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How to store emergency water at home

How much water do you need?

The CDC's rule of thumb is simple: at least 1 gallon per person, per day, for 3 days, and a 2-week supply if possible. That gallon is not all for drinking. Ready.gov notes that a normally active person needs about three quarters of a gallon of fluid a day; the rest covers cooking and basic sanitation.

Plan for more than the minimum if your household includes children, nursing or pregnant women, or someone who is sick, if you have pets, or if you live somewhere hot. Ready.gov points out that in very hot temperatures, water needs can double.

1 person, 3 days	3 gallons (minimum)
1 person, 2 weeks	14 gallons
Family of 4, 3 days	12 gallons (minimum)
Family of 4, 2 weeks	56 gallons

Fourteen gallons a person sounds like a lot, so build it in steps: get the 3-day minimum first, then add a few gallons each time you shop.

Option 1: buy bottled water (the easy, safest route)

According to the CDC, unopened, commercially bottled water is the safest and most reliable source of water in an emergency. Keep it in the sealed original container, store it in a cool, dark place, and check the expiration or "use by" date when you rotate your supplies. Use the oldest cases first and replace them to keep the stock fresh.

Option 2: fill your own containers

Filling your own is cheaper, but the container matters. The CDC says it is best to use FDA-approved food-grade water storage containers, which won't transfer toxic substances into the water. If you use something else, it should have a tight-closing lid, be made of durable, unbreakable material (not glass) and ideally have a narrow opening.

Containers to skip:

• Milk and fruit juice jugs. The FEMA and American Red Cross booklet Food and Water in an Emergency explains that milk protein and fruit sugars can't be adequately removed from them, which leaves room for bacteria to grow. Cardboard cartons leak and aren't made for long-term storage.
• Anything that held chemicals, such as bleach or pesticides (CDC).
• Glass, because it is heavy and breaks.

If you want to reuse something, the same FEMA and Red Cross booklet suggests two-liter plastic soft drink bottles.

How to clean and fill a container

1. Wash it with dish soap and water, then rinse well so no soap is left.
2. Sanitize it: mix 1 teaspoon of unscented liquid household chlorine bleach in 1 quart (4 cups) of water, cap the container and shake so the solution touches every inside surface. The CDC says to wait at least 30 seconds before pouring it out.
3. Let it air-dry (CDC) or rinse it with clean water (FEMA/Red Cross booklet).
4. Fill it with clean tap water. If your utility treats tap water with chlorine, the FEMA/Red Cross booklet says you don't need to add anything. If your water comes from a private well or another untreated source, treat it first by following the CDC's "Making Water Safe in an Emergency" instructions for your bleach strength.
5. Close it tightly without touching the inside of the cap, and label it "drinking water" with the date.

Where to keep it

The CDC's storage checklist is short: keep containers at a cool temperature (50 to 70 °F), out of direct sunlight, and away from toxic substances like gasoline or pesticides. In practice that rules out the hot attic, the sunny porch and the garage shelf next to the lawn mower fuel. A closet floor, under a bed or a basement corner away from chemicals usually works well.

How long does stored water last?

For water you bottled yourself, both the CDC and Ready.gov say to replace it every six months. For store-bought water, follow the date on the package. An easy habit is to swap your home-filled containers when the clocks change in spring and fall, and use the old water for plants or cleaning.

If you run out

If your stored water runs low and you have to use water of unknown quality, Ready.gov's advice is to bring it to a rolling boil for one full minute and let it cool before drinking. For other treatment methods, use the step-by-step instructions on the CDC and Ready.gov pages listed below. Having water put aside is one half of the plan; the other half is food that doesn't need a fridge, which we cover in how to store food without a refrigerator. For old-time self-reliance skills beyond water, see our Lost Frontier Handbook review.

Frequently asked questions

Sources (checked November 7, 2026): CDC, "How to Create an Emergency Water Supply" (cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency); Ready.gov, "Water" (ready.gov/water); FEMA and American Red Cross, Food and Water in an Emergency (fema.gov). This article is educational and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. Follow your local authorities' instructions during an emergency.

Home › Herb garden guides

6 easy medicinal herbs to grow at home for beginners

Two things that matter more than the herb you pick

Sun: most herbs prefer at least six hours of direct sun a day. Drainage: University of Maryland Extension calls it probably the most important single factor, because herbs won't grow in wet soil. If your ground stays soggy, use a raised bed or pots with drainage holes, and go easy on fertilizer, which can encourage root and stem rot.

The six herbs at a glance

Chamomile	German chamomile is a cool-season annual, about 18 inches tall, that's easy to grow from seed sown in early spring and will reseed itself. Roman chamomile is a low perennial ground cover.
Calendula	Easy in any well-drained soil in full sun, and fine in containers. Sow just before your last frost date, ¼ to ½ inch deep, because light inhibits germination. Remove spent flowers to keep it blooming.
Peppermint	Keep it in a pot. Mint spreads aggressively underground and will take over a bed. Start from a plant or cutting, since mint seed doesn't come true to type. It takes sun or light shade.
Lemon balm	About 1½ feet tall, happy in sun or part shade with well-drained soil. It spreads and self-sows readily, so a container is the easy way to keep it in check.
Lavender	Needs full sun and excellent drainage. Buy a started plant, because the seed is tricky to germinate and cuttings are the better way to propagate it.
Thyme	Plant in full sun in very well-drained soil that stays dry. It grows well in containers.

What the evidence says

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH, part of the NIH) has reviewed several of these plants.

• Chamomile: NCCIH says studies haven't produced enough reliable evidence to rate its clinical usefulness. For insomnia, a 2019 review found only one study, and it showed no benefit.
• Lavender: a specific lavender oil product taken by mouth may help anxiety, but more high-quality research is needed. That research tells us little about a sprig from your garden.
• Peppermint: most research is on peppermint oil for irritable bowel syndrome, usually in enteric-coated capsules. For peppermint leaf, NCCIH says there isn't enough evidence for any condition.
• Lemon balm: a 2024 review in the journal Nutrients said it holds promise as a calming agent, while noting that few robust clinical trials have been published.
• Calendula: University of Wisconsin notes it was used historically as medicine and as a dye. The fresh petals are edible and used as a garnish.
• Thyme: we didn't review health evidence for it. It's on this list because it's easy to grow and useful in the kitchen.

Harvesting and drying

The National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP) says the best time to harvest most herbs for drying is just before the flowers first open. Pick in the morning after the dew has dried, rinse in cool water and shake dry.

Tie sturdy herbs like thyme into small bundles and hang them. Tender herbs, including lemon balm and the mints, will mold if they don't dry quickly, so hang small bunches inside paper bags with holes torn in the sides, or lay the leaves on paper towels. Sun drying isn't recommended.

Leaves are ready when they're crispy and crumble easily between your fingers. Store them in airtight containers in a cool, dry, dark place. If you see moisture inside a jar, use the contents right away or dry them again.

Safety notes to read first

• Daisy-family allergies: people allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies are more likely to react to chamomile, and reactions can be severe. Calendula belongs to the same plant family, so take the same care with it.
• Medications: NCCIH reports interactions between chamomile and warfarin, and it notes chamomile might reduce the effect of birth control pills. Lavender may in theory interact with sedatives. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using any herb if you take any medicine.
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: little is known about the safety of chamomile or lavender during this time, and only food amounts of peppermint are considered likely safe. Check with your provider first.
• Children: peppermint oil should never go on the face of an infant or young child, because the menthol can cause serious effects if inhaled.
• Herbs in oil: herbs and oil are both low-acid and together could support the bacteria that cause botulism. NCHFP says to wash the fresh herbs and dry them completely, keep the flavored oil in the refrigerator and use it within 2 to 3 days. There are no canning recommendations for it, which puts it alongside other foods you shouldn't can at home.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: NCCIH: Chamomile; NCCIH: Lavender; NCCIH: Peppermint Oil; Mathews et al., Nutrients, 2024 (lemon balm review); Asteraceae allergy review (PMC); Clemson HGIC: Herbs; University of Maryland Extension: Care of Herbs; University of Illinois Extension: Mint; University of Wisconsin: Calendula; Clemson HGIC: Drying Herbs; NCHFP: Drying Herbs; NCHFP: Canning FAQ. This article is educational and is not medical advice; see our medical disclaimer.

Home › Food storage guides

How to store food without a refrigerator (a power outage food plan)

Step 1: Know your clock

The moment the power goes out, your refrigerator and freezer become insulated boxes, and every time you open them you lose cold air. According to the FDA, an unopened refrigerator keeps food cold for about 4 hours, while a full freezer keeps its temperature for about 48 hours, or about 24 hours if it is half full. That is why the most useful thing you can do in the first hours is nothing: decide what you need, open the door once, and close it fast.

Refrigerator, door closed	About 4 hours
Full freezer, door closed	About 48 hours
Half-full freezer, door closed	About 24 hours
Safe fridge temperature	40 °F or below
Safe freezer temperature	0 °F or below

Step 2: Prepare before the next outage

• Put appliance thermometers in the fridge and the freezer. When the power comes back, the number tells you what is safe, so you don't have to guess.
• Freeze containers of water ahead of time. They help the freezer stay cold longer and become ice for a cooler later.
• Keep one or two coolers ready for refrigerated food if the outage will last more than 4 hours.
• Group frozen food together so it stays cold longer, and keep the freezer as full as you reasonably can.

Step 3: Decide what to keep and what to toss

Once the 4-hour window passes, food in a fridge that has been above 40 °F needs a decision. Extension guidance based on USDA advice sorts the usual fridge contents roughly like this. When in doubt, throw it out, and never taste food to check it: food can look and smell fine and still carry enough bacteria to make you sick.

Usually OK to keep	Hard and processed cheeses, butter or margarine, whole fresh fruits and vegetables, opened jelly and peanut butter, ketchup and mustard, bread and fruit juices. Discard anything moldy or with an unusual smell.
Discard	Meat, poultry, fish and eggs, milk, cream and yogurt, soft cheeses, lunch meats, casseroles and leftovers, and creamy dressings.
Freezer food	If it still has ice crystals or reads 40 °F or below, it is safe and can be refrozen. The quality may suffer, but the safety doesn't.

Step 4: Build a pantry that doesn't need a fridge

Ice buys you a day or two; a shelf-stable pantry buys you much more. Ready.gov recommends keeping at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food and suggests foods like these:

• Ready-to-eat canned foods: meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans and soups that you can eat without cooking if you have to.
• Dry staples: dry cereal or granola, crackers, protein or fruit bars, dried fruit and nuts.
• Protein that keeps: peanut butter and other nut butters.
• Drinks: canned juices and non-perishable pasteurized milk (the shelf-stable boxes).
• The easy-to-forget items: a manual can opener, eating utensils, food for any infants and anyone's special dietary needs.

Pick food your household already eats, so you can rotate it into normal meals and replace it as you go instead of finding a box of expired cans years later.

Step 5: Store it so it lasts

Where you keep shelf-stable food matters almost as much as what you buy. Penn State Extension recommends storing canned goods, including home-canned jars, in a cool, dry, dark place between 40 and 70 °F, away from furnaces, heating pipes and direct sunlight, and never above 90 °F, where jars can spoil and lose their seal. Most home-canned foods keep their best quality for up to a year. If you can at home, follow only tested recipes, and remember that some foods have no safe home-canning process at all (see foods you shouldn't can at home).

Frequently asked questions

Sources: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, "Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods"; Ready.gov, "Food"; Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC, "Food Safety in Power Outages" (based on USDA FSIS guidance); Penn State Extension, "Storage Guidelines for Home-Preserved Foods"; National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu). This article is educational and is not a substitute for local emergency instructions.

Home › Canning guides

Can you water bath green beans? No, and here's why

Why a water bath isn't enough

Whether a food goes in a boiling water bath or a pressure canner depends on its acidity. Foods with a pH of 4.6 or lower, like most fruits, jams and pickles, are acidic enough to stop Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that causes botulism. Green beans, like all fresh vegetables except most tomatoes, are low-acid: their pH is above 4.6.

Botulinum spores survive boiling water. At sea level, water boils at 212°F, and it never gets hotter than that in an open pot, so boiling for three hours instead of one doesn't help. Inside a sealed jar with no air, surviving spores can grow and produce a toxin you can't see, smell or taste. To destroy the spores, low-acid foods need 240 to 250°F, which only a pressure canner reaches.

How to can green beans safely

Use a real pressure canner (not an electric pressure cooker or a small pressure saucepan) and follow a tested recipe, such as the one in the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning or the Ball Blue Book. For plain green beans packed in water, the USDA process at 0 to 1,000 feet is:

Pints	20 minutes
Quarts	25 minutes
Pressure	10 lb on a weighted gauge or 11 lb on a dial gauge

Above 1,000 feet you need more pressure: 15 lb on a weighted gauge, and on a dial gauge 11 lb up to 2,000 feet, 12 lb up to 4,000, 13 lb up to 6,000 and 14 lb up to 8,000. Always vent the canner with steam for 10 minutes before adding the weight, keep the pressure steady for the whole time, and let the canner cool down on its own.

The exception: pickled green beans

Dilly beans are green beans packed in a vinegar brine. The vinegar makes them an acid food, so tested pickled-bean recipes are processed in a boiling water bath. The key word is tested: use the exact amounts of vinegar and water in the recipe, choose vinegar labeled 5% acidity, and don't add extra vegetables or reduce the vinegar.

What if I already water bathed my green beans?

• Within 24 hours: you can reprocess the jars in a pressure canner with new lids, following the full process time.
• After 24 hours: keep them in the refrigerator and use them within a few days, or freeze them.
• Don't taste a jar to check it. Botulism toxin can be present without any off smell, bulging or cloudiness. If you're unsure, discard the jars carefully without opening them.

Other foods that need a pressure canner

The same rule covers corn, peas, carrots, potatoes, beets, dried beans, meat, poultry, seafood, stock and most soups. Rice, pasta, dairy, flour-thickened sauces and mashed pumpkin have no tested home-canning process at all; see our list of foods you shouldn't can at home.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning; National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu). This article is educational. Always follow the exact process in a tested recipe for your jar size and elevation.

Home › Canning guides

Foods you shouldn't can at home (and what to do instead)

Why "no tested process" matters

Safe canning times come from lab research: scientists measure how fast heat reaches the coldest spot in the jar for a specific food, packed a specific way. Dense, starchy or fatty foods slow that heat down, and the result can change from batch to batch. When there's no research-based time, a jar can look perfect and still be underprocessed, which is how botulism happens in low-acid foods.

The list

Rice, pasta, noodles, barley	They thicken the liquid and block heat. Don't add them to soups before canning; cook and add them when you serve.
Flour- or cornstarch-thickened sauces and gravies	Thickeners slow heat penetration unpredictably. Can the stock or broth plain and thicken it when you heat it. For pie filling, use a tested recipe with Clear Jel.
Milk, cream, butter, cheese and eggs	No safe home-canning process exists. Freeze butter and cheese, or buy shelf-stable versions.
Mashed or pureed pumpkin and winter squash	Too dense for reliable heating. Pressure can them in 1-inch cubes instead, and mash them after opening.
Mashed potatoes, refried beans and other purees of low-acid foods	Same density problem. Can the cubes or whole beans, then mash when serving.
Bread or cake baked in jars	Not a safe storage method. Freeze baked goods instead.
Recipes you invented or changed	Adding extra onions, peppers or garlic to salsa, or less vinegar to pickles, can make a tested recipe unsafe. Stick to the published amounts.

Methods to skip, too

Some methods are unsafe even with the right food: open-kettle canning (hot food sealed with no processing), canning in the oven, microwave or dishwasher, "dry canning" vegetables without liquid, and water bathing low-acid foods like green beans. Canning powders don't replace heat processing either.

Safe alternatives that work well

• Freeze soups with pasta or rice, dairy, baked goods and anything you're unsure about. Freezing is always a safe backup.
• Dry herbs, beans and many fruits and vegetables; store them airtight in a cool, dark place.
• Can the base, finish at serving: plain broth, cubed pumpkin, whole beans; then thicken, mash or add rice when you cook.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning; National Center for Home Food Preservation (nchfp.uga.edu). This article is educational. Always follow a tested recipe for your jar size and elevation.