The start of 2018 has been as interesting as the whole of last year. We haven’t talked about emergency food plans much these days, but reflecting on 2017 now seems like a good time to start. Just a quick run through of what we endured – hurricanes Harvey, Maria and Irma, and the mind-blowing wildfires in the west to name a few – are more than enough to make one think about how much we take for granted day-to-day things like food supply chain and grocery stores. This is also a good time to talk about building a emergency food plan because many natural disasters follow a cycle (such as hurricane season) – and right now we’re in a lull.

Take Advantage of the Lull

As anyone who’s been through a disaster knows, the time to build your food storage is now – not when a storm is headed your way. High demand creates scarcity, and sometimes exorbitant prices. The best way to build an emergency food plan is to start with a week or two of stored food, then add to it gradually. If you have a home freeze dryer, it’s so much easier because you can save leftovers, take advantage of bulk sales, and you don’t have to rotate food.

Eliminating Oceans of Peanut Butter

Here’s another perk: In hurricane country, the season lasts from June 1st through November 30th. Many coastal dwellers keep a stash of non-perishables such as peanut butter and canned tuna. The thing is, these foods aren’t really non-perishable. They just perish slowly. That means every November 30th you’ll find plenty of coasters slowly working their way through endless peanut butter or tuna salad sandwiches so the food doesn’t waste. Then they buy it all over again in six months. That’s a real thing.

If you’re new to this concept, a home freeze dryer allows you to freeze dry virtually any food, including entire meals and leftovers. Stored properly, freeze dried food can last up to 25 years. No more rotating, no more oceans of peanut butter.

Craving Comfort

Here’s another reason to build a freeze dried food stash – and this is wisdom learned the hard way: In a disaster, or a scary event like a bad winter storm or hurricane, you don’t want endless tins of tuna. You (and your kids!) want comfort food, and it won’t take long before you want variety. When you build your food stash, make sure to freeze dry your favorite comforting meals and snacks.

How it Works

We’ve got our fingers crossed for a boring, uneventful 2018. However, it’s always better safe than sorry. Order your home freeze dryer now and start building your emergency food plan. If you have a home freeze dryer – take time to make sure what you have saved will see you through.The freeze drying process simply eliminates the water from food, leaving behind all of the nutrition and flavor. To rehydrate any food, just spritz, soak, or add water until it returns to its original consistency. Many foods won’t over-absorb water, so it’s almost impossible to add too much. Water makes up much of the weight and bulk in food, so freeze dried food is more compact and lighter than canned food. No more storing rows and rows of canning jars. And, if you need to leave your home quickly, it’s easy to take your emergency food with you.