Goal: to have a pantry full of foods to provide you for the next 6-12 months or so (ex. from harvest season to harvest season)
2 Inexpensive strategies
Buy one more: when doing your weekly shopping, instead of one set of supplies for a meal, (a meal that you like to eat), buy two. You, then, have a meal in storage for when a storm hits and you can’t get to the store, for example.
Buy some canning jars: rather than investing in jars all at once or panicking because you can’t find any, buy a case of jars when you see them and starting gathering your supplies for preserving.
These two strategies take very little investment in the moment but, little by little, your pantry will start to fill up. In a year’s time, you will be amazed at what you have been able to do!
Buy it and forget about it - until you need it.
Different ways to preserve food
Buy and store dry goods
Freeze foods
Dry, dehydrate or freeze-dry foods
Ferment foods
Can/jar foods (water bath or pressure cooker methods)
Store vegetables such as potatoes, squash cabbage, in root cellars
Different Pantry Options
Shelving - on a wall, in a closet, in a basement
Cupboard spaces
Food-grade plastic storage containers
Wooden crates
Fridges and freezers
Old suitcases slid under a bed - be creative
Things to consider
Insects and rodents (sealed containers)
Humidity/ moisture (not wet)
Temperature (not too hot)
Sunlight (away from direct sunlight)
Benefits
buy local, in season, in bulk - when things are the cheapest and the most highly nutritious (and support the community)
Conscious shopping, buying what fits with your beliefs, goals, and tastebuds
Preparing for winter storms, unavailability of items, loss of income, and when foods aren’t in season locally
