While most store freeze-dried or dehydrated foods for emergencies only, Glenda Isaacson knows they can be a staple for day-to-day living.
Isaacson and sister JoAnne Michael have opened Life Essentials, a veritable “one-stop” shopping destination filled with non-perishable food products.
Life Essentials offers weeks or even months worth of food in a single can, simply by adding water, Isaacson said.
The vegetables are a popular choice among customers, Isaacson said, particularly for soups or stews.
“With soup, a lot of people choose these onions over fresh ones,” Isaacson said. “They’re delicious.”
Eggs, potatoes and pastas also are food staples that can be utilize on a daily basis — even dried egg whites for those concerned about cholesterol. Life Essentials also sells dehydrated shortening for more elaborate cooks.
The dried food is ideal for long-term storage. A can may be kept unopened for decades,
Isaacson said, which makes them a perfect fit for a home’s emergency supply pantry.
“Suppose you have a tornado, or something happens and you can’t get to the store for several days,” Isaacson said. “What are you going to do?”
Without water, large containers of food also are substantially lighter than what one would expect, Isaacson said.
“They’re essentially just mouse-proof canisters,” she noted.
Also available are pails filled with ready-made meals, including meat products. The pails can be sealed.
“Just add water,” Isaacson said.
Isaacson has purchased dehydrated food off and on since the mid 1970s, and has sold some to friends and relatives through the years.
“My sister and I finally decided it was time to open our store,” she said.
The sisters converted the old McFadden grain office at 430 West St. into Life Essentials. The store opened earlier this month, Isaacson thought, with little fanfare.
Still, she had a crowd of customers on opening day.
