply, which should be considerably easier, but some members are still distinctly unmotivated.

The advice is nonetheless incredibly practical. Even Wall Street Journal columnist Brett Arends recently suggested that Americans begin stockpiling food (Load Up the Pantry, April 21st, 2008). This was not necessarily due to a fear of pending doom, but as a practical means of dealing with rising food prices. He points out that with rising raw material costs, increased demand in China and India, and diversion of some agriculture to ethanol, the average increase in food prices has been about 4.5 percent per year. On some staples it is significantly higher, like a 10% increase for milk, cheese, bananas, and peanut butter, a 13% increase for flour and rice, and a 30% increase for eggs. These trends are predicted to continue, especially in light of rising fuel costs. As you will probably only earn 2.5% on a money-market fund, or 4.1% on a really good CD, food storage becomes a very reasonable type of investment.

As young singles our lives can seem fairly unsettled, where we can always imagine that we will be relocating soon, maybe even because we will get married. This is no reason to delay. If you do get married (and I hope we all do soon), you may find that you can each fit your three-month supply into the cupboards, and it provides a nice reserve as you start your new life. If you are moving cross-country, and money is not a concern, you can donate your supply to the food bank and start over in your new location. It really will not be a burden.

If you look at the food storage calculator at http://www.providentliving.org/ (check under Family Home Storage, Longer-Term Supply), it will recommend 25 pounds of wheat, white rice, corn, and other grains, along with 5 pounds of dry beans and other legumes, per person per month. Basically, this is 25 pounds of grains and 5 pounds of protein. The ones mentioned specifically have the advantage of being nutritious and storing well over a long period of time, but they are not required. If you don’t like beans, for protein you can freeze meat, purchase cans of beef ravioli and sloppy joe mixture, or pressure-can your own venison or tuna.

An effective food supply is one that you will like to eat. Yes, if you get hungry enough you will eat anything, but too drastic a change from your normal diet will stress your digestive system. Storing things that you already eat prevents that, and allows for storage rotation, keeping your food fresh.

You can also add canned fruits and vegetables, fun snack foods, and mixes to your supply. If you are storing flour and sugar, you should probably add in other items that tend to be used in conjunction with them, like cooking oil, salt, and vanilla.

You can find the cannery order form and price list online:

http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/113827_HSOrderForm_US_JUL_08_pdf.pdf

Granulated Sugar, White Rice, White Flour, Spaghetti, and Macaroni: You probably already know exactly what to do with these items. The advantage to getting them through dry-pack (besides the fairly low prices) is that the #10 can will hold up better than the paper and plastic bags these usually come in, meaning that you will not have to worry about tears and pests.

Hard Red Wheat and Hard White Wheat: There are recipes that can be made by cooking directly with the wheat, but many of the people who store it do so with the intent of grinding it into flour. Why store wheat instead of flour? The price is comparable, and the wheat is definitely more work. However, wheat will last for upwards of 30 years, and the maximum recommended shelf life on flour is about 10 years. If you wish to go for the wheat, you should consider getting a wheat grinder. For maximum versatility, look for one that can be operated by hand or electricity.

Black Beans, Pinto Beans, White Beans, and Refried Beans: The first three are great for their nutritious value and their long storage life (again, 30 years). They can be baked, cooked as chili or in soups, or served with rice, but will generally require soaking for twenty-four hours before use. The refried beans are dehydrated, so you can simply add water and spread onto tortillas or into 7-layer dips, but their shelf life is only 5 years.

Dry Onions and Carrots: These items do best mixed in with other dishes, like casseroles, soups, or pot pies. While probably not essential, they can add some flavor and color, keeping variety in the menu. Be aware that the onions are strong.

Quick Oats and Regular Oats: The quick oats are slightly thinner than the regular oats, therefore cook faster. Otherwise, it is hard to tell the difference. While they only create plain oatmeal on their own, you can add your own flavorings, as well as expanding their use to cookies and crisps, or using as a filler with some ground meat preparations.

Hot Cocoa Mix and Fruit Drink Mix: With only a 2 year shelf life, these may seem like strange additions to the list. However, if there are ever concerns about water contamination, leading to the water being boiled or having bleach added, the extra flavor these provide can really help.

Potato Pearls and Potato Flakes: Two easy ways to make instant mashed potatoes. The flakes having a much longer shelf life, but many people prefer the pearls for flavor and texture.

Nonfat Dry Milk: Most people hate reconstituted dry milk, but powdered milk stores for 20 years, and fresh milk will not. This one will be a judgment call based on how much you need milk.

Apple Slices: When you first open the can these resemble dried leaves, but with a little access to normal humidity they plump up and become suitable for snacking. I have also used them to make apple crisp.

Pancake Mix: This is a new offering, but probably has an advantage over the flour in that only water needs to be added to complete an actual recipe.

Some of you may remember chocolate and vanilla pudding, as well as a soup mix, but these items are no longer listed. Lately they have been out of macaroni, spaghetti, and white wheat, so these items may not be available when we go.

I hope this letter is helpful. To give you further opportunity to decide what items are best for you, we will be giving you three tasting opportunities:

August 3rd: I will be bringing recipes made from home storage items to Break-the-fast. Sign-up sheets for the 19th will also be passed around in Relief Society and Elders Quorum.
August 4th: Home storage items will make up the refreshments at Family Home Evening.
August 13th: A special joint Home Family and Personal Enrichment evening, with recipes and demonstrations.
August 19th: We go to the cannery. We can take anywhere from 8 to 40 people, who will work together to can the items after everyone has ordered. It usually ends up being pretty fun, and you have home storage at the end of the night.