Help with long term food storage selection

[longrange2]

What are some good choices for freeze dried long term storage food? Most of the ones I have looked at have a serving size of around 200 to 300 calories and a sodium content that is 1/3 or 1/2 or more of the daily value. Are there some good options? I have dried beans, wheat, etc. in mylar and 5 gal buckets but wanted to add some dehydrated meals too.

[TheGrey]

Dehydrated foods are one of many options- do you have a food dehydrator? There are many models available that are quite affordable, and you can make your own meal sizes, controlling the calories, the contents and portions. I find them expensive to the point of seeking other viable options.

Keep in mind that dehydrated foods generally require a lot of water to reconstitute. Have you considered canning your beans?

[rbeau30]

Also, keep in mind that dry beans are good an all, but they take a LOT of fuel to cook. Even when you have soaked overnight. Try storing Lentils. They cook faster.

I have some wise company "grab and go" buckets. But those are just one layer in my many layers of food insurance.

[Irving]

Also, keep in mind that dry beans are good an all, but they take a LOT of fuel to cook. Even when you have soaked overnight.

I think this is where a pressure cooker comes in handy. I can make white rice from dry in only 8 minutes of cook time. I haven't tried beans yet, but I have them on hand, just haven't gotten around to it.

[rbeau30]

I think this is where a pressure cooker comes in handy. I can make white rice from dry in only 8 minutes of cook time. I haven't tried beans yet, but I have them on hand, just haven't gotten around to it.

I have yet to venture into the realm of pressure cooking. My 23 quart pressure cooker is only used for mason jars. :-) Plus it being aluminuminum limits the type of fuels I can use with it.

[Irving]

The pressure cooker I use only goes to 10lbs I think, so while I can't use it for canning, making stuff like rice and chili is AWESOME. Rice in 8 minutes, I think beans is something like 40 minutes. and I can take browned chunks of mediocre steak and they are fork tender in 15 minutes. Great for using less energy in a time when it will really count.

[TheGrey]

You can cook in a pressure canner, but you can't can in a pressure cooker.

Pressure cookers are fantastic- if you ever have freezer-burned meat, you can pop it into your pressure cooker and cook it up and there's no 'freezer burned' taste.

[rbeau30]

I just have yet to utilize my canner for food. I would like a smaller cooker to try out some recipes that I have seen Alton Brown do.


longrange2, I think i got the 84 serving buckets from Wise Co for $162 each shipped I know we have a distributor in here that probably could get you a deal. Like I said just another layer in the food fort. They aren't all that bad either. Not great, but not bad. It was good for me because I was able to purchase one a month in the deal that I got.

[ChunkyMonkey]

I think this is where a pressure cooker comes in handy. I can make white rice from dry in only 8 minutes of cook time. I haven't tried beans yet, but I have them on hand, just haven't gotten around to it.

Stick with rice... You do better in math too.

I did try few things-- rice and corn are the easiest and fastest to cook in a pressure cooker.

[SideShow Bob]

Stick with rice... You do better in math too.

I did try few things-- rice and corn are the easiest and fastest to cook in a pressure cooker.