Short-Term Food Storage Basics: Part 1 – Getting Started
December 12, 2022
3 Comments
A beginner’s guide to short-term food storage and the differences between short-term and long-term food storage.
June Thrive Life Food Storage Specials
Are you as ready for summer as I am?! One word keeps running through my head – FINALLY!
This would be a great time to catch up on adding to your food storage (if you’re like me, May was a bit crazy). The June Thrive Life delivery specials will not disappoint. There are some fruity favorites and some good protein options to add to your long-term food storage.
**This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
1
Instant Milk - up to 50% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
**Instant Milk has an OVERSTOCK banner on it, which means it may be 1-2 years into it’s 25-year shelf life.
This stuff is GREAT!
I think this is one of the items that sets Thrive Life apart from other food storage companies. Their milk is really really good. Unless my kids see me mixing it up, they can’t tell the difference.
I definitely think this is one staple everyone should have in their food storage. (Well, I guess if your family is dairy-free it wouldn’t make sense. But, everyone else should have some.) Even if no one drinks it by the glass in your household, I bet you have a handful of recipes that call for milk (like mac & cheese).
This used to be the only milk I recommended storing, but now there’s a really close runner-up. I promise honesty, so here it is: the LDS Home Storage Center has upgraded their milk and it is really good! It’s cheaper than Thrive’s milk, so I’ll link it here for ya.
The biggest difference between the two is the way it is packaged and the shelf life. The Church’s milk is packaged in mylar bags, where Thrive Life’s is packaged in #10 cans. The Church’s milk has a 20-year shelf life, and Thrive’s has a 25-year shelf life.
If you want to stick with Thrive’s, 50% off is a screamin’ deal. I cannot recommend this milk enough.
If you want to know more about this milk, including cost per serving, go read this post.
If you’re ready to add this instant milk to your order, click here.
2
Raspberries - up to 40% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
**Raspberries have an OVERSTOCK banner on them, which means they may be 1-2 years into their 25-year shelf life.
These pack a punch for sure, so get ready to pucker up!
These are really tasty, but I prefer eating them WITH something else, to tone down the tartness.
But they really are what you would expect from freeze dried raspberries! Full of flavor and delicious!
3
Ground Beef - up to 30% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
Meat that can sit on a shelf for 25 years? Sounds made up, right? Nope! It’s real!
Use it just like you would in any recipe you’d normally put ground beef in. Cool, huh?
Its appearance does resemble dog food, I’m not gonna lie. But once you have it cooked up and browned and in a meal, your kids won’t know what it looked like coming out of the can, I promise.
As far as taste: I can tell a difference from fresh meat. I am hyper-sensitive to reheated or precooked meat, so that makes sense that I can taste the difference when I use this. It has the same vibe as hamburger that you’ve cooked and either frozen or refrigerated, and then reheated. Which makes sense; afterall, this hamburger is COOKED! (Which means, yes! You can eat it right out of the can for some protein if that’s your style – nothin’ raw about it!)
Pro Tip: I have found that browning the hamburger after reconstituting it makes a HUGE difference in the taste and makes it taste a lot fresher to me, so I would highly recommend throwing it in a pan and browning it before throwing it into a meal.
4
Broccoli - up to 25% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
Really awesome veggie straight out of the can, or reconstituted and cooked!
If I am wanting some warm fresh broccoli with dinner, I just throw some of this in a pot with some water and bring it to a boil and cook it for a couple minutes, just like I would do with a frozen veggie. It is SO nice to always have fresh veggies available. And can you imagine how amazing it would be to have this if you didn’t have access to fresh produce?!?!
Get your broccoli with a 25-year shelf life for your food storage here.
5
Mushroom Pieces - up to 25% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
YES!
Who else reaches for the mushrooms and they’re black and slimy? It feels like every time I buy fresh mushrooms, they go bad before I get the chance to use them. Because of this, I use Thrive Life’s freeze dried mushrooms in my cooking instead of fresh mushrooms. Every.Single.Time.
They are so awesome to have on hand to just toss in a sauce. You can rehydrate first, or if you’re putting them in a meal with liquid in it (like soup), just toss them right in.
Super convenient for every day and an awesome option to give you some variety in your food storage meals.
6
cheddar cheese - up to 25% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
YES. Yes to all the cheese.
This is 100% cheddar cheese. It’s a weird phenomenon eating dry, somewhat crunchy cheese from a can, but it’s crazy how the taste is 100% there, even before reconstituting it.
After reconstituting it, you have totally normal, functional cheese. It even melts like regular cheese!
Can you imagine life without cheese? Especially life where you are already limited on certain foods, so you’re having to improvise a little (or a lot)? Cheese just makes everything go down a little bit easier, amiright?
Don’t be sad. Add freeze dried cheddar cheese to your order.
7
Blueberries - up to 25% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
Crunchy and sweet. What’s not to love?
The only problem is, there’s no hiding the fact that you’ve been snacking on them. After a handful of these, your tongue, teeth, and lips will be a beautiful shade of deep blueish-purpleish-blackish. But don’t worry- that’s all natural color right there. Wanna know how I know?
There’s one ingredient in this can: blueberries.
No additives.
No preservatives.
Just blueberries.
25 year shelf life.
I personally get the blueberries in the pantry can size, because I like them super fresh and crisp. This is one of those fruits that does get soft and chewy after being open for a few weeks, so if you’re not going to go through an entire number 10 can within a few weeks, I recommend ordering these in the pantry can size. It just depends on how quickly you’ll go through them.
To add freeze dried blueberries to your food storage, click here.
**Blueberries have an OVERSTOCK banner on them, which means they may be 1-2 years into their 25-year shelf life.
8
Grilled Chicken Dices - up to 25% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
By now, I think I’ve made it clear that I am not a fan of anything other than freshly cooked chicken. This tastes like microwaved chicken to me when I reconstitute it. It makes sense – it’s not Thrive’s fault. It’s just the nature of cooking meat and then reheating it later. I don’t fault Thrive – just my picky taste buds.
BUT, most people think this tastes totally fine. So unless you’re a chicken snob like me, this would be a good addition to your food storage.
If you’d like to give the Grilled Chicken a try, click here.
9
Veloute - up to 25% off
Shelf Life - 10 years
Haven’t tried it. It’s gravy…that’s not homemade. You decide. (But, let me know if you’ve made it so I can give a better review!)
Click here if you want to add veloute to your order.
**Note the 10-year shelf life, which is different than the usual 25-year shelf life.
10
Granny Smith Apples - up to 25% off
Shelf Life - 25 years
**Granny Smith Apples have an OVERSTOCK banner on it, which means it may be 1 or 2 years into its 25-year shelf life already.
These are awesome. Just like the Fuji Apple slices, these make an awesome snack. They are tart, just like you’d expect, and they disappear fast!
11
Case Lot Sale
FUJI APPLES - UP TO 35% OFF
**Fuji Apples have an OVERSTOCK banner on them, which means they may be 1-2 years into their 25-year shelf life.
Love these! Perfect for snacking straight out of the can, kids’ lunches, or pantry cans for 72-hour kits. I’ll be honest, I love the cinnamon apples best, but these are great too.
chopped onions - UP TO 35% OFF
**Chopped Onions have an OVERSTOCK banner on them, which means they may be 1-2 years into their 25-year shelf life.
I will shout it from the rooftops as many times as it takes – LIFE CHANGING (in the kitchen). Ask my assistant – I gifted her a case of these and she hasn’t bought an onion at the store since.
Red Bell Peppers - UP TO 35% OFF
**Red Bell Peppers have an OVERSTOCK banner on them, which means they may be 1-2 years into their 25-year shelf life.
If you’re a veggie for a snack type person, these are pretty good to munch on! Also great for using in casseroles and soups. If you tend to cook with bell peppers often, then I definitely recommend getting some of these.
Scrambled Egg Mix - UP TO 30% OFF
This cooks up just like fresh eggs and my kids can’t even tell the difference (if they don’t see the can on the counter of course).
But also, GREAT for cookie dough or brownie mix or (insert fave dough that requires eggs). Not only is there no salmonella risk, but also, no shells making their way into your cookies!
Click here to order scrambled egg mix by the case.
**Note: these have a shelf life of 7 years – not the normal 25 years.
Tomato Dices - UP TO 25% OFF
My family doesn’t really like cooked tomatoes, but if your family does, then by all means these are just fine. Totally just a personal preference.
Sour Cream Powder - UP TO 25% OFF
This is a super versatile thing to have in your food storage. It tastes great and make a great mix-in. Just beware, I feel it is a bit strong, so use it sparingly.
Instant Black Beans - UP TO 25% OFF
These are okay. But, honestly, I prefer to just rotate out store bought cans. The cost is significantly less – just takes a little bit of paying attention to expiration dates and vigilant rotation skills.
But if you like the convenience of the longer shelf life and aren’t deterred by the cost, you’ll be happy with these instant black beans.
Instant White Rice - UP TO 25% OFF
Just like with the black beans, I think it’s more cost effective to purchase at Walmart or Costco. You can either just rotate it in the packaging it comes in, or if you’d like to be able to lengthen the shelf life, mylar bagging and bucketing are both super easy and cost-effective ways to do the preserving yourself!
BUT, this tastes great and cooks up just like any other instant rice does!
Definitely a good staple to have in your food storage.
If you have questions:
PLEASE send me an email! Don’t delay getting started on your food storage just because something is confusing. I am here to help. If something is confusing to you, or even if you have questions about a previous order, PLEASE ASK!
melanie@planforawesome.com
Quick Ordering Reminders:
Related Posts:
Long Term Food Storage Basics: What you need to Know to Get Started
November 21, 2022
6 Comments
Answers to some of your most asked questions about long-term food storage, including the difference between dehydrated and freeze dried food.
My top 12 Freeze Dried Foods from Thrive Life
August 15, 2022
19 Comments
While every family’s food storage needs are a little different, every family needs food storage. These 12 items are my top favorites – most of them I even use on a regular basis when I’m out of the grocery store version.