Many foods including grains and legumes are purchased already dried and must simply be stored in such a manner that they remain in a dried condition. Generally, storing in a cool (50º to 70º), dry, dark location is best. Repackaging food into Mylar bags, buckets, or cans will greatly prolong their shelf life. 

Canning involves long-term storage of food--particularly vegetables, fruit, and meat--generally NOT in metal cans but rather in glass jars. Canning your own food greatly reduces the cost of storage by as much as half. The USDA has an excellent Guide to Home Canning available for free here:

https://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/usda/GUIDE01_HomeCan_rev0715.pdf

Proper canning practices include:
• carefully selecting and washing fresh food,
• peeling some fresh foods,
• hot packing many foods,
• adding acids (lemon juice or vinegar) to some foods,
• using acceptable jars and self-sealing lids,
• processing jars in a boiling-water or pressure canner for the correct period of time.

These steps remove oxygen; destroy enzymes; prevent the growth of undesirable bacteria, yeasts, and molds; and help form a high vacuum in jars. Good vacuums form tight seals which keep liquid in and air and microorganisms out.

Preserving food by freeze-drying has become very popular in recent years. Freeze-dryers are rather expensive, but if used efficiently they can allow packaging of a lot of food that will last quite a long time. If you have access to a freeze-dryer, it is definitely worthwhile to explore this option.

In general, fresh or cooked foods are frozen to -40º or colder. A strong vacuum is then created in the chamber and the food is slightly warmed. This causes the ice crystals to change directly into water vapor without becoming liquid, and the vapor is discarded. Once the food is completely dry, it is removed and sealed inside oxygen-proof bags  until it's ready for use. Then you add water and it will return to its original appearance and taste. Many foods can even be enjoyed dried without reconstituting, such as some fruits and vegetables and some desserts. 

What can be freeze-dried?

Fruits and Vegetables--freeze-dry well and retain their nutritional value.

Meats--cooked or not, meat freeze-dries easily, stores very well, retains its nutritional value, and tastes fresh.

Dairy products--sour cream, yoghurt, milk, and eggs all freeze-dry very well.

Complete prepared meals--make a double portion for dinner; eat one and freeze-dry the other for later.

Desserts--freeze-dried ice cream is delicious. Freeze-dried marshmallows are already found in some breakfast cereals. Gummy bears become like cheese puffs. 

What can't be freeze-dried?

Oils--freeze-drying removes water, but there is no water in butter or oily foods.

Honey, syrup, jam--it just makes a huge mess and can't be rehydrated.

Bread, cake, muffins--these can be freeze-dried, but they are tricky to reconstitute. If done properly, they are fine.

The Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) is a self-contained individual United States military ration used by the United States Armed Forces. It is intended to be used by American service members in combat or field conditions where other food is not available. MREs are also distributed to civilians as humanitarian daily rations during natural disasters. They may also be made available to civilians for food storage. 

Each MRE provides about 1,200 kilocalories and has a minimum shelf life of three years if stored at 80°F. Stored at 60°F, they should be good for up to 10 years. 

Each military grade MRE contains a flameless heater, which produces heat when chemicals are mixed with a few ounces of water. 

A case of MREs is labelled “A” or “B.” Each unopened case contains 12 different MREs; those in the “A” case are all different from those in the “B” case. Each MRE package contains:

•     Main course

•     Side dish

•     Dessert or snack (often candy, pastry, or a HOOAH! Bar)

•     Crackers or bread

•     Spread of cheese, peanut butter, or jelly

•     Powdered beverage mix (commonly cocoa, a sport or fruit-flavored drink, instant coffee or tea, or dairy shake)

•     Utensils (commonly just a plastic spoon, although rarely a fork and knife may also be included)

•     Flameless ration heater

•     Beverage mixing bag

•     Accessory pack:

•       Xylitol chewing gum

•       Water-resistant matchbook

•       Napkin / toilet paper

•       Moist towelette

•       Seasonings, including salt, pepper, sugar, creamer, and/or Tabasco sauce

•       Freeze-dried coffee powder

MREs are ideal for a 72-hour kit, although they are excellent to have on hand as a simple means of sharing food with others in a time of hunger.

This method works well if you organize your food storage using weekly, or better, bi-weekly meals. This is, by the way, a great plan for long-term meal preparation. Create as many 7- or 14-day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) menu plans of your family’s favorite meals. Total up how much of each ingredient is needed for all of the meals. This allows you to buy in bulk the same amount of the same ingredients each time you shop, then divide them up as needed for each meal. Fourteen days is long enough between meals that no one should get tired of any one meal. A 7-day rotation may even be adequate for your family.

Place all the non-perishable ingredients needed for each week's menus in a separate plastic or cardboard box. Label the container by week such as A for week 1 and B for week 2.  For a three-month supply, you will need twelve containers – one for each 2-week period. At the beginning of the week, remove the next container in your rotation from your storage area and place all the food inside in the pantry closest to your kitchen so you can use it during the week. To rotate your storage, refill that container with the same foods you took out. Remember to date the foods or the container so you know in which order to use each box of food. Do not include in these containers food items that last a long time after they are opened such as oils, condiments, or spices.

The idea is to arrange the items to be stored in two columns. Every time you need to remove a product from the shelf, take it from the right (these should be the ones that need to be used first). When the right column is empty, you slide the whole left column to the right, and re-stock on the left. This method is more practical to use when you have maybe 20 or less of a particular item that you normally store in your pantry.

Select colored stickers to represent year or half-year expiration periods (the frequency depends somewhat on the foods you are labeling). Place a sticker on all or some items in your food storage to correspond roughly with when the food items expire or should be used. This provides a quick visual key to how frequently or when foods should be rotated. Putting a sticker on every single can or box might require purchasing too many stickers to regularly use this method on all the products you store. This method does work well for items stored in different areas of the house (under beds, tables etc.) where the expiration date isn't easily visible. Place the stickers on an area of the products that can be easily seen.

1. List each item in your food storage on a 3”x5” index card. 

2. Place all of the cards alphabetically in an envelope or recipe/index box. 

3. Place the envelope or box in your food storage area. 

4. Place another envelope or recipe/index box (empty at this point) in your kitchen. 

5. Each time you take an item out of your storage area, take its 3”x5” index card from the envelope or box in the food storage area and put it in the envelope or box in your kitchen. 

6. When you go to the grocery store take the 3”x5” cards from the box in the kitchen with you (instant shopping list). 

7. After you have purchased the items from the 3”x5” cards place the cards back in the envelope or box in your food storage area.

Variations

** If you frequent several grocery stores, you can color code your index cards by store. For example, put all items that you purchase at Kroger on pink cards, put all items you purchase at Costco on green cards, etc. Then when it’s time to go shopping, you just need to take the cards that coordinate with the store you are going to. 

** If you shop at only one grocery store, consider color coding your index cards by department. For example, put soups/ canned goods on green cards and put baking foods on pink cards, etc. Then when you are shopping you can find all of the items in each department before moving on to the next department.

Wow! This method seems best suited for obsessive-compulsives!

This is simple, practical, and easy. Place a sticky notepad on the cupboard door or near the storage shelf where your food storage is kept. Every time you remove an item, write what it is on the notepad. When it is time to prepare the weekly grocery list, tear off the sheet from the pad and stick it on your grocery list or write the item’s name directly on it.

Be sure to have a place near your pantry, in the kitchen or where it is most convenient for family members to write the items taken out of storage so they can be added to the weekly shopping list. A black-or whiteboard on the pantry or kitchen door works or a clipboard with a shopping list can be posted in the kitchen, or stuck on the fridge. Make sure all your family members understand the routine. It's easy to forget to write down the food storage used throughout the week, especially if there are younger children or busy teenagers in the house. You should inventory your three months food supply regularly.

Products that take a longer time to consume should be dated the day they are opened, so you know how long it takes to use them, and how much you need  to purchase for your family for 3 or more months.

One practical and easy method is the rubber band method. It works well with items that take longer to use after they are opened such as boxes of  bouillon cubes, vanilla flavoring etc. Your food items should be organized in a row and a rubber-band should be wrapped around the second-to-the-last container in the row. As you use your supply you’ll eventually come to the container with the rubber band around it then you know its time to buy more.

This method is well known and liked. No detailed explanation is necessary for this method – the new cans go in the back, and the can you need to use is taken out in the front, and the next can will roll down. The shelves are quite costly whether store bought or constructed. They also take up a lot of space.

Grilling isn't just about hamburgers and hot dogs anymore. Just about any food you like can be grilled. Of course, steaks, chicken,  ribs, and sausage have become very popular, as have fish, veggies, and kabobs. Who hasn't wanted to toss "another shrimp on the barbie?" Propane and charcoal grills have pros and cons; ideally, you should become proficient with both. Propane is quick and clean, and the temperature is easier to regulate, but you should keep several full propane tanks on hand. Charcoal gives food a flavor that propane never could, but you must keep a large supply of charcoal handy and dry. For the space needed to store fuel, you'll cook many, many more meals with gas than with charcoal. Both cooking methods require several special utensils, including tongs, a spatula, a brush, and a flexible copper grilling mat for smaller items that like to fall through the grate. Start your charcoal grill with a chimney rather than lighter fluid! 

Five tips for grilling safety: 

• Use propane and charcoal grills outdoors only. 

• Grills should be used at least 10 feet away from the house.

• Check your propane grill tank hose for leaks.

• Keep children and pets away from a hot grill.

• Don't leave a hot grill unattended.

Seven tips for food safety: 

• Wash your hands before, during, and after handling food. 

• Use separate utensils, cutting boards, and serving dishes for raw and cooked foods. 

• Thaw or marinate foods in the refrigerator. 

• Separate raw foods to be grilled from foods you are not cooking. 

• Large vegetables can be placed directly on the grill. Small or chopped vegetables can be grilled inside aluminum foil or on a grilling mat.

• The grill should be hot before you put food on it. 

• An inexpensive temperature probe will make you look like a grilling wizard when everything turns out cooked enough but not too much. 

There are six different methods of grilling:

1) Open grill--grill over heat

2) Covered or closed grill--has a top that can be closed

3) Kamado-style grill--Kamado; Big Green Egg

4) Rotisserie grill--with a rotating spit

5) Smoker--

6) Open flame--like a campfire

I grew up thinking that an open grill was the only way to grill food. It's certainly a common way. Circular grills, hibachis, and firepit are just a few ways of grilling over an open fire

This is a Japanese-style cooker called a Mushikamado or Kamado. The Big Green Egg in the US is the same design. These are made of thick ceramic, which retains heat well. They use charcoal only and take a long time to warm up, but they also stay warm for a long time. These cookers are rather expensive, but they are very versatile since you can grill, bake, roast, and smoke food with them. It takes practice to be able to use these cookers well, but they are probably the only cooker you would ever need regardless of what you are preparing. They are heavy, but they come in many sizes.

Sprouts are easy, cheap, and tasty vegetables that anyone can grow indoors, and they have real nutritional benefits.  They require barely any space and you don’t need any special equipment. Sprouts provide nutrients and phytochemicals that are valuable to our daily health.  In general, sprouting also increases vitamin C and B content and fiber. Sprouted legumes, grains, and seeds are also easier to digest by breaking down some anti-nutrients that are common in those foods. Sprouts are often eaten raw by themselves or on sandwiches or salads, but they may be sautéed, stir-fried, added to soups, or even dehydrated and ground into flour.

Sprouts can be easily grown on a kitchen counter with minimal investment and work. Your preferred method of sprouting may require a minimal investment into special trays, jars, bags, or terracotta plates, but all you really need to get started is a glass jar.  Also recommended is an inexpensive and brief sprouting guide to understand the best ways to develop the seeds using the method you have chosen.

When you have your seeds and sprouting equipment, soaking in water is the first step. Each seed or legume has its recommended soaking time (4-6 hours usually).

The second step is rinsing the sprouts 2-3 times daily to rid them of carbon dioxide and natural metabolic wastes produced during their germination period.  It most commonly takes only about 3-4 days before harvesting.

It's easy to sanitize your equipment with soap and warm water between batches. 

You can sprout almost any legume, seed, or nut with a few exceptions, but be sure always to buy specifically labeled “sprouting seed” or “seed for sprouting” for two reasons. First, some seeds, such as grain for storage, can be cooked and ground, but it will likely have been irradiated so it will never germinate or sprout. Second, some seeds are sold with the expectation that they will be cooked before being eaten and they are therefore not guaranteed to be completely clean of any contaminating germs that would multiply during the sprouting process. Sprouting seeds have all been tested and are verified to be free of harmful bacteria and other pathogens. 

You can find packets of sprouting seeds at health food stores, but it’s much easier to purchase any type of sprouting seed you want online.

blackberries, and mustang grapes are supposed to be foolproof

Some varieties of fruits and nuts are much easier to grow in North Texas than others are. You should probably avoid trying to raise peaches, apricots, apples, nectarines, raspberries, pawpaws, avocados, and citrus fruits, but figs, persimmons, and pears are said to be foolproof. 

This isn't California, so walnuts are difficult to grow here, but of course, pecans thrive in Texas. Remember, if you want to have a producing pecan tree, you must have two pecan trees of the same species of pecan--one of each gender--nearby because pecans do not self-pollinate. 

If you are interested in growing fruit or nut trees, it would be best to check with the Texas A&M horticulture website or contact the Tarrant County Extension office for their advice. 

An alternative to growing pecans is to find trees somewhere on public property and pick the nuts up yourself. I don't know where such trees are around here, but in the Houston area, we knew of several growing on a public easement that were fair game when it was pecan season in early-to-mid October. I wouldn't be surprised if there were pecan trees in Veterans' Park, or Pappy Elkins or Gardens Park, or in another park near your home. Or maybe on the banks of Rush or another creek, or even along a nearby road. 

Beekeeping is a fun hobby, and it makes me think I'm doing something beneficial for the environment. But keeping bees may not be ideal as a means to contribute to your food supply. The last time we harvested honey from our two beehives, we got 46 pounds of honey. At 3 pounds per quart, that was about 15 quarts of honey, which sells for about $10 per quart. Considering the time and expense of setting up and maintaining those beehives, the honey we harvested cost us far more than $150! Unless you are really interested in beekeeping as a hobby, you may be better off buying your honey rather than producing it.