Why food rotation matters...

I ran across this post over in Zombie land - complete with photos.

The individual was cleaning out a relative's home so they could move into an assisted living facility. Being LDS, they had a large amount food storage - put away in the late 70s and early 80s - based on the photos and package dates of the Chow.


(One of the many pics at link above)

From the post, it was obvious the family had purchased a large amount of food from a multi-level marketer (sound familiar?) and packed it away for "just in case". After 40 years all that was left went to the chickens - except for what went to the dump, which was nearly all of the storage foods.

I'm sharing the link and related story as - perhaps - an object lesson that one can see with their own eyes.

Long Term Storage (LTS) food should be part of a plan, a plan that includes
rotation (as in store what you eat, eat what you store)
Correct storage containers, preparation and storage conditions
Menus for using the food (for rotation)

Otherwise, the money is just wasted and the food more than likely winds up in a dump.

The cheapest lesson is the one learned from another's mistakes......

I know I'm doing the coal to Newcastle thing, but for new members or visitors, it's worth repeating IMO.

 

I think food rotation is very important, even long term rotation. Since I have been on Survival Monkey I have seen people go for preppers that put away white flour, sugar etc... to going primal or keto. The special, healthier way of eating is great but if all you put away is processed staples, your body will need time to adjust to the foods. Example: I have cut way back on sugar. If I eat a cupcake now, I have a terrible sugar crash. I have refined sugar stored but know I will need to ease back into eating it.

As for the picture in the OP, I have prepacked bags of food that I purchased. I just do not trust their bags. I have been thinking of repacking. I actually bought a couple dozen mylar bags and was thinking of redoing everything so I know it is done properly.

 

YOU LOOK AT IT ALL WRONG

look at food as you look at "term insurance"
you pay this year.....you do not use it......it is a waste of money
you pay 2nd year......you do not use it......it is a waste of money
you pay for 20, 40, 50 years...........................and you hope to never use it

truck insurance $1400.00 per year
car insurance 700.00 per year
work com. ins 1847.00 per year
fire ins 2100.00 per year
several others 900.00
TOTAL.....................6947.00 PER YEAR
69,470.00 PER 10 YEARS
138,940.00 PER 20 YEARS
$ 277,880.00 PER 40 YEARS

OTHER THAN you have spend all your money on term ins.

WHAT is a few thousand.............every 10 years or so....................for FOOD

THE ONLY PROBLEM with the old man...............
his FOOD term ins.............was only good for 5,10, or 15 years MAYBE

YOU can get NEW FOOD term ins from the LDS.......find a store near you..........take a road trip....
BUY a case of everything..........buy 2 if you can.....30 year food term ins
IF YOU NEVER USE IT.................IT WAS NOT A WASTE...........YOU HAD PEACE OF MIND
BUT understand, it is for a term, renew....add to....look at....try some....buy more....every few years.......
........
BEFORE, OR along with LDS FOOD, work on short term food.........
FIRST, MAKE a list of the food you use....each week......each month......each year.....
OK...///i understand......a list is hard.......
BUY what you eat...............buy one extra.....put a date on it......put it on the LIST and always keep one on the shelve........enter it on the LIST...........
WORK on having a storehouse of food that will last for a week....keep a list...rotate the food
NEXT....work up to 2 weeks of food
NEXT....work up to 4 weeks of food
NOW....you will start finding food you only buy each month....buy an extra...add to list ..date it
KEEP IT UP AS LONG AS YOU WANT
WHAT CAN CLEAN THE STORES OUT WHERE YOU LIVE............
WHAT HAS HAPPENED in your area.....in the last 5 years......10 years....20 years
WHAT HAS HAPPENED in your area....IN YOUR LIFETIME......IN YOUR PARENTS LIFETIME
YOU decide how large your storage will be....date everything...use oldest first

 

I think too many preppers look at prepping with the wrong mindset in virtually every aspect of prepping. This story is one example of that. They treat it as one and done type of thing. I Bought my 1-3 years worth of food, so now I am good for 30-40 years on emergency rations. I bought my brand new shiny AR15 and ran a few hundred rounds through it and put it in the closest with a couple thousand rounds of ammo. For many too many it is just another form of instant gratification, where it should be a living working lifestyle. The AR is only as good as the skills of the person on the giving end. The food stored is only a good as the rotations. The gizmos and gadgets are only as good as the batteries. LOL you get right down to it real prepping if that is even a word for it, is a lifeway and takes considerable work and a mindset of of always striving to do better today than you did yesterday and even better tomorrow than you did today. But I guess one and done prepping is better than no prepping at all.

 

I'd much rather be a disappointed pessimist than a horrified optimist

I still rotate my Chow..

 

I was cleaning out the garage today and came across some preps that I had stored there. The garage is not the best storage site, as it is damp when it rains, hot in summer and cold in winter. Also, the preps were stored in plastic trash cans and storage bins. That being said, the only things I threw out was some oatmeal and OTC meds. The canned goods, bags of corn, ramam noodles, etc. are 4years out of date but appear fine. The dried beans are OK too. The 50 lbs. of corn meal is most likely bad and will have to be dumped. All in all I was surprised by the condition of the preps, most were like the day that I bought them.
I for one have no problem eating out dated foods. I also have no problem replacing food that has gone bad. Some bags of beans and rice every year is no big deal.

 

Good info!

 

A few years ago I stopped stocking canned goods other than for general near-term use. They simply go out of date too quickly. One or two years they're probably still ok, but before you know it, this stuff is six, seven eight years gone.
Then all it's good for is target practice. Wouldn't even take a chance on it.

And yes, I even rotate out the "near" term stuff.

 

Importance of food storage rotation

this link has a food storage calculator or 2
Food Storage Planner Spreadsheet

I rotate mine weekly, daily, monthly depending on the item.
The only drawback of an electronic system is if you can't access the computer. I haven't taken the time to go to hand rotation inventory


Shelf Life and Food Storage Information

 

Canned food date is "best by" it is not a food expiration . canned food can last 50 years in some cases . Tomato based foods not so much due to the acid . If the can is not ruptured it is probably OK .
I anticipate some foods going south however it can still serve as mulch or methane or alcohol production .
If it has not gone bad the worst it that is has less food value, however that does not mean it has no food value .
Though you may not consume it your self , right now with surplus at your feet , but while it may not be so kind in the future and even the 20 year old can of beans sounds inviting if you haven't eaten in a while . That or good for trade in the future. Give it to a liberal demanding a hand out, or to the cops when they come to confiscate your reserves to be redistributed.

 

Im not sure about LDS food storage but there are many foods that can be stored for multiple decades and should be part of long term preps with no need to rotate. wheat,rice,honey,sugar etc not sure about beans but I suspect they have a very long term storage life as well (I saw beans in the bin) No way I would throw them away I would try sprouting if they still sprouted they still have a lot of usefullness even if just for chicken feed.

 

I also have a supply of freeze dried foods, that I got about 3 months ago. Today I ate some of the canned veggies (2015) and made Tuna Casserole using some of the canned tuna (2015). It all passed the look, smell and taste test.

 

I’ll check with you tomorrow...just in case

 

Did I ever tell yall about crushed pineapple in a can?
Mine was probably 6 or 7 years old,Just something I had forgotten about....
One day the wife opens up the cupboard and BOOM sometime during the night...
A can exploded....Pineapple snot on 3 shelves...and the door, Threw the rest away !!!

 

Very wise post. Just because we as humans wouldn’t eat it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a use. I have heard that stored beans and some grains can be sprouted.

 

Hey, that was for funny lil drinks with Rum and stuff added.....