Maximizing the Amount of Calories and Nutrition You Can Store

We've previously covered a number of places in the house to store food, under beds and tables, in closets and attics, under stairs, etc.  Most of us have unused space, places that could be better utilized.  But there are others for whom space truly is an issue.  How do we maximize the amount of food we can store and thus the length of time we can last without going shopping?

It’s a matter of opportunity cost.

The first priority in food storage is to maximize the number of calories.  You want to store calorie-dense foods.  These are whole grains and beans, sugar, and oils.  Unfortunately, there is not a lot you can do to compress their size.  This is the situation for most long-term storage foods.  One notable exception is pasta.  Straight pastas like spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccine, and linguine are denser and store more compactly than shapes like rotini and penne.

Foods packaged in boxes have a lot of wasted space.  Repackage these items with oxygen absorbers in buckets or Mylar bags inside totes, cutting out and attaching the directions if necessary.  Doing so will not only save space in the pantry, but also reduce the risk of weevils and moths which are sometimes brought home in the boxes.

And while calories are king in food storage, good nutrition is queen.  You really have to have both, and this is where we can make up some serious ground when it comes to making the best use of the space available.

In contrast to canned and freeze-dried foods, dehydrated foods take far less space.  Dehydrating is the easiest method of food preservation, especially for beginners, as well as the least expensive.  Some ovens have a dehydrating setting on them, so there wouldn’t even be the expense of a dehydrator.  Dehydrators are also common items at thrift stores and garage sales where they can be picked up for just a couple of dollars. 

A quart canning jar will hold the following equivalent amounts of dehydrated food:

• 5 pounds of frozen mixed vegetables
• 6 pounds of frozen peas or corn
• 4-5 pounds of cubed potatoes
• 3 pounds of mushrooms
• 6 pounds of chopped onions
• 3 pounds of apple slices
• 7 pounds of strawberry or banana slices
• 9 large celery bunches, sliced or diced
• 10 pounds of bell peppers, diced

A pint jar will hold:

• 1 dozen eggs
• 4 pounds of kale or spinach, powdered

Dehydrated vegetables are an excellent choice for soups, stews, and casseroles.  Dehydrated fruits work very well for snacking and making flavored oatmeal.  Dehydrated bananas make delicious banana bread and pancakes.  Peppers and onions add great flavor to fajitas.

Dehydrated and powdered fruits mix quickly into yogurt and smoothies.  Spinach and tomato powders add beautiful color to tortillas.  Tomato powder can also be mixed quickly to make tomato sauce, tomato paste, and even ketchup (with a few added ingredients). Future posts (already written!) will dive deeper into dehydrating. 

Links to related posts:

Where Does It All Go?

DIY Instant Oatmeal

Yogurt Banana Pancakes

Homemade Yogurt

Ketchup

Canning Tomato Sauce

How to Dehydrate Eggs

Tortillas for wraps

DIY Tomato Powder

Pumpkin Powder

Quick and Dirty Dehydrating

Introduction to Dehydrating

 17 december 2020