52 Week Food Storage Plan - Week #7

Week # 7: 25 lbs of Sugar

Sugar:

In addition to basic staples, sugar is recommended as part of a balanced diet and to provide carbohydrates. During depressed times, treats made with sugar can actually help provide a mental uplift. Follow the steps below to have a supply of sugar ready when you need it most.

1. Prepare storage containers. Make sure all inner surfaces are clean and dry. If using plastic buckets, place one ounce of dry ice per gallon capacity in the bottom of the bucket. See more info about packaging recommendations at ProvidentLiving.org.
2. Fill containers with sugar. Fill foil pouches to 80% of volume. Fill jars to 95% volume. Fill buckets to within one inch of the top (on top of the dry ice).
3. Seal containers. For foil pouches, use an impulse heat sealer. Make sure the seal is tight. A second seal can be applied if desired. For jars, make sure the gasket on the lid is in good condition. Close the jar tightly. For plastic buckets, place the lid on top but do not completely close it until the dry ice has dissipated (sublimed). When the bottom of the bucket begins to feel warmer, place the lid on tightly. If it begins to bulge after a few minutes, open slightly to release the excess pressure.
4. Store containers. All food storage should be placed in a cool, dark, and dry location preferably off the floor and away from rodents. Rubbermaid or similar totes are excellent for storing foil pouches.

Note: Moisture makes granulated sugar hard and lumpy. Once this happens, there is no way to adequately restore it. Store powdered sugar in a cool, dry location (not the refrigerator). When it gets moist, it develops lumps. And because of its physical properties, it tends to absorb strong odors – it can even absorb odors through the package.

52 Week Food Storage Plan - Week #6

Week # 6: 15 lbs of Pasta - any variety
(If you can’t accomplish this in 1 week, don’t worry, just take your time and do it in steps.)


Pasta:

Pasta is one of the more popular and versatile foods you will find on the dinner table. It comes in many forms and can be made at home, purchased fresh, or purchased dried for long term use. We’ll obviously be going over the “long term storage” pasta. Pasta is great in hot or cold salads, italian entrees, casseroles, or even mac & cheese!

Storage:
 
Uncooked Pasta - Store uncooked, dry pasta in your cupboard for up to one year. Keep in a cool, dry place. Follow the “first-in, first-out” rule: Use up packages you’ve had the longest before opening new packages.

Cooked Pasta - Refrigerate cooked pasta in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. You may add a little oil (1-2 tsp. for each pound of cooked pasta) to help keep it from sticking. Because cooked pasta will continue to absorb flavors and oils from sauces, store cooked pasta separately from sauce.

Freezing Pasta - The best pasta shapes for freezing are those that are used in baked recipes, such as: lasagne, jumbo shells, ziti and manicotti. You’ll have better results if you prepare the recipe and freeze it before baking. To bake, thaw the dish to room temperature and bake as the recipe directs.  If you keep things like pasta or boxed pasta mixes in the original package for longer than the expiration date it can go bad. But when you take them out and put them in buckets, foil pouches or your own vacuum sealed bags they can last for decades.

Measuring Pasta: Learn how to measure pasta like a pro with this chart that includes correct amounts for every pasta shape. Go>>

Cook Pasta Perfectly

1. Boil 4 to 6 quarts of water for one pound of dry pasta. (You can divide this recipe depending on how much pasta you are cooking.)
2. Add the pasta with a stir and return the water to a boil.
3. Stir the pasta occasionally during cooking.
4. Follow the package directions for cooking times. If the pasta is to be used as part of a dish that requires further cooking, undercook the pasta by 1/3 of the cooking time specified on the package.
5. Taste the pasta to determine if it is done. Perfectly cooked pasta should be “al dente,” or firm to the bite, yet cooked through.
6. Drain pasta immediately and follow the rest of the recipe.

Nutrition

Busy families continue to search for foods that are healthy, satisfying and economical - and they do not need to look further than the pasta aisle. Pasta is very low in sodium and non-egg varieties are cholesterol-free. Per cup, enriched pastas provide an excellent source of folic acid and a good source of other essential nutrients, including iron and several B-vitamins. Also, as a food that is low on the Glycemic Index (GI) - low GI foods are digested more slowly - pasta provides a slow release of energy without spiking blood sugar levels. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked pasta (spaghetti) contains a mere 99 calories, less than half a gram of fat, and less than 5 milligrams of sodium. Pasta is high in complex carbohydrates, which provide a “time release” of energy rather than a quick boost. (Read more here.)

Family Recipes

A couple of weeks ago my neighbors asked me to start helping them get their food storage started.  I told them the easiest thing to do would be to gather all the recipes their family eats and then we could start figuring out what to purchase for their food storage. 

I haven't exactly been doing my food storage this way but I think I will start leaning this way from here on out.  My goal is to get all my dinner meals listed with ingredients and then start purchasing in bulk the ingredients to make them.  I bought a case of plastic bags (8x4x10) to put all of my ingredients in, including bottled water, and I am going to make grab and go bags.  I am going to print out the recipes for each of the meals and tape it to the outside of the bag so that I know what I am grabbing.  Not only are these great for when you didn't plan what to cook that night but also in case of emergency.  It is my opinion that the first 2 - 3 days are the most stressful and disorganized times when an emergency arises.  One of the last things you want to think about is what to have for dinner, wouldn't you agree. 

So my challenge to you this month is to come up with 4 - 5 recipes and gather the ingredients so that you can make some grab and go bags.  I know you might be thinking, what if my recipes have ground beef or chicken in them.  Well, the alternative is freeze dried or canned meats. 

Oh, you might also want to stock up on disposable aluminum pans for cooking in.  Who wants to scrub a pan when you have limited resources. 

If any of you have any recipes you would like me to post, please email me at mardi@uintanet.com and I will post them on the blog. 

:) Mardi