When trying to be prepared for emergency one of the biggest challenges for some people is where to store all the extra food that you are hoarding. No matter how small your home or apartment is you do have options.
First off be sure that you store the food somewhere cool. Heat destroys food. The warmer the storage area, the more likely the shelf life of any food is to be shortened. Store dry food in a place where the temperature is constant – around seventy degrees Fahrenheit. Keep foods away from moisture that can spoil dry goods, breed bug eggs and cause cans to rust.
If you are short space there are all things you can do to create new pantry spaces in your home. You can clean out and rearrange your existing cabinets and add shelves, step shelves and single or double turntables.
If you have tables you are not using you can store food beneath or in the backs of them and drape a tablecloth over top to conceal the storage.
Some people store their food in a freezer. This is only recommended if the food is bagged somehow and happens to be a staple like flour. It is not a good idea to put glass jars in the freezer for a long time. Remember that in an emergency, whatever you store in a freezer is eventually going to thaw.
Sometimes you can find more space for food in your bedroom, hall or linen closets. You can put shelf racks on door racks and create storage areas with racks, shelves or crates.
If you have odd spaces in your room you can store stuff above your washer and drier, above your refrigerator, under beds, in attics and beneath stairs. Crawlspaces and garden sheds can work too, as long as they are not damp. Garages, sheds and covered porches might work if they have insulated walls.
When figuring out how to arrange your emergency food storage remember that there will be short term items that you will want to rotate and use more frequently and long-term storage items that will last for years. Try to put the stuff that lasts the longest, like honey, at the back and stuff that goes bad first, like jars of pasta sauce first.
Some people have gone as far to dig holes in the ground and store their emergency food there. Once again this works best if the storage area is insulated.