When a disaster strikes, it can disrupt your local supermarket’s ability to stock shelves. The cost of food shoots up as suppliers can no longer ship in a steady stream of goods. The best way to avoid the panic that follows a natural disaster is by getting ready in advance. Stocking up on emergency food is a good first step, but where do you begin? How much should you buy and what kind of food is best for storing? If you’ve ever thought about prepping for impending doom, now is the time to put your pandemic planning into action. There are many things to consider before stockpiling food for an emergency. Two of the most important considerations include whether to buy freeze-dried or dehydrated foods and which foods will have the greatest shelf life after storage.
Freeze Dried Food
Freeze dried food is made by removing all of the water from the food and then freezing it immediately after the process. This allows the manufacturer to retain the food’s original flavour, texture and nutritional value. When freeze drying food, the company is able to kill all of the bacteria that might otherwise survive the dehydration process. This makes freeze dried foods a great option for long-term storage. Freeze drying foods also preserves their original appearance, so you can expect to see things like beans and peas in their natural form without all of the bags, boxes and containers that you would see in dehydrated foods. If you’re considering buying freeze dried food, you’ll want to keep in mind that it does cost more than dehydrated food. While it’s true that freeze dried food might be more expensive than dehydrated food, it’s generally more nutritious and lasts far longer.
Dehydrated Food
Dehydration can be achieved by several methods, including sun or artificial heat drying, reduced-pressure (vacuum) drying, and fermentation with enzymes. These methods are all done at an extremely low temperature so that no significant amount of heat-sensitive nutrients will be destroyed. Foods that are dehydrated retain their natural colour and shape. You’ll often see foods like corn, beans, peas, berries and mushrooms in their dried form. Dehydration is the quickest way to drastically reduce the amount of water in food. Food dehydrators can operate at temperatures high enough to kill bacteria and other pathogens, but low enough so that the food’s nutritional value isn’t destroyed. Dehydrated fruits and vegetables can be found in many supermarkets and online for a reasonable price.
Which is the Best?
If you have the resources to stock up on both freeze dried and dehydrated foods, then you’re in luck. Both have their advantages, and each can sustain you in the event of a natural disaster or emergency situation. However, freeze dried foods will last significantly longer than dehydrated foods and hence it is considered by some as the ultimate prepper food and are often considered to be the best option for stocking up before a disaster strikes. Freeze dried foods are preserved at a very low temperatures and can last up to 30 years in unopened packaging. Dehydrated foods, on the other hand, can last only up to two years if they are unopened. However, if you open a dehydrated food, it will last only one year. This is because moisture is essential to the growth and spread of bacteria. Once you open the packaging of dehydrated foods, you’ll trigger the growth of bacteria that could shorten the food’s shelf life significantly.
Bulk Food Stores
When choosing foods to store for a disaster, it’s important to think about the amount of room that you have available for storage. Ideally, you would find foods that will keep for years without taking up much space in your home. One of the best places to find bulk foods is at a local supermarket or wholesaler. Buying long life ambient food in bulk is a cost-effective way to purchase large quantities of food – but remember that you’ll need to be able to store the food somewhere cool and dark.
Dry Goods to Store for a Disaster
There are many different types of foods that make excellent prepper items. You’ll want to consider the following when stocking up on foods for your emergency pantry: Shelf Life: One of the most important things to consider is the shelf life of each food item. Ideally, you’ll want to buy foods that will last for years at a time. Nutritional Value: You also want to think about the nutritional value of each food item. Ideally, you’d want to stock up on foods that contain as many nutrients as possible. Taste: You also want to make sure that the food you buy tastes good. Ideally, you’d want to buy foods that are delicious and easy to prepare.
Conclusion
When you’re preparing for an upcoming disaster, it’s important to keep a few things in mind. First, you want to make sure that you’re purchasing foods that will last for years at a time. Second, you want to make sure that the food is cheap and nutritious. Finally, you want to make sure that the food is easy to prepare and tastes good. With these things in mind, you can be sure that you’re prepping for an impending disaster the best way possible. It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t have to buy freeze dried or dehydrated foods. You can buy any food in dried form and it will last a long time. Just make sure that you keep it in an airtight container to prevent bugs and rodents from getting to your food!
