While canned food are perfect for long-term storing food they still have a shelf Life. So before you go stocking, hoarding, piling and storing food, first consider the following.

1) Will you need to cook your food and if so, how will you cook it?

2) Will you need water to cook the food?

3) How long can your food sit on the shelf (expiration date) and how will you keep the food refrigerated after it is opened, not to mention do you have the means to keep your food refrigerated if the power goes out.

So before you stock, hoard, pile and store, consider the above and then get busy stocking, hoarding, piling and storing your food.

Before you get too grossed out over canned meats, fish and other hearty eats that actually come in a can that you open with a can opener, you might want to consider that they are protein rich.

Canned meats do not just mean spam, vienna sausages or potted meat.

Canned meats also include salmon, sardines, tuna, crab, clams, ham, corned beef, chicken, roast beef, ground beef, pork, turkey and even chili meat.

I'm certain there are other canned meats that I am forgetting, but my point is that you can stock, hoard, pile and store canned meats for an emergency.

Quite honestly, us 'real preppers' do not pay too close attention to expiration dates. Well packaged foods, even canned, are Good for years. Just rotate your food and buy what you really do eat and not something you won't eat.

GENTLE REMINDER - You will need a manual can opener handy in case the power goes out. I don't have an electric can opener myself. There's just something about it that screams 'lazy' to me. LOL. Not that I'm calling anyone lazy for having an electric can opener, but come on!

Gosh, peanut butter should just go without saying, but leave it to me to say it anyway.

Peanut butter is healthy, as it is calorie dense and protein rich, which means it will stick to your ribs and will go a long way. In other words, it's filling.

Peanut butter is inexpensive and you use it in just about anything including shakes, spreads, sauces, sandwiches or just eat right out of the jar in one heaping tablespoon.

Also, peanut butter is the easiest thing on the planet to make. You simply toss a bag of peanuts (shelled), 1 tsp. salt, 1-1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (and 1-1/2 tsp. honey if want) into a food processor and BAM, you have peanut butter. Seriously, that's it!

Well, this part I have absolutely zero experience in because I have never 'canned' anything in my Life. My friends know how to can, but interestingly enough, I have never participated in one of their canning events. Go figure! Me, of all people. You'd think so, right?

You either know how by now or you don't. Still, I literally live by the motto, "You'll be the same age if you don't do it", which means it's never too late to learn. So I guess I'll be learning.

I will make certain I jump in on the next canning event, but until then, for all you newbie-canner's, here is a website I found with some useful canning information.

Certainly if you are canning-guru, then buying canned fruits and vegetables is probably not your thing. For myself, I am fresh fruits and vegetables girl and have never canned a thing in my Life, but it's never too late to learn.

Until then, it looks like for the prepping with canned fruits and vegetables will have to do. And that's okay. The important thing is to prep. When you have to prep in a hurry, beggers can't be choosers. Choose you cans and begin stocking, hoarding, piling and storing food.

Do I even need to mention, rotate your expiration dates and keep an eye on them. Waste not, want not.

There are literally a ton of jarred and canned foods that I can list and suggest to you. This page is simply to give you an idea of what you might want or need to add to your meals. You might have pesto on your list. I do make my own fresh tomato sauce, salsa, pesto, hummus, all of these things of which can be frozen. I use freezer bags because I have more space in the freezer. I also make my own pizza's and freeze them. But I don't can! I KNOW! It's so strange! And as usual - rotate your expiration dates and keep an eye on them.

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