Six common concerns about Emergency Preparedness

Emergency food storage is not just for large families. Singles and couples can benefit from having a supply of food stored. Six common concerns are considered and simple solutions are suggested.

Just because there are one or two of you does not mean it’s wise to skip storing food. A variety of events can make it a challenge to get food. In an emergency, your most reliable source for help is you. Why leave your care entirely to others when a time of difficulty arises?

Hikingware.com can help you build an emergency kit that includes both food and hardware you'll need to survive any type of emergency -- whether you live by yourself, with a room mate, or as a large nuclear family. 

Some singles have found a great advantage in having a supply of food on hand. 

Shannon Johnson of Texas, a single young woman who broke her foot, was very grateful for a supply of food, which allowed her to make fewer trips to the store requiring the help of others during her two-month recovery.

In an extended time of bad weather, an apartment of singles appreciated having a supply of food when stores with empty shelves were crowded with stressed people trying to buy supplies.

Even though Emily Jensen of Utah had not been caught in an emergency, she said that she liked the security of knowing she could care for herself should one arise.

One young married couple was counseled by their church leader to buy two cans of food on sale each week when they went grocery shopping. Ron and Lorene Snelling were amused as they followed his advice only to find it not a laughing matter when Ron lost his job six months later and they had no money for food. How thankful they were for the suggestion they had received!

At other times, young couples finishing school have needed extra food to sustain them after graduation when it took months to find a job. Older couples have appreciated the security of having stored food when they are no longer working and expenses become unpredictable.

Questions often arise when storing food for just one or two people. Here are six common concerns and some simple solutions.

What to store?

Buy foods you like on sale. From there, plan what you store around the recipes you would like to eat. If you are on a budget, consider recipes you like to eat using the basics, grains and beans, which are inexpensive, space efficient and nutritious. Canned beans provide very fast meals.

The containers of dried foods seem too large.

Keep in mind that dried foods will last at least a year after opening, which makes using food in No. 10 cans not so daunting. Because the plastic lid on a can is not air tight, in humid climates, contents of an opened can should be transferred to a zip seal bag and returned to the can for protection from moisture and light.

Several companies now sell dried foods in smaller size 2.5 cans, which hold about three cups. Food purchased this way will be a little more expensive but may be more practical.

I don’t like to cook.

Using canned and dried foods makes very fast meals. Vegetables are already peeled and cut up. Most of us use dried onions. Why not include a few other dried vegetables in meal preparation? They are very convenient and flavorful. Many food storage meals can be assembled in just two to three minutes and cook in 15-30 minutes. You can also try storing MREs and everything is in an easy-to-store pouch. The quality of MREs has gotten much better in the last several years and several MRE manufacturers have come along in the last few years that have pushed the bar much higher.

Food storage recipes are too large.

Recipes can always be halved; however, a full recipe will provide leftovers, making one less meal to cook. It’s always possible to freeze half a recipe and enjoy it later.

I don’t have space for stored food in my apartment.

Designate some closet or under-the-bed spaces for storing food. If you are committed to storing food, it’s surprising how many places can be found to store it.

What about storing water?

Bottled water is very easy to store and rotate. Fourteen gallons of water, less than five cases of 24 17-ounce bottles, is a two-week supply for one person. Another option is to buy bottled water from companies, like Culligan, which will deliver it.

Everyone, including singles and couples, benefits from storing food. Solutions to concerns singles or couples may have about buying, storing and using food storage do not have to be complicated. Whether you purchase in bulk or a little at a time, you are building a reservoir of security for times of trouble. 

That’s a good feeling everyone should have.

Frequently Asked Questions About Food Drying

Dehydrated food is an excellent way to be prepared for any emergency that may strike in your area. It can be purchased commercially or you can make it in your own home. Dehydrating food at home provides an interesting and fun activity for the whole family.

Hikingware.com is happy to present the following answers to the most commonly asked questions about food drying.

What is food drying?

Food drying, also called food dehydration, is the process of removing water from food, thus inhibiting the growth of microorganisms (enzymes) and bacteria by the circulation of hot, dry air through the food.

Is it hard?

No, food drying is not difficult. A dehydrator heats air inside the unit and absorbs water in the food placed in a drying chamber. The temperature is low enough to dry the food, and not cook it.

How does drying affect the nutritional value of foods?

Dehydration minimally affects the nutritional value of foods, especially when the process takes place in your own home. When you dry foods at home under gentle conditions (correct temperature and a reasonable amount of drying time), you produce a high-quality product. Compared with canning and freezing, both of which involve extreme temperatures, food drying is the least damaging form of food preservation.

Here are some specifics:

• Vitamin A is retained during the drying process. Because vitamin A is light sensitive, foods that contain it, like carrots, bell peppers and mangoes, should be stored in a dark place.
• Some vitamin C is lost during the drying process because vitamin C is an air-soluble nutrient and food drying is an air-based process. When a food is sliced and its cells are cut, the surfaces that are exposed to air lose some vitamin C content.
• The caloric value of a fresh food stays the same when it is dried, although some dried foods, fruits for example, taste sweeter because the water has been removed and the sugar is concentrated.
• Dried fruits and vegetables are high in fiber and carbohydrates, neither of which is affected by drying.
• Dried fruits and vegetables are naturally low in fat. Minerals available in certain fresh fruits-such as potassium, sodium, magnesium -are also not altered when the fruit is dried.

What equipment do you need?

In addition to a food dehydrator, you need:

• A good sharp knife
• A spatula or two
• Heavy-bottomed saucepans
• A blender for pureeing
• A strainer

Also helpful:

• A cherry pitter
• An apple parer-slicer-corer
• A corn kernel cutter
• A pea and bean sheller
• A bean Frencher
• A mortar and pestle
• A salad spinner (for pre-drying herbs and flowers and for washing greens)
• A food processor with a shredding disk
• A Salad Shooter for slicing potatoes

But all that is really necessary is a good sharp knife.

How long it takes will depend on:

• The water content in the food
• The sugar content in the food
• The size of the food being dried
• The amount of air circulation when the food is dried
• The level of humidity in the air entering the dehydrator
• The air temperature inside the dehydrator

Last and most important, the type of dehydrator you are using will affect the time needed to dry food.

How do you know when a food is dry?

The best way of finding out if a food is dry is to touch it. It will feel sticky, moist, leathery, or hard. When touching foods for dryness, remember food feels softer when warm; therefore, always let food cool for a few moments. Either turn off the dehydrator or remove the drying tray. If you are not sure if an item is sufficiently dry, it's better to overdry than to underdry.

How do you store dried foods?

Moisture is the enemy of dried foods. Dried foods exposed to the air absorb the moisture in the air and become limp. Always store dried foods in airtight containers and label the contents. Store the containers in a dry, dark place with a moderate temperature. Your kitchen cupboard is an ideal spot. Store any dried food containing vitamin A away from direct light.

How long can dried foods be stored?

Dried foods will last from one season to the next. Dry garden tomatoes this year and replace them next year when fresh ones are again dropping from the vines. Dried herbs and flowers last a very long time. And although our ancestors may have kept dried meats for long periods of time without benefit of refrigeration, I recommend storing dried meats in the refrigerator or freezer after one month at room temperature. Remember, many jerkies, with the exception of poultry, have not been cooked.