[Principal]

Hello Everyone,

One of the frequently discussed ideas on this forum is the need to store enough food that will provide for you and your family through difficult times. And although I am a true believer in food storage, I have a difficult time with food rotation. My wife and I do not have unlimited storage space, nor do we have the desire to empty the cupboard and always place new purchases in the very back so we are always using the first purchased.

Here is my question ... What methods have you the readers found that works for food rotation, yet is simple, fast, and effective?

Your help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. :thumb:

Respectfully,

 

[momof4survivor]

Could you get some of those plastic can rotating bins? You put the new cans in the top and the older cans roll down to the front so that you take them first.

 

[Doginit]

I tried to find it on the web but didn't have time to search.

There are several varieties of can food racks on for sale on the web at varying prices. My favorite is the can food racks you can place in the wall between studs. They can be placed in the wall behind a door. They hold A LOT of can food.

Just do a search...you'll find it. Sorry I didn't have time.

Doginit

 

[tobkis]

I have shelves in my basement, I use a sharpie and write month and year on most products stored for this use and seperate per dates. What I pull and consume, I replace.

 

[keepitlow]

I date everything and I stock what I eat and eat what I stock...

If you too lazy to date, just put 'X' on the old stuff and eat that first.

 

[Herbalpagan]

Running a "store" (which your pantry is) takes a bit of work. Use can rotaters, mark cans or use them up. That's prepping.

 

[Purdy Bear]

I just move the most recent brought to the back of the shelf with the oldest at the front. I do day dream of getting rolling can shelves one day but we cant get them in the UK.

Someone I saw on You Tube used the same system with underbed storage - they put the new food in one side and took the older from the other side. The only draw back is to remember to keep the space below the bed so it can give alittle when you lay on it or you will have a very uncomfortable sleep.

 

[Slim Shady]

I tend to like to eat. That kind of solves the rotation issue.

 

[MikeK]

Well, first in, first out is mandatory for rotation. But everyone has to think up their own system for doing it since we all have different storage setups.

My storage foods aren't kept in the pantry. I have a small, hard to access panty and rotation would be a nightmare. I have food stored all over the house in different ways. I pick out the oldest and transfer them to the pantry. Shelves are a big help there.

 

[ackbob]

I just move the most recent brought to the back of the shelf with the oldest at the front. I do day dream of getting rolling can shelves one day but we cant get them in the UK.

Someone I saw on You Tube used the same system with underbed storage - they put the new food in one side and took the older from the other side. The only draw back is to remember to keep the space below the bed so it can give alittle when you lay on it or you will have a very uncomfortable sleep.

check on Amazon.com or the UK version... I believe they have them on there

 

[ackbob]

Amazon.com: CanSolidator Food Rotation System Two-pack: Kitchen & Dining

and probably available in the UK also

 

[Jash]

I have shelves in my basement, I use a sharpie and write month and year on most products stored for this use and seperate per dates. What I pull and consume, I replace.

Yup! Probably the simplest and most accurate way to determine the next thing you're going to eat out of your pantry.

I must admit I've been a bit slack lately and we're probably down to only 8-10 weeks of food. I like to keep it between 15-20 weeks worth normally as there's only so much room in our small house to keep all this stuff so it's not in the way.

 

[ctwo]

I just move the most recent brought to the back of the shelf with the oldest at the front. I do day dream of getting rolling can shelves one day but we cant get them in the UK.

Someone I saw on You Tube used the same system with underbed storage - they put the new food in one side and took the older from the other side. The only draw back is to remember to keep the space below the bed so it can give alittle when you lay on it or you will have a very uncomfortable sleep.

Under the bed, nice idea. wasted space right now, room for 500 cans

 

[Principal]

Thank-you everyone for your quick and thought provoking replies. You kindness is appreciated.

I will immediately investigate those roll shelves. They seem like a definite possibility.

 

[allye]

We just finished assembling Cansolidator Plus units. They're super cool! We put them on rolling heavy duty wire shelves. Our shelf lengths were a can slot longer than the units so we bought an extra set, extra L brackets and extended the units by cutting the L brackets to size. They're easy to cut with a hacksaw.

 

[outside the box]

Here's one I built. Loads from the back.

 

[lodgepole]

Mine is crude, stuff in back or bottom gets grabbed and used I usually date all large with markers stuff like sacks of flour and rice. Cans have been a problem, we are moving so I am going to reorganize stuff and work on organizing cans. One problem I have with cans is I hate canned stuff so it sits and sits, then get shoved into dark corners.

 

[allye]

Here's a top load DIY one that looks easy.


http://pinterest.com/pin/267964246548864656/

 

[Writer's Block]

Simply put, the physical means of storage is not nearly as important as two simple rules:

1) First In, First Out. The oldest stuff should always be arranged so as to ensure it is the first used.

2) Store what you eat and eat what you store.

THIS CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH!

If you use your stores as your house supply, then reload them by buying groceries, your supply stays fresh. Making pasta but nothing to make sauce? Cycle sauce from the stores and refill at the next grocery store trip with a new can.

The physical mechanisms such as can holders and such are so much kitsch IMHO. The important thing is to get into a cycling routine so nothing goes to waste.

 

[allye]

The physical mechanisms such as can holders and such are so much kitsch IMHO. The important thing is to get into a cycling routine so nothing goes to waste.

Cycling using FIFO is what the can holders are for. What's kitschy about that? We now have 450+ cans in a space that would've accommodated much less than that without the rotation systems. There's no need to date, no need to stack cans on top of one another and try to reach around and put something on the back without knocking the stacks over. The oldest cans roll out the bottom of the slot, you put the newest in the top.

Did you even look at the links showing the rotation units?