Food Storage Rotation
Whole grain bread
We've had a lot of questions and comments about how to rotate your food storage over the years, and we've been very impressed with the great ideas we have heard from you. For example, one of our customers uses butter powder when making bread. Another uses cheese blend on top of casseroles while another uses tomato powder in place of tomato paste in everyday cooking.
Here are a few more excellent tips you've shared about food storage rotation:
"I mix the freeze dried fruits (berries, bananas, etc.) with nuts and seeds in sandwich bags to carry as trail mix for hiking." --Amy
"I “inherited” lots of powdered eggs. I use them in all my baking needs. They work wonders. I’ve even used them for French toast when I was out of “real” eggs. You have to beat the mixture smooth, but they tasted really good. I’ve also used sausage TVP and my kids love it! I make pizza with it and stick it in eggs or sauce for noodles. It has a great flavor and is really good for you." --Lisa "I like to use our potato pearls and mashed potato flakes to thicken soups, since using flour or cornstarch generally doesn't work for me. The extra flavor is nice, especially for potato or vegetable soups. I have also used it in tuna corn chowder and thought it tasted pretty good." --VeronicaCreamy soup We would like to give everyone the opportunity to share their own personal tips, ideas, and experiences relating to food storage rotation. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!
Food storageFood storage tips

79 comments

Emily

Emily

I'm pretty new too, but I put powdered milk in my kids instant oatmeal, I LOVE the freezedried veggies that I can just throw in casseroles or whatever I'm cooking and my 2 year old loves to eat freeze dried broccoli out of the can.

We eat from our 3 month supply regularly.

Cecily

Cecily

I make sure my food storage items are kept in a cool, dark place so they will last as long as possible. Then I track my "use by" dates on a spreadsheet. I keep the items with shorter storage life in easier to access locations so I can use them in regular meals and baking. Powdered egg, powdered milk are great for baking. Dried fruit is good for snacking.

Mary Lou in Central NY

Mary Lou in Central NY

I am constantly substituting ingredients in recipes with storage items that I want to rotate. I try to keep everything "moving". Most ingredients can be mixed and matched as long as you stay within type and proportion: grains, dried fruits, flours, vegetables, etc.

Lauren

Lauren

Take freeze-dried food with you when camping. Not only is this cost-effective and easy (no need to make sure certain food is kept cool), but it prevents you from having to take any kitchen items at all! Except utensils to eat with, of course :o)

Wyndfire

Wyndfire

We mill our own grain and bake our own bread.

Kylene

Kylene

I love using powdered eggs…I even use powdered egg whites. It's so easy, tastes the same, and is less messy!

Tammy

Tammy

We use our powdered milk for bread and pizza dough. We also like to mix our fresh veggies with some freeze-dried. You won't notice a difference. We put any new food behind the older so that we use the older food first.

Heather

Heather

I use powdered milk, whole oats, quick oats & potato flakes on a regular basis. I also use the cheese blend with fresh broccoli over potates & pasta- it's fabulous! I use my beans in many dishes too. I love that storing food has become more hands on these days than it used to be!

Summar

Summar

I use powdered milk in baking. It especially works great in our favorite bread and pizza dough recipes! I also rotate wheat by using my grinder to make flour. You can substitute wheat flour for part regular flour in so many recipes and not even taste a difference! Good way to get a little more nutrition AND rotate food storage at the same time.

Vinc

Vinc

I can't really add anything new about food itself but I use two steel cabinets to store food. One large cabinet with easy access and big shelves. I also have one close to the kitchen that hangs on the wall. It's about 8" deep and 2' by 2'. I rotate food into the little cabinet. No, I don't have vermin but I have in the past (in a rural county) and I've seen how quickly one mouse becomes a lot of mice.

Pam Collier

Pam Collier

I use potato flakes in my favorite recipe for whole wheat sandwich bread (from the King Arthur Flour website).

Jesse Crouch

Jesse Crouch

For non-freeze-dried foods:

Beans are one of the easiest things to cook and are extremely good for you. Very easy to rotate.

– Make a bean soup with small amounts just about any type of meat to add flavor.

– Use the beans as filler for tortillas.

– Eat the beans plain or simply combine with rice or vegetables for some simple extra taste.

Brigette

Brigette

of course the powdered milk is good when making bread…

Joe

Joe

In the winter before I tap my frozen supply I will use my freeze dried supplied in my shakes and morning breakfast serial. The strawberry are the best in serial.

The left over milk is super strawberry flavored.

Anonymous

Anonymous

Dried cheese, eggs, and milk work every bit as good as fresh in any baked or cooked recipe and so now I always reach for them first rather than opening the frig door.
DebStein

Ange

Ange

We are getting more into food storage and we notice that Wal-Mart has small packs of dehyrdated food that are the same brand from Emergency Essentials. We are thinking if we buy a small pack and see how we like it, then we can buy the ones we enjoy the most in the #10 cans.

Erica

Erica

I've never liked powdered milk but my husband and I recently realized that when used in fruit smoothies it's great. You just add the powder and the water without mixing it up and let the blender do the work. You can't even taste a difference and since you don't have to mix it up, you don't have to deal with the smell…

Michelle

Michelle

I use my potato pearls in casseroles, and save the real potatoes for mashed potatoes.

The Thorley Family

The Thorley Family

I always keep a quart of powdered milk mixed up in the fridge and use it in baking and cooking – I even substitute half of the fresh milk in puddings and no one can tell!

Meghan

Meghan

I use powdered milk to stretch my Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe.

Lynn

Lynn

I use my powdered milk to make yogurt by the gallons! And then I use my yogurt to make cream cheese by the cups!!!! Yum!!

Lori LeVar Pierce

Lori LeVar Pierce

For all my baking, I use powdered milk and eggs. I also like using the freeze-dried vegetables in soups and cooking – especially the green pepper. They don't freeze or keep long, so having dried makes it easy to be sure I have some on hand whenever I need.

Amanda B

Amanda B

I create a whole grain mix from whatever I have on hand (wheat, barley, rye, spelt). I put this in the crockpot at bedtime (1/3 c. grain to 1 c. water), sometimes adding apple slices and cinnamon. In the morning, we have a delicious warm breakfast waiting for us. You can also try adding peanut butter powder. Yum, Yum!

AlysonRR

AlysonRR

I use powdered milk, powdered buttermilk, canned evaporated milk, and aseptically packaged soy milk for all my cooking and baking.

Liz

Liz

I use my powdered milk in cooking. It works the best for our family. We rotate some of our wheat by eating wheat berries for breakfast instead of oatmeal, and you can also dry them and use them on salads. Yum!

April E

April E

I use fat-free powdered milk in protein shakes. I just open the container and spoon in as much as I need at the moment….it's super easy and adds extra nutrition!

Keith

Keith

I wish I had an real-life idea, but I'm new to food storage. I might try the cheese blend over some spaghetti or even just over some plain noodles.

Stacy

Stacy

I use my Instant Fat Free Powdered Milk for baking and over my cereal (just make sure it's well mixed and very cold!).

Nichole

Nichole

I use my whole powdered eggs whenever I baking and it works great.

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