Food Rotation Formula

It is extremely important to use our food storage in a timely way to avoid waste. God has blessed us with the resources to store food and we should be wise and grateful stewards.

We must use our food so that it does not spoil. If we do not use it, we can share it with others so as not to waste what we are blessed with. But if we do not use our storage we are not receiving all the blessings that we can claim.

Foods have a variety of shelf-life possibilities. It behooves us to know what that time frame is. Wheat and sugar keep at least 20 years. However Dry Milk keeps 2-3 years and instant potatoes 1-2 years. Canned products keep longer than product in cardboard or paper. Be mindful of use-by dates on purchased products. The internet is a great resource to learn the shelf-life of many commonly used products.

Below you will find the formula that I use for my stored foods. This is only a partial list and is given as an example only. Numbers of stored food are for demonstration purposes only.

# of cans stored divided-by years "storable" divided-by 12 (months in a year) = need to use per month

EXAMPLE:
138 cans wheat/ 20 years/ 12 = 1/2 can/month
70 cans rice/ 4 years/ 12 = 1.5 cans/month
40 cans bean/ 6 years/ 12 = 1/2 can/month
18 cans dried milk/ 2 year/ 12 = .75 can/month
42 cans sugar/ [5 years]*/ 12 = 3/4 can/month
71 cans oats/ 5 years/ 12 = 1.2 cans/month

Plan your menu by what foods/ amounts you need to use.

*Although sugar will store far longer than 5 years, I choose that time frame to ensure quality. It also fits my needs as far as usage.

To-Do List

1. Inventory food storage each year at a set time such as Labor Day. Adjust your storage to your increased/decreased needs (would like to store more/less, added a child, child became independent) or keep a current inventory adjusting numbers for usage.

2. Keep a list of food opened in your kitchen.

3. Store foods to use the oldest first.

4. Store other foods (canned, dehydrated, freeze-dried) which allow you to use your storage the way your family is accustomed.

5. To prevent spoilage, store foods in a cool, dry place, preferably away from sunlight. Store slightly away from walls (especially outside walls) and off the floor.

6. Label your containers well with the item stored, quantity, date canned/purchased, and best-used-by date.

7. Replace foods you use on a regular basis, possibly every 6-12 months.