Maybe you DON'T Need a Survival Food Pantry

Instead of a huge pantry, we do this.

Some of us see amazing survival food pantry ideas and start to think we need incredible indoor food storage. Yet perhaps we're approaching this wrong. Perhaps there is a simpler method. If you can't afford an epic pantry, and have seen too many survival food hacks that just won't work for you, perhaps try our method of keeping food in the ground - and growing storable calories that keep through the year, wherever we have space to store them.

Storable crops include potatoes, sweet potatoes and pumpkins. You don't even need a root cellar for these! Sure, there's nothing wrong with survival canning or studying pantry hacks, but you might be able to store the bulk of your calories without doing anything particularly complicated. We're storing potatoes, storing sweet potatoes, and storing pumpkins right in the house, at room temperature, and eating them throughout the year. Meanwhile, in the garden, we eat in season. Though we do some canning, it is only a tiny fraction of the calories we eat. Here are some survival food storage hacks you might consider before you spend money on a new pantry!

[Carolynfoodforest]

I feel it's always good to have a backup pantry just in case you have a bad growing year.

[kansasterri]

Before my husband retired I saved a lot of money by having a pantry. The thing is you have to *USE* those foods. The most expensive food in the world is the food that nobody wants to eat. Because they will NOT eat it they will just push it around the plate.
You know how sometimes you are too busy or too tired to cook? Instead of ordering a delivery pizza I simply went to the pantry and opened some chili. Or spagetti. Or beef and Knorr sides. AND I had a garden as well, and I preserved what we did not eat fresh

[Steadylife]

While I admire, appreciate and greatly respect what you said and do; I have to tell you, after the hurricane, being without power for several weeks left many neighbors without a lot of stuff. I shared powdered milk, freeze dried foods of all kinds and paper products (those again during covid shortage). So while it is only a small percentage chance, it is still a very real possibility. As a survivalist I sleep on a bag of peas. ;) but I do have my food forest for seasonal eating. Thanks for all you do!

[gardenlikeaviking]

Right there with you brother I’m all about “eating with the seasons” and growing proper storage crops!!

[Patriarchy_]

We do need a pantry. Incase sickness or injuries dwells in the home.

[SouthernLatitudesFL]

Thank you for bringing common sense back to food storage.

[WilliamMiller-nrgb]

"Until one day they spontaneously rot, and leave a big spot in your wood floor." Entirely speculative, of course. 😂❤

[HeatherNaturaly]

One is none and two is one and 3 is better. What if your garden fails? What if you have a 5 years drought (Like I was used to in Australia) It's always better to have stores that you never need, than to need them and not have them.

[GardeninginIdaho]

I think your advice is great for anyone with a long growing season.

Mine is short. June to September. Very few things survive and thrive outside this without a considerable amount of effort and help.

I think a combination is best. At least that’s what I’m doing, and it’s worked so far 😊

[fabricdragon]

i am also disorganized... however the pantry becomes a LOT more important when you live in a colder climate- whether thats canned, dehydrated, or food that stores well.
and of course if you have less garden space you have to choose what to grow. in my case i mostly grow the things that tend to be expensive at the store....

by the way, pumkins get some hecka distance in a trebuchet! a friend has some and has hurled an assortment of items...

[mollytrap]

I’ve been pleasantly surprised how versatile my seminole pumpkins have been in the kitchen. They’re not just for pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins! I use them in place of sweet potatoes or butternut squash in tons of dinner recipes too!

[l.l.]

I may never need my pantry, but I rotate everything and share with others. Anything unopened and packaged commercially can be taken to the local food bank. Sometimes they will also take home-grown winter squash. Other things I might share with friends and family. Nothing goes to waste.

[johnsawyer]

I think I view food stores as a buffer between the very high likelihood of crop failure, or the inability to raise a garden due to circumstances beyond your control, and or a toxic environment.

[craigwitte]

Zone 6 here. I grow about 250 lb. of potatoes / year. I grow winter squash as well. Illini white squash stores about 6 months, butternut lasts a good year. I grow way more than my family can eat, but the chickens sure enjoy them in January. I also ferment the worlds best sour dill pickle and some wonderfull saurekraut. My diet would not be complete without pickled beets. I do love the squash and potatoes that don't require a lot of work for storage! I'm going to try sweet potatoes here next year, I love e'm and they sure do store well. Wish me luck here in the north.

[loveofgrowing]

Your wife/ family must constantly have sore sides! Your sense of humour is so appreciated.

[JoybileeFarm]

Here in zone 3 with only 90 days frost free, we also grow pumpkins and winter squash and Irish potatoes for cold storage. (in my case an unheated basement) I've had winter squash last till July. No sweet potatoes or yams here, unfortunately. But the chickens also appreciate the squash or cooked potatoes.

[nancyseery]

Mostly I can because I like to can. Tomatoes become sauce, salsa, and pasta sauce. Green beans get canned because I don't like them frozen. I really wish I had a root cellar for potatoes, sweet potatoes and other root veggies, but rocks and high water levels are a "no go" for a root cellar here. We can have 6 chicken (I have 9) but no other livestock, so we purchase a steer every year. I'm not a prepper and don't have a food forest. Yes, I wish I had more than a big yard, but I do what I can with what I have. We just purchased a high tunnel and got it through zoning, so I will be able to push my garden out to about 9 to 10 months of the year here in zone 7. Fresh is best!! God bless y'all and keep growing.

[PlantObsessed]

In the event you are ever in central Illinois in fall. The "pumpkin capital of the world" there are punkin chukin competitions. People go nuts with mechanical devices to loft pumpkins thousands of feet.👍🏼🎃😊

[BalticHomesteaders]

I did a minor rant video about the pretty pantry syndrome a while back. The pretty pantry armchair warriors chased me with their pretty pitchforks. We have a basement that stays at about 7(c) whether it’s plus or minus 30 outside. Taking after you I’ve gone a bit crazy with pumpkins this year.

[Tommyatoms]

I used to can tomato's but found that ziplock bagging and freezing them works just as well. Also I take tomato's peppers and onion and freeze them as well. Those are used for chili which we love and make through the winter. Garlic gets dehydrated as well as onions and used for cooking all year. Meat is probably the only thing I can anymore especially venison. It is delicious.