The summer is finally here, and with it, warm weather, longer days, beaming sunshine, and trees and plants that are full of life.
But the warm weather also poses a few problems, particularly when it comes to food. We all know the importance of storing food (many of us working feverishly to check everything off our survival food list), but when it is hard to keep food fresh for just a couple of days in the summer, how are we supposed to keep it fresh for years at a time?
Here are some useful tips to keeping your food storage safe in the summer.
How To Keep Your Food Safe From Pests
Because there are so many more pests in the summertime, it can be difficult to keep them out of your food storage. Especially when it is out of sight, and you don’t check it regularly.
Luckily, there are steps that you can take to make sure that those creepy crawlies don’t make it into your food storage. One of the easiest is to make sure that everything is sealed in an airtight container. Even if the items already have secure packaging, it is still a good idea to put it in another container to minimize the risk.
Location is also very important. Choose a cool, dark place to store your food, where pests are less likely to get in. If you have a severe pest problem, it might be worth spraying.
How To Keep Your Food Safe From the Heat
You are probably already aware that for any long term food storage, you must only stock non-perishable items. What many people don’t realize, is that some items that may be otherwise nonperishable do not last long in the heat.
If you have any items that may melt or otherwise be affected by high temperatures, you may want to consider different ways to store them. If you do not have space for your food storage in an insulated room, try putting items in coolers. Alternatively, there are solar-powered fridges that, although expensive, can really help you out in a grind.
How To Keep Your Food Safe From Spoiling
Bacteria grows much faster in warm temperatures, and as a result, some food doesn’t last as long in the summer.
There are ways to preserve food however, and they can be useful techniques for saving money as well as preserving food storage. Canning is one such technique. You can start canning using a canner, but there are also ways to keep and preserve food without expensive equipment. One such way is to take vegetables and pickle them in vinegar.
How To Keep Your Food Safe From Harm
It is important to remember that your food storage needs to include a separate supply of medication that you can use if and when disaster strikes. This includes basic things like painkillers, but also a first aid kit and especially any prescriptions that you may need (remember you can stock alternatives like fish antibiotics without a prescription).
If you take these valuable steps, you can rest easy in the knowledge that all of your bases are covered in case of an emergency.