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How To Build A Gluten-Free Food Storage

If you are gluten-free, then building a long-term food storage can be difficult. People who are gluten-free for the supposed health benefits have an easier time, because they don’t have to be as vigilant. However, for those who have a gluten-related medical condition, they need to be hyper-vigilant about what they put in their storage. 

Here’s what you need to know about building a gluten-free food storage.

Why Follow A Gluten-Free Diet?

gluten-free food storage

A gluten-free diet is one that excludes wheat and some other grains, such as rye and barley. This type of diet is essential for those with Celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities, such as a gluten allergy. Gluten can trigger damaging immune system activity and other symptoms, such as bloating or rashes. People with Celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities need to take special care to avoid gluten for the sake of their health. 

There are also people who avoid gluten for its supposed benefits, but who do not have a gluten-related medical condition. It is believed that avoiding gluten can increase energy, promote weight loss, and improve your overall health. More research is needed to determine the effects of a gluten-free diet on people who do not need to be gluten-free.

What You Need To Do To Build A Gluten-Free Food Storage

Just because you or one of your loved ones needs to avoid gluten doesn’t mean that you can’t build a long-term food storage. With special care, you can rest assured that in the event of an emergency, you’ll have food that will both sustain you nutritionally and adhere to your dietary needs.

What Needs To Be In A Gluten-Free Food Storage?

A gluten-free food storage should be as nutritionally sustainable as any other food storage. The main difference between building a normal food storage and a gluten-free food storage is the fact that you need to ensure that what you store excludes gluten. This means storing items such as proteins, fruits and vegetables, and types of entrees that have alternatives to gluten.

What Are Gluten-Free Food Storage Essentials?

Nutritionally sustainable foods that can keep for years on end are your friend here. You especially want calorie-dense foods. This is because your body burns calories even when you don’t do anything. When you’re stressed, as happens in emergency situations, it burns even more. You need to be able to sustain yourself on what you have. 

winter food storage be prepared

Some of the ways that you can ensure that your food lasts longer include:

  • Storing food items in airtight containers with oxygen absorbers. 
  • Getting emergency food kits.
  • Drying food, either with a freeze-dryer or another method.
  • Preserving foods.
  • And more.

Essentially, you just need non-perishable options in line with your dietary needs. Protein bars, dried meat, broth, and gluten-free pastas and the like are all good options. 

Is There Anything You Shouldn’t Put In A Gluten-Free Food Storage?

There are some common foods that people put into their food storages that you’ll want to avoid if you’re gluten-free. Most survival foods that you’ll find have gluten in them. These include protein bars and other types of highly processed foods.

However, there are gluten-free alternatives to these foods. When building your food storage, you’ll just want to do what you do already: double-check the labels to ensure that the item that claims to be gluten-free actually is. For extra safety, you can check the ingredients list for any added wheat or other types of gluten.

Will A Gluten-Free Food Storage Last As Long As A Normal Food Storage?

Survival foods are made to keep for a long time. Some can even last you 25 years. To answer the question, yes, a gluten-free food storage can last as long as any other food storage. It comes down to how the food is prepared and how it is stored. 

winter food storage be prepared

In order to help your gluten-free food storage last as long as possible, you can use airtight containers with oxygen-absorbing packets. For extra insurance, you’ll want to opt for water resistant containers. 

Storing your food in a dark, dry, insulated space gives it the best chance of lasting for as long as possible. You’ll also want to set up mouse traps, to protect your gluten-free food storage from any rodents that might get into it.

Are You Building A Gluten-Free Food Storage?

Kitchen Kneads can help! We carry ingredients that you can put into your storage. We also offer gluten-free cooking classes, so that you can know how to make foods that fit your dietary needs. If you have any questions about our products or classes, please don’t hesitate to contact us today!

winter food storage be prepared

You never know what can happen, so building a food storage allows you to be prepared for any crisis that may come your way. In the event of an emergency, you don’t want to be stuck, snowed into your home, with nothing to eat and no way to get more food. Stocking up for your winter food storage gives you the assurance that come what may, you have supplies to get you through it. 

During the frigid winter months, it’s especially important to be prepared. You want to have a plan for what to do and key essentials in your storage. The last thing that you want is to be forced to delve into your food storage… Only to find that the food has spoiled. 

We’ve compiled a list of essential tips for your winter food storage that can help you avoid common mistakes. Here’s what you need to know on how you can be better prepared for your winter food storage.

#1. Know Where Your Supply Is The Most Vulnerable

One of the nice things about winter food storage is that cold is usually good for preserving food. Putting dry goods like flour in a refrigerator can help them to last longer than keeping them in the pantry. 

However, there are still challenges you can face. As the temperature fluctuates, your containers can expand and contract. Seams can open due to this contraction, which lets oxygen in. This can lead to spoiled goods. Rodents can seek shelter from the cold in the cozy warmth of your rice bags and ransack your supply. Moisture can spoil your food by allowing for mold growth and bacteria. 

You can prevent these issues with your winter food storage when you:

winter food storage be prepared
  • Store your food somewhere dark. 
  • Avoid fluctuating temperatures with insulation.
  • Keep your food somewhere dry. 
  • Set up mouse traps. 
  • Use oxygen-absorbing packets. 

#2. Store Shelf-Stable Food

When crisis strikes, you could find yourself without power. You want to ensure that your winter food storage has dried good and shelf-stable food that you can fall back on if your refrigerator and freezer stop working. 

Canned foods and dry goods are great options for this. You can purchase canned goods at the store, as well as make your own. It’s usually cheaper to buy these in bulk. However, when buying canned goods, be mindful of the water content, as cans with high water content can swell or burst if it gets too cold. 

Sort your shelf-stable foods with the most recent purchases in the back and the ones with a sooner expiration date in the front. If the foods you stock need some sort of preparation, such as being heated up, ensure that you account for this. 

#3. Insulate Your Storage Space

We touched on this tip in the first section, but it’s so important that it merits a section all to itself. If your winter food storage isn’t properly insulated, you may struggle with preserving your food properly and end up with spoiled goods.

Remember that heat rises. If you’re limited in what you can do, insulate your ceiling first. From there, you can take on your walls, doors, and then finally, the floor. 

You also want to insulate your cabinets and shelves, if possible. If you have an old refrigerator lying around that you no longer use, this can work to store canned and dry goods, as refrigerators are sealed and insulated already. 

#4. Don’t Forget To Do The Math

In our diet-obsessed world, calories are often considered to be this evil thing that you need to limit your consumption of. However, your body burns calories just by existing. You need calories in order to function properly and stay healthy. In the event of an emergency, your body burns more calories than normal, due to high stress levels. 

Do the math in order to ensure that your winter food storage has enough food to properly sustain you and your loved ones in the event of an emergency. Focusing on stocking high-calorie foods so that you can rest assured that people’s nutritional needs will be met. 

Calculate how many calories are in each item that you store. While today’s culture may have you believe that storing low-calorie, low-fat, zero-sugar type foods is best, you need your strength. Ensure that you have enough stored for about 2000 calories or more per person per day. 

winter food storage be prepared

We Can Help You Build Your Winter Food Storage

Kitchen Kneads provides all sorts of goods and equipment to ensure that your needs are met. Whether you’re looking for containers or to stock up on dried goods, we can help. We have an upcoming class on food storage you may find enlightening. 

Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for you!

Scratch baking is an excellent way to make delicious goodies and relieve stress. For scratch baking beginners, though, it can feel overwhelming. Baking is a science, after all, especially when you’re baking from scratch. It can feel like the smallest mistake can result in your recipe not turning out right. That’s why we’re doing this series of tips for scratch baking beginners in order to help you learn the ropes so that you can face your recipes with confidence.

In Part 1, 3 Essential Tips For Scratch Baking For Beginners, we talked about the importance of having the right ingredients, how temperature matters, and how important it is to be mindful of your measurements. We also gave a brief overview of what scratch baking consists of.

In Essential Tips For Scratch Baking Beginners: Part 2, we talked about recipes and avoiding substitutions the first time around.

Read on for Part 3 of our tips for scratch baking beginners to continue learning.

#1. Practice Mise en Place

scratch baking beginners

Mise en place is a culinary term that means ‘everything in its place’. Essentially, this boils down to having everything prepared before you even get started on mixing your ingredients together. It’s common for scratch baking beginners to only grab their ingredients or tools as the recipe mentions them. This can cause you to miss an ingredient or to realize that you don’t have everything that you need for the recipe after you’ve already begun.

In our previous two blogs for scratch baking beginners, we mentioned ensuring having everything that you need and pre-reading your recipe. These are essential components of practicing mise en place. 

Mise en place basically combines multiple tips together into one, because to be prepared before you start baking, you need to:

  • Pre-read your recipe.
  • Gather all your ingredients and equipment.
  • Preheat the oven.
  • Prep your pans and/or sheets.
  • Measure out your ingredients.
  • And then you can start baking!

By ensuring that everything is prepped and ready prior to mixing your ingredients together, you give yourself a better chance of success.

#2. Ensure That You Have The Right Equipment

scratch baking for beginners

This plays right into the above tip. Depending on your recipe, you may need a variety of different equipment, such as different pots, pans, and tools. This can be intimidating to scratch baking beginners and make them feel like they cannot successfully bake from scratch if they do not have the money to invest in fancy equipment. 

There’s no need to throw in the towel and stick to mixes from the grocery store, though. If scratch baking is something you enjoy, you can branch out into fancy tools over time. However, if you’re just getting started, there are essentials kits and sets that you can purchase that make it easier and cheaper. 

Often, the main pieces of equipment you’ll need as a scratch baking beginner include:

  • Measuring equipment, like cups, spoons, and/or a scale.
  • Mixing bowls.
  • Pans, like sheet pans, loaf pans, and muffin tins.
  • Utensils, like wooden spoons, whisks, and the like.

Your recipe should tell you what equipment you need in order to make it, but it likely won’t list equipment like it does the ingredients. This is part of why pre-reading your recipe is so important. While you can improvise, you’ll see better results if you use the right equipment.

#3. Don’t Be Afraid Of Using Salt

scratch baking beginners

Scratch baking beginners often avoid using salt, even if the recipe calls for it. It’s common for people to worry that if you use salt in baked goods, it will throw off the taste. People also worry about salt and their health, and feel that if they use salt in their recipes that they are making them incredibly unhealthy. 

You don’t need to be afraid of using salt in your baked goods. The amount of salt that baked goods call for is far less than how much fast food places use on their fries and the like. Indeed, too much salt can ruin your baked goods. However, if you use just the right amount that the recipe calls for? It can take your baked goods to the next level.

This is because salt is a flavor enhancer. It counteracts bitterness and brings out the flavors of your ingredients for a more delectable dish. You shouldn’t be able to taste a salty flavor in your baked goods – if you do, you’re likely using too much. Rather, salt can add complexity and depth to the flavors of your baked goods.

Baking Classes For Scratch Baking Beginners

Kitchen Kneads provides the high-quality ingredients and equipment you need for your baking ventures. We also provide cooking classes for bakers of all levels, including beginners. Feel free to look through our site for anything you may need, and contact us with any questions that you may have about our products or our cooking classes.

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Kitchen Kneads Ogden, UT Kitchen Supply Store
Kitchen Kneads is your one stop shop for quality grains, flour, kitchen appliances and other ingredients. We are Utah’s premiere baking and cooking resource! Questions? 888-881-9957 info@kitchenkneads.com
Kitchen Kneads Ogden, UT Kitchen Supply Store