*January is Salt & Sugar Month*

Well, as I said, I’m going to be suggesting some things to buy for food storage each month this year so that folks work through their food storage systematically and "fill in the gaps". I'm not the expert end-all be-all on food or food storage but I do like to eat and so this area is near and dear to my heart! I think we all have a basic food storage plan going. This is intended to supplement, not supplant that plan. It is meant to be simple and obtainable by just about everyone. If you don’t have a storage plan going then just follow this plan for the year!

I believe in BUY WHAT YOU EAT AND EAT WHAT YOU BUY. I take that very seriously. The Stryder family uses our storage and just about everything non-perishable that we buy at the store goes into storage and the equivalent comes out into the pantry. So… unless a #10 tin or a gallon jug is what we normally buy and use from the local supermarket, you’ll find we probably store and use smaller 16oz. cans, even though it may be a little more expensive. We also don't try to store more than about 12-18 months worth of anything. So you won’t see a case of catsup here when three to four 24 oz. bottles is what we use per year.

I will try to keep the suggestions down to about $50 a month +/- and try to get a small, balanced selection of foods for each group, each month. The prices are based on my AO and I’ve done some shopping at the three local grocery stores to get decent prices but have not gone "crazy" trying to pinch every penny. These prices can be improved, I’m sure or might be a little less than you have to pay. These are the "walk into a local market and buy things while you’re shopping for regular groceries prices", not the "buy 500 lbs. of granulated sugar in bulk from a wholesaler" prices. Taztoo has offered to help out with bulk buys from his catering business contacts. Contact him for bulk pricing.

Fifty bucks can buy quite a bit, but don’t expect to feed your whole family on it for a year. Adopt or adapt each month’s suggestions to meet your own individual needs.

January is SALT and SUGAR month. There are still some good sales from Christmas leftovers in the baking aisle during January, so check those for sugar needs. The suggested goal in the LDS Church literature that I’ve seen is 60 lbs. of sugar and 10 lbs. of salt per person/per year. Sixty pounds of sugar is a lot more than anybody in my family uses, you say? What about brewing some beer or making wine or soda, making jelly, baking? Same with salt - pickling, preserving, baking, even used as a trade good. Fifty bucks will get you about 20lbs salt and 100 lbs. of sugar if you follow my list below, enough for about two man-years.

A #10 can holds 6.25 lbs., a 5 gal. pail holds 40 lbs., a gallon of sugar weighs about 7lbs., 1 cup of sugar = 3/4 cup of honey or 3/4  cup of molasses in cooking.

I store my sugar 40 lbs. at a time in 5 gallon pails or 60lbs. in twelve 5 lb. bags fits perfectly in a 10 gallon Rubbermaid tote. The rest of the sugar/syrups/jams go on the storage shelves in the original containers.

Here’s my list for January:

Salt 20lbs. $5

Granulated White Sugar 50lbs. $14

Hard Peppermint Candy 7lbs $5

10X Confectioner’s Sugar 10lbs. $4.50

Brown Sugar 10lbs. $4.50

Jam/Jelly 18 lbs. $9

Pancake Syrup 6lbs. $8

If you’re good to go already with one of those suggestions, move the money and buy extra of one of the others where you're a little weak. If you’re good in all those things, think about Honey, Molasses, Corn Syrup, Karo Syrup, Maple Syrup, and Marshmallows/Marshmallow Fluff.

And if you’re completely good on sugars then you might want to spend this month’s $50 on either drink mix/coffee/tea, cleaning supplies, or paper goods. None of these will be a part of this food program this year but all are still critical for a well rounded storage supply.

Remember that cooking requires water! Double check your water supply this month. Shoot for 1 gallon/per person/per day and try for 30 days worth as a minimum.

Happy New Year! Get out and train HARD this year!