Grains and Seeds

Besides wheat, there are many other grains that can be stored to add variety and nutrition.  The ones that I have chosen are:

Rolled and Quick Oats
Rice--White rice keeps better.  Brown rice can be frozen or oven canned.
Rolled and Pearled Barley
Corn Meal, Popcorn and Corn for grinding and growing
Split Peas
Quinoa
Alfalfa Seeds (for sprouting) (Old seeds don't sprout.  Use for chicken feed or mulch.)
Mung Beans  (for sprouting). Same with old beans.  
Triticale
Rye
Millet
Macaroni
Chia Seeds
Flax Seeds
Lentils
6-Grain Mix

Note that 20-60 year old wheat may not sprout.  I have wheat in cans (about 30 years old) that does not sprout.  I have many empty canning jars, so I stone ground some of it into flour and oven canned.

Oven canning instructions:  fill clean quart or 1/2 gallon jars with freshly ground flour.  Place in the oven on a cooky sheet at 200 degrees for an hour.  Heat the lids (used lids are fine) in a container in the same oven. (Not rings). Then remove the jars carefully one at a time using hot pads.  Put the hot lids on each bottle and then rings.  Tighten.  They should seal within a few hours.   If they don't, use those bottles first.  The flour will still keep a long time even if the lids don't seal.

SPICES OF LIFE

Here is a list of the spices that Mary Bergman used:  garlic salt, onion salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, oregano, paprika, table salt

Here are the spices and seasonings that I store and use.  The ones I use most often and recommend to store are bolded and italicized:  All purpose season, almond flavor, basil leaf, bay leaf, caraway, celery seed, cinnamon, cloves, dill seed, garlic-herb season, garlic powder, ginger, Italian seasoning, majoram, Mexican seasoning, nutmeg, Old Bay, onion powder, oregano, paprika, parsley flakes, pepper corns, pizza season, poultry season, pumpkin pie spice, rosemary, saffron, sea salt or "Real Salt", salad sprinkle, spinach flakes, stevia, turmeric, vanilla extract (both real and imitation).

Most of these can be purchased locally or from online vendors such as Vitacost, Swanson, IHerb or similar companies.  

Ground spices don't keep their flavor after a few years.  Don't discard them, but add to potting soil.  Cut and sifted herbs keep longer.

UPDATE, June, 2024:  I now order almost all of my herbs/spices from Herbco, now Moneterey Bay  They are a wholesale company.  Shipping is free over $250, so I often find others who want to go in on an order.

Honey

We have been advised for years to store honey for many reasons.  It is a whole sweetener complete with vitamins and enzymes.

There's not too much to say except the internet is full of information.  Here is one link:
http://thesurvivalmom.com/heres-a-honey-of-a-post-17-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-honey-but-should/

You can make candy, sweeten almost anything or use it for medicine.

It does solidify, so storing it in larger containers is cumbersome when you need to use it.  I recommend pouring into smaller containers for storage.

Survival Family used 120 lbs. for their year for a family of 8.

Beans....

"We had several thousand pounds of dried beans.  The national estimate for a one year supply is 50 lbs per person per year.  My friends, that is a pound of beans a week for everyone in the family!  I have yet to see the family that can consume that amount of beans and still have any desire to stay alive!....we only used 85 lbs total for the entire year for the family of eight."  Mary Bergman

There is much information around on using beans in storage.
http://everydayfoodstorage.net/about-food-storage/beans

Dry beans take alot of cooking and soaking.  A pressure cooker would help here.  The point is...a few beans are nice, but the emphasis is  "few".  If you are like us, you probably have way more beans that would be actually utilized in a survival situation. They can also be sprouted.  They can even be used in a bartering situation for people that don't have anything else to eat.

Beans are made much more appetizing and edible by adding spices and meat.  (Think freeze dried ham, even canned ham or spam.)

Coconut Oil...Better Shelf Life than Olive Oil

Coconut oil is a liquid substance extracted from the meat of a mature coconut. A very stable substance with a long shelf life, it is used around the world as a safe, flavorful cooking oil, often substituting butter. Many believe that coconut oil offers health benefits, such as boosting the body’s natural metabolism. Although historically popular in tropical countries, millions of people throughout the Western world are including this versatile oil in their cooking regimens.

Another benefit of coconut oil lies in its high stability level. When stored in the proper environment, it can remain stable for many months, or even years.  It can also be used as a soothing, aromatic substitute for skin cream or lotion. Yes, people use coconut oil as a conditioner for their hair.

When cooking, coconut oil can be stirred into oatmeal, soups, and stews. For sauteing, heat coconut oil in a shallow pan for a few minutes and then add your favorite vegetables or use the hot oil to fry fish, potatoes, or chicken. Coconut oil can also be used in baking as a 1 to 1 replacement for butter or other oils.  

 Whether or not to store coconut oil in your refrigerator is based on your personal preference. If you choose to keep it in a pantry or cabinet, rest assured that it will not spoil. Storing coconut oil at room temperature does offer the advantage of easier scooping and spreading.

Coconut oil has an average shelf life of approximately 2 years, making it one of the longest-lasting unrefined cooking oils available, regardless of how many times it transitions between solid and liquid states.

Coconut oil has a melting point of 78˚ F. If you store it outside of the refrigerator, it may turn into a liquid. However, coconut oil has a very high stability and doesn’t break down as easily as olive oil.

There are many references to coconut oil on the internet.  Do your own research.  Here is just one link:  http://www.naturalnews.com/036156_Coconut_oil_superfood_healing.html

You can purchase coconut oil from many places, but one of my favorites is Vitacost. I also found it very modestly priced at Winco, Costco, Amazon and Walmart.

Click on this link to buy Coconut Oil from Vitacost.   

 

Utilizing

from "Survival Family" by Mary Bergman
"When I hear people comment that they will exist for one year on wheat, dry milk and honey, I count up one more family that will have insurmountable problems to cope with.  Food is emotional, and variety is essential and we must be prepared to meet it on that level."


Family Favorites:  "during our year of experimental disaster, we consumed huge quantities of tomato products.  They were the base for chili and spaghetti. They were heated and poured over stale bread and dumped into soup...canned tomato products keep with virtually no spoilage for seven years...
We ate catsup by the gallon, along with tomato sauce and paste.
If there is a product your family is particularly fond of, be sure to have ample supply on hand.  For one family it might be cocoa mix, for another pineapple chunks or olives.  These items become priceless because they keep contact with a human need for the familiar or the special addition."

Year's supply of food--What we actually used

This is from Mary Bergman's book, Survival Family.  
"these are items we actually used for a family of 8...
12 cases canned tomatoes, 4 cases canned corn, 2 cases canned beans
1/2 case canned peas, 20 fresh pumpkins, 600 lbs potatoes, 25 heads cabbage
200 lbs carrots, 100 lbs onions, 5 cases canned peaches, 4 cases fruit cocktail, 2 cases of pears, 1 case of plums, 1 case mandarin oranges, 2 cases corned beef, 2 cases Spam, 1 1/2 cases of canned turkey, 3 cases tuna, 4 cases of whole cooked chickens, 1/4 case mackaral;
20 lbs dried kidney beans, 40 lbs pinto beans, 25 lbs Great Northern beans; (We had several thousand pounds of dried beans on hand. The national estimate for a year's supply is 50 lbs per person per year. that is a lot of beans and I have yet to see the family that can consume that amount of beans and still have any desire to stay alive!)
100 lbs of long and short grain rice, 10 lbs of lentils (mainly for sprouting),
1 1/2 cases dried eggs, 50 lbs dry milk;
120 lbs spaghetti, macaroni and noodles
6 cases of dry soup mix
120 lbs honey, 100 lbs raw sugar, 400 lbs flour, 2 cans baking powder, 2 lbs yeast, 2 cases of shortening, 1/2 case baking soda;
2 cases jelly, 12 bottles lemon juice, 1 case canned cheese, 2 cases evaporated milk, 1 case Karo syrup, 75 lbs raisins, 2 cases tomato sauce, 1 case tomato paste, 5 gallons vinegar, 1 case mayonnaise, 3 jars mustard, 12 gallons pickles, 4 cases instant pudding mix, 22 cases jello, 85 lbs peanut butter, 16 gallons catsup;
100 lbs rolled oats, 50 lbs rolled wheat, 24 lbs cracked wheat, 1 case canned wheat, 20 lbs wheat germ;
2 cases cream of chicken soup, 3 cases cream of mushroom soup, 2 cases of cream of celery soup, 2 cases vegetable soup, 4 jars of boullion cubes;
Spices of garlic salt, onion salt, pepper, chili powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, oregano, paprika, 1 case of table salt, popcorn, nuts.
.....There are changes we would have made had we known before hand. We would have included more convenience items such as cake mixes, pie filling and frosting mix, precooked or instant potatoes. We ran out of cheese whiz, walnuts, jelly, pears and fruit cocktail."