CHAPTER 33 - MOST COMMON CHOICES FOR FOOD STORAGE & THEIR SHELF LIVES

Some foods that work well for storing are beneficial for just about anyone who might encounter the need to survive a crisis that involves food shortages whether long-term or short-term.  At the very least, the following information will give you a place to start in determining what your own food storage should be and can be a guideline for doing so.  These lists are based mainly on shelf life and are a good way to break up the project of food storage into more manageable and less overwhelming tasks of planning. 

              Keep in mind that some of the stated shelf lives depend on the method of storage used such as canned, dried, dehydrated, in mylar pouches, etc.  While these lists are a great place to start, they are in no-way considered comprehensive and will depend on the temperature stored at along with other specific methods of storage unique to the item being stored in order to reach their full shelf life potential.  Most, if not all, food items can have a much longer shelf life when vacuumed packed and/or stored with oxygen absorption packets.

 

 

 

 6 Month or Less Shelf Life

 

 1-2 Years of Shelf Life

 

 3-10 Years or Indefinite

 

 Rice or Whole Wheat Flour

 

 Condensed Soup (canned)

 

 Canned Fruits & Vegetables

 

Crackers (in metal)

  

 

 Yeast

 

 Dried Beans

 

 Cereal (for cooking, i.e. oatmeal, Quinoa)

 

 Ready-To-Eat Cereals

 

 Dried Corn

 

Dried Fruit (in metal)

  

 

 Peanut Butter

 

 Salt

 

Powdered Milk (in box)

  

 

 Jelly

 

 Coffee

 

 Hard Cheeses (wrapped in wax and refrigerated)

 

 Baby Food (jar)

 

 White Sugar

 

 Chocolate syrup

 

 Cooking Oils

 

 Bouillon cubes & granules

 

Mustard

  

 

 Hard Candy

 

 Dehydrated Cheeses

 

Pickled Foods

  

 

 Chocolate

 

 Honey

 

Olives

  

 

 Vanilla Extract

 

 Cocoa Powder

 

 Some fresh fruits and veggies if in cool cellar

 

 Spaghetti Sauce

 

 Whole Grains

 

Brown Rice

  

 

 Solid Shortening

 

 White Rice

 

 Nuts (vacuum sealed)

 

 Hot Sauce, Salad Dressings, Salsa

 

 Canned Chili

 

Dried Potatoes

  

 

 Instant Rice

 

 Canned Tuna

 

 Pasta & Rice Mixes (Pre-packaged & sealed)

 

 Popcorn, whole kernels

 

 Biscuit & Bread Mixes

 

 Ground Spices

 

 Pasta

 

 Pudding Mixes (canned)

 

 Brown Sugar

 

 Condensed or Evaporated Milk

 

 Soybeans

 

 Bacon Bits (meat substitute)

 

 Vienna Sausage

 

 Powdered Shortening

 

 Dehydrated Vegetable Flakes

 

 Gelatin

 

 Granola

 

 Mayonnaise

 

 Grain, barley & buckwheat

 

 Vinegar