homefoodstorage.com

It would be nice if every emergency in life had a begin date and an end date stamped on it so that we could plan for how much food to store. But since life isn't that tidy, we are left to prepare for the unknown. This is where it comes in handy to have food stored that will sustain life over a long period of time. Dry-Pack canning is a great way to store the essential food necessary for maintaining life.

To sustain life for a year an adult needs roughly 300 pounds of grains, 60 pounds of beans, 16 pounds of powdered milk, 60 pounds of sugar (or honey), and 8 pounds of salt for a year. (This does not include any fruits, vegetables or fats that may be needed.) So it quickly becomes evident how much food needs to be put away in the event of an emergency that doesn't end within 3 days. This is where dry-pack canning really comes in handy.

Some foods that are generally stored like this include wheat, pasta, rice, flour, oatmeal, sugar, black beans, pinto beans, navy beans, non-fat dry powdered milk, dried apples and even dried onions. Each of these will last between 20-30 years when properly canned and stored. So they are excellent choices when it comes to dry-pack canning.

The food is sealed in #10 cans, which are usually about the size of a large coffee can. Their uniform size makes them easy to handle and to stack. Typically you can fit 6 cans to a box, 2 cans wide and 3 cans deep.

If this is something you want to do yourself you will have to either buy your own canner, which can get expensive or check with your local co-op. They may already have one that you can use. Some of the equipment you need to do it yourself will be the actual canning machine (they're heavy, but they will fit on a table or a counter top), #10 cans, lids and oxygen absorber packets.

The instructions that come with the canner are usually very clear and before you know it you will be canning like a pro! Just keep in mind that not all foods need an oxygen absorber packet. If you put one in with the sugar, be prepared to drill the sugar out when you need it. To say it gets as hard as a rock is an understatement! So make sure to follow the instructions and recommendations that come with the canner.

If this seems to be more than you want to do on your own, then again check with your local co-op. They should be able to put you in touch with groups in the area that dry-pack can for themselves.such as church groups. The nice thing about canning with a large group of people is you can get a lot done in a short amount of time and there's always someone in every group who thinks they know it all and are willing to share that information with you.

Pros: This type of food will typically store 20-30 years once it has been properly canned. The boxes are very easy to stack and are ideal for storing the basic food needed for survival. Because the food is stored in airtight cans, you don't have to worry about bugs or rodents easily getting into the food and destroying it before you need it.

Cons: This form of food storage does require special equipment for canning and sealing the cans if you're trying to do it yourself. Some local co-ops may have the equipment needed and will let you use it, but even then it can be time consuming going it alone. It also gets expensive if you have to buy the food already canned from businesses.