Food For Long Term Storage Survival - Not all foods last forever. Except for one. It will be honey. It's just one of the foods that will last the longest in your pantry—but only if you store it properly.
Most sources say that honey should be consumed within 12 months for best quality. However, 2,000-year-old honey is still safe to eat, as long as no water or moisture has been introduced into the honey. When you store your honey properly, there is no expiration date.
Food For Long Term Storage Survival
Of course, you can always grow a survival garden to keep fresh food ready. It's your outdoor storage that goes hand-in-hand with the long-lasting foods you can store inside—in your pantry.
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But you don't have to be so strict to consider yourself a prepper. It is perfectly fine to be an organized person who uses common sense preparation skills. Fortunately, having a garden doesn't have to be prepared.
While some of the items on this list of chronic foods can be made at home, most can be purchased at the store. After that, it's up to you to store it properly.
Think for a moment about what's in your fridge and cupboards. Do you have at least two weeks worth of food and water sitting around? Or can you prepare better?
It is easier than it seems. At least part of the storage. Another aspect of leaving food for later is a matter of mindset. You should eat what is there, instead of going to the store every time you feel like eating something else. Our ancestors did it, so can we.
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What it really comes down to is that there's something deeply satisfying about the bonus supply of food, for when times aren't so great. As long as you know how to cook from scratch, food can still be very tasty.
We won't start the list with everyone's favorites, but the most important foods for long-term storage. Hey, you can always trade it for something else.
Dried beans are one of the most affordable long-lasting foods in the store. And they cook? Everyone dreads soaking beans, but there are many ways to cut down on cooking time. You can use the quick soak method, or if you have an instant pot, dry beans cook even faster.
However, beans are the real deal when it comes to long-term storage. For more official records, dried beans have a shelf life of one or two years. On a less official note, they lose their nutritional value after five years. For those who challenge this, they say dried beans can last up to thirty years.
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I don't know about you, but the food in our pantry rarely makes it past the three-year mark without being eaten and replaced. This is part of the preparation rule. What comes in must come out. What goes out must come back.
Store your beans in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dark place. Do not store in the bags you get at the store. Moisture is the killer of beans here, as with anything stored long-term.
To keep the meal interesting, add beans to the rice, add some dried herbs or gather some fresh vegetables from your garden to go with it.
Lentils, like dry beans, have the same shelf life. Two to three years to be sure. More if the storage conditions are better. As long as they stay dry, you can basically keep them forever - not that you have to.
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The expiration date or "best by" date printed on the package of dried beans, including chickpeas, is only a recommendation of quality, not safety. Even if your dried beans are past their expiration date, they can still be consumed. Add a small handful to soups and stews and add some sausage or a few fresh eggs for an even bigger protein break.
Yes, you can eat ten year old rice. White rice is truly a long-lasting food. Brown rice, on the other hand, has a shelf life of about six months due to its susceptibility to oxidation. So choose your rice wisely.
Besides white rice, wild rice, jasmine and basmati can all be stored indirectly as long as they are kept free from dust, insects and moisture.
Again, for long-term food storage, airtight containers are your best friend. Invest in a good set and you'll only buy it once.
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Properly stored oils will last about a year in their original packaging. You can store it in an airtight container for up to two years.
Thinking beyond oatmeal cookies, there are many reasons to eat oatmeal in countless non-sweet ways. Oils are a good source of protein, fiber, folate, vitamin B6 and niacin. They also contain manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron and calcium.
If you can store them whole, then roll them yourself, you can get a much longer shelf life out of them, even up to twenty years. Instant oatmeal, no matter how convenient it is, is not suitable for long-term storage. You can only store it for three months.
If you like one, you'll probably enjoy the other. While corn takes up quite a bit of garden space for corn, there is always room in the garden for popcorn. Although both are readily available in the store.
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With popcorn, you can measure shelf life in years, not months. As long as there is no moisture in the bag or jar, you can enjoy a bag of popcorn two years from now. Using a vacuum sealer is the best way to store grain.
Cornmeal has a shelf life of about one year. The more processed the food, the shorter the shelf life. The best way to store corn is in a cool, dry pantry. If moisture is a problem, use an oxygen absorber to extend the life of your stored food.
A perennial food that everyone loves is pasta. Any dry pasta can be stored for up to a year or more depending on the airtight container. Real life preservers suggest that with proper storage, pasta is still good to eat in 25 years.
For long-term storage, it is best to remove the pasta from its original packaging. Then store them in their airtight containers. If the pasta you buy comes in a box, you'll want to store it in a jar anyway, so it doesn't absorb chemicals like those used in packaging.
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The same should apply to anything that comes in paper packaging, as paper absorbs moisture. While paper is a great alternative when it comes to reducing plastic in your life, consider bringing food home, then storing it safely in jars and metal containers. Tracy has a great article on how to stock pantry basics.
Buy it at the store, or do it yourself. It doesn't really matter as long as you have a good stock of rice, beans or lentils on hand.
Bouillon cubes have a long shelf life of 18-24 months at room temperature. Although I have seen and eaten soup cubes much older than this. If they have an expiration date on them, most people suggest you can go a year or two. Actual experience is the best indicator to test if things have gone downhill.
To test if a bouillon cube is spoiled, first do a smell test. You will almost always be able to smell mold. If it smells like crap, throw it away. Then go for the taste. If the flavor isn't as strong as before, go ahead and use two cubes to enrich the soup.
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Homemade and dehydrated Mirpox is a good alternative to the commercially produced product. If you have the ingredients and the time, be sure to make a batch for your pantry. It can be stored in an airtight container or frozen.
Fresh milk is best, preferably straight from the cow. Milk storage comes next in terms of quality, but both have a very short shelf life.
While powdered milk isn't something you want to drink every day, it makes sense to have some on hand for emergencies. Or because you really want to make a cake and someone has drunk all the milk.
You may be surprised to learn that 18 months is the "best of" date. Although you can store it much longer than that, up to ten years, if the package is not opened.
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If you can't live without number 24 on this list, make sure you have a few bags of powdered milk in your pantry as a backup.
A spoonful of peanut butter will give you the extra energy you need in any situation. If you are not allergic, you should always have a few jars on hand.
Usually I like to go for organic peanut butter. But in case of long-term storage, it will break down the fastest.
Planning for the less certain future, processed nut butters will certainly last longer, due to additives
Survival Food & Emergency Food Storage
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