Firstly, there are problems to storing food, you will face two types of thieves! One of the animal and insect world, and the other from the human world! And especially in this type of scenario, it may even be dangerous to have extra supplies, which would most certainly be stollen! So ideally a hidden room, or hidden lock-up facility would be suitable. Much wisdom and thought, and prayer needs to be given to this, even before stocking up!
Ok, the first thieves are much easier to handle, and that’s what we will discuss now! Insects, especially weevils and small moths are the worst, also mice and rats need consideration. Virtually all dry foods can be stored, if a little extra time is taken to prepare. Rice stores for many years, and dried beans and lentils are excellent too. Dried beans, especially the smaller ones can also be used as bean sprouts, an excellent source of fresh greens and vitamins. Pasta, oats, flour and even maize (corn) meal as well. I have just opened a packet of maize meal (we call mealie meal or sudza) that is almost a year old and it is fine. Ideally air-tight containers or cool boxes are the best for storing, but some things are too bulky and big to store in those. And even if you cannot get a good air-tight container, even the loose lids containers can be used with a method I will show you.
So the first thing to do on purchasing anything is to date it with a marker. This ensures that you will always use the older one first. I then also date it when I open it, just to see how long it lasts. I then usually use another thick plastic packet over it for added protection. Then I will take a small wet sponge dipped with an antiseptic fluid (like Dettol, all insects absolutely hate this – but it needs to be repeated every few months or so) and then wipe the packet with it. Also wipe around the lids of the containers you use. This will repel any insect. If the bigger items are stored within a thick plastic then simply wipe the plastic with the sponge. Even a box of spaghetti can be stored as it is, by sealing all corners with a brown tape, and then wiping all sides with your sponge. I have recently had a failure with a box of spaghetti which I didn’t seal properly. The weevils got in and demolished three to four packets, within ten days. I couldn’t believe how quick they were! It then took me a lot more extra time to try and clean them out of the other packets. So believe me, it is worth taking this time to seal the boxes before you store them.
Another thing I use is a grain powder, which is used for storing grains and kills insects. I then sprinkle that on the bottom of a container, or on the floor where you are storing…
Of course tinned foods and pickles are easily stored, just make sure to date them. Another thing to think about is dried milk powder, sugar, oils, peanut butter, and vinegars for making your pickles. Also curry, spices, soups and other flavourings can make any simple meal tasty. So you see it is not that difficult to do this, and I hope I can encourage you to make a start. There are also some great YouTube videos out there with some excellent tips.
Another important thing to consider is water, which is even more important than food! In an emergency situation such as tsunamis, this will pollute water supplies. So bottled water will be needed. An excellent way of storing large quantities of water is through harvesting rainwater. We are already used to doing this as we experience water shortages here, and we use large tanks to store water. Then other alternatives to electricity, such as solar or generators will be needed too. S.J.
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