Back in January 2020, the team at Azure Standard Headquarters were tossing around ideas about what information would be most helpful to share with our customers and those who find

us on the Internet. We’re always eager to answer people’s questions in areas where we have knowledge and experience. But, on this particular day, CEO David Stelzer was lamenting that folks hadn’t been asking us about something very important—food storage. He recognized this as a sign that our customers may not be prepared for an emergency. This was a problem.

THE BEST LAID PLANSFood storage is something

people have done out of neces-sity throughout history—until recently. In previous times, storing food months ahead had to be done just to get through the winter. Not anymore. With a grocery store just down the street, most people haven’t need-ed to buy more than a couple of days’ worth of food at a time. We know what “food storage orders” look like, and we hadn’t seen many of them coming through Azure for 3-4 years.

With this in mind, we made a plan to provide information about food storage in our pub-lications and on-line during the months of April and May 2020. Seemed like a perfect plan. Everyone could learn about food storage and benefit from the

knowledge we gained from our experience through the stock-up frenzy that happened in 2018-2019 before the big Y2K non-event.

CORONAVIRUS FEARS HAPPENED

But, then… things changed. COVID-19 fears had arrived and along with them a panic we’ve never seen before. Friday, March 13, 2020 was the turning point. It seemed everyone everywhere wanted to buy food, buy it now, and stock up. Just as the grocery store shelves in people’s com-munities went bare, so did our warehouse shelves. We rushed to restock, but the global quarantine situation created challenges. No one needed to be reminded that stocking up would be a good idea—everyone seemed to be

analyzing their own situation and making the best decisions they knew to make. That of course, meant getting enough food to last a while.

We received advice saying not to encourage people to stock up. Well… I suppose our timing on getting the word out on why and how to store food long-term has been either “very timely” or “completely inappropriate” de-pending on who you talk to. But, we’re here to help you, and right now it’s important to share with you what we know about food storage so you can do it right.

SO WE’RE GOING AHEAD WITH IT

The information we’re pro-viding here is perennially good. It was useful during the stock-ing-up times before Y2K, it’s good for those who want to have food security for their families right now. So, we present this information to you as our way of saying, “Thank you for your support through the years, and we wish you many happy and nutritious meals no matter the global circumstances!”

Watch the Video

Visit Azure Standard’s Channel on YouTube.com to see our video about food storage. You’ll see David Stelzer and his wife, Kimberly, share with you their knowledge of long-term food storage. See how to install a Gamma Seal Lid on your bucket, learn when to choose a regular lid instead, see how a mylar bag is heat-sealed, and much more!

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Smart Long-term FOOD

STORAGEBy Susan Booth

Executive Assistant to the CEOAzure Standard

What To Store

On a basic level it’s important to store 1) foods you’re not allergic to, 2) foods you’re familiar with and know how to cook, and 3) foods that are packed in containers that are easy to access when you need them.

FOODS YOU’LL EATThe first consideration when creating a

food storage plan, is “Would I eat this?”If you know you are allergic to some-

thing, it doesn’t make sense to store it for later. (On the flip side, you may choose to have some on hand for those who are not al-lergic. In an emergency, you may be able to help others with the food you have stored, even though it’s something you may not be able to consume yourself ).

Ideally, you’ll be storing foods you like to eat and you’ll start eating them right away (see Rotating Stock, at far right). Just knowing you have yummy foods in storage waiting to be cooked and eaten gives a feel-ing of comfort. You’ll know that when you need your stored food it will be something you’ll like… not something you’ll loathe. In an emergency, you’ll likely have other things to think about besides wishing you had stored a more-favorite food.

KNOWING HOW TO COOK WHAT’S STORED

It might be an exaggeration, but know-ing how to cook rice in a microwave isn’t quite the same as knowing how to cook rice

without electricity. Being “prepared” is more than just having bulk food in storage. It’s about learning and practicing, too. There are many books and on-line videos to help. Consider putting basic cooking recipes in your food-storage stash so you won’t have to go hunting for them during an emergency. And don’t rely on the Internet… you may not have access to it during an emergency.

Recently, I went in search of the perfect book on dutch oven cooking. Of course, I didn’t find it… instead I found lots of books on dutch oven cooking and baking that each had very valuable (but different) information. I ended up with a stack of cookbooks! Hav-ing and knowing how to use a dutch oven is very useful not only in an emergency, but even on your family’s next camping trip.

If you have 5 pounds of dry beans, and no electricity, how will you transform those into something delicious? Practice ahead of time… start cooking what you’ve stored. Learning the basics while there is no dis-ruption in power (and you’re not distracted) will give you more confidence when things go wonky. Make it a learning experience. But, you’ll only feel like experimenting if your stored food is easy to get to, and you don’t have to open everything—which leads us to...

EASY ACCESSPacking 25 pounds of pinto beans with

oxygen absorbers in a giant mylar bag into a 5 gallon plastic pail is one way to approach food preparedness. But, our experience through the food-storage flurry of 1998-99 (see page 4) gave us a new perspective.

For practicality, try putting a variety of dry foods, seasonings, and salt into the bucket (in their properly packaged mylar bags, of course). Everything you need for some tasty meals will be there in reasonable amounts.

Picture a bucket with an easy-open Gamma-seal lid. Inside you’ve packed 5 pounds of your favorite beans, 5 pounds of rice or millet, 5 pounds of barley or other grain, a pound of mineral-rich salt, your favorite seasoning mixes (like taco or chili) and spices (like black pepper). Opening up these smaller packages gives you the liberty to enjoy as-needed.

ROTATING STOCKYou may want to feel like the food

you’ve set aside in storage will be there when you need it (maintenance-free), but it’s actu-ally best to rotate your stock. Although you can make all the best preparations to keep out oxygen (with OxyFree oxygen absorb-ers), light and moisture (with mylar bags), and rodents (with plastic buckets), foods naturally age. Beans can take longer to cook after they are several years old, for example.

So, it’s important to create a long-term stash that 1) will last for the length of time you choose to prepare for, and 2) contains as much food as you would like to be able to eat before adding fresher stock. For example, if you want to always have food on hand at any time to last 12 months, yet you want to eat from it for one month before restocking it, you would need 13 months worth of food total to start.

Don’t just store-it-and-forget it. Learn to cook it. Eat from it. Use it. Restock it. Keep it fresh.

Quality Food

It may be tempting to spend a lot of money on freeze-dried prepared meals (also known as MREs, Meals Ready to Eat). But, in our experience, you’ll get more nutrition and better food (without nasty additives) for less expense, if you buy whole foods to store and eat. Even the “best” MREs tend to contain major allergens and flavor-enhanc-ing additives that your body won’t thrive on. Stick with real food.

GRAINS: Storing grains that can be directly cooked and eaten are very convenient. Think rice, quinoa, or millet. Other grains do best when made into flour (like wheat) or rolled cereal (like oat groats). But, these grains typically require processing in a grain mill or oat roller, so if you choose to buy whole grains (which have the longest storage life), you’ll need those appliances. Next-best thing is to store the flour or rolled oats, knowing that they won’t stay fresh for as long as the whole grains would. Pasta is a unique form of “dried” grain that’s fun to eat.

Favorite Whole Grains to Store: Wheat (GR112), Spelt (GR102), Oat Groats (GR109), Buckwheat (GR008), Rice (GR073), Quinoa (GR075), Millet (GR032), Popcorn (GR023)

Favorite Flours and Cereals to Store: Wheat Flour (FL011), Spelt Flour (FL013), Rice Flour (FL032), Rolled Oats (CE066)

Favorite Pastas to Store: Wheat Pasta (PA524), Rice Pasta (PA214)

BEANS: Beans, peas, and lentils provide quality protein any time, but are particularly needed during uncertain times. Although beans can take longer to cook after a few years in storage, their nutritional quality remains excellent. Lentils cook quickly so make an easy “fast food” from storage.

Favorite Legumes to Store: Pinto Beans (BE042), Black Beans (BE005), White Beans (BE051), Green Peas (BE033), Brown or Green Lentils (BE025), Red Lentils (BE248)

FATS & OILS: It’s important to only store

fats and oils that do not easily go rancid. Coconut Oil and Palm Shortening are your best bet for this long-term. Other oils like safflower, sunflower, or olive oil may be stored for up to a year, but it’s best to rotate stock as often as possible. Flax oil goes ran-cid easily and is not good for food-storage.

Favorite Fats & Oils to Store: Coconut Oil (OL245), Palm Shortening (OL219)

NUTS & SEEDS: Some nuts and seeds store very well, such as Almonds, Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds, and Sesame Seeds. How-ever, since nuts do contain oils that can go rancid, there are some kinds that aren’t suit-ed for long-term storage unless they can be frozen or refrigerated reliably. This includes Brazil Nuts, Pecans, Cashews, and Walnuts.

Favorite Nuts & Seeds to Store: Almonds (NU113), Peanuts (NU051), Sunflower Seeds (SE055), Sesame Seeds (SE061).

DRIED FRUIT: Perhaps the best dried fruits for long-term storage are raisins. With low-moisture content they remain good for an extended time. As they get “older” you may notice they get a white coating on the outside. This is the natural sugars coming to the surface and does not indicate mold.

However, some fruits are only dried enough to give a pleasantly chewable consis-tency, but have too much moisture in them for long-term storage. Consider dehydrating them more before storing them.

Favorite Dried Fruits for Storage: Raisins (DF062), Coconut (BP258), Ba-nana Chips (DF127)

SPICES/CONDIMENTS & SALT: As David pointed out in his video (see page 1), spices in your food storage bucket can double as medicine. Think onion, garlic, cayenne, ginger, turmeric, and apple cider vinegar. Not only does having your favorite spice make the food taste better, but can give you better health during stressful times too.

Salt is a must-have for food storage be-cause it not only makes the food taste much better, but it acts as a preservative for fresh

food. For example, sauerkraut can be made with just cabbage and salt. Jerky can be made with just meat and salt. If you choose a salt that has its natural host of minerals with it (such as Himalayan pink salt or Celtic Sea Salt) you’ll benefit from those minerals in your diet.

Favorite Spices & Condiments to Store: Onion Granules (HS590), Garlic Gran-ules (HS609), Cayenne Pepper (HS228), Ginger Root Powder (HS333), Turmeric Root Powder (HS222), Black Pepper (HS435), your favorite spice blends (such as Italian Seasoning (HS085) or Taco Seasoning (HS217)), Apple Cider Vinegar (CO129)

Favorite Salts to Store: Himalayan Pink Salt (BP308), Celtic Sea Salt (BP073), Sea Salt (BP066)

SWEETENERS: Although sweets may seem like a luxury during challenging times, and some would argue they are completely unnecessary in food storage, there are some valuable sweeteners to add to your stash. Honey can be used as first-aid and as medi-cine. Molasses with its abundance of miner-als can be a life-saver as it was for some folks along the Oregon Trail years ago.

Honey can last a thousand years, if it remains pure. Coconut sugar and molasses are other sweeteners that last a very, very long time. Other sweeteners such as maple syrup should be refrigerated.

Favorite Sweeteners to Store: Honey (SW356), Molasses (SW456), Coconut Sugar (SW304)

SPROUTING SEEDS & GARDEN SEEDS: Although not all seeds remain via-ble for an extended period, many seeds will still sprout after years in storage. Whether you choose a sprouting seed mix to grow for “fresh greens” like salad, or you choose to select garden seeds to plant, it’s wonderful to have something living come from your stash.

Favorite Sprouting Seeds for Storage: Sprouting Seed Mix (SE041)

Favorite Garden Seeds: Brim Seed Garden Seed Kits (GP844)

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

Storage Supplies

GLASS JARSFor short-term storage, glass jars are

an excellent, easy-access option for storing food. And they look nice in the pantry too! We have them available as canning jars, as well as in ½ gallon, and 1 gallon sizes.

Wide Mouth Glass Gallon Jars Case of 4 Jars (PS018) Wide Metal Lids 4 pack (PS019)

Wide Mouth Glass 1/2 Gallon Jars Case of 6 Jars (PS140) Wide Metal Lids 6 pack (PS141)

BUCKETS & PAILSPlacing a heat-sealed mylar bag with

oxygen absorber into a bucket with a regular lid, is the best way to store food for an extended time.

Empty plastic buckets/pails are great for keeping out water and rodents. 5-Gallon size buckets can hold up to 37 pounds of wheat or corn. Less dense products such as macaroni may fill the bucket up but only weigh 21 pounds. Beans generally weigh 33-35 pounds when filling a 5-Gallon pail.

With that in mind, you may opt for a 2 gallon bucket simply to make handling them more comfortable. This is especially important for those who are weak or el-derly. Choose a size you can manage safely

when it’s full. 5 Gallon Pail (PS092)2 Gallon Pail (PS1309)

LIDSAs David described in his video (see page

1), Gamma Seal Lids are very convenient and keep your food safe from rodents and moisture. If you need easy access to what’s in the bucket, yet want it to be secure, the Gamma Seal Lid is a marvelous invention. These are also a favorite for folks who get into these buckets frequently for such things as animal feed, pet food, etc.

But, for long-term storage when it’s important to keep oxygen out for the duration, it’s best to go with regular lids. They’re made for extended storage… not for easy frequent access.

These plastic lids attach to the plastic bucket and simply require pounding them on with a hammer, using a piece of wood to protect the plastic while hammering. David demonstrated this in his video (see page 1).

Gamma Seal Lid (NF086)Regular Lids 5 Gallon (PS093) or 2 Gallon (PS009)

OXYFREE OXYGEN ABSORBERSThe idea behind oxygen absorbers isn’t to

get the “air” out, but get the *oxygen* out, since that is what reduces the life of your stored food. These nifty packets contain

iron, salt, and clay which absorbs oxygen and releases nitrogen. So, when using them, the oxygen is removed and is replaced with nitrogen. There may still appear to be “air” in the bucket or package, but that “air” won’t contain oxygen—it has nitrogen in-stead. Please understand that these are NOT moisture absorbers (such as silica gel).

1 Quart size, 100 cc (PS802)1 Gallon size, 300 cc (PS801)5 Gallon size, 2000 cc (PS800)

MYLAR BAGSMylar Bags are mainly designed to keep

out oxygen. But, of course, they also keep out light and moisture as well.

Our mylar bags have a Zip-top closure and can be easily heat-sealed using a clothes iron as David demonstrates in his video (see page 1).

1 Quart size, 8x10”, 5.25 mil (PS039)1 Gallon size, 10x16”, 5.25 mil (PS036)5 Gallon size, 20x30”, 5.25 mil (PS993)

DIATOMACEOUS EARTHPlease do your own research on this

one. The diatomaceous earth we carry is food grade, but we make no representation about its use other than as an anti-caking agent for animal feed as described on our website. Available in 5-pound (GP009) and 50-pound (GP010) sizes.

The Rest of the Y2K StoryThink “nothing” happened at Y2K? Those who stocked

up ahead of time got some surprising added benefits despite 01-01-00 not being a big deal after all. As you’ll see in the chart at left, the price of wheat was quite low in 1998 and 1999 when the pre-Y2K food storage frenzy was in full swing. The price rose considerably by 2005, then spiked around 2007. Those who had stored lots of grain for the Y2K disaster-that-never-struck were then able to sell it 5+ years later and made a significant return on their investment.

How We Can HelpWe have experience with food storage, and we can help

you create a pantry full of food that will not only keep for an extended period, but also be good to eat right now (emer-gency or not!) Call us at 971-200-8350.