Where to Store Food Storage

However, where would you fit that storage in your house?

Where Do I Store All This Food?

The ideal situation is to store your food somewhere that is cold, dark, and dry. Assuming your food storage is sealed properly and the oxygen is removed from the product, light and heat will be the biggest contributors to your food storage going bad.

Most people automatically assume that they can just store it in their garage or attic. However, unless you live in a cooler climate, the garage or attic is not the ideal location for your food storage.

The basement, being cool and dark, is the best place to preserve your food storage but is only optional in some parts of the country. Basements, typically, protect your food storage from extreme temperatures and being banged up by cars, bicycles and scooters. If you are building a new home or remodeling and are wondering where to place your storage room, the basement is ideal.

If you are remodeling, plan on building your food storage pantry in a location that is dark, cool and dry. Don’t place your food storage pantry in a location with washers, dryers, water heaters or major plumbing.

If you don’t have a convenient food storage room, don’t fret. Nowadays food storage comes in all shapes and sizes, from traditional #10 steel cans that hold about 12 cups of food to the newer metallized mylar pouches that hold about 3-5 cups. This variety of options makes it easier to store your reserves and improve usability and portability.

Storing mylar pouches in buckets has been growing in popularity in recent years due to the more manageable portion sizes. If you want to have the most portable food storage possible then buckets are also the way to go. However, steel cans have performed better in shelf life studies of food lasting 20 to 35 years after it was canned whereas most food packaged in mylar pouches will last 5 to 20 years.

Now that you’ve decided what to store, here are a few locations that are good places for your emergency food supply:

Under The Bed

Inexpensive bed risers can be purchased and will raise your bed off the ground anywhere from an additional 5-13” inches. Depending on the height of your bed you can stack either 1 or 2 layers of #10 cans underneath. The following table shows the number of cans possible to store under your bed.

Underneath your bed should provide enough space for a long-term supply of food. ReadyStore.com lists a typical year supply of food storage at about 120-160 cans – which would fit underneath most queen and king size beds.

In The Closet

Closets, especially under the stairs, make great places to store food.  This is where buckets really come in handy. If you need to move your storage to get to something else in your closet you can easily pick the bucket up by the handle and relocate.

In The Garage

If you are in a mild climate and are going to use the garage to keep your food storage, we’d recommend storing mylar pouches in plastic buckets. In the garage, #10 cans work as well but should go on shelving where they will be less exposed to getting bumped and dented.

Behind the Armoire

If you place your armoire in a corner you can easily stack emergency food behind it without the storage even being noticed. 

The modern day product variety of food storage can be fit into just about any home. By having food storage in your home you will have greater peace of mind that you and your family are prepared for emergency. Thanks to a variety of packaging options you can make the right choice for your circumstance and be prepared for whatever life may throw at you.       

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