Food Storage Basics
By Laura Owsley
Y
eah! A brand new month is upon
us, and this is the best of the
months to gather items for your
food storage and even emergency
prepardness. Spring always brings a
fresh start. So if you feel behind, no
worries. Make April a month to get
refocused on preparedness.
During this month, I’m focusing on
beans, fish and soups. Watch the sales
for these items this month.
In my short term supply of everyday
foods (in my pantry), I will be stocking
up on prepared canned beans. There’s
so many different types of beans, so
whatever you love is what you want
to store. The possiblitlies are endless!
Beans for salads, soups, chili, burritos,
a side dish and the main dish!
Here’s a little bean info:
• Legumes (beans, peas, lentils) are low
in fat (only 2-3%).
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April 2015
• Legumes are a good source of
The other item to gather is soup. There
protein, carbohydrates, B vitamins,
are so many options here as well. Check
folate and iron.
what your family uses the most of and
• Legumes have phytochemicals,
focus on buying those. Soup is great to
compounds that may help prevent have on hand for cooking or completing
cardiovasular disease and cancer.
a simple meal of a good toasted cheese
• They have no cholesterol.
sandwich and a bowl of soup. Yum!
• They are high in fiber.
• The government’s dietary guidelines
For longer term storage gather dried
for Americans suggest we eat at least
beans or lentils. Learn how to cook with
3 cups per week.
them if you’re not an expert. If properly
stored with an oxygen absorger packet
Take note:
these can be kept for 30 years! Yum,
(Info for cooking with dried beans) Don’t just what you want for dinner, huh?
add tomatoes, vinegar, ketchup, chili
Just recently my father cooked pinto
sauce or lemon juice to the beans in your beans he had had for over 20 years. He
recipe until the beans are totally cooked. said they were fine, hmm... not sure if I
The acid retards the cooking and the
should believe him.
softening of the beans. They may never
soften after adding the tomatoes!
Good luck with your preparedness
goals! You are never behind. Any step
I also gather canned fish this month.
forward is a step forward.
It can be in cans or pouches. It has a
3-5 shelf life, but check your product to
be sure.
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