# Longest Lasting Foods



## childclown

I was wondering what food can I purchase at the grocery store that lasts the longest if I was to store it?


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## BlackPaladin

Pound-for-pound:

I am going to guess rice.


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## dksac2

Beans last several years and longer if properly packaged and stored. Wheat lasts darn near forever, properly pack and treat to kill bug eggs. To treat your wheat, put a mylar bag in a 5 gallon bucket or get a food grade 5 gallon bucket. Fill your container about 1/4 of the way and put a chunk of dry ice in the container. Fill the container the rest of the way and put the lid on, but do not seal it tight. Wait about 6 hours then seal your container. The gases from the dry ice will kill the bug eggs so they will not hatch and eat your stored food.

JK


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## KYprep

lol Dry goods have the longest shelf life.....and then there's SPAM


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## beavis

How long does SPAM last?


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## styx

Honey. If you want to call it food. Honey will last a thousand years as long as you can keep ants away from it.


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## 10101

*dry* rice, beans, whole wheat, salt.


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## Rob_0126

I had to register to tell you folks about something that is good for food storage, far as bugs and some moisture is concerned.

Fossil Shell Flour, by perma-guard. Just google it up and read up a bit. Fantastic stuff.

Robert


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## Canadian

Freeze dried food will last the longest. Make sure you taste test the food before you go buy a whole lot of it. My wife and I did a taste test of various types of camping, M.R.E., and regular freeze dried foods and we didn't like the way they tasted. We decided we'd just keep the normal canned foods we live and rotate them out more often. Remember you will have to eat the stuff for a long time. You might as well like it.


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## Lowdown3

Rice, wheat, lentils. 

You don't need DE with grains if you pack it correctly. Besides who wants to ingest something that is abrasive and Wikipedia originally called an "inhalation hazard?" 

Lowdown3


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## SurvivalNut

childclown said:


> I was wondering what food can I purchase at the grocery store that lasts the longest if I was to store it?


Check out the following link:
http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/m...JUL_08_pdf.pdf

I can all my food storage at the LDS Church cannery. If you have an LDS friend or neighbor, ask if you can tag along sometime. In about 2 hours I usually can dry pack 48 gallon cans of dehydrated foods. For planning purposes, I consider 48 cans to be a six month supply of food for one (supplemented with hunting, foraging, gardening, etc). It costs me less than $200. It is a lean amount, but definitely would work. The cans last 5-30 years depending on the product.

It tastes great and there is no markup, just the cost of materials which they provide (you can't BYO). Some areas are "wet" canneries (veggies, meats, fruits). I know the Spokane unit is dry pack. When I was in Idaho we also had a portable unit for infusing nitrogen in cans and would sign it out to use in our home or at church. Not a religious post, but we don't bite!

(reposted)


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## Rob_0126

Lowdown3 said:


> Rice, wheat, lentils.
> 
> You don't need DE with grains if you pack it correctly. Besides who wants to ingest something that is abrasive and Wikipedia originally called an "inhalation hazard?"
> 
> Lowdown3


Fossil Shell Flour(Food grade DE) absorbs moisture on contact, which is how it kills bugs physically. It cuts the bugs outer shell, then drains its fluids.

It also will de-worm you and your dogs(firsthand experience).

Many folks have used it in grain storage to keep it from clumping and to keep the bugs out.

Maybe not 100% fool proof, but it's better than nothing.


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## BradfordW.

Canadian said:


> Freeze dried food will last the longest. Make sure you taste test the food before you go buy a whole lot of it. My wife and I did a taste test of various types of camping, M.R.E., and regular freeze dried foods and we didn't like the way they tasted. We decided we'd just keep the normal canned foods we live and rotate them out more often. Remember you will have to eat the stuff for a long time. You might as well like it.


That's a great idea. It sure would be unfortunate to have to bug out, get there, and realize that you can't barely choke down the food you have brought. Although, after a day or two, you might just find yourself woofing down just about anything!

Taste tests are exceptional idea!!


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## Canadian

Yeah, if possible a survival situation should be as enjoyable as possible.


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## littlechickenranchHen

Look at dates on packages. I just bought some cans of tuna with "best is used by" dates of 2012.


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## Canadian

The hardest dates are for canned veggies. They have a bizarre date code that needs to be found before you know the date. They use letters to represent months and days etc. I don't know why they don't just use numbers for numbers.


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## TechAdmin

Rice only stays good vacuum sealed for 2-3 years.


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## SurvivalNut

Dean said:


> Rice only stays good vacuum sealed for 2-3 years.


This is off the LDS website:

Longer-Term Storage-30 Years or More

Longer-Term Supply--30 Years or More 
Properly packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought according to findings of recent scientific studies. Estimated shelf life for many products has increased to 30 years or more (see chart for new estimates of shelf life). Previous estimates of longevity were based on "best-if-used-by" recommendations and experience. Though not studied, sugar, salt, baking soda (essential for soaking beans), and vitamin C in tablet form also store well long-term. Some basic foods do need more frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil every 1 to 2 years.

While there is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged, and stored, the studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help sustain life in an emergency.

For tips on how to best preserve longer-term food storage products, see Longer-Term Supply.

Food New "Life Sustaining" Shelf-Life
Estimates (In Years) 
Wheat 30+ 
White rice 30+ 
Corn 30+ 
Sugar 30+ 
Pinto beans 30 
Apple slices 30 
Macaroni 30 
Rolled oats 30 
Potato flakes 30 
Powdered milk 20 
Carrots 20

These items are packed in our own canneries. We fill #10 cans, place an oxygen absorber on top and seal the lid. Dry packed, no nitrogen, no additives, no heat or cold processing, no vacuuming.


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## Soggy Bottom

For me two of the most important commodities to store would be salt and sugar, both of which (if kept dry) will last indefinitely. Both salt and sugar are important for preserving food such as meat and fruits. Also a little salt can be good for your health and add flavour to an otherwise dull meal. I know we have been advised to keep our salt and sugar levels down but that does not mean we take them out of our diets completely. Mind you if you keep bees for honey or stock up on honey it could take the place of sugar.
Like most people I do not live near a source of salt or sugar canefields so I would be hard pressed if those items became scarce. As they are so easy to store I have a large stock of both items.


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## The_Blob

SurvivalNut said:


> This is off the LDS website:
> 
> Longer-Term Storage-30 Years or More
> 
> Longer-Term Supply--30 Years or More
> Properly packaged, low-moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75°F/24°C or lower) remain nutritious and edible much longer than previously thought according to findings of recent scientific studies. Estimated shelf life for many products has increased to 30 years or more (see chart for new estimates of shelf life). Previous estimates of longevity were based on "best-if-used-by" recommendations and experience. Though not studied, sugar, salt, baking soda (essential for soaking beans), and vitamin C in tablet form also store well long-term. Some basic foods do need more frequent rotation, such as vegetable oil every 1 to 2 years.
> 
> While there is a decline in nutritional quality and taste over time, depending on the original quality of food and how it was processed, packaged, and stored, the studies show that even after being stored long-term, the food will help sustain life in an emergency.
> 
> For tips on how to best preserve longer-term food storage products, see Longer-Term Supply.
> 
> Food New "Life Sustaining" Shelf-Life
> Estimates (In Years)
> Wheat 30+
> White rice 30+
> Corn 30+
> Sugar 30+
> Pinto beans 30
> Apple slices 30
> Macaroni 30
> Rolled oats 30
> Potato flakes 30
> Powdered milk 20
> Carrots 20
> 
> These items are packed in our own canneries. We fill #10 cans, place an oxygen absorber on top and seal the lid. Dry packed, no nitrogen, no additives, no heat or cold processing, no vacuuming.


people have been asking about this, so I thought it was worth a :bump:


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## Traveler

Here's another site that may be helpful: What's the Shelf-Life of Wheat? « Preparedness Pro

I'm not a nutricionist, but I understand that beans and rice make a complete protein. I have been told by those that store much more than I do that whole grains store well. Salt may cake up badly, but you just need to grate it for use.

The LDS folks are the pros in this area.

You may want to see if there is a bean warehouse in your area to purchase things in 100 lb. bags.


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## hellinahandbasket

beavis said:


> How long does SPAM last?


according to their website...use it within 3 yrs. if over that its still good but loses flavor.


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## hellinahandbasket

styx said:


> Honey. If you want to call it food. Honey will last a thousand years as long as you can keep ants away from it.


 it can also be used as an antibiotic and used medincinally in other ways. 
http://www.naturalnews.com/021506.html


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## The_Blob

hellinahandbasket said:


> according to their website...use it within 3 yrs. if over that its still good but loses flavor.


you resurrected a 2 1/2 year 'dead thread' to answer a 3 1/2 year old question... by a user that was active ONE day... and then never even came back to the site?... :dunno:

kudos for trying to be helpful, but...


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## k0xxx

Regardless of the who and when of the OP, the subject is a good one. Two other foods that last a very long time are honey and pure maple syrup. Both will last indefinitely.


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## JayJay

Austin said:


> Rice only stays good vacuum sealed for 2-3 years.


Uh..I have 750 lbs of rice.
In soda bottles, in 5 gallon buckets, and still in the manufacturer's bag(Strutgart, Arkansas) from Sam's Club.

Utah State University:
Shelf life. When properly sealed and stored, polished white rice will store well for 25 to 30 years.

Whew!! I feel better now.


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## JayJay

k0xxx said:


> Regardless of the who and when of the OP, the subject is a good one. Two other foods that last a very long time are honey and pure maple syrup. Both will last indefinitely.


And sorghum???:ignore:
OOh, OOh..add pasta to the list of long lasting foods.


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## The_Blob

here's a link to the 'sticky' on this topic:

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/shelf-life-various-food-items-not-cans-2588/


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