FOOD STORAGE : CANNED FOODS

 

Canned foods make an excellent food storage item. Typically, most canned foods have a shelf life of several years, some even longer.
They come in large varieties such as vegetables, meats, fish, soups and fruits to name a few.  Most canned foods, in an emergency situation, will not require that you heat or cook them before eating them. They may not taste as good cold, but they will sustain you. You can also take advantage of great sales on canned foods and stock up quickly.
You  can  also  look into stores in  your area  that  might  sell dented  cans  at a  reduced, price.  As  long  as the  cans  seals  have  not been  compromised there is  absolutely  nothing  wrong  with the  contents of that  dented  can.  Getting it at a  considerable  discount for it’s slightly  dented   exterior is a good deal  and an excellent  way  of  building  your food  storage  quickly  and  inexpensively.
There  are  several types  of  canned foods that  you  can  take  into  consideration.  Taking into account 1) The  time  you  have to  dedicate  to  your  food  storage.
2) The amount  of  money  you  have to  dedicate to your  food   storage.
3) The type  of  stores you  have  available to you  in  your area ( thereby  affecting  price, availability
and  quality of the  canned  foods  you are  able  to  find).
Canned  Foods  from the  Local Grocery  Store
Most major  grocery  stores have an  incredible  variety  of  canned  foods  stocked on their  shelves.
You  can  find meats, vegetables,  fruits, desserts,  even  condiments.  The  sizes of the  cans  vary  with the  type  of  store  and  the  shopping  habits of  it’s  customers.  The  most  sizes  would  vary  anywhere  from the  3oz mushroom and  hot pepper to the  15  oz beans , vegetables  and  fruits.  Some Supermarkets , however,  do  carry the  #10 cans of  some  vegetables  and   fruits.  Making the  stocking of  larger  quantities  of these items a bit  easier.
Make sure  you  compare  brands,  believe  it  or  not some  expiration  dates  will vary by  years.  It  makes a difference  when you  are  aware  and  on  the  lookout  for  things  like this.  It  will also  give  you a  clue  as  to  how  long  that  product  has  been  sitting on the  shelves  or  in the  warehouse  after it  left the  cannery.
Buying Foods in Bulk to Can  
Buying  bulk  foods  in the membership warehouse clubs is the  most  common place  one would purchase foods in  bulk ( for  example:  flour, sugar, salt, oatmeal, rice, beans,  etc.).  You  can  purchase  your bulk foods  this  way  and  store  it  until you  have  enough to  go to an  LDS Cannery.  They are  available  to  non  church members in many  places.  All you  would have  to  do is  purchase  your  canning items from them and  set up an  appointment to  use  their  facilities.  They   also  sell  bulk  foods there to the  public  if  you  prefer  to  save  your  money  and  use it  towards  a purchase of  foods  from  an  LDS Food  Storage  Facility.  You  have  several options to  choose from.  You  can  wither  buy the  foods  by the  can (  you  can  it)  , by the  pouch  (  you  pack it) or in  bulk.  The most  current item and  price list  for their  food items   can  be located  at  the  following  link:
http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/multimedia/files/pfw/pdf/123141_HSC_OrderFormUS_EngNov2011_pdf.pdf
To  locate  the nearest  LDS Food Storage   Facility  near  you go  to the  following  link and  enter  your  state in the  drop down  box for a complete  listing  in your  state.
http://www.providentliving.org/location/map/0,12566,2026-1-4,00.html
Never canned  your  own food ?  Well you aren’t  alone a rather  large  percentage of the  general  population  have  never canned  their own  foods  ,  nuch  less  worked in a  cannery.  However,  you  need  not  worry  about that.  The  canning  process is  relatively  simple.  Here  are some  videos  to  give  you  a  basic  idea.
Uploaded by selfreliantliving on Aug 24, 2009
Food storage: A family is dry-packing long-term food storage in #10 cans at an LDS Home Storage Center (LDS Dry-Pack Cannery). It is easy to do. Involve your children in this process so they can learn about food storage. Self-reliance is intelligent living.




Uploaded by everydayfoodstorage on Jul 21, 2009
Learn how to use a “canner” or sealer from the LDS cannery to can bulk items into #10 cans. It’s easier than you think (just like most food storage ideas!)




And there  you  have  it  a great  ,  convenient  and  very basic  way  of  getting the canned  foods  you  need  to  build  up  your  food storage.
The last entry I  wanted  to  add to the  canned  foods  section  will be included  in the  next  blog  as  it is  too involved  to include  here.  We  will be   discussing  the  option  of  canning  your  own  foods.  This  approach not only  helps  you  build  up  your  food  storage.  It  helps you  learn  how to  can  your  own  foods  for  future  use.  One  of the necessary  skills  needed to   lead a  healthy and  self  sustaining lifestyle  no matter  what the  economy  is like.
See you  next  time ………:)