Letters To The Editor

Food Storage Options In Limited Space?

Dear Editor,

While I would love to can or freeze a lot of stuff, I simply don’t have the room at the moment. I live in a small house with limited space and no pantry. What other options do I have?

Love the site, by the way! You guys have helped me tremendously!

Dear PG,

Never fear… you still have an option! One thing you can do is to dehydrate that produce. Yes, it still goes on a shelf or in the back of a closet, but you don’t use nearly the room that you do with regular canning or freezing. Trust me, I understand your dilemma… my hallway is lined with cases of canned goods while I work on finishing out the pantry with shelves and storage space. I’m actually getting quite desperate to see the floor again!

You can dehydrate your food outdoors, indoors, or speed up the process a bit and use the oven or a dehydrator that you purchase. There are several books on dehydrating in the Solutions From Science store, including The Dehydrator Bible and Dehydrating Food: A Beginner’s Guide that can help you. They also have the DVD set Food Storage Secrets that can help you if you’re new to preserving food in any manner. It covers canning and dehydrating.

In addition, we’ve had several articles on dehydrating written for Off the Grid New, including “Food Drying 101” and “How to Dehydrate Food for Storage.”

Thanks for the good feedback on the site. We’re so glad you’re finding the information you need to live a more self-reliant life.

Thank you,

The Editor

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Purchasing Bulk Wheat?

Dear Editor,

I read your article “How to Create a Food Storage Supply for You and Your Spouse… For as Little as $5 per Week” and found it very informative. The list looks like an ideal way for the average person to stock up. I am curious about the 50 pounds of wheat, however. Who sells it in these quantities and how is it sold (whole, ground, etc.)? I’m grateful for sites like yours.

Thanks,

Dear GT,

Bulk wheat is usually sold whole and is known as “wheat berries.” Grinding the grain releases the oils and will cause it to go rancid much more quickly. If you have local farmers in your area who grow wheat, you may be able to purchase wheat from them. If not, there are several online sources for wheat. There is Augason Farms that sells a 45 lb. pail of whole wheat. I have found that Bob’s Red Mill sells in smaller quantities, but they have certified organic wheat (along with a variety of other grain products you might be interested in, such as spelt, flax, barley, etc.). You can always purchase a food grade storage bucket and high-quality lid and simply accumulate a store of 50 lbs. of wheat.

Do an Internet search for “whole grain wheat 50 lbs” and see all the options you come up with. In the meantime, read our article “Prepper Kitchen 101: Wheat Basics” for an overview of wheat and how to store it.

Thanks,

The Editor

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