Prepper Pantry Food Storage 101: Where Do I Begin?

When it comes to food storage, you might be asking, “Where do I begin?” In this video, I discuss two Prepper Pantry books that are indispensable for beginners to get started building up their long-term food storage supply.

But these books are not just for beginners. These two paperbacks provide invaluable information, including detailed charts on how much food to store, shelf life estimators, meal planners, and more. These books are perfect for every home cook that wants to be properly prepared to feed themselves and their families in any emergency.

The two books that talk about how they can help your long-term storage planning are:

• Food Storage 101 by Peggy Layton
• Self-Reliance: Recession-Proof Your Pantry by Backwoods Home Magazine

Books to Help with Long-Term Food Storage

When you start building up your supply of long-term food storage, the task can initially seem overwhelming. But as I have shared in my Prepper Panty Series of videos, it all comes down to developing a plan that you implement over time…little by little.

But what if you are unsure as to how to develop a plan? That is when a book on the subject of stocking a Prepper Pantry can help. One of my favorite books on this subject is Food Storage 101: Where Do I Begin? Don’t let this small paperback or its reasonable price fool you. This is the MOST COMPREHENSIVE book I have seen on the subject of food storage!

This book is filled with all sorts of information, including numerous charts to make creating your Prepper Pantry very easy. The author, Peggy Layton, walks you through the process step-by-step so that you never feel overwhelmed.

And what if you are an experienced “Prepper” when it comes to food storage? This book is for you too! Although I have been working on stocking my Prepper Pantry for years, I discovered lots of detailed information in this book regarding the shelf life of all sorts of foods. Plus, I loved the meal planning spreadsheets that Peggy includes in her book.

Self Reliance with Long Term Food Storage

Initially, all you really need to get started on your long-term food storage plan is Peggy’s book. However, as you continue on your journey, you will want to add to your library of knowledge with additional information.

One book that I highly recommend is Self Reliance: Recession-Proof Your Pantry. This paperback thoroughly covers many long-term storage topics, including canning, drying, pickling food, and more. This book compiles articles culled from the Backwoods Home magazine. The magazine itself is an invaluable resource to anyone interested in learning how to properly manage one’s homestead—large or small.

Bay Leaves Deter Bugs from Your Pantry

Here’s a clever tip from the Food Storage 101 book. Peggy mentions using bay leaves to help deter bugs from the containers stored in your extended or Prepper Pantry. I’ve been using bay leaves in my plastic containers, and I prefer it over using diatomaceous earth or other insect deterrents. (Yes, diatomaceous earth kills bugs whereas bay leaves do not, but I personally prefer to use bay leaves to deter bugs from my food storage.)

Get Started on Your Prepper Pantry

If you’re not sure how to start a Prepper Pantry, be sure to watch my Prepper Pantry video series, and you’ll be building your long-term storage with real food and within your budget in no time.

1. What is a Prepper Pantry? And Why We All Need One.
2. How to Stock Your Prepper Pantry with Real Food
3. How to Stock Your Prepper Pantry for $5 a Week with a Prepper Pantry Grocery List

An Essential Part of the Four Corners Pantry

The Extended or Prepper Pantry is an essential part of your Four Corners Pantry, which consists of your:

• Main Working Pantry
• Fridge
• Freezer
• Extended or Prepper Pantry

You’ll typically use foods from your Main Working Pantry and refill the depleted items from your Extended Pantry. When you take items from your pantry, remember to follow the First In First Out (FIFO) queue algorithm to use older items that may expire before newer items.

Free Pantry List for Your Prepper Pantry

If you want to start stocking your Four Corners Pantry, be sure to download my free Traditional Foods Pantry List. This 36-page Pantry List contains extensive food lists that give you options where to store food in each of your pantry areas. The eBook also includes links to videos to help you start making pantry items, such as bone broth, sourdough bread, and fermented condiments.

Related Prepper Pantry Videos

And for even more information, learn about the Forever Foods that I recommend for the Survival Pantry section of your Extended Pantry. And the good news? I show you how to stock your Survival Pantry with simple foods you can buy at the grocery store. You don’t need to purchase expensive freeze-dried foods that may cause you to exceed your food budget.

In the video below, I answer some of the most common questions I receive when it comes to food storage.

Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest

1. Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
2. Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
3. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
4. Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
5. Order The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Get Mary's latest hardcover cookbook about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

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Shop for Items Mentioned in This Blog Post

Favorite Food Storage Supplies

When it comes to keeping the foods fresh in a Prepper Pantry for as long as possible, here are some of my favorite supplies:

• Handheld Food Saver
• Food Saver Jar Adapter Kit
• Food Saver Space Saver Kit
• 32-Ounce Canning/Storage Jars
• 5 Gallon Storage Buckets
  • Bucket Lid Opener Tool
  • Gamma Lids – White
  • Gamma Lids – Multi-Colored
• Mylar Bags (1 Gallon) (5 Gallon)
• Oxygen Absorbers
• Silica Gel Packs (Prevents moisture build-up)
• Bay Leaves (Deter bugs)
• Presto Dehydrator
• Excalibur Dehydrator

Favorite Kitchen Supplies

• Favorite Aprons
• Spice Grinder
• Countertop Burner (On my kitchen island in many recipe videos.)
• Handheld Vacuum Sealing System
• Vacuum Lids
• Whisk
• Silica Gel Packets (Helps keep moisture from building up in your mix)
• Cast Iron Dutch Oven
• 8-Quart Slow-Cooker
• Fat Separator (Clever kitchen device to help you decant bone broth)
• Flour Sack Towels
• pH Strips (Helps you check on the acidity of your vinegar)

Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide

• Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
• Get a 30-day Audible trial with a free audiobook
• Visit my Shopping Guide page
  Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Backwoods Home, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, and More!

Recommended Reading

• The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
• The Modern Pioneer Pantry
• Nourishing Traditions
• Food Storage 101 Where do I begin? (Cookin’ With Home Storage)
• Self-Reliance: Recession-Proof Your Pantry
• Prepper’s Pantry: Build a Nutritious Stockpile to Survive Blizzards, Blackouts, Hurricanes, Pandemics, Economic Collapse, or Any Other Disasters