Long Term Gluten Free Food Storage
Would you like to prep some food for the future? Here’s a look into what we are storing in our gluten-free long-term food pantry and how we are storing it.
Long Term Gluten Free Food Storage
I think that back in 2020, many of us were blindsided when it came to grocery shopping. All of the sudden, everything shut down and there was a mad rush to stockpile everything you could think to get your hands on.
Unfortunately, our family was right in the middle of a move and we didn’t have much of any kind of food storage. I would go to the grocery store to shop for 10 people (our family and my parent’s family) and find very little. Most of what was on the shelves was pre-packaged and boxed products, things we didn’t usually eat. Fruits and veggies were few and far between.
It was a time that I’d rather not repeat. While our family isn’t prepping for the zombie Apocolypse or the end of the world or anything like that, we do believe that it’s prudent to have things on hand that we may need in the event that they are difficult to get or we don’t have the money or resources to get them.
It is also important for our family to store things that might help others in a bind as well. For more info on why and how we prepare for difficult situations, read this blog post —> How to Prepare for Difficult Times.
What Is Long-Term Food Storage?
Long Term Food Storage is food that can be stored away for at least 5 years without going bad. It’s not the same as typical bulk food buying and pantry storage.
I’ll be honest, mylar bags and oxygen absorbers have never really been my thing. We’ve always just stocked up our kitchen pantry and decided that was good enough. But we happened to have a month where we have a little extra and were able to find the items, so we decided to do a little long-term stocking up.
I’ve seen quite a bit of info on making a long-term food storage in a typical pantry, but since we are gluten and dairy-free, we don’t have a typical pantry. Storing wheat berries will do me more harm than good! So I thought I should share some of the gluten-free grains we are stocking up on, and things that we aren’t.
Do You Need to Buy Organic?
If you feel more comfortable and your budget allows, feel free to buy organic. If you can afford conventional and want to plan ahead, that’s absolutely fine. We all need to do the best we can do in the situations we are in and never feel pressured to buy something we can’t afford.
I was able to get organic for the particular stock up that you will see in the video below, but that’s only because our source for dry goods through our coop only does organic.
Disclaimer….we believe food storage is just a small part of long-term preparedness. Gardening, knowing how to can, being able to live without electricity, having non-food items…all of those things are just as important in a well-rounded long-term plan.
Gluten-Free Grains for Long Term Food Storage
Here are some of the things we hope to add to our long-term food storage. All of these items store well for many years when stored properly.
Whole Corn
Whole Oats
Whole Sorghum
White Rice
Quinoa Pasta
Some of the things we could store but our family doesn’t eat much of:
Whole Millet
Quinoa
Corn Pasta
Whole Buckwheat
Teff
Non-grain long term gluten free food storage items:
Potato Flakes
Arrowroot Powder
Baking Soda
Dried Beans
Lentils
Items you shouldn’t store long term:
Nuts
Seeds
Brown Rice
Brown Rice Pasta
Flax
Flours
I know there are probably many more things that could be added to these lists but this is a general list based on what our family eats. If you are considering storing anything for long term, be sure your family will eat it, and be sure that it doesn’t contain a high amount of natural oils.
How To Store Food Long Term
You Will Need:
Mylar Bags (I use Gallon and Two Quart)
Oxygen Absorbers (500cc for Gallon Bags and 300cc for 2 Quart Bags)
Impulse Heat Sealer (or you can use an iron)
Vacuum Sealer
To put away the food is very simple!
All you need to do is place your grain in the mylar bag. Don’t fill it all the way full, about 3/4 of the way full is good. Fill up as many mylar bags as are in one pack of oxygen absorbers. (Example, fill 10 bags if you have 10 oxygen absorbers in a pack).
Use the impulse sealer to seal the one open edge of the bag.
Write the contents and the date on the bag.
Place all your food storage in a dark, dry area if possible. Totes work well for this.
If you still aren’t sure about this process and what to store, I made a video for you! Check it out below.
One more note: If you choose to store whole grains you will need a grain grinder to make them into flour. I have and recommend the Wonder Junior Deluxe Manual Grinder from Pleasant Hill Grain. (We have the drill adapter for it as well.)
And there you have it, the basics of gluten free long term food storage! It doesn’t need to be complicated and it also doesn’t need to be done all at once. If you happen to find a great deal on some bulk whole grains that your family eats, that’s the perfect thing to grab and put away one bag at a time.
Do you have any food put away in long term storage? What gluten free foods or grains do you store?
