30 Days to better Preparedness. Day 11. Foods to store that will last forever.
We are getting somewhere now! Day 11!
When we think about storing food most of us consider how long it will last. If you are storing food for a back up plan and to be ahead you really want to store it to last. I keep everything in jars or tins. I haven't had a mouse in this house but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I freeze flour and rice for a few days before I pour it into my containers to hopefully kill any eggs in it. I also use Bay Leaves in my pantry as Pantry Moths don't like them much. HOW to store food to last is really a whole subject of its own!
We also want to rotate out food so that we are using what we are storing and rotating it through so nothing is ancient by the time you need it! But today we are going to talk about foods that you can store and know they are going to be good and useful for years and years. Some we will say 25 years. A couple forever. Others we will say at least ten years! They are great to have. I will touch on HOW you store them as it is also important to get maximum life from your investments. Light and heat are always going to decrease the life of anything. If you have a rodent and bug proof, dry, cool and dark place this is ideal! The other enemy of food is air which is why where possible I vac seal everything.
Now for our foods that last a long, long time...
The first is honey. Pure honey will last basically forever. It has many uses medically, as a treat, as a baking ingredient. Very useful.
Salt. You can store a variety. I keep Himalayan Salt so I can make up electrolyte drinks if needed. I keep salt to soak splinters and infections. Salt is a preservative. Salt for a threat gargle or mouth rinse if you have an ulcer of tooth removed. Salt in canning, curing and more.
White rice. The rice to store is white rice. Brown rice actually goes rancid but white rice if kept bug proof can last a good 25 years. Very good to have. Rice will bulk out many meals , both sweet and savoury. An absolute winner to store.
Dry beans. Like rice they will last years. Also valuable to store, filling and hearty.
Low fat Powdered Milk. Sealed, cool and in a dark place this is another that will last many many years. Lower fat keeps better as it is the fats that spoil. Incredibly good to have.
If sealed well tea and coffee will keep a long time. Eventually they will lose some potency but give me something rather than nothing any day!
Sugar. White sugar will last basically forever. Very good to have as you can turn fruits into shelf stable jams if you have sugar.
Vinegar. Lasts years.
Grains. Wheat, Barley, Millet, Quinoa, Flax and others will last many years.
Dry Pasta. Same. It will keep a long time.
Oats. Very versatile and very long lasting.
Molasses. Full of nutrients this is useful.
Pop Corn. Will last just about forever! A pretty good thing to have, a treat and still nutritious.
Alcohol. I was able to make hand sanitiser and surface sprays because I had vodka. I can make extracts both medical and flavours such as vanilla as I always keep vodka on hand. I keep Sherry and Whiskey also. Either of these will mean my fruit cakes are shelf stable for over a year. There is no alcohol in the finished cake as the alcohol is knocked off by the cooking but the fact they last so long is so handy. I would say also Alcohol could be rather valuable as a barter item.
Some things to keep that will last and are going to make life a lot better are:
Vanilla extract and other extracts. Dark Chocolate, Hard candy/boiled type lollies, bullion, herbs and spices.
I will have missed plenty but hopefully I have given you some ideas. These are things you can fearlessly store up in good quantities with minimal risk.
Can you add to the list? We could do with inexpensive storage options, ways to find space for bulk storage and more tips that you might be able to share. It is very interesting to get ideas from different countries in the world. We have a lot to learn from each other.
See you again tomorrow! xxx
That is a great list and we have all of it. We also have a big can, good for ten years, of powdered whole eggs because we do not have chickens. I need to get another bottle of vodka as ours is almost empty and it will soon be time to make vanilla for next year.
ReplyDeleteLana,
DeleteIt sounds like you have a good variety. I have chickens, but do have a can of powdered eggs as a back up just in case. Having long term foods in our pantries is very wise because we just never know when we may need them.
XOXO
Vicky
When we have lived mostly out of our storage what makes it tolerable is seasoning mixes and gravy mixes. Instant potatoes or rice are much tastier with gravy. If you have some canned chicken and beans you can easily make a chili or tacos with chili mix. You can MOO lots of these mixes. Powdered cheese makes a nice potato soup or mac and cheese. It's best to gather your pantry basics first. such as rice, beans, flour, sugar but after you've done that a few mixes and gravy powders really make it usable. Another very important item is a neutral cooking oil. When you cook from your pantry you use oil more than you would normally.-Kathryn, Washington State
ReplyDeleteKathryn,
DeleteI agree whole heartedly! Gravy makes everything taste better. I have all of the above in my pantry and like to keep things on hand that only require water to cook as well. We can for sure make some very filling yet creative meals from our food storage and those additions you mentioned can really make them tasty!
XOXO
Vicky
This series is helping all of us so much. We have been prepping for over a decade and using bulk foods and storing them for 40 years. Every post helps me remember something that I have become lazy toward. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteDehydrated herbs and spices, when they are vacuum sealed, last for years and years. In 2020, we opened a jar of Ceylon Cinnamon that I had sealed in 2015 and it was as fresh as the day we purchased it.
Buying spices in bulk is a great cost savings. If you vacuum seal powders, however, be sure to use a coffe filter as a barrier on top of the powder. I ruined a vacuum sealer before I learned that. 😉
We buy candy in bulk during the holidays and vacuum seal it. It will last for years, also. I vacuum seal crackers, cookies, mints, etc to extend the life of the product.
We have a room that is our food storage room. There is no heat in that specific room, downstairs, although it is a finished room. Due to no windows and no heat to it, it stays 55 to 65 year around. Plus, it is totally dark, unless we turn on one of the lights to shop.
Basement closets, under stairs and any spare cabinets in a lower level that stay cool are good storage locations. If you have a spare bedroom that no one uses, except once in a great while, you might consider putting shelves in there and purchasing an inflatable mattress for when guests show up.
I really liked what Andy did with the shelves behind the door.
We purchased 72 inch high, five inch deep shelving to mount in hallways downstairs. It is wonderful for herbs, medications and just about anything. Wide hallways can be a waste of space and are usually kept darker and cooler.
Many blessings to every Bluebird. Thank you, again, Annabelle.
Love and hugs,
Glenda
Glenda,
DeleteI know you are fantastic at food storage! I am a big fan of vacuum sealing too. Air and light are the enemy of our food. And having candy and mints are wonderful to have on hand. There are so many times they can be just a little comfort or even a gift. Comfort foods are so important. I like that you are using a wide hallway for shelving. I know people who wouldn't even consider it and just let the space get wasted when they really need to use it. We have an air mattress and cots, but so far other than for the grandkids we haven't had to use them haha! Keep up your good work on your food storage!
XOXO
Vicky
I find yeast extract ( Marmite / Vegemite) lasts a very long time and it is very handy to have in the pantry as a seasoning, spread or hot drink. ( That is, until my son finds it!) I’m not sure it would last forever though!
ReplyDeleteGill,
DeleteI am in the US and we don't have that here, but I have heard it is delicious and have always been curious as to what it tastes like?
XOXO
Vicky
Dear Annabel, this is a very helpful list. Thankyou, Clare
ReplyDeleteThank you for this very useful series. Just to let you know here in UK you cannot get a blood test only in an emergency, they are short of viles. My husband has non hodgkins lymphoma and has to be checked every 3 months he struggled to get an appointment, not sure when he gets to it he won't be turned away. Also my son in Wales tried to order a petrol stihl strimmer, can't get one at all, none to be had.
ReplyDeleteSue Lane,
DeleteI am so sorry to hear that. Have they said what is the cause of the shortage? Here in the US appliances are starting to become on the list of things hard to find or on back order. And the containers for things like tins of pet food. Your husband will be in our prayers.
XOXO
Vicky
Whole coffee beans store a long time and instant coffee just about forever if it's freeze dried instant coffee, but instant itself in any form has a very long storage life, instant potato flakes never expire, but may discolor a bit, meat jerky if done correcctly can last 40 years, powdered forms of things like powdered butter, cheese, tomato powder, dried gravy etc. never really expire, but can have some loss of strength in flavor. Bouillion cubes are mostly salt so never really expire they may absorb some moisture though if not stored properly.
ReplyDeleteXOXO
Vicky
I already had a similar list, but popcorn wasn’t on it. We still have our old air popper so that’s good to know! I realize you can make popcorn on the stove, as well. Thanks for all your ideas! Dark chocolate is definitely a must, as well as coffee and tea!☺️
ReplyDelete