Chapter 22 · Advanced skills · 29 min read

Pantry and cooking without power

Chapter 2 gave you the two-week shopping list. This chapter teaches you how to sustain that pantry over time: what lasts and what does not, how the heat in your home shortens the life of food, when long-term storage in buckets is worth it, what to do with damaged cans, how to feed your pets, how to cook without electricity without poisoning yourself with carbon monoxide, and how to buy by the week without emptying your wallet.

The essentials · if you only have a minute

Store what you eat and eat what you store: a normal pantry, rotated "first in, first out."
The goal for 2 weeks is the one in chapter 2: about 28,000 calories per person (2,000 per person per day), more if there are large people or heavy physical work.
Heat is the enemy: food lasts much less above 85 °F (29 °C). Store it in the coolest interior part of your home, never in the patio closet, the garage, or the car.
Throw away cans that are bulging, leaking, deeply dented or dented on the seam, or with rust that does not wipe off.
Camp stoves, grills, and any combustion: outdoors only, away from the building. Carbon monoxide kills.
Do not improvise home canning of vegetables, beans, or meat without a pressure canner and a tested recipe: botulism.
When the power goes out: the refrigerator first, then the freezer, and the pantry last (chapter 6).

In this chapter

22.1Emergency pantry vs. long-term storage1 min read 22.2How much food: the math1 min read 22.3Which foods last2 min read 22.4Store what you eat and eat what you store1 min read 22.5The heat in your home or apartment1 min read0/5 22.6Long-term storage: buckets, Mylar, and absorbers3 min read 22.7Dented, swollen, or rusty cans1 min read 22.8Pet Food1 min read 22.9Allergies and special diets1 min read 22.10Cooking without power3 min read 22.11Preserving without a refrigerator2 min read 22.12Weekly shopping plan1 min read 22.13Sample menu: 3 days2 min read 22.14Common mistakes1 min read 22.15A 1- to 5-week reserve: three levels2 min read 22.16Level 1: week 1, no cooking2 min read0/15 22.17Level 2: weeks 2 and 3, basic cooking1 min read0/13 22.18Level 3: weeks 4 and 5, deep reserve1 min read0/14 22.19Shopping summary and cost1 min read 22.20Protein powder: yes, with conditions1 min read 22.21Water and fuel for cooking1 min read 22.22Storing and rotating the reserve1 min read 22.23Common mistakes in food lists1 min read

Chapter sources (1)

1.Shelf-Stable Food Safety — USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service — https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and- preparation/food-safety-basics/shelf-stable-food 2.Safe Food Storage: The Cupboard (MF3131) — Kansas State University Research and Extension — https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/ download/safe-food-storage-the-cupboard_MF3131 3.7 Factors That Prolong Your Food Storage Supply / How Can I Get the Most Out of My Food Storage — Utah State University Extension — https://extension.usu.edu/news_sections/home_family_and_food/foodstorage 4.Longer-Term Food Storage (resume estudios de BYU) — La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Últimos Días — https:// www.churchofjesuschrist.org/topics/food-storage/longer-term-food-supply 5.Research on Food Storage — Brigham Young University, Nutrition, Dietetics & Food Science — https://ndfs.byu.edu/research-on-food- storage 6.National Center for Home Food Preservation — University of Georgia/USDA — https://nchfp.uga.edu 7.Jerky and Food Safety; Danger Zone (40 °F–140 °F); Leftovers and Food Safety — USDA FSIS — https://www.fsis.usda.gov 8.Food Safety in a Power Outage — FoodSafety.gov — https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/food-safety-in-disaster-or-emergency 9.Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/carbon-monoxide/ 10.Build a Kit / Food — Ready.gov — https://www.ready.gov/food 11.People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets — ASPCA Animal Poison Control — https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/ people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets 12.Botulism — CDC — https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/