Food for long term storage?

Pumpkinslinger · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 7:27 pm Post subject: Food for long term storage?

I'm looking for brand names for food to be stored in case of an emergency. Something with a long shelf life that is somewhat edible too. Any suggestions?

Vince · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:23 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

I've heard tell that the McDonalds Cheeseburger is good for a millennium or two mate.

Check out the numerous Prepping websites mate...they are full of that sort of info.

gelandangan · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

IMO Brands does not do much.
You got to find them suitable for your usage, taste, lifestyle, price etc.
Some members here are preppers, maybe someone in the US have better knowledge on what available locally.
LDS churches are a treasure of info, there ought to be one nearby..

food with longest shelf life = honey
So far, from survey of my Mylar bags customers, most stored grain in OZ = rice then wheat, chick peas and lentil.

Smile

PaulS · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 9:57 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

Dry grains and beans store well, canned goods do too but taste is not the best for most canned goods.
What I recommend is to buy the things you normally eat in larger quantities and rotate your stored food by eating it. I have about a years supply of the staples and as we use it up we buy a new container of it. You can buy "oxygen eliminators" to put in the storage containers or pack them with some dry ice (frozen CO2) to evacuate the air - great for grains and beans. I built racks for the canned goods that load from the top and you take them out from the bottom so they remain rotated constantly. We have a list that we print out and as we use something up it is marked on the list for the next time we go shopping. I use a lot of wheat - baking bread, biscuits, cakes and cookies etc. so I don't buy the wheat kernals but for the longest term storage that is the way to buy it and then grind your own flour. I just buy the flour in large bags and then place it into food grade plastic pails. When we epty one pail we get another large bag of flour and refil that pail and place it at the back. Rice and beans are handled the same way. We may get some chickens in the future so we don't have to buy eggs and as the chicken age out of laying they become fryers. I am going to talk to some of the local farmers to see if they are willing to raise a steer or two each year for me and then we can split the beef. I will have to buy the calves andthey supply the feed. I don't know how open they will be to the idea but I know many orchadists and farmers that have raised their own beef and one or two more steers isn't going to add to their work load that much.

Elvis · Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:54 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

preserved fruit in jars last for ages, pears apples blackberries etc etc the jars are about $6 here and can be used over and over again.
I am a fan of good old 2 minute noodles as emergency food and I havent found a time span on when they are no good to eat as some packets left in huts have been around for years and still are fine.

Grumulkin · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 4:01 am Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

Pumpkinslinger wrote:

I'm looking for brand names for food to be stored in case of an emergency. Something with a long shelf life that is somewhat edible too. Any suggestions?

So, what do you mean by "somewhat edible"? If you want brand name food, you better go with canned.

Back when I was in college and long before the arrival of preppers, I decided to buy lentils which I consider quite edible. I bought 100 lbs. of them. They lasted quite a few years without any bug or spoilage issues. I would predict a similar shelf life with other legumes but not with corn unless it's sterilized and kept well sealed.

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 10:01 am Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

Keep working on it boys and girls. Yer not there yet...

DallanC · Site Admin Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3572 Location: Utah

We have alot of rice and beans stored in air tight buckets (we used dry ice in the bottom with lids on loosely to push out the air before final sealing), alot of canned goods we rotate through plus a freezer full of meat.

We keep 4-5 5gallon gas cans filled up in case of emergency and we have to run off generators for extended periods (I've love to get a generator that runs on natural gas, home depot sells them), to keep freezers frozen etc during summer months.

Got chickens for eggs, my dad has beef and sheep + apple orchard should crap seriously hit the fan.

-DallanC

TRBLSHTR · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

I've stored horse grains in 5 gallon pails with lids for years and they are edible to the horse-the grains been "milled"and dried of couse!I personnaly store dry stuff in vacuum sealed bags if possible-then in the sealeable buckets and barrels out of the sunlight and again if possible in a controlled temperature area.Potatoes are a pain unless canned,canned fresh veggies,canned meats,dried veggies and dried meats,smoked nuts,smoked meats,smoked fish.Lots of salt,brown sugar,dried spices,all stuck away and vacuum packaged.I put bay leaves in with dried grain products and flour to keep bugs out.There has to be a million ways to do all of the food storage stuff listed on the internet!I'm going to raise a garden this year,and will be canning lots of stuff-gotto get the canner and pressure cooker all ready!

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:27 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

All this is great gentlemen, but can you last for a year, two years, longer if need be?

What about the city folk when the stores run out of food and they start drifting to the country [with arms]?

Elvis · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 12:47 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

are we talking prepping eg long term smelly stuff hits the whirly thing type emergency??? or maybe power out for month type??

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:27 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

I can survive more then a month with what I keep in house at any given time. I'm talkin' about when the fuel (gas, heating oil diesel and no electrical service [down infrastructure]). When meat and other refridgerated foods can nolonger be kept. When you're on your own and everyone (grasshoppers) want what you (ants) have.

gelandangan · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:53 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

If that happen bushy, I sincerely believe that a great lot of people will starve.
Very few of average joe could survive a few months not saying years.
Somehow, prepping has become a dirty word for the public, fueled by the media since most prepper do own guns.

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: Food for long term storage?

Yup...

eeyouelder · Member Joined: Jan 26, 2005 Posts: 123 Location: Quebec

In 1998 we were hit by a serious hail storm and we were out of power for 23 days. My wife and I did very well with what we had (food generator etc.) and could have survived for a couple of months without having to set traps or hunt in order to have the essentials to life (food, water, shelter and a certain space).
Luckily we had a radio in order to have a link to the outside world. I love my wife very much but after being cooped in, just the two of us, we were glad to get out of the house and talk to other people.
Keep in mind that you must have something to keep you busy or solitude will get to you.