Survival guide [2/7]: food stocks - Instructions for use
Storing food is an ancient reflex that we have lost... Our ancestors used the attic primarily for storage (grain storage that is) and preservation solutions were rather limited. When we transitioned from salt to the electric refrigerator (taking a few shortcuts), food began to have a quantified shelf life. By that, I mean that conservation had to have a legal limit: the famous Best Before (BB) and Best Before End (BBE) dates.
Why store food?
My grandmother used to say, better safe than sorry. We always look back on the past with nostalgia. Make no mistake, life was hard, and our grandparents managed a pantry without questioning it. When they could, they produced part of their consumption, in the garden or the barnyard. Fresh products were much less varied, and they ate seasonally.
Today, few people have more than a 3-day supply of food available. It can be said that storage is practically non-existent, and supply is on a just-in-time basis. This is even more true for households without children.
Without being anxious or alarmist, there are still some situations (real and sometimes experienced) that should make you think about the need to store food for about ten days or more (1-3 months).
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Some reasons:
- Weather: on December 26, 1999, storm Lothar caused 20 billion euros of damage and thousands of households were without electricity and water for several days (10 days on the Charente coast). Access to supermarkets was sometimes very difficult, and it only took a few hours for the stocks of basic foodstuffs to be empty.
- Social movements: a refinery strike that lasts a bit, and the repercussions in the shelves are quickly felt. Like all of us, supermarkets have a maximum stock of +3 days.
- Life’s mishaps: your income suddenly drops, or you lose your job? Your food stock can help you stay afloat while waiting for a better situation.
When to store food?
There is no best time to build your stock. It’s an activity of every moment for a simple reason: a pantry must rotate. Fortunately, there are solutions that allow us not to worry about expiration dates. Some brands like Fuel Your Preparation offer food cans with a 25-year shelf life! With this kind of product, we bet on simplicity: no more stock rotation, easy preparation, and just water needed for rehydration.
If you are starting the storage adventure from scratch, you have 2 solutions:
- Composing a complete stock for a determined duration. In this case, it is recommended to test the products before buying in quantity. Then you can build your stock according to your tastes. You can opt for complete packs with varied menus, classified by shelf life and number of days. This solution is the simplest.
- Building gradually. Sometimes the budget you can dedicate to your stock does not allow for a one-time investment. Don’t worry, you can build your pantry by buying cans individually, following a plan you have previously established.
In any case, do not wait until it is too late to start. It’s simple, everyone at their own pace, everyone their own stock!
What to store?
If you opt for a food solution based solely on stock, without a garden or barnyard as a complement, then you should store meat, vegetables, and starches, not forgetting dairy products, sugar, condiments, oils, and wheat flour (wholemeal and spelt flour).
The classification can be done according to your tastes, the type of product (freeze-dried or sterilized), the number of portions and the Kcal intake, and the shelf life. The product's shape can also come into account. Cylindrical cans are not stored in the same way as pouches.
It is difficult to give a single solution, but here are some tips for an ideal stock:
- varied foods in varied containers. Cans in "core" stock and freeze-dried pouches for itinerancy and rotation. Freeze-dried and sterilized meals come in many varied recipes, and canned foods are ideal for families or groups (sometimes more than 20 servings in a can).
- starches, seeds, pasta, rice. Be careful, the long-term conservation of such foods is subject to a very demanding storage process. There should be no oxygen and no light. Opaque vacuum packaging (Mylar) is highly recommended.
- compact rations. They are indispensable in a long-term stock. Compact rations like NRG-5, for example, have an unbeatable quality/weight/volume/energy intake ratio. And what’s more, they’re quite good, making them a great alternative for breakfast.
- Self-heating rations for those who have neither electricity nor a heating system (type stove).
The offer is very wide, but do not forget, you must store what you eat and eat what you store. Be careful, some foods are tricky to store, such as dairy products or flours. Opt for guaranteed solutions like here for spelt or there for butter, cheese, eggs, and milk.
Some tips:
- quality honey is imperishable, it can be stored for life!
- some expiration dates (BB) and most optimal use dates (BBE) are only legally significant, and products can be consumed long after the deadline. If the packaging is not damaged, you can consume certain products several months after the BBE, but their organoleptic and nutritional qualities are no longer guaranteed: sometimes less taste and fewer vitamins, a different consistency...
How to build a food reserve?
Once you know what to store, you need to think about how to organize your storage place. It is recommended to store your supplies in a dry and ventilated place, away from light and heat. Beware of rodents and predators of all kinds (teenagers). Ideally, it’s a room in your home that does not exceed 20/22°C and is protected from freezing in winter.
To avoid risks, do not let food come into direct contact with the ground. Do not keep a damaged can or pouch; it is better to consume it quickly. Regularly check your stock. You can keep a table with the list of foods and their expiration dates. Make sure all your products are accessible and consume those whose BBE is approaching first.
Conclusion
You can consider and prepare for all situations without being paranoid. If we look back, we see that our ancestors had this habit of anticipating. For them, it was just common sense. And above all, build your stock with products that you like to eat!
Matthieu Fontaine
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