We go through our pantry every 3-6 months, find anything expiring within the next month or two, and donate it to the local food bank if I don't think we'll eat it. I count the "loss" as part of our annual charitable giving and a see it as a way to bless others.
I drop mine off at a local high-rise apartment building that houses low income people that are disabled and/or elderly. Sometimes the people that need help the most aren't able to get transportation to get to a food bank.
You can keep boxed/bagged goods fresh for many years by pouring them into large mason jars, and vacuum sealing them with a food saver jar lid attachment and a hand-held brake bleeder. After using them, you can re-vacuum seal the jars.
Weeks or months, maybe, but not years. Anything containing cheese powder, butter powder, oils or fats, nuts and bullion will all go rancid after a fairly short period of time. Doesn't matter about air, it's the product.
@@debraigo2711 I personally haven’t had anything go rancid on me I’m still using peanut butter that I expired a year ago I bought that three years ago I keep mine in a cool dark place I don’t really don’t pay attention to expiration dates I go more by smell and taste I also rotate my food as well
@@maggiehumble7822 I havent had my potatoes, hashbrowns or flakes go bad in jars with absorber. I buy just plain with no added butter or anything. Flakes dont last as long because they are already so fine.
Makes perfect sense. I'm a family of one with grown kids on their own. I justified buying huge amts of boxed goods by saying they might need it one day. So in the meantime the boxes sit getting older and older. I'm going to turn a corner today, all thanks to you. They'll get the boxed food now and they can decide what to do with it. It'll open shelving for more canned meat which I do use on the regular. Thank you! I needed to hear this👍
Thank you Sheri.....you sometimes wonder if what you share was needed or worth it. I love when I feel that I helped someone. So many help me when I watch their video....it feels good in the return.
It does not pay to get more than what we can use. It brings to mind something my Grandma who lived through the Depression always said to me, "Waste not, want not." My Grandma and Dad raised me and I wish I had learned more of her thrifty ways. She could make any meal stretch and you still felt like you had a feast. Have a great week.
I am so glad someone finally said this 🙌 I started stocking like crazy when covid hit and now i have so much that is way out of date. Some are still good, but some have had to be thrown out. Its sad, but you can only eat so much. I have been doing the "pantry challenge" to use up as much as I can. Not only am I using up what I have but I am also saving money by not buying more.
Thank you so much for your comment… It’s a struggle to keep a balance. You have some that feel you should stockpile and store anything and everything in mass quantities and then you have people like me who try to store extra and found that it was somewhat a waste of money because now it is expiring and some of this is going stale and can’t be used and other things I’m just trying to use up. Trying to find a balance is my new challenge for this season.
@@allthinghomewithlynn These things will last longer if repackaged properly. If you couldn't get them in the stores, then you would be glad you had them.
My stockpile is rotated through. I am one person but I am able to keep up with not having to throw food away. Canned foods are good far beyond the date! That is my main stockpile.
Great info! I started stockpiling back in 2020. I bought so many things that I don’t use on a reg basis and many thing two years later are past the Best Buy date now or coming close. I went thru my extended pantry and gathered up everything that is coming in the next month or two to it’s expiration date and took it to my local food mission box. I love I can turn my over zealous stockpiling into helping others but now I’m more prudent. I didn’t go by the motto, “Stock what you eat and eat what you stock!! “ Lessons learned!
I also stock items on the shelf according to BB year. A different shelf for each year so I use the oldest first and make meals according to what i need to use first.
@@donnalovintexas8760 I do this too. If I have 24 cans of something and go to the store and the dates are to close to my other BB dates, I won't buy till the dates are further out.
Thank YOU!!! When covid hit, I went into panic mode and started buying because things were missing off the shelves, I started watching prepper channels and felt I was behind the curve, oh my goodness my family could starve, I know I'm not the only one. I've started pulling things and we are not saving everything for a rainy day, I need to just cook it up, I haven't been really shopping for a couple months and barely made a dent. I am going to spend the rest of the winter using all the packaged goods I was saving for when the stores closed and there would be no more deliveries. Be careful what you watch, your unconscious mind will go wild especially when you are told to stay home and you have nothing better to think about.
Avoid bugs in your flour. freeze flour, bring to room temperature, mylar bag with oxygen absorbers and no bugs ever. Pretty soon we will not be able to get Rice or flour. Many crops were destroyed and shipping is getting impossible. Just a tad bit of information.
U are dead on. What wheat that was harvested last year was dumped oops on purpose into the Mississippi. Farmer will not be growing much corn this summer due to high cost fertilizer and unless you like issues with your hormones and boys turning into girls you will not have issues with the abundance of soy that will be flooding the market. Cannot express how extremely happy I am to have stored over 700 lbs of wheat berries
Good information! I'm motivated to sort through my food storage, pull out things that are coming to the end of the "best by" and make my February meal plan out of them.
I put many items in mason jars or even vacuum seal the mason jars. Just taking food out of the cardboard is a game changer and extends the life. Have Mylar bags/oxygen absorbers but not tried yet. I know you can put oxygen absorbers in mason jars as well to seal. My one thing about mason jars and vacuum sealing I like better is it looks nice in the pantry and you can reseal after use for items you don’t use very often or very much. For me that is my dehydrated vegetables. FYI for a bonus, permanent marker works on glass and washes off so you can mark the item and dates if wanted.
Knowing how to store food long term is one of the most important lessons to learn in long term food storage. If you couldn't get bread, biscuits or gravy mixes you will have to make them yourself or do without. Bread takes either 1, 1 1/2, or 2 lbs of flour depending on how big of a loaf you need. For me a 1lb loaf per week is perfect, what is not eaten is made into bread crumbs, cubes for salads and dressing. Flour last 5 yrs in a air tight container but will last up to 10 years bucketed with the oxygen removed. Instant potatoes will not last long because they are processed if you wanted to store instant potatoes get plain and put into a mason jar and again remove the oxygen. I use dry ice for the buckets to remove oxygen and for the mason jar I use a vaccine sealer. Storing food long term doesn't mean to leave in the original package or box from the store. Storing food improper is wasting your time and money and purhaps a infestation.
I've never had flour last 5 years never,and all was in air tight containers, sorry I disagree,I live off grid for 30 years now,maybe I'm just storing it wrong,just saying
Thanks, Lynn. You are so right. I had several cake mixes and dessert mixes I had to throw out. I'm too embarrassed to even say how expired they were. Time goes by quicker than you think. I won't stockpile that stuff anymore. It was just money wasted.
Do you know what I find more and more that when you live life somethings just slipped between the cracks. Don’t be embarrassed… You and I could share stories one day and get a good laugh out of each others.
I just happened across your channel and I’m so glad that I did. You’re sensible and easy to listen to. I think you’ll be my binge on this cold, snowy evening. Thanks for the info! I don’t really store things like these either
I wish I had heard this 2 years ago. I've had to throw away a lot of boxed items as well. Crackers, cookies, and boxed cereals decelop an off taste after a while so that was a waste of money. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Learning curve but I hate to waste. Another thing I have found is that our diets or tastes change as well. This is good advice. Thank you.
I have watched other peoples shows and a lot say to store plain saltiness. The others tend to have oils in them and they go rancid. So I store regular crackers in airtight quisinart bags.
I store everything in mylar bags and half gallon jars with oxygen absorbers. They will last for many years. There's no need to throw things away and waste them, if you have other options available. Doesn't matter if it's past best buy date with certain items. I also vacuum seal everything. I've never had anything go bad. I will say that as soon as I've bought crackers and opened them right away, they were stale and nasty, nowhere near the best buy date. I've even brought milk home and it's ruined. So I started getting shelf stable milk from Dollar Tree. I only use it for cooking thou because I don't like milk.
Good information. Packaged foods are a bit expensive per ounce. Those pantry moths are capable of getting into those boxes and bags. And hard to get rid of too bc you have to pull EVERYTHING out, wash EVERYTHING down; even around the lids of jars, corners of cabinet, shelving and they STILL a few are around months even years later. Mice is another that can chew through the buckets also. I started prepping years before 2020 bc I knew "something" was going to happen. I had stuff go bad and others stayed good. But ppl just remember the Depression lasted 10 years. I worked with the elderly who had gone through the Depression ( now long past away now) and what they said that eating food with bugs in them and stale was not a problem if you're hungry enough. They had the basic staples and made everything from scratch, ate one "meal" a day or less often. Panic buying makes you make poor food choices. So think before you buy.
100% agreed panic buying does make you have poor choices. I was listening to someone the other day and they said just continue to buy the basics because in the end that’s really what most of us end up eating.
You make a lot of good points on these items. I am definitely rethinking of what I keep on hand and how much I keep on hand. I am going thru my pantry and freezers to use up several items. I just commented on another one of your videos about the Bear Creek soups. Really enjoying your content.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times my stockpile has gotten me through some hard times as a widowed mom with 4 mouths to keep fed, I’m now a family of 2 and still continue to stockpile, it’s a compulsive habit now
Excellent points, especially the financial cost of long term food storage IF it ends up going to waste. You gave me food for thought too-I'm going to put a reminder on my calendar to review my long term food storage once a month to be sure I'm rotating things out & replacing with new/fresh- thank you. I'm a household of 1, and you're right about how long it could take to use up things.
Do you have brought up a good point I have on our calendar the first of every month to pay all of our bills at one time and then the rest of the things like food and gas in the car etc. comes out of the budget the rest of the month. Why not put on my calendar once a month to go through my food storage. I’ll have to pick a date and stick to it.
I agree with you, some things just don’t store well enough for long term. Oils and food with oils like nut, peanut butter and salad dressing only last six months before they go rancid. I never stocked them before the pandemic, so I was not aware of it until recently.
You can vacuum pack those items and they do last past the due dates. I have all of that from 2020. The vacuum packed pancakes and such are not as tasty as before the new dates, but adding fruit or spices it can be revived. I ate it and it was fine. Learn to vacuum pack these with the plastic bags and store in bins with tops. These items last forever after storing properly. White rice, dry beans, seeds and can goods that don’t have dents. Keep in a dry cool place. Also go online and look for prepping foods that come in a container that stores for 25 years. Those are nice. Ready wise and Patriot products are very good ones.
I’m a single Senior in Hawai’i. I keep it to what I like to eat and if it has versatility I.e. Rice or pasta goes with all my cans. In the islands we were raised on spam, tuna, sardines with rice, depression foods are great!! You my dear are awesome 🤙🏼
I'm so glad I ran across your video, I have a huge tote full of au gratin potatoes, rice, Mac n cheese, rice, crackers, oats, knorr pasta, etc. I will start using my food in the tote this week and buy canned food from now on. It's just me and my 86 year old mother and my brother, we don't eat much but I was rushing to create a pepper pantry and I did not think thru my food choices.
Lynn, I experienced the same problem with items reaching their expiration date before they were consumed. With that being said, I too have decided not to stockpile the same type of items. It’s money wasted if the stockpile is being thrown out.
I totally agree… I have had people tell me and I’ve even had viewers tell me that I should continue to Stockpile these items and they will last long past the date. But from my experience they don’t last and they go stale they taste horrible and I’ve wasted my money. I want to make sure I am a smart shopper and I invest wisely in my Stockpile with the items I will use and not waste any money.
Thank you for this share. I choose not to buy pre-packed processed items because I usually have the items on hand to make from scratch i.e. cornbread, pancake mix etc. I also only purchase in bulk the items we eat on a regular and if I choose to do a meal on a splurge I make the one time purchase for that meal item. I try to have a stockpile of enough food items for 3 to 4 months out for both freezer and overflow pantry.
I would love to be able to make more from scratch… But working full-time outside of the home and taking care of two people with disabilities and an older parent my time is so limited unfortunately I have to use boxed items at times. But when the day comes where I have extra time… I can’t wait for making more things from scratch.
@@allthinghomewithlynn there are recipes out there for all those flour type mixes and easy to set up with mason jars to make one or 2 batches at a time. Improper storage is a waste of money. There are hard times coming and people need to figure out their food storage because the stores are going to be too high priced or not available. The pancake mix made from scratch in mason jars vacuum sealed needs to be labeled with instructions. I live by myself and have to cook if I want to eat. I also live a busy life working outside the home. Processed food is a rip off and unhealthy. A couple hours on a Saturday or Sunday, you can mix up ingredients for whatever you plan to eat that week while the bread (or buns or muffins) is rising. No knead bread is easy on you hands if they are old and tired.
Thanks for this video. I 💯 agree with you. I had to re-evaluate how and what I decided to store for my husband and I. I was listening to so many prepper's that I had to stop and use common sense based on what we eat and use. Loved this video...
I totally agree with you… I found myself listening to some of them and I loved the titles of the video and it did suck me right in… And then I found myself getting disillusioned and discouraged and overwhelmed.
I came by your video by roaming and I love your message and you’re correct in all that you’re saying. I’m glad I found someone who feels the way that I do cause it’s just my 85 yr old mother and myself so I’m struggling with do we need a lot of this or that.
Thank you so much Tina for your wonderful comment and coming over. I hope you find some other encouragement through some of my other videos. Welcome to my home.😄
So during quarantine I pulled everything with a date on it out and put everything in date order (including spices) and started to let that influence my meal prep for the week. When my husband went shopping I would let him know what we were looking for and what our price points were. He went to the store a lot just to get out of the house so little by little we used things up and got a lot of newer dates on things. It was a little fun and a really nice challenge.
I have a limit on how much I can buy or store. I have a spreadsheet and search 2 months ahead to ensure nothing gets wasted. Im currently doing a challenge to use what’s on hand to find my gaps, see what I like/don’t like so I know what do store/eat in the future. I find the ‘mental planning’ vs actually living it is very different. Im working on having a living pantry I rotate through
Thank you for the good information about your video I learned a lot today I am a family of two me and my husband and I have grandkids and my son in another apartment so I will not be storing what you showed me on the video today very very good information
I only buy canned goods and items which will keep at least 10 years, in my long term storage. It keeps storage and organizing simple. We raise animals and garden so fresh food isn't a problem.
The answer to your dilemma is actually simple, small investment into a vacuum sealer.. I have a cheap one from walmart.. like $50.. then you can buy those forever foods like rice and beans in 20lb bags and portion it out into single serving sizes, or sizes that fit your family.. make a family day of it were everyone gets involved so it's not too much on one person to do all the vacuum sealing.. just always remember, heat, sunlight, and oxygen are what causes those foods to go bad.. great video, keep it coming..!!
Girl, I’m with you. I bought so much food in 2020 that I’m working hard to use some of those items up before they expire. I’m not much of a prepackaged person anyway. I bought items recommended on UA-cam and now am cooking like crazy to use up pancake mix and oats (just to name a few items). I’ve found a recipe from Jan in NYC saves money for oat bread that uses pancake mix which saves me. I’ve made so many loaves and given away.
@@janp7660 I don’t know how to add a link but I found the recipe from a you tuber - Jan from NYC saves money and the title was Make a vanilla oat loaf with pancake mix today. We really liked it. I use more cinnamon than she did and 1/2 c sugar. I’ve also made it with blueberries and we love it. So easy and fast. I’ve given the bread to people and they also loved it. Hope you try it and enjoy it too. I’ve learned through all this I actually like fresh and frozen veggies. Not much of a fan of prefab soups, potatoes and etc. I do have food stored but I’m constantly rotating food. Like you there are foods I won’t be buying again unless I use it immediately.
I love those package pizza crust abs muffin mixes. Great for in the morning or a bread with dinner. But you're right. It really depends on what your family uses.
Here’s what I’ve learned about preparing my family with good food preps since 2012 Superstorm Sandy - I created a deep pantry first - what we normally eat from the pantry times the number of months that it can be stored & used before expiring. Usually anything in a food “mix” or anything with oils in it, has 3-12 mos shelf life. So I don’t buy more than what I’d normally eat during that time (eg peanut butter, instant pasta blends, etc). Then I needed to fill in the gap from the lack of fresh/frozen veggies. I did that with canned veg mostly (some dehydrated). So I bought what we would need to replace fresh/frozen for 3-6 mos bc I know that w/o any emergency I could easily dovetail that into my normal meals by their 2-3 year exp date. Same with commercial and home canned proteins (eg chicken, tuna). I keep everything expiring within a year in one place. Everything else in another part of the deep pantry. Then I needed a way to feed my family in a serious crisis that lasted more than 6 mos. There were few options that didn’t have other other downsides including money loss. And in this case I decided that the circumstances would probably dictate the our eating habits would need to change. So I chose long term storage (5+ years) of LTS- friendly items. I only do Mylar & O2 absorbers. It’s very inexpensive. I just bought 40 bags (good 7 mil thickness) & 100 O2 abs for $46. Skip the freezer. It can add moisture which is bad for storage. No bugs will grow in a Mylar bag without oxygen. I keep a 6-12 month supply (goal is 12) of every DRY good that could sustain us in the case of a longer than 6 mos crisis. Potato flakes, white rice, oatmeal, beans (legumes) are all good for 25 years with mylar/O2. Flour, corn meal & and pasta for 5 years. I only store elbow pasta in Mylar so it doesn’t puncture the Mylar. Other pastas go into a ziploc for 2-5 years. I mylar enough flour for one loaf a week for a year - 52 loads = 52 pounds. And I know that without a crisis, I can rotate though 5-10 lbs of flour/year without making homemade bread - just with occasional pancakes, treats, and holidays. Sugar will stay forever - and bug free - without mylar. I just bought commercially prepared LTS 25-year shelf life of powdered eggs, as an additional source of protein in LTS. My home is very dry. So the only real issue is to BOLO for mice. So I keep mylar in Rubbermaids or up higher, and cans lower, and review regularly. I prep for the following situations - - illness (requires different foods & easy prep) - short-term and long-term income/asset loss - weather emergency- both short term and as in Sandy long term interruption of power and food availability at stores - other cause of interruption normal food and/or power/water distribution - inflation (same as loss of income/assets) - & lastly, serious widespread crisis where money might be useless and/or food unavailable Just sharing in case it helps someone trying to sort out various goals & options.
This is absolutely fantastic I had a read it over a couple of times. I was very pleased with what you said about the freezer causing moisture and just use the mylar bags. I’ve never heard anyone else bring up that point and I really thought that was excellent. Thanks for all your insight and thanks for taking the time to share this great set of information.
Excellent advice. Thank You. I’m a single with adult children who have their own families.I don’t ever want to be wasteful but want to share where I can. Your step by step is a game changer for me. Thank You for this . Stay well and keep sharing your wisdom. It’s so needed.
Thank you for your information. I love the break down and how store items. I'm family of two righ now. We started prepping two years ago. I did clean out last week and rotation.
When I purchase rice, other grains and all beans, I put them in the freezer for 1 week to kill all eggs or larvae that are already in the product. No matter how careful a manufacturer is, they can’t eliminate such small debris, it doesn’t mean they are dirty or have sloppy practices. Your goal is to prevent the insects that are already there from hatching After I take them out of the freezer, the bags will feel wet due to condensation. Let them dry, it may take a day or two. Then store in a long term manner, Mylar, buckets and/or mason jar.
There is a Gleaners program by where I live. I learned the true meaning of long term and what last years from getting food there. I have 13 year old pancake mix Krustaez brand in original packaging. Still perfectly delicious. Ate12 year old jello pudding. Perfectly delicious. Peanut butter from 2008. Perfectly delicious. Seasoning packets of gravy a decade old in retail pack, spam from 2008. Still good. I live in temperate climate. Might not work in hotter temps. Also I have 31 year old red wheat berries just packed in food grade buckets. Perfectly fine. So far only items that were stale a year or so past date are the crackers, mayo, salad dressing and croutons. Tested some rice from 2012 that was in mylar and all was perfect. Good idea to store at least 1000 pounds of each type of grain you like to eat but only if stored in mylar with absorbers and in buckets. Oh yeah, mylar bag of fruity pebbles from 2012 eaten 8 years later was perfect. All I can say is the temperate climate in the northwest must play a big part. But I agree. Only store what you are comfortable eating within a certain time. Stack it to the rafters! Make it so a 24 foot truck can ‘t contain your stockpile!
@@rharvey2124 I’m not quite sure because the last time I was in one it was wiped clean so I haven’t had a chance to check again mostly because the closest one is an hour away
I'm 68 years old, and my eyes aren't what they use to be. I use a black sharpie and boldly write exp. dates on each item. I like your sticker system. I once purchased some grain from eBay. I had plans of packaging it into jars, but life happened. Well, I started finding weevils everywhere. The grain was in my kitchen, but weevils were in the basement, the first floor, and the second floor. What a huge job that was getting rid of them. How did they spread so far so fast? I also bought a 50 lb bucket or rice. The bucket arrived in a box already packaged for long term storage, so I never opened the box. Then we got a mice problem. Turned out the bucket inside the box wasn't sealed properly. Lesson learned. I prefer #10 cans.
Their candy challenges with long-term food storage! I do like the sticker system only because for me the colors represent when I need to use them for the most part and it makes it very simplistic for me. My brain likes simple… Lol
Lynn you are so right about the "treats" that marketing makes so appealing as impulse buys in the store. But here is what I've learned to do. If I see some item I think I might like but don't need, I just put it on a list. Could be on Pinterest or Amazon or eBay wish list etc. That fulfills the temporary desire of interest and I usually never end up buying it. Frugal people used to advise to Never buy until you have thought it over 5 or so days.
Appreciate your comment about seasons of life. I have been watching a lit of clips on pantries today.. I'm going to reorganize my pantry tomorrow.. I want to have 6 months of food.. but I need to assess.. and what I really use. I've got several flours and a big bag of rice in my freezer to prepare for storage.. BUT I try to eat low carb.. lolol.. so the flour and rice are something I need to re-evaluate. ( those scones sure looked good.. )
I’m not canning or storing flour, sugar , or rice in bulk either. I buy sugar once every two years and same with flour. I found can stuff do last longer than package stuff.
I totally agree, party of one. My kitchen is to small to bake or make a big mess, so I do purchase the smaller packages, some after open I keep in refrigerator. A person will get the little Roly poly bugs in dog food also if it’s sitting around in package to long! Thank you help.
I store my bulk flour in Five gallon food grade buckets with bay leaves in them. In the winter I keep the buckets on my back porch which is unheated and the flour stays awesome. No bug issues.
I understand what you are saying!! I've decided to implement a similar system and in order to get started on it ... I have to pull out near to expiry food and use it up!! Just because it's there doesn't mean it's going to last forever. Some items are definitely worth storing and other items are not.
I don't stock any bisquick type product. I don't bake a lot..I don't cook a lot because I am a party of 1. I do have flour in a quart jar in case I need it. But I DO stock the 4 cheese instant potatoes! I Love Them..I will put Ranch Style beans or Hoppin John over them and call it a meal. Simple, quick and fills my stomach. I like convenience food for busy days. I do have multiple quart jars of sugar for sweet tea. We should stock according to what we will eat on a regular basis. I have bought a few canned meats to try. Like canned roast beef and canned pulled pork. If I don't like it I won't stock it. I also stock according to BB year so I can use items that will expire that year. Each year has its own shelf or two.
If you repackage anything in airtight containers it will last longer. Just saying. Things are Not going to get better only worse for years to come. For me it's not just about my self but my grown children and grandchildren too if we all prepare we all well be better off. There might be food but can you afford it? Already the prices have gone up meat for instance. Ask your self why countries around the world are stockpiling food?
We have three stages of storage: working pantry, one year storage, and very long term. I buy the flour for working pantry, but I store wheat berries long term. I'll split my veggies from my garden into fresh for dinner, canned for the winter, and I freeze dry the rest for long term. I buy a few pouches of the buttery potatoes for convenience, but instant potatoes that require milk and butter will last longer, as well as the real potatoes we also freeze dry. Pancake mix for working pantry, but all the ingredients for scratch baking are stored long term, including freeze dried raw eggs. I think everyone has to calculate their needs, usage, and space and make their best decisions on their situations. We're lucky to have options and only two mouths to feed. We have abundant storage in working pantry and a large basement. We also have our long term storage spread out over a few other locations because all your eggs should never be in one basket.
The 25 lbs of rice, beans, oats etc are for long term in mylar work oxygen absorbers and buckets not 1-2 years. I'm just one so I have long term basics then a well stocked kitchen and decent back up storage
I get gallon storage bags and anything (example) KNORRS...Any & all..love them...I date and place that best dates together..Same as any thing oil/ flavored base, and but plain items( oatmeal, flour, instant pots, in FoodSaver bags for longer term...Spices the same....Just me so I get what can and repeat....Same with any meats & frozen foods... Wish I can remember 🤷♀️ where I read, that seasoning packets ( wrap in saran wrap) can be frozen in a good quality freezer bag./ vacuumed sealed for longer use..???? Thanks..❤⚘❄
Yeah, we are a family of three, and when it comes to non-canned things that have a limited shelf-life of say 1 to 3 years, I only keep a limited supply. Depending upon whether the shelf-life is 1 year or 3 years, I keep either 1 extra box or pkg, or I keep 2 or 3. This is to prevent them from going bad. I am much more likely to store more canned items (i.e. canned meats, canned stews & soups, and canned broths). You want to limit your stockpile to bare bones basic items. So if you eat rice, yes, store some rice in your stockpile. Store bullion cubes. Store dried pastas. Store the aforementioned canned items, as well as other canned items that you routinely eat. NEVER store an excessive amount of boxed or very limited shelf-life items like the ones you have out on your counter. I recently used a can of Hormel Roast Beef & Gravy that was purchased in 2009 or 2010 and had an expiration of 2011. It was at least 11 years old, and it was absolutely edible with ZERO noticeable chance in its taste or quality. I'm not arguing that ANYONE should make a habit of storing cans for more than a decade, but what I'm saying is that I'm MUCH MORE comfortable storing canned items for extended periods than I am anything that comes in a box or a bag. So I think this is a good video for people to watch because this is one mistake that people commonly make and one stage of evolution on food storage and preparedness that EVERYONE WILL REACH eventually. Great stuff! A lot of wisdom in advising people to limit items like these!
Excellent point made about that can… I agree with you we wouldn’t normally eat things that expired but it is still good to know that you do have a much longer shelf life. I know there’s been quite a bit of disagreement about what a store and not store since I posted this. But I am still inclined not to store packaged items especially for the size family I have anymore and only can goods in the stockpile. Thanks thanks for this great comment!😊
@@allthinghomewithlynn Even if there is some disagreement, I'm on your side here. I think you store a reasonable amount, which is to say that you store enough that you never actually run out of the items that you had on the counter. So you always have at least 1 extra in the pantry, and when you get down to a single item, that's when you buy another. But storing 6, 10, or more of them? No way... You have to be mindful of how fast you move through the food items being discussed. So I'm with you! Take care!
I like your advice. I need to go to dollar store and get a calendar and make up my Feb. menu. What I want to do with some of it is when I see for example three five pound bags of flour about to expire with in three months and I know there is no way I will use it I will donate it to the food pantry as a tithe to the Lord. I'm right now eating flour that has expired in April of last year. Not to mention some of the products you have there on your counter. Best thing for me to do is vacuum seal or donate to local food bank. Good thing to do is bake them up and feed the homeless as well before the expiration date. Call it a heavenly investment. Remember anything given to the Lord is not wasted.
You are absolutely correct on the items you showed but, some of the boxed items are still good just not as good freeze it. When your freezer is half empty fill your gallon milk jugs half way with water when power goes out frozen water jugs helps keep freezer cold longer and well, it’s drinkable water. My two year old muffin mix was just a bit crumbly but tasted awesome. My whole Nido whole milk was good two years after the Best Buy date food savered in freezer same as my yeast in the freezer ( just bring to room temperature prior to using.”).
You’re totally right about filling the freezer with water jugs. I used to do that in a big chest freezer that we have in our basement which we no longer use. I had the whole bottom filled with gallons of water and I always figured that was an emergency back up if we needed water as well.♥️
My sister put a bunch of the junk food her grand kids and son wanted and took them out of the pantry and put them in a big box. She told them I'm not buying more until y'all eat this up or mostly up first. We also try to buy things that we will use up in the next few months to a year. We have a small family though.
We are redoing our pantry constantly… Every time I think I have it right I find a new item I want to add or an item I no longer want to use and also I am trying to be more diligent in watching what I use it quickly versus what I don’t use up quickly so I store things that I only need. It’s an ever changing thing in our household.
@@allthinghomewithlynn Same with us like after so long you get tired of certain foods or just want to change things up, some things we eat more of in the winter than in the summer or vice versa it's worth it but it's constant work
If those things were put in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, they would last, and insects cannot live without oxygen. That or vacuum seal in canning jars with a food saver. Things in mylar I then put into popcorn tins to keep mice out. The plain instant potatoes last for years if put in mylar or sealed in canning jars. The small packages with cheese or fats in them will not last as long.
So true. I have had my share of wasted food over the years. I have always put back more food in winter so I didn't need to go to store as often. But I still overestimated the amount of food needed for 2 people. We normally don't eat much canned soup but I do keep some in case we are sick. I am also learni ng what not to buy i n bulk sat Costco.
You are so right about the long term storage. I have learned that nothing you buy today in a packet or box will last has to be in your everyday pantry. I only store staples for long term in food grade buckets. The rest goes in my pantry.
I know what you mean. Before the expired date it’s a lil funky. Mylar bags don’t work for me and I followed every trick and am very aware I don’t make a mistake. But I do want flour so I put it up in mason jars with oxy absorbers and I vac seal it. I don’t want to be without bread. I also put stuffing and potatoes and oatmeal up in mason jars. They will all keep. 1/2 gallon jars hold a lot. But that’s a lot of darn mason jars. The little boxes of muffin Mac n cheese etc. I know better so it’s just on the shelf. And I can’t get myself to put up knorr packets cuz the rice and noodles to make it are stored and spices too. And I dehydrate all veggies to save room so I can make it myself. If you have spices, dehydrated veggies and your rice noodles and taters then some cream of mixes vac sealed and tomatoes dehydrated or canned and dry chiles cover a lot of recipes. My husband is Mexican and so I buy bags of dry chiles and jar them and dehydrate a host of varieties. Ya gotta have a lil spunk in your food
I thought about pullling out mac and cheese packets (powder) and storing them in the freezer if I purchase a great deal on boxed mac and cheese. I can put the noodles in a mason jar and just measure it out as I need to .
@@allthinghomewithlynn that’s a great idea. I have regular cheese and velveta in freezer from 3 years ago that is great when I pull it out and use it. I think I will vac seal those cheese packets too and freeze them. Thanks!
We ran into the same issue with prepackaged items. Especially pancake and waffle mixes. We don't eat them often enough to actually store extra. I chose a tub of instant potatoes verses packs of them. Because we only use it to thicken other things. I went to basics. Ingredients verses ready to make. It's cheaper and it serves the purpose. Basic nutrition for hard times.
I love that you did this video, there are certain things like flour and crackers, I had to bake a bunch of stuff to freeze, just to use up my flour before summer
I thought about doing that but my freezer is full so lesson learned only by what I can use, only by what I can store, only by what I can carefully keep for the future.
Nice video. I’m a family of one, so I’m careful not to buy big bags or boxes of anything. I also learned, like you, I’ve had to throw things out because they got old. One thing you CAN do, IF you have room, is freeze those small bags of instant potatoes, etc. That will give a lot of extra time before they go bad. Ive done this with brownie mixes when i can get them super cheap. Obviously, it all depends on what you and your family like to eat, so we all have to do what makes sense in our own situations!
Put wheat items in freezer for 3 days no need to throw out etc. Just treat them in freezer!!; Noodles etc box dinners as I buy I treat wheat items ..no problems
First timer here. I loved hearing you call your stockpile an investment. It truly is. I’ve “made money” on the steaks I bought a year or so ago, frozen airtight. Good that you are being thoughtful about your purchases. I like to store just the very basics, and make my own recipes, so soup mixes, pancake mixes or crackers wouldn’t be a part of my stockpile. Packaging is everything when it comes to long term storage, and as a woman with a bread machine, flour is a must. I don’t buy any pre made bread products at all, so flour very important for me to store, again in Mylar after freezing for a week or so. (You don’t need to keep the flour in the freezer.)I’ve never had any issues with bugs that way. And I would die without my potato flakes!! They are my lazy go to. I keep them in my working pantry in the box, but my long term taters are safe n sound in Mylar bags in larger plastic containers. With my expanding household, I am so grateful for the abundance!!
You could mylar bucket all of those things and keep them for a really long time. I freeze my flour to kill things off for a week then i let it sit out a couple days to returns to room temp amd then I mylar bucket it. Will keep for years.
We go through our pantry every 3-6 months, find anything expiring within the next month or two, and donate it to the local food bank if I don't think we'll eat it. I count the "loss" as part of our annual charitable giving and a see it as a way to bless others.
I drop mine off at a local high-rise apartment building that houses low income people that are disabled and/or elderly. Sometimes the people that need help the most aren't able to get transportation to get to a food bank.
Great idea!
What an awesome idea!
Good idea!
This is amazing!!!
You can keep boxed/bagged goods fresh for many years by pouring them into large mason jars, and vacuum sealing them with a food saver jar lid attachment and a hand-held brake bleeder. After using them, you can re-vacuum seal the jars.
I do the exact same thing with mine
We do the exact thing and we vacuum seal or mylar bags .
Weeks or months, maybe, but not years. Anything containing cheese powder, butter powder, oils or fats, nuts and bullion will all go rancid after a fairly short period of time. Doesn't matter about air, it's the product.
I rotate and donate
@@debraigo2711 I personally haven’t had anything go rancid on me I’m still using peanut butter that I expired a year ago I bought that three years ago I keep mine in a cool dark place I don’t really don’t pay attention to expiration dates I go more by smell and taste I also rotate my food as well
Those dry soup mixes and instant potatoes are really good for emergencies, power outages, car bugout bag etc
Absolutely that’s a great idea for the emergency car bag.
I buy those potatoes in larger carton at Sam's and pour in jars with oxygen absorbers. I seal them and they last years.
That a good idea to pass on, I did it,some things went bad..
@@maggiehumble7822 I havent had my potatoes, hashbrowns or flakes go bad in jars with absorber. I buy just plain with no added butter or anything. Flakes dont last as long because they are already so fine.
Makes perfect sense. I'm a family of one with grown kids on their own. I justified buying huge amts of boxed goods by saying they might need it one day. So in the meantime the boxes sit getting older and older. I'm going to turn a corner today, all thanks to you. They'll get the boxed food now and they can decide what to do with it. It'll open shelving for more canned meat which I do use on the regular. Thank you! I needed to hear this👍
Thank you Sheri.....you sometimes wonder if what you share was needed or worth it. I love when I feel that I helped someone. So many help me when I watch their video....it feels good in the return.
Husband, great video
I do the same,it's just me & my
It does not pay to get more than what we can use. It brings to mind something my Grandma who lived through the Depression always said to me, "Waste not, want not." My Grandma and Dad raised me and I wish I had learned more of her thrifty ways. She could make any meal stretch and you still felt like you had a feast. Have a great week.
It’s amazing how little we can live on and yet we think we need so much.
My grandma said something similar..."waste and you shall surely want" and I never forgot that.
Throwing 😂 this all out is a big waste !
I am so glad someone finally said this 🙌 I started stocking like crazy when covid hit and now i have so much that is way out of date. Some are still good, but some have had to be thrown out. Its sad, but you can only eat so much. I have been doing the "pantry challenge" to use up as much as I can. Not only am I using up what I have but I am also saving money by not buying more.
Thank you so much for your comment… It’s a struggle to keep a balance. You have some that feel you should stockpile and store anything and everything in mass quantities and then you have people like me who try to store extra and found that it was somewhat a waste of money because now it is expiring and some of this is going stale and can’t be used and other things I’m just trying to use up. Trying to find a balance is my new challenge for this season.
Don't toss. Check with neighbors. Srop at a church community food box. Donate to a church with a community food kitchen.
Many still good after exp date
@@allthinghomewithlynn These things will last longer if repackaged properly. If you couldn't get them in the stores, then you would be glad you had them.
My stockpile is rotated through. I am one person but I am able to keep up with not having to throw food away. Canned foods are good far beyond the date! That is my main stockpile.
Great info! I started stockpiling back in 2020. I bought so many things that I don’t use on a reg basis and many thing two years later are past the Best Buy date now or coming close. I went thru my extended pantry and gathered up everything that is coming in the next month or two to it’s expiration date and took it to my local food mission box. I love I can turn my over zealous stockpiling into helping others but now I’m more prudent. I didn’t go by the motto, “Stock what you eat and eat what you stock!! “ Lessons learned!
No matter how long you do something....there are always lessons that you can learn.
Exactly!
I also stock items on the shelf according to BB year. A different shelf for each year so I use the oldest first and make meals according to what i need to use first.
@@donnalovintexas8760 I do this too. If I have 24 cans of something and go to the store and the dates are to close to my other BB dates, I won't buy till the dates are further out.
Thank YOU!!! When covid hit, I went into panic mode and started buying because things were missing off the shelves, I started watching prepper channels and felt I was behind the curve, oh my goodness my family could starve, I know I'm not the only one. I've started pulling things and we are not saving everything for a rainy day, I need to just cook it up, I haven't been really shopping for a couple months and barely made a dent. I am going to spend the rest of the winter using all the packaged goods I was saving for when the stores closed and there would be no more deliveries. Be careful what you watch, your unconscious mind will go wild especially when you are told to stay home and you have nothing better to think about.
I totally understand!
Two😂 years later now..... you should of kept going on pantry.. we seem to be going into ww3 now.
Avoid bugs in your flour. freeze flour, bring to room temperature, mylar bag with oxygen absorbers and no bugs ever. Pretty soon we will not be able to get Rice or flour. Many crops were destroyed and shipping is getting impossible. Just a tad bit of information.
Thank You 🤗
U are dead on. What wheat that was harvested last year was dumped oops on purpose into the Mississippi. Farmer will not be growing much corn this summer due to high cost fertilizer and unless you like issues with your hormones and boys turning into girls you will not have issues with the abundance of soy that will be flooding the market. Cannot express how extremely happy I am to have stored over 700 lbs of wheat berries
If you use mylar and oxy absorbers, you don't need to freeze. Bugs cannot live without oxygen.
Good information! I'm motivated to sort through my food storage, pull out things that are coming to the end of the "best by" and make my February meal plan out of them.
It feels so good to clean out and get these things updated doesn't it!
Hi, All these items can be vacuumed sealed in mylar bags or put into Mason jars to extend the shelf life for years to come!
I’m definitely going to do a little bit more research on oxygen absorbers!
I put many items in mason jars or even vacuum seal the mason jars. Just taking food out of the cardboard is a game changer and extends the life. Have Mylar bags/oxygen absorbers but not tried yet. I know you can put oxygen absorbers in mason jars as well to seal. My one thing about mason jars and vacuum sealing I like better is it looks nice in the pantry and you can reseal after use for items you don’t use very often or very much. For me that is my dehydrated vegetables. FYI for a bonus, permanent marker works on glass and washes off so you can mark the item and dates if wanted.
What you're saying is so true.. I had a few things that wasn't expired that was stale and rancid 😪
Knowing how to store food long term is one of the most important lessons to learn in long term food storage. If you couldn't get bread, biscuits or gravy mixes you will have to make them yourself or do without. Bread takes either 1, 1 1/2, or 2 lbs of flour depending on how big of a loaf you need. For me a 1lb loaf per week is perfect, what is not eaten is made into bread crumbs, cubes for salads and dressing. Flour last 5 yrs in a air tight container but will last up to 10 years bucketed with the oxygen removed. Instant potatoes will not last long because they are processed if you wanted to store instant potatoes get plain and put into a mason jar and again remove the oxygen. I use dry ice for the buckets to remove oxygen and for the mason jar I use a vaccine sealer. Storing food long term doesn't mean to leave in the original package or box from the store. Storing food improper is wasting your time and money and purhaps a infestation.
I've never had flour last 5 years never,and all was in air tight containers, sorry I disagree,I live off grid for 30 years now,maybe I'm just storing it wrong,just saying
Thanks, Lynn. You are so right. I had several cake mixes and dessert mixes I had to throw out. I'm too embarrassed to even say how expired they were. Time goes by quicker than you think. I won't stockpile that stuff anymore. It was just money wasted.
Do you know what I find more and more that when you live life somethings just slipped between the cracks. Don’t be embarrassed… You and I could share stories one day and get a good laugh out of each others.
I just happened across your channel and I’m so glad that I did. You’re sensible and easy to listen to. I think you’ll be my binge on this cold, snowy evening. Thanks for the info! I don’t really store things like these either
Well hello Ann and that was a very nice complement and I thank you. Hope you enjoy some of the other videos too🤗🤗🤗
I wish I had heard this 2 years ago. I've had to throw away a lot of boxed items as well. Crackers, cookies, and boxed cereals decelop an off taste after a while so that was a waste of money. Seemed like a good idea at the time. Learning curve but I hate to waste. Another thing I have found is that our diets or tastes change as well. This is good advice. Thank you.
Well my grandmother said it’s never a mistake if you learn from it it’s then only lessons learned😊
I have watched other peoples shows and a lot say to store plain saltiness. The others tend to have oils in them and they go rancid. So I store regular crackers in airtight quisinart bags.
My diet has changed a lot in the past two years so all the stuff I bought in 2020 aren’t things I want to eat anymore.
I completely understand that.
I store everything in mylar bags and half gallon jars with oxygen absorbers. They will last for many years. There's no need to throw things away and waste them, if you have other options available. Doesn't matter if it's past best buy date with certain items. I also vacuum seal everything. I've never had anything go bad. I will say that as soon as I've bought crackers and opened them right away, they were stale and nasty, nowhere near the best buy date. I've even brought milk home and it's ruined. So I started getting shelf stable milk from Dollar Tree. I only use it for cooking thou because I don't like milk.
Southern, my story too.
Good information. Packaged foods are a bit expensive per ounce. Those pantry moths are capable of getting into those boxes and bags. And hard to get rid of too bc you have to pull EVERYTHING out, wash EVERYTHING down; even around the lids of jars, corners of cabinet, shelving and they STILL a few are around months even years later.
Mice is another that can chew through the buckets also.
I started prepping years before 2020 bc I knew "something" was going to happen. I had stuff go bad and others stayed good.
But ppl just remember the Depression lasted 10 years. I worked with the elderly who had gone through the Depression ( now long past away now) and what they said that eating food with bugs in them and stale was not a problem if you're hungry enough.
They had the basic staples and made everything from scratch, ate one "meal" a day or less often.
Panic buying makes you make poor food choices. So think before you buy.
100% agreed panic buying does make you have poor choices. I was listening to someone the other day and they said just continue to buy the basics because in the end that’s really what most of us end up eating.
You make a lot of good points on these items. I am definitely rethinking of what I keep on hand and how much I keep on hand. I am going thru my pantry and freezers to use up several items. I just commented on another one of your videos about the Bear Creek soups. Really enjoying your content.
Thanks so much… Getting through my comments and I’ll find the one with the Bear Creek soups🤗
The season our country is in... many people will need in the not so distant future.
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times my stockpile has gotten me through some hard times as a widowed mom with 4 mouths to keep fed, I’m now a family of 2 and still continue to stockpile, it’s a compulsive habit now
I totally agree the Stockpile has helped me many times when I’ve been in a pinch.
Excellent points, especially the financial cost of long term food storage IF it ends up going to waste. You gave me food for thought too-I'm going to put a reminder on my calendar to review my long term food storage once a month to be sure I'm rotating things out & replacing with new/fresh- thank you. I'm a household of 1, and you're right about how long it could take to use up things.
Do you have brought up a good point I have on our calendar the first of every month to pay all of our bills at one time and then the rest of the things like food and gas in the car etc. comes out of the budget the rest of the month. Why not put on my calendar once a month to go through my food storage. I’ll have to pick a date and stick to it.
I agree with you, some things just don’t store well enough for long term. Oils and food with oils like nut, peanut butter and salad dressing only last six months before they go rancid. I never stocked them before the pandemic, so I was not aware of it until recently.
You can vacuum pack those items and they do last past the due dates. I have all of that from 2020. The vacuum packed pancakes and such are not as tasty as before the new dates, but adding fruit or spices it can be revived. I ate it and it was fine. Learn to vacuum pack these with the plastic bags and store in bins with tops. These items last forever after storing properly. White rice, dry beans, seeds and can goods that don’t have dents. Keep in a dry cool place. Also go online and look for prepping foods that come in a container that stores for 25 years. Those are nice. Ready wise and Patriot products are very good ones.
I’m a single Senior in Hawai’i. I keep it to what I like to eat and if it has versatility I.e. Rice or pasta goes with all my cans.
In the islands we were raised on spam, tuna, sardines with rice, depression foods are great!! You my dear are awesome 🤙🏼
I love the simplicity of this!
All my boxed item are either mylared or in freezer.
I'm so glad I ran across your video, I have a huge tote full of au gratin potatoes, rice, Mac n cheese, rice, crackers, oats, knorr pasta, etc. I will start using my food in the tote this week and buy canned food from now on. It's just me and my 86 year old mother and my brother, we don't eat much but I was rushing to create a pepper pantry and I did not think thru my food choices.
Hello Debra and thanks for touching base. Guess I’m finding more and more to just to be a smart shopper and a better prepper.
Those things last for a long time if repackaged properly for storage.
Lynn, I experienced the same problem with items reaching their expiration date before they were consumed. With that being said, I too have decided not to stockpile the same type of items. It’s money wasted if the stockpile is being thrown out.
I totally agree… I have had people tell me and I’ve even had viewers tell me that I should continue to Stockpile these items and they will last long past the date. But from my experience they don’t last and they go stale they taste horrible and I’ve wasted my money. I want to make sure I am a smart shopper and I invest wisely in my Stockpile with the items I will use and not waste any money.
I am trying to watch all your videos ! Thx so much for sharing your experiences with us ! Appreciate you so much !!!! ❤
Thank you ever so much for all your support and watching my videos♥️
Thank you for this share. I choose not to buy pre-packed processed items because I usually have the items on hand to make from scratch i.e. cornbread, pancake mix etc. I also only purchase in bulk the items we eat on a regular and if I choose to do a meal on a splurge I make the one time purchase for that meal item. I try to have a stockpile of enough food items for 3 to 4 months out for both freezer and overflow pantry.
I would love to be able to make more from scratch… But working full-time outside of the home and taking care of two people with disabilities and an older parent my time is so limited unfortunately I have to use boxed items at times. But when the day comes where I have extra time… I can’t wait for making more things from scratch.
@@allthinghomewithlynn there are recipes out there for all those flour type mixes and easy to set up with mason jars to make one or 2 batches at a time. Improper storage is a waste of money. There are hard times coming and people need to figure out their food storage because the stores are going to be too high priced or not available. The pancake mix made from scratch in mason jars vacuum sealed needs to be labeled with instructions. I live by myself and have to cook if I want to eat. I also live a busy life working outside the home. Processed food is a rip off and unhealthy. A couple hours on a Saturday or Sunday, you can mix up ingredients for whatever you plan to eat that week while the bread (or buns or muffins) is rising. No knead bread is easy on you hands if they are old and tired.
Great thoughts, thanks for sharing.
Good suggestions. Someone needed to here this.
Thanks for this video. I 💯 agree with you. I had to re-evaluate how and what I decided to store for my husband and I. I was listening to so many prepper's that I had to stop and use common sense based on what we eat and use. Loved this video...
I totally agree with you… I found myself listening to some of them and I loved the titles of the video and it did suck me right in… And then I found myself getting disillusioned and discouraged and overwhelmed.
A great video with an excellent view on stockpiling.
You have no idea what is coming. Better stick the flour in jars and get more food
Good common sense, Lynn. Thank you for sharing! From Cheryl in AZ.
You are so right👍🏽 I need to go through my long term pantry 👍🏽
And pull thoses packages out
I came by your video by roaming and I love your message and you’re correct in all that you’re saying. I’m glad I found someone who feels the way that I do cause it’s just my 85 yr old mother and myself so I’m struggling with do we need a lot of this or that.
Thank you so much Tina for your wonderful comment and coming over. I hope you find some other encouragement through some of my other videos. Welcome to my home.😄
So during quarantine I pulled everything with a date on it out and put everything in date order (including spices) and started to let that influence my meal prep for the week. When my husband went shopping I would let him know what we were looking for and what our price points were. He went to the store a lot just to get out of the house so little by little we used things up and got a lot of newer dates on things. It was a little fun and a really nice challenge.
Inventory what you have in ur pantry, keep what you need and donate what you don't.
Thank you for this video. The joy of preparedness is there are lots of ways to to it and make it work for oneself. 💓
I have a limit on how much I can buy or store. I have a spreadsheet and search 2 months ahead to ensure nothing gets wasted. Im currently doing a challenge to use what’s on hand to find my gaps, see what I like/don’t like so I know what do store/eat in the future. I find the ‘mental planning’ vs actually living it is very different. Im working on having a living pantry I rotate through
Its all a learning process,and sometimes its good to filter out what is not necessary for actual survival ,makes prepping easier to manage.
Yes and if we learn from our mistakes it’s lessons learned not mistakes made. That’s what my grandmother always taught me.😀
Thank you for the good information about your video I learned a lot today I am a family of two me and my husband and I have grandkids and my son in another apartment so I will not be storing what you showed me on the video today very very good information
Thanks so much…. I’m glad it was a help to you!
I only buy canned goods and items which will keep at least 10 years, in my long term storage. It keeps storage and organizing simple. We raise animals and garden so fresh food isn't a problem.
Very nice about your canned goods and I can’t wait to start a garden again this year.
Great ideas!
The answer to your dilemma is actually simple, small investment into a vacuum sealer.. I have a cheap one from walmart.. like $50.. then you can buy those forever foods like rice and beans in 20lb bags and portion it out into single serving sizes, or sizes that fit your family.. make a family day of it were everyone gets involved so it's not too much on one person to do all the vacuum sealing.. just always remember, heat, sunlight, and oxygen are what causes those foods to go bad.. great video, keep it coming..!!
Girl, I’m with you. I bought so much food in 2020 that I’m working hard to use some of those items up before they expire. I’m not much of a prepackaged person anyway. I bought items recommended on UA-cam and now am cooking like crazy to use up pancake mix and oats (just to name a few items). I’ve found a recipe from Jan in NYC saves money for oat bread that uses pancake mix which saves me. I’ve made so many loaves and given away.
Jan is a gem of a person… We have become good friends and I love her to pieces.
Can you add a link to that recipe? I need to use some stuff up as well. Thanks!
@@janp7660 I don’t know how to add a link but I found the recipe from a you tuber - Jan from NYC saves money and the title was Make a vanilla oat loaf with pancake mix today.
We really liked it. I use more cinnamon than she did and 1/2 c sugar. I’ve also made it with blueberries and we love it. So easy and fast. I’ve given the bread to people and they also loved it. Hope you try it and enjoy it too.
I’ve learned through all this I actually like fresh and frozen veggies. Not much of a fan of prefab soups, potatoes and etc. I do have food stored but I’m constantly rotating food. Like you there are foods I won’t be buying again unless I use it immediately.
I love those package pizza crust abs muffin mixes. Great for in the morning or a bread with dinner. But you're right. It really depends on what your family uses.
New subscriber here to thank you for the content
Thank you so much for subscribing and I hope you enjoy and find encouragement in my up-and-coming videos and even some of the older ones🤗
Put your flour in the freezer for a couple of days when you first get it.
That was very helpful. Thank you.
Thank you🤗
Part of keeping it simple
Those kinds of things need to be vacuume sealed out of those card board boxes
Here’s what I’ve learned about preparing my family with good food preps since 2012 Superstorm Sandy -
I created a deep pantry first - what we normally eat from the pantry times the number of months that it can be stored & used before expiring.
Usually anything in a food “mix” or anything with oils in it, has 3-12 mos shelf life. So I don’t buy more than what I’d normally eat during that time (eg peanut butter, instant pasta blends, etc).
Then I needed to fill in the gap from the lack of fresh/frozen veggies. I did that with canned veg mostly (some dehydrated). So I bought what we would need to replace fresh/frozen for 3-6 mos bc I know that w/o any emergency I could easily dovetail that into my normal meals by their 2-3 year exp date. Same with commercial and home canned proteins (eg chicken, tuna).
I keep everything expiring within a year in one place. Everything else in another part of the deep pantry.
Then I needed a way to feed my family in a serious crisis that lasted more than 6 mos. There were few options that didn’t have other other downsides including money loss. And in this case I decided that the circumstances would probably dictate the our eating habits would need to change.
So I chose long term storage (5+ years) of LTS- friendly items. I only do Mylar & O2 absorbers. It’s very inexpensive. I just bought 40 bags (good 7 mil thickness) & 100 O2 abs for $46.
Skip the freezer. It can add moisture which is bad for storage. No bugs will grow in a Mylar bag without oxygen. I keep a 6-12 month supply (goal is 12) of every DRY good that could sustain us in the case of a longer than 6 mos crisis. Potato flakes, white rice, oatmeal, beans (legumes) are all good for 25 years with mylar/O2.
Flour, corn meal & and pasta for 5 years.
I only store elbow pasta in Mylar so it doesn’t puncture the Mylar. Other pastas go into a ziploc for 2-5 years.
I mylar enough flour for one loaf a week for a year - 52 loads = 52 pounds. And I know that without a crisis, I can rotate though 5-10 lbs of flour/year without making homemade bread - just with occasional pancakes, treats, and holidays.
Sugar will stay forever - and bug free - without mylar.
I just bought commercially prepared LTS 25-year shelf life of powdered eggs, as an additional source of protein in LTS.
My home is very dry. So the only real issue is to BOLO for mice. So I keep mylar in Rubbermaids or up higher, and cans lower, and review regularly.
I prep for the following situations -
- illness (requires different foods & easy prep)
- short-term and long-term income/asset loss
- weather emergency- both short term and as in Sandy long term interruption of power and food availability at stores
- other cause of interruption normal food and/or power/water distribution
- inflation (same as loss of income/assets)
- & lastly, serious widespread crisis where money might be useless and/or food unavailable
Just sharing in case it helps someone trying to sort out various goals & options.
This is absolutely fantastic I had a read it over a couple of times. I was very pleased with what you said about the freezer causing moisture and just use the mylar bags. I’ve never heard anyone else bring up that point and I really thought that was excellent. Thanks for all your insight and thanks for taking the time to share this great set of information.
Lynn, it was the result of lots of others freely sharing their knowledge & advice on various billboards, blogs & UA-cams. Happy to pass it along 🤗💕
Excellent advice. Thank You. I’m a single with adult children who have their own families.I don’t ever want to be wasteful but want to share where I can. Your step by step is a game changer for me. Thank You for this . Stay well and keep sharing your wisdom. It’s so needed.
Thank you saying it! I came to the same conclusion: if there was a long term crisis., my eating habits would have to change.
Thank you for your information. I love the break down and how store items.
I'm family of two righ now. We started prepping two years ago. I did clean out last week and rotation.
This is exactly what I needed. Thank you 🙏🏼
When I purchase rice, other grains and all beans, I put them in the freezer for 1 week to kill all eggs or larvae that are already in the product. No matter how careful a manufacturer is, they can’t eliminate such small debris, it doesn’t mean they are dirty or have sloppy practices. Your goal is to prevent the insects that are already there from hatching
After I take them out of the freezer, the bags will feel wet due to condensation. Let them dry, it may take a day or two. Then store in a long term manner, Mylar, buckets and/or mason jar.
Can also add a bay leaf to the storage container to prevent further invasion by small insect; but always freeze first.
There is a Gleaners program by where I live. I learned the true meaning of long term and what last years from getting food there.
I have 13 year old pancake mix Krustaez brand in original packaging. Still perfectly delicious. Ate12 year old jello pudding. Perfectly delicious. Peanut butter from 2008. Perfectly delicious. Seasoning packets of gravy a decade old in retail pack, spam from 2008. Still good. I live in temperate climate. Might not work in hotter temps. Also I have 31 year old red wheat berries just packed in food grade buckets. Perfectly fine. So far only items that were stale a year or so past date are the crackers, mayo, salad dressing and croutons. Tested some rice from 2012 that was in mylar and all was perfect.
Good idea to store at least 1000 pounds of each type of grain you like to eat but only if stored in mylar with absorbers and in buckets. Oh yeah, mylar bag of fruity pebbles from 2012 eaten 8 years later was perfect. All I can say is the temperate climate in the northwest must play a big part. But I agree. Only store what you are comfortable eating within a certain time. Stack it to the rafters! Make it so a 24 foot truck can ‘t contain your stockpile!
You must be extremely knowledgeable on food storage… You have some great ideas here.
You are right.
It is your temperate climate that saved them.
I live in Oklahoma and I have no issues with food going bad again it’s how you store it that makes the difference
@@kimberlyweddel2505 Have your Dollar Tree stores gone to $1.25?
@@rharvey2124 I’m not quite sure because the last time I was in one it was wiped clean so I haven’t had a chance to check again mostly because the closest one is an hour away
I'm 68 years old, and my eyes aren't what they use to be. I use a black sharpie and boldly write exp. dates on each item. I like your sticker system. I once purchased some grain from eBay. I had plans of packaging it into jars, but life happened. Well, I started finding weevils everywhere. The grain was in my kitchen, but weevils were in the basement, the first floor, and the second floor. What a huge job that was getting rid of them. How did they spread so far so fast? I also bought a 50 lb bucket or rice. The bucket arrived in a box already packaged for long term storage, so I never opened the box. Then we got a mice problem. Turned out the bucket inside the box wasn't sealed properly. Lesson learned. I prefer #10 cans.
Their candy challenges with long-term food storage! I do like the sticker system only because for me the colors represent when I need to use them for the most part and it makes it very simplistic for me. My brain likes simple… Lol
@@allthinghomewithlynn Great tip; thanks!!!
Agree. Just dumped lots of food that went bad.
Lynn you are so right about the "treats" that marketing makes so appealing as impulse buys in the store.
But here is what I've learned to do.
If I see some item I think I might like but don't need, I just put it on a list.
Could be on Pinterest or Amazon or eBay wish list etc.
That fulfills the temporary desire of interest and I usually never end up buying it.
Frugal people used to advise to
Never buy until you have thought it over 5 or so days.
Fantastic chip I’m going to share that I’m one of the next up-and-coming videos.
Appreciate your comment about seasons of life. I have been watching a lit of clips on pantries today.. I'm going to reorganize my pantry tomorrow.. I want to have 6 months of food.. but I need to assess.. and what I really use. I've got several flours and a big bag of rice in my freezer to prepare for storage.. BUT I try to eat low carb.. lolol.. so the flour and rice are something I need to re-evaluate. ( those scones sure looked good.. )
I’m not canning or storing flour, sugar , or rice in bulk either. I buy sugar once every two years and same with flour. I found can stuff do last longer than package stuff.
Lynn, you and I have so much in common. I love how you say there is always a solution.
Thank you Dawn…. Coming from someone like you that’s high praise and what a treat🤗
I totally agree, party of one. My kitchen is to small to bake or make a big mess, so I do purchase the smaller packages, some after open I keep in refrigerator. A person will get the little Roly poly bugs in dog food also if it’s sitting around in package to long! Thank you help.
I store my bulk flour in Five gallon food grade buckets with bay leaves in them. In the winter I keep the buckets on my back porch which is unheated and the flour stays awesome. No bug issues.
What a great idea during the winter… Love it!
Absolutely agree with you once you're on my cupboard yesterday definitely have to rethink what I am storing
Just found your channel, thanks for the information 👍
So glad you enjoyed😎👍🏻
Great information, thanks 🙏
I use my food saver and half gallon jars and seal them up. Crackers and will keep forever.
I understand what you are saying!! I've decided to implement a similar system and in order to get started on it ... I have to pull out near to expiry food and use it up!! Just because it's there doesn't mean it's going to last forever. Some items are definitely worth storing and other items are not.
I don't stock any bisquick type product. I don't bake a lot..I don't cook a lot because I am a party of 1. I do have flour in a quart jar in case I need it. But I DO stock the 4 cheese instant potatoes! I Love Them..I will put Ranch Style beans or Hoppin John over them and call it a meal. Simple, quick and fills my stomach. I like convenience food for busy days. I do have multiple quart jars of sugar for sweet tea. We should stock according to what we will eat on a regular basis. I have bought a few canned meats to try. Like canned roast beef and canned pulled pork. If I don't like it I won't stock it. I also stock according to BB year so I can use items that will expire that year. Each year has its own shelf or two.
I enjoyed the tips as I've had some of the same thoughts recently on some of the things you mentioned. Have a blessed day!🌻
If you repackage anything in airtight containers it will last longer. Just saying. Things are Not going to get better only worse for years to come. For me it's not just about my self but my grown children and grandchildren too if we all prepare we all well be better off. There might be food but can you afford it? Already the prices have gone up meat for instance. Ask your self why countries around the world are stockpiling food?
I’m definitely now going to try and vacuum seal crackers and jars and see how that works.
We have three stages of storage: working pantry, one year storage, and very long term. I buy the flour for working pantry, but I store wheat berries long term. I'll split my veggies from my garden into fresh for dinner, canned for the winter, and I freeze dry the rest for long term. I buy a few pouches of the buttery potatoes for convenience, but instant potatoes that require milk and butter will last longer, as well as the real potatoes we also freeze dry. Pancake mix for working pantry, but all the ingredients for scratch baking are stored long term, including freeze dried raw eggs.
I think everyone has to calculate their needs, usage, and space and make their best decisions on their situations. We're lucky to have options and only two mouths to feed. We have abundant storage in working pantry and a large basement. We also have our long term storage spread out over a few other locations because all your eggs should never be in one basket.
You are one organized person!😎
The 25 lbs of rice, beans, oats etc are for long term in mylar work oxygen absorbers and buckets not 1-2 years. I'm just one so I have long term basics then a well stocked kitchen and decent back up storage
I get gallon storage bags and anything (example) KNORRS...Any & all..love them...I date and place that best dates together..Same as any thing oil/ flavored base, and but plain items( oatmeal, flour, instant pots, in FoodSaver bags for longer term...Spices the same....Just me so I get what can and repeat....Same with any meats & frozen foods... Wish I can remember 🤷♀️ where I read, that seasoning packets ( wrap in saran wrap) can be frozen in a good quality freezer bag./ vacuumed sealed for longer use..???? Thanks..❤⚘❄
That’s of great information and I thank you😊
Great tips going through my cupboards this week wish you were here to help me
You are too funny!!!! Wouldn't that be a fun day together!
Yeah, we are a family of three, and when it comes to non-canned things that have a limited shelf-life of say 1 to 3 years, I only keep a limited supply. Depending upon whether the shelf-life is 1 year or 3 years, I keep either 1 extra box or pkg, or I keep 2 or 3. This is to prevent them from going bad. I am much more likely to store more canned items (i.e. canned meats, canned stews & soups, and canned broths). You want to limit your stockpile to bare bones basic items. So if you eat rice, yes, store some rice in your stockpile. Store bullion cubes. Store dried pastas. Store the aforementioned canned items, as well as other canned items that you routinely eat. NEVER store an excessive amount of boxed or very limited shelf-life items like the ones you have out on your counter. I recently used a can of Hormel Roast Beef & Gravy that was purchased in 2009 or 2010 and had an expiration of 2011. It was at least 11 years old, and it was absolutely edible with ZERO noticeable chance in its taste or quality. I'm not arguing that ANYONE should make a habit of storing cans for more than a decade, but what I'm saying is that I'm MUCH MORE comfortable storing canned items for extended periods than I am anything that comes in a box or a bag. So I think this is a good video for people to watch because this is one mistake that people commonly make and one stage of evolution on food storage and preparedness that EVERYONE WILL REACH eventually. Great stuff! A lot of wisdom in advising people to limit items like these!
Excellent point made about that can… I agree with you we wouldn’t normally eat things that expired but it is still good to know that you do have a much longer shelf life. I know there’s been quite a bit of disagreement about what a store and not store since I posted this. But I am still inclined not to store packaged items especially for the size family I have anymore and only can goods in the stockpile. Thanks thanks for this great comment!😊
@@allthinghomewithlynn Even if there is some disagreement, I'm on your side here. I think you store a reasonable amount, which is to say that you store enough that you never actually run out of the items that you had on the counter. So you always have at least 1 extra in the pantry, and when you get down to a single item, that's when you buy another. But storing 6, 10, or more of them? No way... You have to be mindful of how fast you move through the food items being discussed. So I'm with you! Take care!
I repackage and/or vacuum seal everything that goes into long term storage.
I like your advice. I need to go to dollar store and get a calendar and make up my Feb. menu. What I want to do with some of it is when I see for example three five pound bags of flour about to expire with in three months and I know there is no way I will use it I will donate it to the food pantry as a tithe to the Lord. I'm right now eating flour that has expired in April of last year. Not to mention some of the products you have there on your counter. Best thing for me to do is vacuum seal or donate to local food bank. Good thing to do is bake them up and feed the homeless as well before the expiration date. Call it a heavenly investment. Remember anything given to the Lord is not wasted.
A wise woman builds her house.....something that I am learning more and more how and what that means. Even when it comes to my stockpile!
You are absolutely correct on the items you showed but, some of the boxed items are still good just not as good freeze it. When your freezer is half empty fill your gallon milk jugs half way with water when power goes out frozen water jugs helps keep freezer cold longer and well, it’s drinkable water. My two year old muffin mix was just a bit crumbly but tasted awesome. My whole Nido whole milk was good two years after the Best Buy date food savered in freezer same as my yeast in the freezer ( just bring to room temperature prior to using.”).
You’re totally right about filling the freezer with water jugs. I used to do that in a big chest freezer that we have in our basement which we no longer use. I had the whole bottom filled with gallons of water and I always figured that was an emergency back up if we needed water as well.♥️
My sister put a bunch of the junk food her grand kids and son wanted and took them out of the pantry and put them in a big box. She told them I'm not buying more until y'all eat this up or mostly up first. We also try to buy things that we will use up in the next few months to a year. We have a small family though.
We are redoing our pantry constantly… Every time I think I have it right I find a new item I want to add or an item I no longer want to use and also I am trying to be more diligent in watching what I use it quickly versus what I don’t use up quickly so I store things that I only need. It’s an ever changing thing in our household.
@@allthinghomewithlynn Same with us like after so long you get tired of certain foods or just want to change things up, some things we eat more of in the winter than in the summer or vice versa it's worth it but it's constant work
If those things were put in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, they would last, and insects cannot live without oxygen. That or vacuum seal in canning jars with a food saver. Things in mylar I then put into popcorn tins to keep mice out. The plain instant potatoes last for years if put in mylar or sealed in canning jars. The small packages with cheese or fats in them will not last as long.
So true. I have had my share of wasted food over the years. I have always put back more food in winter so I didn't need to go to store as often. But I still overestimated the amount of food needed for 2 people. We normally don't eat much canned soup but I do keep some in case we are sick. I am also learni ng what not to buy i n bulk sat Costco.
Excellent excellent points and information Connie thanks for sharing.
You are so right about the long term storage. I have learned that nothing you buy today in a packet or box will last has to be in your everyday pantry. I only store staples for long term in food grade buckets. The rest goes in my pantry.
I know what you mean. Before the expired date it’s a lil funky. Mylar bags don’t work for me and I followed every trick and am very aware I don’t make a mistake. But I do want flour so I put it up in mason jars with oxy absorbers and I vac seal it. I don’t want to be without bread. I also put stuffing and potatoes and oatmeal up in mason jars. They will all keep. 1/2 gallon jars hold a lot. But that’s a lot of darn mason jars. The little boxes of muffin Mac n cheese etc. I know better so it’s just on the shelf. And I can’t get myself to put up knorr packets cuz the rice and noodles to make it are stored and spices too. And I dehydrate all veggies to save room so I can make it myself. If you have spices, dehydrated veggies and your rice noodles and taters then some cream of mixes vac sealed and tomatoes dehydrated or canned and dry chiles cover a lot of recipes. My husband is Mexican and so I buy bags of dry chiles and jar them and dehydrate a host of varieties. Ya gotta have a lil spunk in your food
I thought about pullling out mac and cheese packets (powder) and storing them in the freezer if I purchase a great deal on boxed mac and cheese. I can put the noodles in a mason jar and just measure it out as I need to .
@@allthinghomewithlynn that’s a great idea. I have regular cheese and velveta in freezer from 3 years ago that is great when I pull it out and use it. I think I will vac seal those cheese packets too and freeze them. Thanks!
We ran into the same issue with prepackaged items. Especially pancake and waffle mixes. We don't eat them often enough to actually store extra. I chose a tub of instant potatoes verses packs of them. Because we only use it to thicken other things. I went to basics. Ingredients verses ready to make. It's cheaper and it serves the purpose. Basic nutrition for hard times.
You hit the nail on the head… Basic stuff❤️
I opened a box of rice a roni just in my cabinet. Box wasn't opened but bag had hole in it and spices and all had spilled out
You have to FREEZE YOUR GRAINS FOR 3 TO 4 DAYS.
Stockpiling is a lot of work. I think your method make sense bc rotating large amt of products is overwhelming
Thank You 🤗
I love that you did this video, there are certain things like flour and crackers, I had to bake a bunch of stuff to freeze, just to use up my flour before summer
I thought about doing that but my freezer is full so lesson learned only by what I can use, only by what I can store, only by what I can carefully keep for the future.
Nice video. I’m a family of one, so I’m careful not to buy big bags or boxes of anything. I also learned, like you, I’ve had to throw things out because they got old. One thing you CAN do, IF you have room, is freeze those small bags of instant potatoes, etc. That will give a lot of extra time before they go bad. Ive done this with brownie mixes when i can get them super cheap. Obviously, it all depends on what you and your family like to eat, so we all have to do what makes sense in our own situations!
Thank you and that is a great idea about the extra bags of things.
Put wheat items in freezer for 3 days no need to throw out etc. Just treat them in freezer!!; Noodles etc box dinners as I buy I treat wheat items ..no problems
First timer here. I loved hearing you call your stockpile an investment. It truly is. I’ve “made money” on the steaks I bought a year or so ago, frozen airtight. Good that you are being thoughtful about your purchases. I like to store just the very basics, and make my own recipes, so soup mixes, pancake mixes or crackers wouldn’t be a part of my stockpile. Packaging is everything when it comes to long term storage, and as a woman with a bread machine, flour is a must. I don’t buy any pre made bread products at all, so flour very important for me to store, again in Mylar after freezing for a week or so. (You don’t need to keep the flour in the freezer.)I’ve never had any issues with bugs that way. And I would die without my potato flakes!! They are my lazy go to. I keep them in my working pantry in the box, but my long term taters are safe n sound in Mylar bags in larger plastic containers. With my expanding household, I am so grateful for the abundance!!
Thank you for such great feedback and I’m so glad you joined the community😀
You should have put the flour in canning jars air tight..
You could mylar bucket all of those things and keep them for a really long time. I freeze my flour to kill things off for a week then i let it sit out a couple days to returns to room temp amd then I mylar bucket it. Will keep for years.
Tip...freeze your flour for at least a week, this kills bug larvae and then vacuum seal it to remove all air...so far worked for me
Thank you for that tip😀
Betty.... I do that with flour. Because it is only two of us, I package in 10 cup increments. I did the same with sugar. Without the oxygen absorber.
Just vacuum sealing will kill any bugs, as they cannot live without oxygen.