This article may contain affiliate links where we earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
If you are planning to research food storage, then you need to know which books are the best food storage books.
There are many food storage books available so it is important to know which ones will provide the most accurate and researched information so you are well informed about food storage. We have ranked the top eight food storage books based on the food storage information provided including what foods to store, how to store them, and how you can cook them after you are done storing them.
Here are some of the best food storage books:
1. Food Storage for Self-Sufficiency and Survival
2. Prepper's Food Storage
3. A Year Without The Grocery Store
4. Store This, Not That!
5. The Prepper's Ultimate Food-Storage Guide
The best food storage books will provide you with up-to-date and well-researched information that can walk you through the process of food storage and inform you of all of the options that you have available.
Storing food is not only beneficial for cost, but it can keep you prepared for any sort of disaster so you have the food available should you need it. Each of these books has been read and reviewed by many people to ensure the information is beneficial and accurate to those that want to learn more about food storage.
What is Food Storage?
Food storage is the process of storing food in proper conditions so it can be consumed at a later date. It allows you to store an amount of food for longer than what you typically would in normal shelf conditions.
Benefits of Food Storage
- Reducing food waste by means of preserving unused food
- Preserve pantry food such as flours, grains, and spices for later use
- Emergency preparedness
- Saving money by buying food items in bulk and properly storing them
Best Food Storage Books
1. Food Storage for Self-Sufficiency and Survival: The Essential Guide for Family Preparedness
Food storage has become increasingly popular over recent years and many people are wanting to find out the different ways to store food. Food Storage for Self-Sufficiency and Survival: The Essential Guide for Family Preparedness is an in-depth guide to food storage and caters to different families' individual needs.
This book is not just intended for one particular type of family but gives you accurate information about food storage for families of all sizes, income levels, health concerns, and lifestyles.
You will find information on storing food for emergency preparedness including short-term and long-term survival kits, ways to incorporate your family’s favorite meals into your food storage, how to be successful in food storage on a budget, and ways to can, freeze and dehydrate food that you want to store.
2. Prepper's Food Storage: 101 Easy Steps to Affordably Stock a Life-Saving Supply of Food
Many people wait until they need a food storage supply to create one, but Prepper’s Food Storage: 101 Easy Steps to Affordably Stock a Life-Saving Supply of Food is a great resource for food storage that breaks the process down into manageable steps that do not feel overwhelming.
It will give you the tools to calculate food needs and how to utilize small and large spaces for food storage. This book also gives you a list of the best shelf-stable foods and how you can dehydrate and can your food at home for storage.
3. A Year Without The Grocery Store: A Step by Step Guide to Acquiring, Organizing, and Cooking Food Storage
Food storage can seem like a lot of work, but A Year Without The Grocery Store: A Step by Step Guide to Acquiring, Organizing, and Cooking Food Storage will help you to work on the process with only 15 minutes a day of your time.
This book helps you to incorporate your family’s food preferences including food allergies and intolerances. You will learn how to safely store food and water as well as how to avoid common problems that people encounter when beginning their food storage process.
Along with learning about food storage, you will also learn about multiple ways to cook the food that you are storing so you are able to complete the entire process of food storage from purchasing food to store, to the storage process, and then finally cooking the food that you have been storing.
4. Store This, Not That!: The Quick and Easy Food Storage Guide
There are many books out there for food storage and it can feel like information overload. Store This, Not That!: The Quick and Easy Good Storage Guide is a summarized version of all things food storage.
It will help you decide what to store, the best ways to store it, food storage on a budget, and also how to cook the food you store in a way that anyone in your family will enjoy.
5. The Prepper's Ultimate Food-Storage Guide: Your Complete Resource to Create a Long-Term, Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious, Shelf-Stable Meals, Snacks, and More
This 4-in-1 guide is perfect for someone trying to find all of the information about food storage and everything it encompasses in one place. The Prepper’s Ultimate Food-Storage Guide: Your Complete Resource to Create a Long-Term, Lifesaving Supply of Nutritious, Shelf-Stable Meals, Snacks, and More provides knowledge from 4 different authors and will answer a wide range of questions about food storage.
It will cover how to create a stockpile of food for storage on a fixed budget as well as how to make your stockpile last longer. You will learn how to can and dehydrate a variety of foods as well as food safety guidelines so you ensure that you are using best practices when storing your food for your family. Once you have started your stockpile and begun your food storage process, you will also be able to get tips and tricks for creating great meals using the food you are storing.
6. Food Storage Made Fabulous: Principles of Food Storage and Recipes So Fantastic Your Family Won't Realize There's a Disaster
When learning about food storage, you not only want to learn about the best ways to store food but also how to cook it in ways that you will enjoy, Food Storage Made Fabulous: Principles of Food Storage and Recipes So Fantastic Your Family Won’t Realize There’s a Disaster is a great way to learn how to store the food you love as well as create meals that are full of flavor and truly enjoyable.
7. Complete Dehydrator Cookbook: How to Dehydrate Fruit, Vegetables, Meat & More
There are many ways to store food and dehydrated food has remained popular. The Complete Dehydrator Cookbook: How to Dehydrate Fruit, Vegetables, Meat & More will teach you exactly how to dehydrate any food that you would like. It is great to learn how to dehydrate food for a meal or just a simple snack.
This book will help you to understand the equipment that is necessary to dehydrate food as well as the detailed instructions for dehydrating over 75 different types of food. You will be able to dehydrate meals that only need water to make, make snacks such as fruit or jerky, and enjoy over 125 recipes.
8. Canning and Preserving for Beginners: The Essential Canning Recipes and Canning Supplies Guide
Dehydrating food is popular in the food storage industry, but canning and preserving are not far behind. Canning and Preserving for Beginners: The Essential Canning Recipes and Canning Supplies Guide will provide you with a way to have seasonal food in your kitchen throughout the year along with saving money.
In order to can food successfully, you must do it properly. This book provides step-by-step instructions for canning including pressure canning and water bath canning. At the end of reading this, you will have a much better understanding of what canning food is and how it can become a key part of your food storage journey.
Different Types of Food Storage
There are generally 4 types of food storage options that are commonly used when referring to storing food short or long term. Each type of food storage is done differently and has its own pros and cons. People may have preferences for a certain type of food storage depending on their experience level and what they are planning to store.
Each type of food storage can be purchased or you can choose to purchase just the food item and complete the actual storage process yourself.
Dry Staples
These are going to be the dry items in your food storage. Items that fall into the dry staples category include flour, rice, beans, sugar, and coffee. Typically the dry storage items can be easily purchased in bulk and then you can determine the best method to store the dry items.
Freeze Drying
Freeze drying is a common method of food storage. The food is frozen, put into a vacuum chamber, and then all moisture is removed from the food. Food that is freeze-dried is typically placed in a nitrogen-sealed container. It is the most expensive form of food storage, but it does keep food preserved for an extended period of time and when freeze-dried food is consumed, it only requires the addition of hot water. An added benefit to freeze-dried food is that it is light and compact, which makes it great for storage in smaller spaces.
Dehydrating
Dehydrated food is another one of the most common forms of food storage. It is similar to freeze-dried food, but the main difference is the moisture content is slightly greater in dehydrated food. You can buy the machine to dehydrate food at home, but it is also easily purchased online. Dehydrated food can potentially be stored for upwards of 20 years so it is well-liked by those that are involved in food storage.
Canned
When people think of food storage, canned food is usually a go-to. Canned food is easily available in stores and you can purchase a wide range of canned food to satisfy any preferences or needs. Canned food is also budget-friendly so it is an easy way to store food if you are on a budget, but still want to begin the food storage process.
You can purchase canned food from almost any store, but you can also can your own food at home. If you are going to can food it is a good idea to spend time researching and ensuring that you are following all food safety guidelines.
How Long Can You Store Food?
Food can be stored for quite some time if it is stored properly. When storing food for extended periods of time, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that the food is stored without oxygen. Oxygen is what will cause food to become unable to be eaten after a long time so many people will use oxygen absorber packets if they are storing their own food.
Food that has been purchased already in a storage container will not need oxygen absorbers if it is freeze-dried, dehydrated, or canned. Food that is properly stored and sealed can be stored for 20 years or longer. There have been instances where food has been stored for almost 30 years and was still edible.
What Containers Work Best?
Many different types of containers will work great for food storage. If you are wanting to store dry foods such as rice, beans, and flour then a large bucket with a lid or a mylar bag will work great. You will want to be sure to use oxygen absorbers if you store food this way.
However, if you purchase food that is already prepared to be stored, you will likely find it in a vacuum-tight container or a can. Food that has been dehydrated or freeze-dried will be in a container that has had all of the oxygen pulled out of it as well as the moisture to ensure that the food stays fresh for as long as possible.