When I was growing up, my mom had very little money - divorced mother of 4. She did (now that I look back) phenomenally in providing for us. Of course, as a kid, I bemoaned the lack of money and felt left out because I didn't get the latest craze in clothes and gadgets. Pshhhhhhhhht....I really appreciate that fact now that I have my own greedy little monsters (just kidding about the greedy monster part....maybe). I have the ability to look them in the eye and say "I didn't die without so and so and neither will you".
Once, when I was in highschool, the craze was Reeboks and Izod shirts and button down collar shirts. Those were some pricey items in the day. My mom would by off brand shirts and sew buttons on the collars so they would look the part. I remember she bought me a pair of Asahi(sp) sneakers. I was so proud of them. I scrubbed them daily with a toothbrush to keep them pristine. Back in those days that was a half weeks worth of groceries.
I went to work at 11 in the peach shed. My mom was an office manager for the grower and well....it seemed an automatic thing that I would work instead of spend my summers roaming the streets (which I probably would have done otherwise). I hated every minute of every day but looking back, I am soooooo glad my mom made me do it. It taught me the value of work, the way to save and the ability to stay out of trouble. Thanks Mom!!!!!!!
So, to get back on the original topic. A friend of mine (click the link) jogged my memory about food storage so here goes.
In years past, pantries and stocking up brought visions of bunkers of food stores awaiting the end of the world or something. Years ago, when I heard of people storing food stuffs, I was thinking of the ones who went to the hills awaiting a nuclear war or mass civil war. Those people weren't too far off the mark, only in regards to putting by and storing for the future. We, today, have learned a lot from what may have been termed nutcases years ago. Those people found out how to store food long term. Those people developed recipes to use that stored food. Those people taught us a whole slew of things that can be used every day by the average person.
Pantry - what is it? It can be your cabinets in your kitchen, it can be a small space or a large space. It can be separate from your kitchen, it can even be miles away from your home. You determine where the best place to store food is. Don't think you have no space to store excess - look to the underneath of beds, that hall closet that gathers everything, make a table with a nice cover draped over a few cases of veggies or bottled water, utilize the top shelves of all closets, slide a case of canned goods under the couch, the possibilities are endless. One friend of mine stores packages of toilet paper in the oddest of places but it works for her. That's what you should look for in your own home - what wasted space you can use and how you can make it work for you.
Now, you may be thinking - why store? Well, you all know how prices are skyrocketing. Have been for months on end and no end in sight. Hit the sales, use coupons, take advantage of BOGO's (buy one get one free sales). What you buy today at $1 may cost $3 in just a few short months. That's my thought process. I'm not thinking world war whatever - I am thinking of inherent price spikes, unexpected job loss, emergencies, etc and how to ease the pain on down the road.
What do you store? No one can tell you. Sure, everyone can tell you about the basics like flour, sugar, salt, oil but......
You have to do the thinking and it's fun, well at least I think it is. Here's what I do. I keep track of what I buy on regular basis - those are my basics. Then I think about our special treats - you know - the ones that are a tad bit expensive but oh so delightful. I look around for the best buy, sales, use coupons if I have them, check the clearance bins, etc. My kids love, love, love Little Debbie snack cakes. I know I can make my own and do. However, they become special treats for them and so I look for bargains. When I find something that is part of my equation (price+satisfaction vs my making it myself)) and find it's a good deal I go for it. Only buy what you know you and your family will eat. That really rock bottom deal on asparagus won't do you any good if no one will eat it.It doesn't take a lot to start your stocking up. If you normally purchase 2 cans of one kind of veggie a week, increase it to 3 or 4 each week. Buy 2 bags of flour instead of one. You don't have to do it all in one week. Set aside $5-10 extra a week and use that.
How do you store? I've already mentioned canned goods - any nook and cranny works. The rest - well they require a bit of handling to store. All of my dry goods get transferred to storage containers. I buy food grade ones from here - Big Tray . All pasta, rice, flours, sugar, beans, dried corn and bulk dehydrated food goes into 4+ qt containers . The initial cost may be a bit high but the reuse is well worth it. I bought my containers about 8 years ago and they are holding up very well. I also save jars. A cleaned out glass mayo jar can store enough dried beans for one meal for my family.
Take a look at what containers you would normally throw away. Those screw top cap spice jars can be cleaned and sterilized to house more home grown and dried herbs. They are also great for nuts, bolts, nails, etc. I routinely use quart and pint sized canning jars to store stuff in. Also, Rubbermaid trash cans with food grade liners work well if you want to store a large amount of flour, rice and sugar.
No matter what you store or how you store, please be sure to date everything. A sticky note taped to a jar or a sharpie marker on a lid or can. That way you can rotate and use up the oldest first. If you utilize a freezer separate from your fridge, be sure to keep an inventory sheet so you know at a glance what you have and not waste the cold air digging around. Mark all of your freezer items with description and date as soon as they come out of the shopping bag or the kitchen pot. I hate defrosting a container of what I thought was leftover stew only to find that it's leftover UFO.
With the flu season hitting everywhere, it makes sense to stock up in the event you can't get to a grocery store. Having food in the house, ready to use means one less thing to worry about.
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