August 3, 2025 • 18 mins
When it comes to storing food long-term, you should be stockpiling it now while you still have choices and prices haven't gotten completely out of control. But how do you decide what food to stockpile? Where do you start? Listen to learn how to narrow it down.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) When
it comes to storing food long-term, you
should be stockpiling it now while you still
have choices and prices haven't gotten completely out
of control.
But how do you decide what food to
stockpile?
Where do you start?
Listen to learn how to narrow it down.
(00:25):
Hi, I'm the Urban Lady Prepper.
I help single moms and solo women with
practical emergency preparedness.
But of course, all are welcome to be
better prepared for whatever happens next.
When it comes to food storage, the emphasis
should be on stockpiling it while you still
have choices and prices haven't gone completely crazy.
I've always been a strong advocate for growing
(00:46):
your own food, and the sooner you get
into it, the better.
But for this episode, I wanted to give
you a guide on storing food that you'll
actually eat for the long term that you
can get right now.
And I mean, like, right now.
If you've been following me in any capacity,
I assume you've decided that emergency preparedness is
something you want to get on board with.
(01:07):
Maybe you've started grabbing extra items here and
there.
You've been building up a cache of water.
You've been gathering bug-out items, creating an
emergency plan, and paying more attention to the
weather.
And that's awesome.
I'm excited that you're making that kind of
effort.
However, the most essential item when prepping is
deciding and budgeting for the type of food
you want to stockpile and grow.
(01:28):
Even if you are growing stuff, you still
want to have plenty of food that's already
made, such as canned fruits and vegetables and
staples you can store for the long haul.
If you watch other prepper media, they often
stress growing and storing things such as onions,
potatoes, rice and beans.
If you're new to prepping and not into
any of those or you're unsure of where
to start, this episode is for you.
(01:51):
As I've mentioned in my other articles and
podcasts, it's important to know whatever you choose
to store long-term is food you're actually
going to eat.
I want to suggest a tiered list that
will help you narrow down what to get
first and how to stockpile it.
You may be dismissive and think that if
you're hungry enough, you'll eat whatever you've got
or what is given to you.
But it's important that we choose and store
(02:12):
what we love while we can and while
it's affordable.
Yes, I've advocated for expanding our palates to
include food we don't often eat or don't
particularly care for.
However, I'm a big fan of prioritizing what
you love.
Any sort of long-term emergency escape plan
or doomsday scenario requires something that food and
water, even if you have plenty of it,
(02:32):
can't boost on its own.
And that's morale.
I've addressed food fatigue and how it's a
hashtag first world problem.
We've been used to having a certain amount
of variety and we're used to feeling a
certain way about eating the same things over
and over.
If you struggle financially, and we've all been
there at some point, there have been periods
when we've had to eat the same thing
(02:53):
repeatedly for days if we were fortunate enough
to have food to eat.
For those of you fortunate enough not to
have experienced food insecurity in your lives, please
understand that many people, yes, even in the
U.S., go hungry.
And in lean times, especially if you're a
single mom or solo female transitioning to single
life, you have to handle all the expenses
(03:15):
such as rent, utilities and food.
And there are some hard choices to be
made.
And the first thing that generally gets affected
is food.
In one of my earliest blogs and podcast
episodes, I mentioned that when I first got
married, we struggled financially.
I got good in the kitchen because I
had to.
I learned how to properly cook a big
(03:36):
cut of meat and make it interesting enough
to last two weeks until we got paid
again.
I'm sure we weren't the only couple having
to do that.
Having lived through it, my food choices are
now simpler.
I can easily go a few days eating
the same thing.
But I understand that there are those of
us out there who would become depressed if
they had to have turkey five nights straight
or eat the same chicken dish again as
(03:57):
leftovers.
Now, I'm not here to shame people for
having those feelings because that's our culture.
I'm not pretending that folks who can go
stretches of eating the same thing are better
than those who are fortunate enough to have
more choices.
What I am doing is acknowledging that, especially
as Americans, food fatigue has been more beneficial
to the food industry than it is to
our actual health and wallets.
(04:18):
As you evolve as a prepper, you want
to be able to balance what you love
to eat with what will be practical to
store long term to stave off any feelings
of deprivation for as long as possible.
I recently had a discussion with my mom,
who understands my need for prepping and is
very patient as I explain why I do
certain things.
She has accepted the boring prepping things I
(04:41):
sent her with a smile, such as a
power station and a NOAA radio.
But she understands that future food scarcity will
happen, so she definitely wants to stockpile and
grow more food.
We've already began discussing what we'll stash and
grow together and how we'll organize the garden.
I'm going to share some of the information
from those conversations that will show you how
to stockpile in stages, starting with what you
(05:03):
love as a great place to begin.
Earlier, I mentioned prepper favorites and all of
those are excellent staples, and I do agree
they're great to have, but I'm going to
be blasphemous right out of the gate.
Neither of us gives a crap about a
potato.
We're not big potato people.
Never were.
We're rice and pasta people.
I'd rather eat bread than eat a potato
(05:24):
in any form.
I might have some fries on a rare
occasion, and I despise sweet potatoes unless they're
in a pie.
There will be some preppers out there who
will clutch their pearls because potatoes are earth
gold.
I don't argue that point at all.
Potatoes are wonderful food and relatively easy to
grow.
But just as I don't waste money now
buying a bag of potatoes in the supermarket
(05:45):
because they'll turn into sprout muffins before I
finish them, I won't spend money in precious
garden space to grow something I will rarely
eat.
I would rather store extra tubs of rice
and flour for bread that spend extra money
and resources growing potatoes, except in a grow
bag or two.
My point here, before I make the potato
lovers upset, is that I'm not going to
make them a staple of mine.
(06:07):
Same thing for onions.
It's worth it for us to buy a
number 10 can of freeze-dried onions and
use a little bit we need for cooking
rather than having something else stored or in
the garden that we won't use much of,
have to tend to, and make room to
keep.
On the other hand, we love us some
rice.
Rice never gets old.
White rice, wild rice, fried rice, we don't
(06:27):
care.
We eat it all.
We realize having a rice patty at whatever
property we end up at is not going
to happen.
So we know we have to adjust our
prepper storage to include plenty of tubs of
rice.
Americans as a whole aren't as crazy about
rice as they are about potatoes.
But for us, if we want to have
rice, we will have to adjust the story
plenty of it because we want to, not
(06:48):
because someone else says we should.
It will require more money and resources than
growing potatoes, but we will die on a
hill of rice.
I don't care that potatoes are staples that
preppers insist I must have.
I don't care that they could be used
as barter items.
I don't care about any of that stuff.
I can use that money, time, and space
to grow or store something I'll actually want
(07:10):
to eat and won't go to waste.
And you should too.
So don't do the 10 for 10 cans
of okra because it seems like a good
deal, but you don't like okra.
Personally, cooked okra reminds me of snot.
Spend that money on the BOGO for the
canned shrimp beans your kids love.
While it might not be a better deal,
you'll enjoy it more when it's what you
(07:30):
have to eat for days on end.
I have mentioned canned meat in other places,
and some of you may have been horrified.
I'm sure many of you gasped in horror
when you watched that episode of Chopped when
one of the ingredients was a whole chicken
in a can.
If it sounds disgusting, trust me, it looked
gross and I'm sure it tasted terrible.
But not everything in a can is going
(07:50):
to be bad, and a lot of it
can be good long-term storage as far
as protein.
Decide what proteins you can't do without and
get some canned versions of it.
It may not be cheap, but if the
thought of having beans for your long-term
protein makes you sad, it's worth doing.
Having canned meat on hand that's ready to
eat will come in handy for any long
-term situation.
(08:11):
Aside from canned, storing meat through home canning,
freeze drying, or dehydrating are great options.
But meat is expensive and definitely not getting
any cheaper.
And in times of emergency, especially in a
long-term disaster scenario, the quality of the
food you eat is crucial.
The caloric, protein, and mineral content will be
important.
So this is why another popular pepper staple
(08:32):
is beans, although not everyone is a fan.
If that's you, when you reach the point
where you're satisfied with the amount of favorite
stored food, you can then move on to
the food you like, then the food you
can tolerate, and finally the food you can
use for bartering.
Beans are a pepper favorite because they're an
excellent source of protein.
They're easy to grow and store for long
periods, and there's a wide variety available.
(08:54):
I like beans, and I might have them
about once a week or so.
There are maybe some of you out there
who don't like beans at all and just
prefer not to eat them, and that's perfectly
understandable.
So even if you're not a fan of
beans, revisit them and see if they're worth
storing some, even if they end up lower
on your food preference list.
If you don't like beans enough to store
a lot of them, you should consider an
alternate protein source.
(09:16):
Even if you stash a lot of meat
and fish, it's a commodity that you might
want to vary with other sources of protein
just to stretch it out.
Food items like mushrooms and jackfruit can be
meat substitutes.
They don't contain the same amount of protein
as meat, but they do have enough that
you can have them now and then without
detriment to your overall nutrition.
If you like tofu, it's a good substitute,
(09:37):
as well as other soybean products such as
tempeh or seitan.
However, storing it in any form for more
than a few days requires careful monitoring of
moisture.
Also, be aware that soybeans contain naturally occurring
estrogen, which, depending upon your individual chemistry, may
be something you want to limit or avoid.
Because I had fibroids, I had to avoid
(09:58):
soy.
So, if you like soybeans or soybean products
and have a similar situation, you may want
to do more research or discuss with your
doctor whether it's something to include in your
diet for now or long term.
Nuts are an excellent source of protein.
For those of you who love nuts and
want to store as much as you can,
unfortunately their shelf life isn't long because of
(10:20):
the oils in them and they'll eventually go
rancid.
Just like brown rice, they don't store well
for a long time, so you shouldn't hold
nuts longer than a year.
Wow, did my brain just go to a
bad place?
Anyway, when you get them, be sure to
rotate them using the FIFO method, first in,
first out.
They're good to have, especially if you're trying
to augment your protein without beans, but understand
(10:42):
that they're not a long-term staple and
you may have to settle for the powdered
version.
I use peanut butter powder and it's awesome,
so consider having some of that.
In an earlier blog, I mentioned that sugar
and salt should be staples that you should
store long term, whether you consume a lot
or any of either.
You'll want sugar for the morale standpoint because
(11:02):
you'll be able to make those cookies, pies,
and cakes that you used to make or
buy.
Also, sugar is great for making those jams
and jellies if your home can it.
Consider how much sugar you consume and then
decide where it should be on your list.
This is another item that is increasing in
cost, so if you want to make sure
you have plenty stockpiled, start getting some now.
Salt, even if you don't use it a
(11:23):
lot for seasoning, can be also used for
food preservation.
You've heard of salt curing, pickling, and baking
whole proteins in salt.
Salt is used for those processes and before
refrigeration, salt was used to store meat and
fish long term.
We may actually be in a grid-down
situation where we don't have electricity and can't
refrigerate anything.
(11:45):
To save any meat you may have, if
you add salt, you can cure it and
preserve it so that food doesn't go to
waste.
I've mentioned these two special items since they're
not quote-unquote foods on their own and
you can decide their level of priority, but
you should have them even if just for
bartering for those people who are still strung
out on them.
Another good morale booster is hard candy and
(12:06):
chocolate.
Just as tasting a warm baked good will
make you feel instantly better, these two items
can do the same.
Because both are long-lasting when properly stored,
they're treats and a quick sugar hit should
you need it and perk up your mood
and attitude during a long bug-in situation
or a long drive.
So think of the hard candy or chocolate
that you and your kids like and start
getting some to put with your stash, especially
(12:28):
chocolate since that will also skyrocket in price
due to the tariffs.
If you're not into either, clearly that's not
something you want to prioritize, but when you're
down to the food you can tolerate or
barter, it might not be a bad idea
to have a bag of hard candy for
trade or just get to a kid who
could use a quick smile.
One item my mom and I instantly agreed
we could not do without is coffee.
(12:50):
While my coffee habit isn't as hardcore as
it used to be, I'm still at about
three cups a day.
My mom usually has a cup per day,
but that one cup is real important.
So my focus is on storing coffee.
I have plenty of coffee and if I
have my way, I will always have plenty
of it.
Coffee is a hard crop to grow and
the coffee business is a very dirty one.
(13:10):
Coffee plants can be grown, but understand that,
like rice, the conditions need to be ideal.
It's not easy and you won't believe how
much you would need to grow to fulfill
the amount you normally consume.
For these reasons, I realize I need to
stockpile what I can.
While I love fresh brewed coffee, I realize
that I must store instant coffee for long
-term use and instant coffee is a great
(13:31):
bartering item.
Coffee prices are already skyrocketing, so if you're
a coffee person, get it now.
If you're a tea person, you're much better
off as you can grow a selection of
herbs and make tea blends.
You can grow chamomile, hibiscus, lemon balm, and
other favorites year-round.
You can store commercial tea bags for up
to two years and loosely tea for longer
if kept in an airtight container.
(13:53):
I don't care for tea, so it's low
on my list, but if you love it,
go ahead and get extra now.
This brings me to an option for those
who simply cannot grow anything or, for whatever
reason, just wants to have specific items, like
meat, always available when they want it.
And that would be freeze-dried food.
Several companies offer freeze-dried items, but understand
that, because of the process, it's not cheap.
(14:16):
But if beef, pork, and chicken are must
-haves and you haven't learned home canning, you
may want to budget to get the freeze
-dried version.
There are several servings depending on the size,
and if properly stored, they'll last up to
25 years.
You could also freeze-dry your own food.
The machines are expensive.
However, if you make the investment, it gives
you the capability to freeze-dry pretty much
(14:36):
everything to your taste and make it perfect
for long-term storage.
You could do this with meat, fruit, or
even eggs.
Live without and learn how to grow them.
Not only will you save money, but you'll
also have what you need and use the
seeds to grow more.
Once the growing season ends, you can decide
on your preferred method of preserving what you've
grown, whether it's freezing, dehydration, or learning how
(14:58):
to can at home.
But you'll find growing your own vegetables is
not only incredibly rewarding, but you're not dependent
on someone else growing it and selling it
to you at ever-increasing prices.
If you can't or won't grow those vegetables,
you'll have to settle for the canned versions
or from companies that sell freeze-dried versions.
So decide where veggies are on your list
and plan accordingly.
(15:20):
Unfortunately, if you're a dairy person, long-term
situations and definitely the apocalypse are not going
to be fun.
Trust me, I'm not looking forward to it.
I love butter and cheese.
These are two things I don't want to
be without, and I'm sure many of us
don't want to be without them either.
But unless you have a cow or near
someone who has one, you're going to need
to decide on a long-term dairy auction.
(15:41):
If the thought of powdered milk gives you
instant screw-face, I understand completely.
But shelf-stable milk has come a long
way.
You can now get whole milk powder that,
when blended, tastes like the fresh stuff.
Of course, some brands are better than others.
My dad was the guinea pig for a
couple of the brands I tried since he
still drinks milk like a kid.
When I found the brand that impressed him,
(16:03):
I stuck with it.
I always have powdered milk in the house.
I consider that a staple, and I will
always have some, so I don't have to
worry about a run on the store for
milk.
Plus, I don't have to worry about buying
milk and wondering if it'll go bad before
I finish it.
I don't waste any.
I make what I need because I know
what I'll consume and when I need to
make more of it.
If your family uses a lot of milk,
(16:24):
this is a good option that may save
you a couple of trips to the store,
and you may place it higher on your
list than you originally thought.
The same for butter.
When there was a threat of butter prices
spiking, I stocked up during sales.
Some of it ended up being canned.
Yes, you can home-can butter.
And the rest of it I just froze
and used over time because…
butter.
(16:45):
I sacrificed a lot for my diet, but
giving up butter altogether is not one I'm
willing to make.
So, along with the regular butter sticks, I
get a number 10 can of powdered butter
now and then, which I can store for
up to 25 years.
If you're a canner, try canning butter.
To me, it tastes like ghee, which I
found tasty.
As for cheese, you can get it powdered.
(17:05):
But, like powdered milk, some brands are definitely
better than others, so you may need to
try a couple of different brands.
It's worth doing and budgeting for it if
you cannot live without cheese, so start checking
that out now.
I hope I gave you some ideas about
how to make a tiered list for your
food stash, from love to like to meh.
This will help you plan, budget, and stockpile
(17:26):
as much as possible for emergencies and into
the future.
What are your favorites?
What are your staples?
Share them in the comments to help others
create their list.
Thanks for listening.
Until next time, this is the Urban Lady
Prepper, signing off.
Free audio post-production.
biophonic.com
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) When
it comes to storing food long-term, you
should be stockpiling it now while you still
have choices and prices haven't gotten completely out
of control.
But how do you decide what food to
stockpile?
Where do you start?
Listen to learn how to narrow it down.
(00:25):
Hi, I'm the Urban Lady Prepper.
I help single moms and solo women with
practical emergency preparedness.
But of course, all are welcome to be
better prepared for whatever happens next.
When it comes to food storage, the emphasis
should be on stockpiling it while you still
have choices and prices haven't gone completely crazy.
I've always been a strong advocate for growing
(00:46):
your own food, and the sooner you get
into it, the better.
But for this episode, I wanted to give
you a guide on storing food that you'll
actually eat for the long term that you
can get right now.
And I mean, like, right now.
If you've been following me in any capacity,
I assume you've decided that emergency preparedness is
something you want to get on board with.
(01:07):
Maybe you've started grabbing extra items here and
there.
You've been building up a cache of water.
You've been gathering bug-out items, creating an
emergency plan, and paying more attention to the
weather.
And that's awesome.
I'm excited that you're making that kind of
effort.
However, the most essential item when prepping is
deciding and budgeting for the type of food
you want to stockpile and grow.
(01:28):
Even if you are growing stuff, you still
want to have plenty of food that's already
made, such as canned fruits and vegetables and
staples you can store for the long haul.
If you watch other prepper media, they often
stress growing and storing things such as onions,
potatoes, rice and beans.
If you're new to prepping and not into
any of those or you're unsure of where
to start, this episode is for you.
(01:51):
As I've mentioned in my other articles and
podcasts, it's important to know whatever you choose
to store long-term is food you're actually
going to eat.
I want to suggest a tiered list that
will help you narrow down what to get
first and how to stockpile it.
You may be dismissive and think that if
you're hungry enough, you'll eat whatever you've got
or what is given to you.
But it's important that we choose and store
(02:12):
what we love while we can and while
it's affordable.
Yes, I've advocated for expanding our palates to
include food we don't often eat or don't
particularly care for.
However, I'm a big fan of prioritizing what
you love.
Any sort of long-term emergency escape plan
or doomsday scenario requires something that food and
water, even if you have plenty of it,
(02:32):
can't boost on its own.
And that's morale.
I've addressed food fatigue and how it's a
hashtag first world problem.
We've been used to having a certain amount
of variety and we're used to feeling a
certain way about eating the same things over
and over.
If you struggle financially, and we've all been
there at some point, there have been periods
when we've had to eat the same thing
(02:53):
repeatedly for days if we were fortunate enough
to have food to eat.
For those of you fortunate enough not to
have experienced food insecurity in your lives, please
understand that many people, yes, even in the
U.S., go hungry.
And in lean times, especially if you're a
single mom or solo female transitioning to single
life, you have to handle all the expenses
(03:15):
such as rent, utilities and food.
And there are some hard choices to be
made.
And the first thing that generally gets affected
is food.
In one of my earliest blogs and podcast
episodes, I mentioned that when I first got
married, we struggled financially.
I got good in the kitchen because I
had to.
I learned how to properly cook a big
(03:36):
cut of meat and make it interesting enough
to last two weeks until we got paid
again.
I'm sure we weren't the only couple having
to do that.
Having lived through it, my food choices are
now simpler.
I can easily go a few days eating
the same thing.
But I understand that there are those of
us out there who would become depressed if
they had to have turkey five nights straight
or eat the same chicken dish again as
(03:57):
leftovers.
Now, I'm not here to shame people for
having those feelings because that's our culture.
I'm not pretending that folks who can go
stretches of eating the same thing are better
than those who are fortunate enough to have
more choices.
What I am doing is acknowledging that, especially
as Americans, food fatigue has been more beneficial
to the food industry than it is to
our actual health and wallets.
(04:18):
As you evolve as a prepper, you want
to be able to balance what you love
to eat with what will be practical to
store long term to stave off any feelings
of deprivation for as long as possible.
I recently had a discussion with my mom,
who understands my need for prepping and is
very patient as I explain why I do
certain things.
She has accepted the boring prepping things I
(04:41):
sent her with a smile, such as a
power station and a NOAA radio.
But she understands that future food scarcity will
happen, so she definitely wants to stockpile and
grow more food.
We've already began discussing what we'll stash and
grow together and how we'll organize the garden.
I'm going to share some of the information
from those conversations that will show you how
to stockpile in stages, starting with what you
(05:03):
love as a great place to begin.
Earlier, I mentioned prepper favorites and all of
those are excellent staples, and I do agree
they're great to have, but I'm going to
be blasphemous right out of the gate.
Neither of us gives a crap about a
potato.
We're not big potato people.
Never were.
We're rice and pasta people.
I'd rather eat bread than eat a potato
(05:24):
in any form.
I might have some fries on a rare
occasion, and I despise sweet potatoes unless they're
in a pie.
There will be some preppers out there who
will clutch their pearls because potatoes are earth
gold.
I don't argue that point at all.
Potatoes are wonderful food and relatively easy to
grow.
But just as I don't waste money now
buying a bag of potatoes in the supermarket
(05:45):
because they'll turn into sprout muffins before I
finish them, I won't spend money in precious
garden space to grow something I will rarely
eat.
I would rather store extra tubs of rice
and flour for bread that spend extra money
and resources growing potatoes, except in a grow
bag or two.
My point here, before I make the potato
lovers upset, is that I'm not going to
make them a staple of mine.
(06:07):
Same thing for onions.
It's worth it for us to buy a
number 10 can of freeze-dried onions and
use a little bit we need for cooking
rather than having something else stored or in
the garden that we won't use much of,
have to tend to, and make room to
keep.
On the other hand, we love us some
rice.
Rice never gets old.
White rice, wild rice, fried rice, we don't
(06:27):
care.
We eat it all.
We realize having a rice patty at whatever
property we end up at is not going
to happen.
So we know we have to adjust our
prepper storage to include plenty of tubs of
rice.
Americans as a whole aren't as crazy about
rice as they are about potatoes.
But for us, if we want to have
rice, we will have to adjust the story
plenty of it because we want to, not
(06:48):
because someone else says we should.
It will require more money and resources than
growing potatoes, but we will die on a
hill of rice.
I don't care that potatoes are staples that
preppers insist I must have.
I don't care that they could be used
as barter items.
I don't care about any of that stuff.
I can use that money, time, and space
to grow or store something I'll actually want
(07:10):
to eat and won't go to waste.
And you should too.
So don't do the 10 for 10 cans
of okra because it seems like a good
deal, but you don't like okra.
Personally, cooked okra reminds me of snot.
Spend that money on the BOGO for the
canned shrimp beans your kids love.
While it might not be a better deal,
you'll enjoy it more when it's what you
(07:30):
have to eat for days on end.
I have mentioned canned meat in other places,
and some of you may have been horrified.
I'm sure many of you gasped in horror
when you watched that episode of Chopped when
one of the ingredients was a whole chicken
in a can.
If it sounds disgusting, trust me, it looked
gross and I'm sure it tasted terrible.
But not everything in a can is going
(07:50):
to be bad, and a lot of it
can be good long-term storage as far
as protein.
Decide what proteins you can't do without and
get some canned versions of it.
It may not be cheap, but if the
thought of having beans for your long-term
protein makes you sad, it's worth doing.
Having canned meat on hand that's ready to
eat will come in handy for any long
-term situation.
(08:11):
Aside from canned, storing meat through home canning,
freeze drying, or dehydrating are great options.
But meat is expensive and definitely not getting
any cheaper.
And in times of emergency, especially in a
long-term disaster scenario, the quality of the
food you eat is crucial.
The caloric, protein, and mineral content will be
important.
So this is why another popular pepper staple
(08:32):
is beans, although not everyone is a fan.
If that's you, when you reach the point
where you're satisfied with the amount of favorite
stored food, you can then move on to
the food you like, then the food you
can tolerate, and finally the food you can
use for bartering.
Beans are a pepper favorite because they're an
excellent source of protein.
They're easy to grow and store for long
periods, and there's a wide variety available.
(08:54):
I like beans, and I might have them
about once a week or so.
There are maybe some of you out there
who don't like beans at all and just
prefer not to eat them, and that's perfectly
understandable.
So even if you're not a fan of
beans, revisit them and see if they're worth
storing some, even if they end up lower
on your food preference list.
If you don't like beans enough to store
a lot of them, you should consider an
alternate protein source.
(09:16):
Even if you stash a lot of meat
and fish, it's a commodity that you might
want to vary with other sources of protein
just to stretch it out.
Food items like mushrooms and jackfruit can be
meat substitutes.
They don't contain the same amount of protein
as meat, but they do have enough that
you can have them now and then without
detriment to your overall nutrition.
If you like tofu, it's a good substitute,
(09:37):
as well as other soybean products such as
tempeh or seitan.
However, storing it in any form for more
than a few days requires careful monitoring of
moisture.
Also, be aware that soybeans contain naturally occurring
estrogen, which, depending upon your individual chemistry, may
be something you want to limit or avoid.
Because I had fibroids, I had to avoid
(09:58):
soy.
So, if you like soybeans or soybean products
and have a similar situation, you may want
to do more research or discuss with your
doctor whether it's something to include in your
diet for now or long term.
Nuts are an excellent source of protein.
For those of you who love nuts and
want to store as much as you can,
unfortunately their shelf life isn't long because of
(10:20):
the oils in them and they'll eventually go
rancid.
Just like brown rice, they don't store well
for a long time, so you shouldn't hold
nuts longer than a year.
Wow, did my brain just go to a
bad place?
Anyway, when you get them, be sure to
rotate them using the FIFO method, first in,
first out.
They're good to have, especially if you're trying
to augment your protein without beans, but understand
(10:42):
that they're not a long-term staple and
you may have to settle for the powdered
version.
I use peanut butter powder and it's awesome,
so consider having some of that.
In an earlier blog, I mentioned that sugar
and salt should be staples that you should
store long term, whether you consume a lot
or any of either.
You'll want sugar for the morale standpoint because
(11:02):
you'll be able to make those cookies, pies,
and cakes that you used to make or
buy.
Also, sugar is great for making those jams
and jellies if your home can it.
Consider how much sugar you consume and then
decide where it should be on your list.
This is another item that is increasing in
cost, so if you want to make sure
you have plenty stockpiled, start getting some now.
Salt, even if you don't use it a
(11:23):
lot for seasoning, can be also used for
food preservation.
You've heard of salt curing, pickling, and baking
whole proteins in salt.
Salt is used for those processes and before
refrigeration, salt was used to store meat and
fish long term.
We may actually be in a grid-down
situation where we don't have electricity and can't
refrigerate anything.
(11:45):
To save any meat you may have, if
you add salt, you can cure it and
preserve it so that food doesn't go to
waste.
I've mentioned these two special items since they're
not quote-unquote foods on their own and
you can decide their level of priority, but
you should have them even if just for
bartering for those people who are still strung
out on them.
Another good morale booster is hard candy and
(12:06):
chocolate.
Just as tasting a warm baked good will
make you feel instantly better, these two items
can do the same.
Because both are long-lasting when properly stored,
they're treats and a quick sugar hit should
you need it and perk up your mood
and attitude during a long bug-in situation
or a long drive.
So think of the hard candy or chocolate
that you and your kids like and start
getting some to put with your stash, especially
(12:28):
chocolate since that will also skyrocket in price
due to the tariffs.
If you're not into either, clearly that's not
something you want to prioritize, but when you're
down to the food you can tolerate or
barter, it might not be a bad idea
to have a bag of hard candy for
trade or just get to a kid who
could use a quick smile.
One item my mom and I instantly agreed
we could not do without is coffee.
(12:50):
While my coffee habit isn't as hardcore as
it used to be, I'm still at about
three cups a day.
My mom usually has a cup per day,
but that one cup is real important.
So my focus is on storing coffee.
I have plenty of coffee and if I
have my way, I will always have plenty
of it.
Coffee is a hard crop to grow and
the coffee business is a very dirty one.
(13:10):
Coffee plants can be grown, but understand that,
like rice, the conditions need to be ideal.
It's not easy and you won't believe how
much you would need to grow to fulfill
the amount you normally consume.
For these reasons, I realize I need to
stockpile what I can.
While I love fresh brewed coffee, I realize
that I must store instant coffee for long
-term use and instant coffee is a great
(13:31):
bartering item.
Coffee prices are already skyrocketing, so if you're
a coffee person, get it now.
If you're a tea person, you're much better
off as you can grow a selection of
herbs and make tea blends.
You can grow chamomile, hibiscus, lemon balm, and
other favorites year-round.
You can store commercial tea bags for up
to two years and loosely tea for longer
if kept in an airtight container.
(13:53):
I don't care for tea, so it's low
on my list, but if you love it,
go ahead and get extra now.
This brings me to an option for those
who simply cannot grow anything or, for whatever
reason, just wants to have specific items, like
meat, always available when they want it.
And that would be freeze-dried food.
Several companies offer freeze-dried items, but understand
that, because of the process, it's not cheap.
(14:16):
But if beef, pork, and chicken are must
-haves and you haven't learned home canning, you
may want to budget to get the freeze
-dried version.
There are several servings depending on the size,
and if properly stored, they'll last up to
25 years.
You could also freeze-dry your own food.
The machines are expensive.
However, if you make the investment, it gives
you the capability to freeze-dry pretty much
(14:36):
everything to your taste and make it perfect
for long-term storage.
You could do this with meat, fruit, or
even eggs.
Live without and learn how to grow them.
Not only will you save money, but you'll
also have what you need and use the
seeds to grow more.
Once the growing season ends, you can decide
on your preferred method of preserving what you've
grown, whether it's freezing, dehydration, or learning how
(14:58):
to can at home.
But you'll find growing your own vegetables is
not only incredibly rewarding, but you're not dependent
on someone else growing it and selling it
to you at ever-increasing prices.
If you can't or won't grow those vegetables,
you'll have to settle for the canned versions
or from companies that sell freeze-dried versions.
So decide where veggies are on your list
and plan accordingly.
(15:20):
Unfortunately, if you're a dairy person, long-term
situations and definitely the apocalypse are not going
to be fun.
Trust me, I'm not looking forward to it.
I love butter and cheese.
These are two things I don't want to
be without, and I'm sure many of us
don't want to be without them either.
But unless you have a cow or near
someone who has one, you're going to need
to decide on a long-term dairy auction.
(15:41):
If the thought of powdered milk gives you
instant screw-face, I understand completely.
But shelf-stable milk has come a long
way.
You can now get whole milk powder that,
when blended, tastes like the fresh stuff.
Of course, some brands are better than others.
My dad was the guinea pig for a
couple of the brands I tried since he
still drinks milk like a kid.
When I found the brand that impressed him,
(16:03):
I stuck with it.
I always have powdered milk in the house.
I consider that a staple, and I will
always have some, so I don't have to
worry about a run on the store for
milk.
Plus, I don't have to worry about buying
milk and wondering if it'll go bad before
I finish it.
I don't waste any.
I make what I need because I know
what I'll consume and when I need to
make more of it.
If your family uses a lot of milk,
(16:24):
this is a good option that may save
you a couple of trips to the store,
and you may place it higher on your
list than you originally thought.
The same for butter.
When there was a threat of butter prices
spiking, I stocked up during sales.
Some of it ended up being canned.
Yes, you can home-can butter.
And the rest of it I just froze
and used over time because…
butter.
(16:45):
I sacrificed a lot for my diet, but
giving up butter altogether is not one I'm
willing to make.
So, along with the regular butter sticks, I
get a number 10 can of powdered butter
now and then, which I can store for
up to 25 years.
If you're a canner, try canning butter.
To me, it tastes like ghee, which I
found tasty.
As for cheese, you can get it powdered.
(17:05):
But, like powdered milk, some brands are definitely
better than others, so you may need to
try a couple of different brands.
It's worth doing and budgeting for it if
you cannot live without cheese, so start checking
that out now.
I hope I gave you some ideas about
how to make a tiered list for your
food stash, from love to like to meh.
This will help you plan, budget, and stockpile
(17:26):
as much as possible for emergencies and into
the future.
What are your favorites?
What are your staples?
Share them in the comments to help others
create their list.
Thanks for listening.
Until next time, this is the Urban Lady
Prepper, signing off.
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