What’s The Best Prepper Food To Grow And Store?

Planning ahead comes in handy especially for survivors like me. It allows you to plant and store enough food to get you through the lean months of the year.

If you’re into survival hacks, this blog post should give you all the information you need about the best prepper food to grow and store.

You can start off by researching the crops that do well in your area. Choose the right food, grow it or store it as per your liking.

Below are the top best prepper foods around. I have grown and stored some in my past, so I give you an honest opinion on how well they’ll serve you.

1. Winter Squash

If you only have one option to grow in a survival garden, it has to be squash. Winter squash get their name from when they grow, but you can’t store them all winter long.

Squash are so easy to grow and at times I find them growing in my garden by accident. As easy way to grow them is digging a melon pit and fill it with kitchen scraps.

In each mound you can grow 2-4 squash plants and mulch the vines thickly.

For the storage, squash really stores well and it can last upwards of a year.

2. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes serve as a survival crop for regions with warmer climates. They grow from a few slips which can give you gallons of sweet potatoes.

To grow sweet potatoes you have to start the slips from a seed sweet potato. I do this by throwing the potato in a prepared pan of soil.

My daughters on the other hand prefer suspending a seed potato in a glass of water with some toothpicks. Once the vines are big, you can get them and grow them on some ground.

Once you’ve cured your sweet potatoes, wrap them up in a paper and store them in a dark closet. They can last up to a year.

3. Potatoes

Another crop you should definitely consider is the potato plant. Potatoes are low maintenance, can tolerate poor soils and are highly nutritious.

Basically, you can grow potatoes from seed but most people including myself avoid this. Instead, I plant seed potatoes and once some “eyes” sprout, new potatoes will have grown.

Before storing them, remove any damaged ones, dry the rest well, and store in a cool, dry place. If you store them this way they can last for a couple of months.

4. Field Corn

Corn takes a lot of nitrogen and space, and this makes it the least desirable crop to grow. However, it’s quite useful and it’s high in calories.

It isn’t just food, but you can turn it into alcohol or flour.

Since corn is a field crop, it does well in a large pot. The best way to grow it is by planting it in rows and also ensuring you fertilise them well.

To store your corn, remove the husk, slice off the kernels and freeze them. If you want dry corn you can throw in the whole thing in an oven.

Once ready, let them cool and store them as per your liking.

5. Amaranth

This is a favourite crop of many people and it can be grown for its leaves or its grain-like seeds. An advantage is that amaranth prefers average and even poor soil.

Amaranth seeds are small, and the best way to grow them is by throwing them over a garden bed. Ensure you water them regularly and wait for them to grow.

For the green-leaves, you should consume them immediately while the grains can be stored for a couple of months.

6. Beans

Beans aren’t nitrogen fixers and they get their fertilizer from the air. They can survive under extreme weather conditions and that’s why I like growing them.

You simply grow beans from other beans. You have the option of planting shell beans or dry beans and either way, they’ll do well.

For the storage, shell beans aren’t good for storage, so they need to be pressure canned or frozen. On the other hand, dry beans can be stored in an airtight container.

7. Cabbage

When it comes to survival food, cabbage is top of the list. It’s packed with lots of calories and nutrition, which is good for you and your family.

To grow cabbage, start indoors during mid-summer or winter. During fall, transfer them to a garden outside and water them regularly.

The good news is that cabbage can last for several months if stored in a root cellar. You can slice it up, blanch it, dry it and freeze it.

You can also consider growing perennials since they are easy to grow and easy to maintain. Some good examples are
• Apple trees
• Pears
• Mulberries
• Air potatoes
• Asparagus
• Jerusalem artichokes

Best Prepper Food To Grow And Store

From the post you can conclude that the foods mentioned are easy to grow, densely nutritious and work well in a wide range of geographies. From the list you can grow or store any of these foods:
• Winter Squash
• Potatoes
• Cabbage
• Field corn
• Amaranth
• Beans
• Perennials

All these foods will help you survive for months, so you really should consider growing them for you and your family.