The Well-Stocked Pantry

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A few tips we've learned over the years are: Include some foods that don't have to be cooked and/or keep a camp stove handy in case the electricity goes out for an extended period (who wants to stoke the wood stove in the middle of summer?); make a point of including lots of variety—it doesn't take long to get tired of tuna casserole with noodles; pack dry foods (beans, pasta, rice, etc.) in gallon and half-gallon jars to keep out bugs and moisture; seal boxes and bags (crackers, cereal, flour, etc.) in strong plastic bags or empty them, too, into jars with tight-fitting lids; keep bulk items like flour and sugar from getting lumpy by storing them in food-grade plastic buckets with tight-fitting lids.

Whenever you use something from your pantry, write it down on your shopping list so you won't forget to replace it. Keep a record of home-canned foods that need to be replaced next harvest season. As your cache of food and supplies grows, you'll rest easier knowing that, come what may—natural disaster, riot, or strike—your well-stocked pantry will see you and your family through. As a side benefit, you'll always be prepared for unexpected company.

EAT UP

Using and replacing food on a regular basis ensures that nothing gets so old that it loses its palatability or nutritional value and that cans and jars don't sit around long enough to rust through.

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