(cheerful music) - Hey guys, Jennifer here, and welcome to The Family Fudge. In today's video, I'm going to be taking you
on a tour of the food storage system I've been working on for my family. I'll be sharing my best tips and tricks when it comes to food storage, As well as my top 20 items that
I always try to keep on hand in case of an emergency. Now, I know the words, food
storage can feel overwhelming, totally foreign, or straight
up extreme to some people. And that's totally fine. But for me, food storage is
an idea that I grew up with. In this video I'm just here to share what's been working for my family, just in case you're looking
for some inspiration. But really when it comes down to it, what works for my family
might not work for yours, and that's okay. With moving to a state that
is affected by hurricanes several times a year, and with how the stores
have been recently, I knew it was time to
take a better inventory, and get everything in order. Because you guys, at the end of the day, I love my family and I wanna protect them. Whether it's an emergency, an illness, a job loss, or even a natural disaster, I still wanna be able to provide for them, and protect them. And that's really what having a food storage system is all about. Now, before I get onto
my list of 20 items, I wanted to share a little
bit about my philosophy when it comes to food storage. First of all, I do not believe in panic buying, or shelf clearing for that matter. So please don't think you need to run out to the store right now
and spend a fortune. Keep in mind, I've literally spent years
gathering these items slowly over time, and as
my budget would allow. If you're just getting started, I recommend picking up
one or two extra things each time you go to the store. And definitely shop sales
as much as possible. Next, when it comes to food storage, I 100% believe in the phrase, "Store what you eat and
eat what you store." That means I do not buy or store foods that my family doesn't want to eat. Now, I also believe in
having a working pantry. And what that means is that
I'm constantly rotating, using, and replacing
items in my stockpile. That way nothing goes to waste. And as I'm using and replacing items, I'm making sure to rotate them so that the older items are in front, and they get used first. Next in my food storage system, I've broken everything down
into three main components. First I have my short term supply. So that means foods that last at least six months to one year. Then I have my medium term supply. And those are foods that
last for two years or more. And then finally I have
my longterm food storage. And those are foods that
can last five years or more, I'm talking way more. I have some things that last
up to 30 years, no joke. And then finally, I also have set up three different spaces in my house where I store the food. The first area is my house pantry, and I'll go ahead and link
that video down below, if you wanna check it out. This is where I keep foods that we use pretty much on a daily basis. The next area is what I like
to call my prepper pantry. Now for this space, my sweet hubby definitely helped me out. He built me some inexpensive
but very sturdy shelves in this little hallway area between the living room and our garage. And unlike my garage, which gets super hot and humid, since this space is climate controlled and I don't get any
creepy crawlies in here, this is the perfect extra
pantry space for my family. And then finally, there's the garage. This is where I keep most of
our longterm food storage. I also have our old fridge in here, and a small chest freezer
for storage as well. Now I can go ahead and get
into the list of 20 items that I like to keep stocked at all times. Now these aren't in any particular order, but I am gonna go ahead
and start with water because obviously water
is a very important. Now, according to FEMA, they recommend that you
store at least one gallon per person, per day for
at least three days. So for my size family
that's a lot of water. So I decided to store it
in three different ways. We have smaller bottles of water, if we have to grab them in a hurry. We have a larger gallon size
bottles of water as well. And then I recommend
that you look into having a water filtration system as well. We recently invested in
this Berkey water filter, and it works really well, but
they can be kind of pricey. So a less expensive alternative
could be to go ahead and purchase yourself a
Brita water filter pitcher. This is on the smaller side, you can usually find
these at Target, Walmart. I know that Costco has a really
good deal on them right now. If you get one of these, I recommend that you pick up
some extra filters as well. Next step in my food storage, I like to keep drink mixes. Especially if you're having
to filter your own water, it might still tastes kinda funky. So I definitely recommend
some simple drink mixes to make that water taste
a little bit better. I found this a big old
thing of Gatorade at Costco, and this'll actually stay good on my shelf for at least a one year. You could also stock up
on some lemonade mix, like these little guys here. These actually have a
shelf life of two years if they're unopened. And you guys, even if
you're not a fan of Tang, definitely think about
getting some of this as well, because it has a lot of vitamin C in it. And then finally in my
longterm food storage, I have a couple of these
#10 cans of drink mix. So this is basically like
powdered Kool-Aid in here, and this drink mix can
last up to 10 years. Also in the drink mix category, don't forget about things like hot cocoa. I like to keep some of this on hand. And of course, if you are
a fan of tea or coffee, you're also gonna want
to stock up on those. Next step I have my meals
ready to eat category. So these are the types of food that you really want in an emergency, because they're either
ready right out of the can, or you just have to add water. In my short term storage I like
to keep these bags of soup. I get these at Walmart, and they're usually pretty inexpensive. These come in lots of different flavors, and one bag makes about eight servings. And they have a shelf
life of about one year. I also like to keep lots of
cans of soup on hand as well. Now this is one of the
items that always sells out if there's a hurricane headed our way, so I definitely like to stock up on these. I like the Campbell's,
I liked the Progresso. I really like the kind
that has meat and veggies. And these have a really
long shelf life too, of about two years. Also in this category, I have some boxes of
deluxe mac and cheese. And these are really
great because they have about a one year shelf life, and you don't have to
add any milk or butter, the cheese is already ready to go. Next up on my list, I have beans and rice. Now I know this one seem
a little bit obvious, but I actually store them
a little bit differently. First up, let's talk about the beans. Now, beans are actually a great
source of protein and fiber, and they last a long, long time. When it comes to beans, I like to stock up on smaller sized cans in all different varieties. These are great to add into
so many different things. They have a shelf life of
about one to two years, so they last a long time. I also went ahead and dry canned some beans of my own recently, this was actually a pretty easy process. And I'll go ahead and
link a video down below if you wanna learn how to do it yourself. And these can last for years if unopened. And speaking of years, checkout these and #10 cans of beans. No joke you guys, these say that they can
last up to 30 years. Now let's move on to the rice. I have several different
kinds of rice here. First off in my short term food storage, I like to keep some of these
Knorr brand rice pouches. Now this is not something
that we usually eat on a regular basis, but
they do make really good, quick emergency food. These are perfect to stock up on because they're also really inexpensive. I got these ones at Sam's Club and they were less than
70 cents per pouch. Another favorite of mine are
these little bags of rice. I was able to find these at Walmart for just about a dollar a bag. They come in lots of different flavors, and because of the kind of packaging that they're packaged in, they actually have a
really long shelf life of up to two years. And here's a tip you guys, to keep all these little bags
of rice organized and fresh, I like to actually put them in a food safe five gallon bucket. Add a nice tight lid on there
to keep everything fresh. Now, just like with the beans, I also added rice to some Mason
jars with oxygen absorbers, and then I also have some
#10 cans of rice too. And just like the beans, this rice can last up to 30 years. Next on my list, I have
fruits and vegetables. Now for my fruits, for
my short term supply, I actually have a good
stock of frozen fruit. Now I got these ones at Aldi's, so they were actually really affordable. And you guys, believe it or not, the dates on these packages say that they're good until 2022. Of course, if you keep
them frozen, that is. Another thing I like to keep
on hand are dried fruits. So things like raisin, apricots, mangoes, we love all of those, especially miss Lily here. And of course, if these are unopened, they can last anywhere between
one to two years as well. Also in the fruit department, I have some smaller cans of fruit, and some #10 cans of fruit. And these have a shelf life
of pretty much the same time, about one to two years,
whether they're big cans, or small cans it's pretty much the same. I also have a lots and lots
of smaller cans of veggies. But I did just buy the
veggies that my kids prefer. So things like carrots, and green beans, mixed vegetables, corn, things like that. These can last about one
to two years on the shelf and the same thing with
the bigger #10 cans. And my favorite place to stock
up on these types of food items are either Aldi or Walmart. Okay guys, next step on my list is flour. Flour was one of those
things that disappeared off the shelves a couple of months ago. First I have a smaller container that I just keep in my pantry. Now, if you're someone who
likes to use a lot of flour, think about getting yourself
a food grade bucket like this. That way you can get a big
old bag of flour from Costco and you can keep the
entire thing fresh in here. And then as far as my
longterm flour storage, I also have some in #10 cans, and these have about a 10 year shelf life. Now after flour, I have to talk about
other baking ingredients. And I'm gonna kinda
lump this group together because you really just wanna store the type of baking ingredients
that you like to have. I know for awhile yeast
was really hard to find. So I did go ahead and get
several packages on Amazon. They were a little more
expensive than they used to be, but this will definitely
last me a long time. Definitely think about
adding baking powder, baking soda, and baking mixes
to your stockpile as well. These tend to only have
about a one year shelf life, so I try not to stock
up on these too much. Okay, guys, next is I
think my biggest category, which would be pasta and
noodles because, you guys, my kids love pasta. Pasta is cheap, and it can stay
good for a super long time. Now first up, I definitely stocked up
on the mac and cheese when they were on sale. These have a shelf life
of about one to two years. The same goes for the ramen noodles. These again are super inexpensive. And you guys, if you
take some of these ramen and add things like
chicken, or other veggies, it makes a really good dinner. Another way I store pasta
is in these OXO containers. These keep things fresh
for a super long time. I also have several plain boxes of pasta. And then for my super
longterm food storage, I also have some pasta in #10 cans. So these are macaroni noodles, and then spaghetti bites. And spaghetti bites are really just smaller pieces of spaghetti. And of course, to go with the pasta, I also have a good supply of sauce. Of course you could make your
own sauce if you want to. But these ones from Sam's
Club are pretty good. They have a shelf life of about two years. I also have several
bottles of alfredo sauce. These don't last quite as long, just about one year on these guys. Back here, I have some
cans of pasta sauce. They have a two year shelf life. And then if I get to the point where I need to make my own pasta sauce, I also have a few #10
cans of both tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes so I can do that. And speaking of making my own sauce, I also recommend that you
keep your favorite spices in your food storage. Now some spices don't stay good forever, but they really do have
a pretty long shelf life. And if you buy these containers
at Sam's Club or Costco, they're actually pretty inexpensive. And you guys don't forget the salt, salt is very important to stock up on. You need it in your diet. And my favorite salt just happens to be this kind that comes from Utah. Next step is the milk category. Now I know a lot of people
like to keep dry milk on hand, but honestly I'm not a
huge fan of dry milk. So instead I went ahead and stocked up on these boxes of milk
from the Dollar Tree. This is shelf stable milk, so it can stay good on
the shelf for one year. Also in the milk category, I have some almond milk, that
can stay good for a year. And then I also have several
cans of evaporated milk, and sweetened condensed milk. That brings me to the oatmeal category. And I have a pretty wide
variety of oatmeals. In my short term supply, I have this big canister
full of rolled oats. I also have lots of oatmeal packets. Now, these don't stay good as long, just about six months to one year, but these are really great in an emergency because you really just
have to add hot water. Also in the oatmeal department,
I have some in mason jars, these can last several years. And then also I have lots of #10 cans full of oatmeal as well,
and these can last 30 years. Oh yes, and as I'm going
through these #10 cans of items, you'll notice that some
of them have lids on them. That doesn't mean that
they're actually open, I just store the lids with the cans so the lids don't get lost. Up next is the meat category. Now, as of right now, I don't actually have a
lot of meat in my freezer, but I do have lots of canned meat. Now I know not everyone's
a fan of canned meat, but if it comes down to
having canned meat or no meat, I'm gonna go for the canned meat. I have things like Vienna sausages. I have SPAM, lots of SPAM. I also have some cans of corned beef hash, those are pretty tasty. And then I just have a couple of #10 cans of freeze dried meat. These tend to be pretty pricey, so I don't have a lot in
my stockpile right now. Up next is the sweet category. So things like sugar, or honey. I definitely like to keep
some of both in my stockpile. I just have this small
container of white sugar. I do have some powdered sugar. I would like to go ahead and pick up some brown sugar as well. Of course, sugar can stay
good for a long, long time. Especially if you have some
in #10 cans like these. And then of course, honey also
has a really long shelf life. In fact, I've heard some people say that honey really never goes bad, like ever. I'm not sure if that's true though. Now, as far as the oil goes, I have several different
kinds in my stockpile. I have olive oil that lasts about a year. I have avocado oil that
also lasts about a year. I have coconut oil, which
has a two year shelf life. And then I also have some vegetable oil. Now, when it comes to vinegar, I like to keep plenty of white vinegar and apple cider vinegar in my stockpile. I actually have several
bottles of each of these because I think they are really handy. Of course, apple cider vinegar
has lots of health benefits. You can also make some
delicious salad dressings. And the white vinegar, there are so many different
things you can do with this. You can clean vegetables with it, make a multipurpose cleaner. And sometimes I even like
to add it into my laundry. Okay guys, now we made it to number 19, and this is kind of the potato category. One thing that I really
like to stock up on are instant potatoes. These little packages here
are really inexpensive. I find these for less than
a dollar a bag at Walmart, and these are the kinds that
you just have to add water. So they're really great
in case of an emergency. They last about a year on the shelf, and they come in lots of
different flavors too. Also in my stockpile, I
have some canned potatoes, which aren't my favorite, but they do last a long time,
about two years for these. And then I also have some
#10 cans of potato flakes, and these also have up
to a 30 year shelf life. And that brings me to the
peanut butter category. Now of course, if you
are allergic to peanuts, you can definitely leave
this off your list. But peanut butter is an
excellent source of protein. You can get it pretty
inexpensively at most stores. And this has a really
long shelf life as well, for up to a year. Now you guys, I have just a couple of
honorable mentions on this list. Things like cereal, some have a surprisingly long shelf life, especially if it doesn't have
any nuts in there, or fruit. All of these cereals have
a one year shelf life. Next in the honorable mention
category is pancake mix. I really like to stock the kind where you just have to add water. Those are great in emergencies. These have about a one
to two year shelf life. Okay guys, I wanna thank you if you've made it to the end of this list. I feel like I've been talking for ever. But I hope this gives you some good ideas of where you can start if you are interested in
building a food storage system for your family. Now let me know in the comments down below if you have any food storage tips, because I'm always
interested in learning more, and I would love to know
what you've come up with. I wanna thank you guys
so much for watching and I'll see you in my next video.
