Bee Prepared........
The following is the information made available for this homemaking night. Feel free to use it.
Budget your year's supply
Sir William Osler once said, "Humanity has but three great enemies: fever, famine, and war…."
In April 1937 General Conference of the Church, President J Reuban Clark advised three precautionary measures as follows:
- Let us live righteously, fearing God and keeping His commandments.
- Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague. Let us straitly and strictly live within our incomes, and save a little.
- Let every head of every household see to it that he or she has on hand enough food and clothing, and where possible fuel also for at least a year ahead.
Consider the following good reasons for storage of different supplies in the home.
- Our Prophet and Church leaders have counselled us to do so.
- History has demonstrated many times that prosperity and plenty will not always be with us.
- To the head of the house: "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."
- (1 Timothy. 5:8)
Some suggestions as to what to consider each month for food storage, apart for the normal list:
January: Early Fruits and Berries; Vitamin C; Vitamin tablets; Water
February: Bottling of fruits and vegetables apples, peaches, pears, plums; Freezing of fruits and vegetables beans, corn, peas; Honey; Clothing, fabric, household sales
March: Fruits and vegetables; Honey; Vegetable Storage: Onions, potatoes, pumpkin, dried potato flakes
April: Wheat, flour, cereals, oatmeal, macaroni, legumes, lentils (dried beans and peas), rice
May: Meats, frozen and tinned
June: Milk dried and tinned; Cheese
July: Soap: dish, toilet, laundry; Bleach, cleaning agents, deodorant, and disinfectants; Scouring pads etc
August: First aid: asprin, bandaid bandages antiseptic etc.; Personal: razor blades, toothpaste, sanitary material, shoe polish, cosmetics, shaving cream, hair pins, shoe laces etc.
September: Eggs: dried and fresh; Fats: butters, margarine, oil, peanut butter
October: Sugar: granulated, brown, raw, castor, icing sugar etc.
November: Miscellaneous, jellies, chocolate, soda, baking powder, salt, pepper, spices; yeast, cornflour, custard powder etc.
December: Paper items: toilet tissue, face tissue, wax paper, table napkins, candles, matches, writing paper, pencils etc.
Food Storage
Self reliance is a principle we are being taught by the Lord in this food storage program.
"The Church and its member are commanded by the Lord to be self-reliant and independent." (See D&C 78:14-14).
Planned storage in the home will assist the membership to be self-sustaining in times of need. The likelihood of accident, illness or unemployment faces nearly every family at one time or another. Wars, depressions, famines are possibilities to consider in planning for the care and protection of the family.
Three important rules to follow:
Rule 1 It is most important that you store only those items your family will use.
Much food is wasted through spoilage or changes in appetites because it is stored too long or in quantities too large for normal consumption before spoilage occurs. You must make sure you know the consumption habits of your family and purchase no more than will be used within the period covered by your storage program. Numerous persons have purchased in case lots, thinking that it was more economical to save a few cents on each case, only to end up by throwing away a portion of the case due to spoilage and thereby wasting many dollars. Consequently, it is a good idea to keep foods in rotation within a two-year period (or less) due to the spoilage potential and to prevent loss of essential vitamins and vital nutrients.
Rule 2 Purchase perishables in quantities no larger then the normal requirements of your family within your planned rotation period.
Rule 3 You cannot keep a year's supply on hand, nor successfully store canned or bottled foods without spoilage unless you faithfully follow a rotation plan.
Important: Don't be misled into group-buying projects, such as "items of the month", bulk purchases, or case lots - unless the items you buy fit these three rules.
Planning ahead
Rare indeed are the undertakings that succeed without a plan and a purpose.
Successful storage does not come by chance, nor without effort. Success comes to those who are willing to spend some though in planning it - and then carrying out the plan. A half-hearted effort in any storage program usually results in great waste and expense. Spoilage is bound to occur with consequent waste of money and food.
Home storage of food should begin with the basic items that will sustain life in an emergency. Later, after these are obtained in adequate amounts, consideration could be given to storing foods that are ordinarily eaten. The choice of which foods to store must be based on a consideration of food value and storage qualities.
Food Storage Precautions
Food has many enemies - pests, temperatures, lack of rotation and lengthy storage. Warm temperatures cause a variety of chemical reactions and changes in foods. Generally temperature changes will produce changes in colour, flavour, texture and loss of nutritional value. The warmer the air, the more rapidly rancidity develops, thus small amounts of natural fats in these foods become foul smelling and slightly toxic as when a protective hull is cracked. Foods to watch for this are - meal and flour from corn, polished rice, cracked wheat and flour from whole wheat. Dried vegetables including corn, green beans and green peas are also subject to rancidity when kept in unsealed containers.
The best way to eliminate the problems of pest in wheat is to fumigate it. Store mouse traps from local hardware stores for general pest control in pantries etc.
Lack of rotation is one of the greatest wasters in our storage cupboard. Store what you eat and eat what you store. Don't leave it there forever. Rotate and replace.
General tips:
Have all members of the family, involved in food storage plans, after all, they are going to eat it too. Perhaps a different product in each child's cupboard. Make them part of your storage plans. Now about the food……….
- Dried foods should be packed in clean dry airtight glass jars. Place fruit in jar, without lid, place in oven, then heat for 20 mintues at 150F. This will protect them from insects and deterioration. Seal when cold.
- Bulk sugar, powdered milk, etc., should be immediately packed into cleaned dry metal or glass containers and sealed with airtight lids.
- Wheat, rice, oats and other grains should be free from insects and their eggs; store and fumigate.
- Use iodized salt to protect pasta products from weevil. Use 1 cup poured over each large box of macaroni or noodle product. Re-use salt after using pasta. The salt won't hurt the pasta since all pasta requires salty water for cooking.
- Turn canned milk upside down every other month to prevent lumps forming. Use evaporated, condensed and other canned milks within 12 months.
- Canned foods should be turned every 3 to 6 months to prevent solids settling on the bottom.
- Fats and oils in their original containers keep for many years in a cool place.
- Food supplies and other needed articles should be stored in readily portable containers in case of emergency.
- Label all containers with contents and date.
- Baking powder should be stored in original metal container.
- Discoloured iodised salt is still good for seasoning food.
- Very large cans of yeast should be divided into smaller amounts in bottles and stored in the freezer or refrigerator.
- Do not store honey in tins, these rust, thus discolouring honey and affecting flavour.
- Store brown sugar in jars, tightly sealed. If it becomes hard, place a small piece of apple in the jar for a day before using.
- Whenever you empty a glass bottle (food or drink type) wash carefully, rinse and fill with water. These can even be stored under the house.
- Don't forget to store such items as a torch, with batteries in a watertight plastic bag, matches, disinfectant, fuel, candles, general tool kit, first aid kit and old linen (clean and sterilized), clothing and shoes for an emergency. Remember, something is far better than nothing when it comes to the crunch!
What to do in an Emergency
Emergency Top Ten
- Phone Numbers (refer to next page)
- Storage - food, clothing, water
- First Aid - knowledge on how to do it and making sure you have a kit
- Safety procedures - meeting place, travelling safety (esp. kids), stranger danger, slip slop slap wrap, water safety
- 72 hour packs
- Equipment - fire extinguisher, tent, tarpaulin
- Protect Property - fuses, buckets, how to switch off power/water, clean gutters
- Best route to hospital
- Legal documents - metal box, photos
- Cash - stash in car, bank accounts & wallet (not all tied up in investments)
72 Hour Emergency Kit Checklist
A 72 hour kit is designed to get you family through the crucial first three days of an emergency. It should be easily accessible and transportable so that you can take it along in an emergency evacuation. This is a somewhat comprehensive list. You could get by with less - modify it to meet your family's unique needs. You can assemble the kit over several weeks or months.
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