Food Storage System

Your food storage system: finding a place for everything. Yes, you can find a place for your food storage.

Next to money, or the lack of it, inadequate space is the greatest challenge many people face when they decide to get prepared.

No matter how small your home or apartment, or whether you own or rent, a food storage system is not impossible. Very few people have the ideal situation.

Do you have a pantry? That's a start if you do. But your "pantry" may be a food storage system that is a combination of mini-pantries in several rooms, closets, and transformed nooks and crannies.

So your next step is to look around your home to discover how many different places can be turned into pantries or mini-pantries. Your mini-pantries may be in different places, but it makes sense to keep like items together.

Ok, so you've found spaces all over the house and you are proud of yourself for having a food storage system. But are you finished? Not yet.

How will you know what's in each closet, cupboard, garage, etc.? Well, the best and most manageable way to know is to tape a list of everything that's in a particular space on the inside of the door. And, if there are many items in that space, also write what's on each shelf.

Here are some suggestions for places to look in your home for storage.

Storage Search Worksheet

Areas to Consider

How to Improve the Area

Cupboards
Check for space above or cabinets; deep cabinets; above the stove or refrigerator.

- Clean out/rearrange
- Single or double turntables
- Add shelves
- Custom drawers
- Boxes
- Step shelves

Closets
Hall, guest room, bedroom, linen, broom, utility

- Rearrange
- Add shelves or step shelves
- Use crates or bookshelves
- Shelf racks on door backs
- Redesign the entire closet

Odd Spaces
Laundry room, above washer & dryer, between refrigerator & wall, under beds, under stairs, attic, basement

- Rearrange
- Use space above
- Add shelves
- Add vertical drawers
- Make built-in pantry
- Use crates/bookshelves

Under Sinks
Kitchen, bathrooms

- Rearrange
- Add shelves
- Install or build cabinets/shelves

Out of the House
Garage, carport, sheds, covered porch

- Rearrange
- Add insulated walls to create room with correct temperature
- Add shelves, floor to ceiling
- Add freestanding shelf units
- Build a loft
- Suspend shelves from ceiling

As you are planning the space for your food storage, remember to take into account the accessibility of each item. There are long-term storage items and short-term items that need to be rotated more frequently. If it's a short-term storage item, make sure you can see it and get to it to rotate on a regular basis.

Return HOME from Food Storage System

Food storage pantry

This set-up may be everyone's dream for a food storage system, but you can find places that will work for you.

Don't limit yourself to spaces normally identified as cupboard or pantry space.

72-hour kit

72-hour Survival Kits 72-hour kit

bulk food storage containers

Bulk Food Storage Containers come in several sizes.

Earthquake Prone Areas

If you are using metal utility shelves, install the shelves upside down in their frames. That way each shelf will have a lip on it to help keep cans and jars from sliding off.

From Sunset Magazine