If you are putting together an emergency-preparedness kit, it is important to remember that you need to have more than just freeze-dried food and other food items packed away in storage. After all, the food won’t do you much good if you have no way to prepare it and you won’t survive for long if you do not have water available.

Therefore, it is essential to include water as well as some sort of heating source in your kit. Still, even with the proper equipment available, you will need to keep a few emergency cooking tips in mind in order to make your food, equipment, water and other supplies last as long as possible.

What else should you consider?

When it comes to emergency food preparation, some things you need to know include:

• Most freeze-dried foods are ready to eat just 10 to 12 minutes after adding hot water.
• Freeze-dried foods can be prepared with cold water, but are generally more flavorful when prepared with hot water.
• Just bringing water to a boil will destroy all harmful pathogens, so don’t waste fuel and water (through evaporation) by boiling it longer.
• Have plenty of food items in storage that do not require cooking.
• Include a reliable heating source, such as Stove In A Can, in your emergency kit.
• Include ingredient items such as salt and sugar in your emergency kit to help add flavor to your meals and to use with making fresh food items, such as bread.
• Remember that flour does not store well over the long-term, so include grain and a mill in your kit so you can make your own flour.
• If you do not regularly prepare meals from freeze-dried items or from scratch, you might also want to practice making a few meals. This way, you can become comfortable with the process.
• You might also want to include a book containing a few recipes and tips within your kit. This way, you will be more comfortable with making the meals when the time comes.