Long Lasting Prepping Foods.

 

 

 

 

Article from Minq.com on long lasting foods for the prepper. Or as they say "Indestructible Foods That Would Outlast The Apocalypse".

http://www.minq.com/food/4337/16-indestructible-foods-that-would-outlast-the-apocalypse?cont=6884337f#slide/1/0

Ramen Noodles. You'll find Ramen noodles in any college dorm room, and if he wanted to, a freshman could buy a pack and not eat them until graduation and be fine. Ramen noodles last for ten years or more, because these pasta noodles are completely dried. Flavoring can be added, similar to other soup dishes.

Urban Man's comment: Ramen is cheap and comes with itr's own flavoring packet. Great base for added vegetables or edible plants foraged in the wilderness. Tip - dump Ramen and flavoring into a zip lock bag; place in patrol pack and eat cold at the end of the day.

Maple Syrup. If your maple syrup is 100% pure, it will last forever. Like honey, it may crystallize over time but it will still taste amazing. You can even freeze it in an air-tight container. Now we just need to find a way to make pancakes last forever too.

Urban Man's comment: I'll have to think about this.

Bouillon. If you ever need to hide out in a bunker for a while you can use bouillon cubes to flavor your food. Beef, chicken, and other flavors of bouillon can be stored for years!

Urban Man's comment: I have Bouillon coming out of my ears. One of the best things to stockpile. Can simply use to make a soup. Can add edible plants or vegetables harvested.

Hot Cocoa. This favorite drink will definitely keep up morale. Instant hot chocolate will last forever if it is kept in a dry air-tight container. The same goes for instant coffee!

Urban Man's comment: Stock both!

Alcohol. Unopened bottles of wine or other distilled spirits can be stored for up to 30 years or more. Some alcohols tend to age and acquire a taste improvement over time, but still require proper storage.

Urban Man's comment: Great item to have for barter, especially hard liquor.

Peanut Butter. Some types of peanut butter available on grocery shelves do not need refrigeration. This type of peanut butter can last a long time, for a year or longer. The oil in this food helps to keep it fresh.

Urban Man's comment: Every stand along bucket of mine has PB in it.

Salt. Salt is a mineral that has long lasting qualities. It is often used as a preservative, that draws in moisture from other foods. Salt's dryness prevents bacteria from spoiling food.

Urban Man's comment: I also have tons of salt strored, both plain salt and table salt.

Hard Tack. Hard tack is a type of cracker, that is used by military troops. It is a tough cracker, that stays edible for long periods of time. Although hard tack has a bland flavor, it is very filling.

Urban Man's comment: Learn how to make this item. Stock flour!

Rice. Rice is a staple, that you can store indefinitely. Your long term storage environment needs to be oxygen free and cold to allow your rice to stay fresh for up to 30 years. Be sure to keep your storage containers sealed air tight, and use storage lids that are made for this type of long term storage.

Urban Man's comment: Nothing needs to be said about rice - every prepper in the U.S. has stored rice.

Soy Sauce. Soy sauce is one of the most versatile flavor enhancers today. Your soy sauce can be stored indefinitely, and should remain unopened until you are ready to use it.

Urban Man's comment: I prefer to have other seasoning like Garlic Salt, Black Pepper, and other meat seasoning.

Honey. Honey is a whole food, that can be easily stored. You will need to properly seal your storage containers in order to avoid any humidity. The low water content in honey allows it to preserve naturally.

Urban Man's comment: Honey - the only food that won't spoil.

Dried Beans. Beans that are properly dried can last up to 30 years. You can store your beans in number ten cans with the oxygen removed. Your storage areas should be dark and away from outside air.

Urban Man's comment: Nothing needs to be said about beans - every prepper in the U.S. has stored beans as well.

Powdered Milk. Powdered milk is a food staple that has an indefinite shelf life. It can be stored easily for emergencies. Powdered milk is a decent cooking and baking ingredient.

Urban Man's comment: I have powdered milk in vacuum sealed container.

Corn Syrup. Corn syrup can last indefinitely, if you keep it stored in an air tight container. This type of sweetener is a whole food that can be added to your other stored dishes. It has its own nutritional qualities, including daily carbohydrate requirements and antioxidants.

Urban Man's comment: Well, this is one thing I don;t have - corn oil, but it makes sense as corn oil is 100% disgestible energy.

Canned Foods. Canned foods today can last for over 30 years, but you need to keep your cans sealed completely. Foods that are preserved in cans can be used for emergencies. Once the can is open, you will need to cook the food inside.

Urban Man's comment: Stored in pantry - use the concept first in, first out (to cook/eat). Everyone should, at a minimum, quadruple what they normally keep in can goods. This will be the first foods eaten as they are heavy and hard to move in bulk, and generally won't last as long.

Vinegar. Some varieties of this condiment can be stored for long periods of time. It contains a low pH content, and it is often used as a preservative for other foods. Vinegar can be an effective cleaning agent.

Urban Man's comment: Good idea. I don’t have vinegar stored, but now I will start.

Sugar. Cane sugar can be stored for extended periods of time as well. Bacteria does not grow on sugar because its content has little moisture, and cane sugar is a natural sweetener for other foods. You can remedy any lumps in your stored sugar, by heating it in a microwave on a low power setting, for one to two minutes per cup of sugar.

Urban Man's comment: What serious prepper doesn’t have sugar stored?

Corn Starch. Corn starch is used to thicken sauces and gravies. You can use it in puddings, and it stays fresh for a long time with proper storage. It needs to be stored in a cool and dry space, with a tightly sealed top on its storage container.

Urban Man's comment: Another thing I don’t have and will have to think about.

Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla extract is a dried plant that can last for a long time in storage. You will need to seal your vanilla extract and place it in a cool dark location. This form of flavoring is added to your other foods, for an improved cooking taste.

Urban Man's comment: Another thing I don’t have and will have to think about.

I was talking to a gent yesterday about the four basic requirements of Survival preparation: Shelter, Protection, Food and Water. We ended up spending much time talking about stocking Survival Food. I explained dehydrated and freeze dried bulk food such as what I get from Honeyville Grain; dehydrated and freeze dried bulk food and smaller packaged meals from EarthWaveLiving; Bulk food and accessory items packaged by the survivor such as in mylar bags using oxygen absorbers and/or vacuum packing machines; and, short term shelf food such as boxed and canned food goods you normally keep in your pantry.

I also explained the need to consider stores of food in all the packing/storage groups as well as problems with determining daily needs based on advertised serving sizes and caloric production.

Near the end of our conversation I was asked if this concept or “survival food strategy” was written down someplace in a hard copy book or e-book as my audience was asking for a “what-to-do” checklist. My reply was that there is a wide variety of ideas and concepts in various Survival novels, and especially on Survival forums where Preppers go back and forth expressing ideas and telling others what solutions they have developed. But in the end I agreed to post one version of a survival food strategy based on all the storage groups.

The assumption is that the Survivor is planning on Bugging In until either a Planned Bug Out is necessary or a Hasty Bug Out is forced. Planned (or orderly) Bug Out is where you have time to plan the Survival Equipment and Material load you will be taking with you, most likely in a vehicle. A Hasty Bug Out is where you are prepared to grab your Bug Out Bags and not much more as this is an instant evacuation, however prepared.

Survival Food Groups

Commercial Dehydrated/Freeze Dried, Long Term Storage Bulk Food Items. The most common of this type is the #10 cans (large coffee can sized) which are vacuum sealed and contain fruit; eggs; starches – such as rice or potatoes or beans, etc; or a meat item such as turkey or beef.

Serving per can will range from 20 to 40 serving based on one quarter cup serving sizes. I think the serving sizes are small. So I figure the “real” serving sizes as 20-25% more, so 40 servings become 30 servings. I also figure two meals a day. So for one person they would need three #10 cans – one of meat, one of a starch and one of fruit to provide one meal at day. Six total cans (or a case) to provide two meals a day for 30 days.

Commercial Dehydrated/Freeze Dried, Long Term Storage Complete Meal or Entrée Meal Items. These are come in sealed #10 cans which are easy to store and transport. Much easier to make a meal, but much more expensive, these entrees are such as Beef Stroganoff, Chicken and Rice, etc. Usually coming in total servings per can of 8 to 12, you can see it would take six cans to provide two meals a day. This is not counting having another item for the meals like a fruit which would take at least one additional #10 can. Military or commercial style MRE’s would fit within this group.

Vacuum packed Long and Semi-Long Term Storage Bulk Food Items. These are bulk food items you buy either vacuum packed and sealed or loose bulk that you prepare and pack yourself. Preparing and packing could be in the form of vacuum packing using a Food Saver type device or buy using oxygen absorbers in mylar bags. Most people will use 3 to 5 gallon buckets to store bulk food, such as rice or beans, in a mylar bags with an oxygen absorber inside before the mylar bag is heat sealed shut. The oxygen absorber draws in all the oxygen, vacuum packing the mylar bag in the process.

Short Shelf Life Pantry Food Items. These are simply additional goods you pickup at the grocery store. They can be canned foods or packaged (boxed) items. This group also includes bottled water be it in 16 ounce bottles or up to 5 gallon bottles that use a standing dispenser. Ever seen a grocery store just after a declared emerging weather threat like a hurricane? People pushing shopping carts and just throwing canned goods into it. The prudent person who buys large quantities of these short shelf life foods, has a rotating system to ensure they use the oldest food or nearest expiration or “use by” date first.

My Survival Food Strategy

I have stocks of foods across all categories.

I have case lots of the Commercial Dehydrated/Freeze Dried, Long Term Storage Bulk Food Items, mostly bought from Honeyville Grain. I have #10 cans of fruit (blueberries, strawberries, bananas, apples, blackberries and peaches) as I figure fruit many be at a premium as it is hard to grow and grow fast to bear fruit. I also have #10 cans of freeze dried diced and ground beef, eggs, potato flakes, peas, green beans, carrots and corn.

I have a smaller amount of Commercial Dehydrated/Freeze Dried, Long Term Storage Complete Meals mostly in the form of MRE’s and commercial MRE’s.

Using a food saver, I have vacuum packed white and brown rice, black beans, pinto beans, split peas, and butter beans into one and two pound bags. I have taken to placing several beef or chicken bullion cubes in with the rice and beans so as I open the bag to use some of the rice or beans I can grab a bullion cube as well to help flavor. I have also vacuum packed sugar packets, one pound units of brown sugar, iodized salt, garlic salt, coffee, peanuts and items like that. My idea is rather than bulk items of one type in a bucket, I mix up the buckets, so if I end up with only one bucket I will have a more complete bucket with diversified items.

The buckets are good ideas as they provide a seat and can be emptied to store water in as well. I have several of these buckets labeled with the contents. If I am on a planned Bug Out and the vehicle becomes stuck or disabled, I can cache everything I can’t carry with me, but one of the things I will carry is one of these ready buckets which will provide approx 2 weeks of survival (minimal) rations for two people.

Buying additional canned and boxed items at the grocery store enables me to have a month or more of ready food in my pantry which will be the first food to consume. Canned vegetables, meats and fruits as well as complete rice based meals, dried instant potatoes and instant milk powder, oatmeal and steel cut oats make up the bulk of these items, multiple jars of Peanut Butter and honey make up the rest. I also have a separate refrigerator in my garage with cold storage items, which of course would probably be among the very first items to consume.

There you have it,…….this is my Survival Food strategy and provides at least a basis to develop your own.