I love helping to support small family businesses and I love coffee so when a friend told me about Brown & Jenkins, a small, family owned coffee roaster in Vermont I was more than intrigued. The more I learned about how their process is organic and they have an eye towards sustainability I became a fan. And then I found out that they are fans of the prepper movement, I thought we were a marriage made in heaven! Given their expertise I asked them to help us learn the best way to store coffee for our preps!
Coffee is an important part of my short term prep plans but storing coffee as part of long term storage is much trickier. Brown & Jenkins has the following advice:
What is the best way to store coffee?
If you need to extend the shelf life beyond 3 weeks, you should store your coffee in the freezer. Whole beans can be kept fresh in the freezer for up to six months.
They suggest keeping the coffee beans in the poly-lined bag it came in and placing that in a heavy duty freezer bag (ziplock) and storing the beans in the freezer.
Once out of the freezer keep your whole bean coffee in a cool, dry cupboard. Or place in the storage chamber of your mill wheel grinder.
Why should I grind my own coffee?
The truth of the matter is, that ground coffee goes stale much more quickly. Coffee will begin to loose its flavor immediately after grinding. The purchase of a grinder and grinding your own coffee beans just prior to brewing is one of the most important steps you can take to improve the flavor and aroma of your coffee.
How should I grind my coffee?
The simple fact is that the finer the grind, the easier it is for the water to extract the flavor, and the more flavor you will get from a given amount of coffee. So it would seem as though we should grind all our coffee as fine as possible, however two other factors come into play…the brewing method and the clarity we personally desire in the cup.
How fine should I grind my coffee?
This leads us to the brewing method. Basically, you should grind your coffee as finely as your brewing method will allow. You don’t want to slow down the brewing process with a grind too fine for your machine or some unwanted flavor characteristics would begin to be extracted.
Brown & Jenkins suggests grinding coffee you are using in a french press to the same consistency you would for your drip pot. So practice what you would grind your beans to when you have the luxury of an electrical coffee maker and you will be all ready to go when your only option is to use this:
This is all wonderful advice for staying sanely caffeinated in an emergency situation but what if I want to have long term storage of coffee?
The recommend way by most preppers is three things:
- Store instant coffee. I wrote a post on my love for Via by Starbucks not too long ago as a short term prepping item.
- Store whole green coffee beans, learn how to roast them yourself as needed. You need to store the whole green beans in mylar bags with o2 absorbers like you would most other long term storage items (tutorial coming on mylar soon)
- Deal with the degraded taste and store 10# cans of brands like Folgers.
Brown & Jenkins was kind enough to offer two bags of coffee to one lucky reader. You can even visit their site and pick out any of the 10 oz bags you want if you win. After looking through all their flavors, I think I am going to put an order in for the coffee club and look at it as a way to force me to store more coffee with the adage of rotating it out so I am constantly “drinking what I store and storing what I drink”.
Suzanne Bastien
I’ll miss my mattress heater! It can be so chilly at night that I love crawling into my warm bed… I’m spoiled.. I know. 🙂
Prepared Mom
OH! Man! I just thought about the thought of losing that too. Yikes.
Elaine Sage
I would miss my air conditioning on those hot and humid days in the Southeast.
Lisa
I’d miss fuzzy slippers
Mel Walton
I would miss air conditioning and ice. Living in the deep south we’re devoting WAY too much time to figuring out how we would keep cool and have ice in our sweet tea. 🙂
Peggy Cole
I would miss my microwave!
Richard Morris
I would miss my replicator (hint: star trek)
Ann Fantom
I will miss reality TV shows
Ruth Anderson
There will be no missing of anything ,because we will be with Jesus .
Ann Fantom
I would like to get get Brown & Jenkins’ Hazelnut and Organic Peruvian coffees.
lisa lo
I’d miss all the electronics
Jen Haile
I’d miss air conditioning the most because summers here are unbearable!
jenna b
hot shower. is there anything better?
debbie jackson
miss my cheese doodles debbie jackson
djackson1958 at hotmail dot com
debbie jackson
hazel nut and and the origin sampler
jorie rogers
I’ll miss my Kindle and my Ipod!
Sarah
I would miss my reality TV. Life without the Kardashians? Ugh 😉
Sarah
I would ask for the Rim Shot Reserve (wink, wink)
Sallee Glickler
My Kindle!
sara mcmullen
Popcorn.
Amy Honious
i will miss toilet paper and my dishwasher!
Amanda H
Air conditioning and to be honest, not having access to green curry will make me sad 🙁
debbie
I would miss chocolate.
Lisa Brown
I would miss air conditioning
Lisa Brown
I would like Cafe Au Lait Blend Coffee and Lake House Blend Coffee
Deb Anderson
Contact lenses 🙂
Lisa Brown
pin – http://pinterest.com/pin/277675133246648801/
Deb Anderson
Butter pecan and Swiss chocolate almond
Cynthia C
I’d miss my computer and Netflix
Cynthia C
I’d love to try Brazilian Bourbon Santos Coffee
Alexis T
I agree with Debbie (above) I would miss chocolate and champagne!
Deborah
I’ll miss my sewing machine and fabric!
Alexis T
Organic healthy living blend and Hazelnut
Debbie Welchert
I would like to try their Brown & Jenkins Special Blend Coffee.
Margie
I’d miss the Internet.
Samantha D.
Well in the event no electricity i’d miss movies, music, internet, and air conditioning. Oh and cold anything because the fridge would be out so goodbye ice cream 🙁
Samantha D.
MMMmm, the flavored coffees sound so good right now. Especially the Vanilla Hazelnut Coffee
Joanne Gregory
chocolate!
Melanie Schemanski
chocolate
Joanne Gregory
Organic Healthy Living Blend Coffee
Natosha Zachary
I would miss McDonald’s french fries!
Serena
online shopping lol
Rose
Eating really good pizza with friends
Whitney Curtis
Electricity
Linda Lansford
I would miss candy
Donnetta
A hot shower and scented lotion!
Pam
Wrapping up in a blanket.
Barbara Montag
I would soooo miss my salsa – thank you!
Jamie Martin
I would miss TV!!
Jamie Martin
Rim Shot Reserve!!
Rebecca Graham
I will miss my talk shows on TV.
christine weideman
coffee, I cannot live without it!
christine weideman
I would love the butter pecan coffee
Sonya
I will miss facebook
Wilma P
i would miss electricity because there goes all my electronics & appliances
nici
I would miss internet and red bull!
Helga
french roast and organic coffee
Susan
hot showers and tv
katherine d
my $500 blender!
nikki krutz
i would miss my laptop and dvr!!
Marti Parks
I would miss Swedish Fish and clean socks.
Nasreen
I would miss ice cream. No freezers means no Ben & Jerrys 🙁
Rhea Stogsdill Chladek
Slipper socks and ice cream!
Rhea Stogsdill Chladek
Hot chocolates and ice cream milkshakes!
Jen
Gee. Maybe I would miss all of the countless hours spent thinking about this stuff. Not. I would miss things like being able to buy steak instead of butchering it myself, washing my hair in the shower instead of having someone pour swimming pool water over my head, and relaxing on the couch watching the Walking Dead instead of watching my garden for intruders. You know, the little stuff.
Prepared Mom
Ha! Thanks for the giggle. 🙂
holly
sounds about like what I was gonna type
Jen
I would choose Columbian and Boyden’s Brown Cow.
Christine Roeske
I will miss the internet – BIG TIME!
deb
I’d miss holding a warm soft kitty and throwing the ball for my dog.
rachel
Hot chocolate and dark peanut m&m’s!
carole
my microwave
carole
chocolate raspberry whole bean
Janet Vickers
I’d miss a warm bath!
Janet Vickers
mountain magic and rainforest blend!
Emily
I would miss teaching violin. I love it.
Emily
I would get the Swiss Almond Chocolate Coffee. Yum!
gigi
I’ll miss watching Young & The Restless!!
gigi
I think the Boyden’s Brown Cow sounds great
Jeremy
I would miss running water (i.e. toilets).
Rose
cozying up to a crackling fire in front of a fireplace with a few friends, enjoying a good hot cup of coffee or cocoa and a good book. We’re watching a snowstorm outside but nobody has to go to work that day, we can enjoy it
Chrissy
I’m gonna have to say my laptop..
Murry
I would miss electricity the most.
Sheila
Chocolate!
Sheila
I’d like the organic Peruvian and the Costa Rican coffees.
Danielle Porter
Ferro Roche!!! 😛
vicky
A/C -summer in Texas is HOT!
Allison
I’d miss listening to the radio.
Kylie C
Chocolate and the convenience of the modern grocery store!
Kylie C
I’d get the Farm House Blend Coffee!
stacy
I’d miss toilet paper
Theresa D
I’d miss the internet.
Terri P
I’d miss the internet!
Terri P
pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com
Terri P
I’d love to try these two coffees:
Decaf S.W.P. Colombian Supremo Coffee and Decaf Hazelnut Coffee
Terri P
pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com
howard wiener
i’d miss my ‘puter. 🙂
JenniferB
I would miss the internet
Jennifer
I will miss getting dressed up!
Jennifer
butter pecan sounds awesome!
Jessie C.
I’d get Bienvenue Blend Coffee
Jessie C.
I’d miss the internet connection
nicole korson
A hot shower!
Brooke
I’d miss my bed :(.
joni
My laptop!
joni
Brown & Jenkins Special Blend Coffee
Sabrina @ Living, learning, Eating
I’d miss Christmas movies!
Darlene Webb
I would miss electricity and running water more than anything.
Desiree Dunbar
I’d miss having fun with my family and dog! I also would love the Winter Spice Coffee.
lisa kay
I would miss my new recliner..=)
lisa kay
the Black Ice Coffee
KATHY DALTON
omg my laptop
KATHY DALTON
chocolate raspberry and bvanilla hazelnut sounds wonderful
Lynda E
Bubble baths!
Debra Hall
oh coke cola gotta have it
Robyn
Little luxuries mean nothing to me without the people I love. I would just be worried about my family.
Robyn
If I won, I would like to try French Vanilla flavored coffee.
Alicia Stamm
i would most miss cellphones and the ability to communicate with distant loved ones… and music players/speakers
Sarah
sleeping in
Kay C
CHOCOLATE!
rochelle johnson
crickets chirping
Miz Vickik
I’d miss surfing the net
Leah Wall
soft towels and pillows 🙂
Melanie Montgomery
Watching House Hunters!
Kathy Artis
I would surely miss my chocolate. I’m a chocoholic 🙂
Kathy Artis
Brown & Jenkins Special Blend Coffee
Cori Westphal
I’ll miss shutting off the alarm for the extra 10 minutes of sleep! It’s the best!
coriwestphal at msn dot com
Lucy Schwartz
I would miss my time blogging.
kiana
I would miss my bed :/
Karen
I would miss Law and Order reruns. Thanks for the giveaway.
Dorothy Deakyne
I like the french vanilla
kelly
I will miss air conditioning. I am in the process of building a basement under our current home, but it is slow going. It will be cooler there but Texas gets very hot!
Cassandra McCann
seeing my childrens smiles
Carolsue
Being able to surf the Web far into the night
Carolsue
Celebes Kalossi Coffee and Costa Rican Coffee
Sarah
I would miss libraries.
Sarah
Organic Peruvian and The Dark Side
Stephanie Larison
The internet
Barbara Stenby
Bourbon
Tanya Bartlett
my bathrobe
cassandra (rab pom)
I would miss going to the beach!
cassandra (rab pom)
I would like to try the Brazilian Bourbon Santos Coffee!
jennifer r
I would also miss ginger vodka as one of my life’s little luxuries.
reejen at comcast dot net
mary reynolds
I would miss watching the X Factor
Thanks for the sweeps
Regina
Electricity would cover music (some forms), Ice, and electronics.
Tanya White
I would miss electricity and the internet
Ed Nemmers
Pringles and Milk Duds!
elle
Electric lights! Candles are only good fro ambiance.
Linda Dickson
I would probably miss electricity and my pajamas the most, although, if you don’t have electricity, it really doesn’t matter about the pajamas!
Danielle
Toothpaste
Kari Flores
I would miss hot showers.
Kari Flores
Vanilla Hazelnut and Chocolate Raspberry.
susan smoaks
i will miss the internet, i love the internet
mary gardner
electricity!
jagar0047 at yahoo dot com
mary gardner
i would choose Organic French Roast Coffee
jagar0047 at yahoo dot com
Charlene
I’d miss chocolate 🙂
Joy Q
Sushi & electricity.
kathy pease
id miss entering giveaways and subway grinders
Micaela P
I miss my hot daily showers. We’d all be so stinky and gross!
kathy pease
id love the Swiss Chocolate Almond Coffee
Jmstrunk (Sybille)
I would miss lotion. Boy would I miss lotion! Oh, and contact lens solution. Maybe that one a little bit more…
Jmstrunk (Sybille)
If I won I’d want to try the Single Origin Sampler.
Rosey
I would miss the internet. 🙂
Gianna
Bacon.
Sand
Internet and chocolate.
Sand
I would love to try Mountain Magic Coffee.
Jessica
my iPhone!
Christian Alejandro N.
I would miss my music and showers that I take for granted.
Christian Alejandro N.
I would like to try the butter pecan flavor.
Melody W.
I won! I won! I’m so excited. Thank you for having this giveaway.
Prepared Mom
You are so very welcome! Did you get my email?
Melody W.
Yes, I sent my reply right back. Thank you.