# Sticky  Shelf Life For Various Food Items (not cans)



## NavyKen

If these items are properly packaged in 5 gallon buckets in sealed Mylar bags with O2 absorbers the following shelf lives can be applied. Once packed, they must be stored in a dry location where the temperature is at or below room temperature (75 degrees F; 24 degrees C) the cooler the better. If anyone can locate documentation to extend any shelf lives please let me know and I will edit this list. 
Initially this list was only for the above packing method. I am now expanding it to include Canned (mason Jar) Items but I will note if its is a packing method other then Mylar but I will still avoid listing metal packed items like store bought green beans or carrots.

*Indefinite Storage Life Items:*

Salt
Raw Honey
White Sugar

*30 Year Items:*

Hard Grains (Whole)
-Buckwheat
-Corn, Dry
-Flax
-Kamut
-Millet
-Durum wheat
-Hard red wheat
-Hard white wheat
-Soft wheat
-Special bake wheat
-Spelt
-Triticale
Oats (whole or rolled)
Rice
Beans
-Adzuki Beans
-Blackeye Beans
-Black Turtle Beans
-Garbanzo Beans
-Great Northern
-Kidney Beans
-Lentils
-Lima Beans
-Mung Beans
-Pink Beans
-Pinto Beans
-Small Red Beans
-Soy Beans
Macaroni
Powdered Milk
Potato Flakes
Dried Apple Slices.
Dehydrated Vegetables

*20 Year Items:*

*10 - 15 Year Items:*

Garden Seed or Sprouting Seed (Do not use O2 absorbers or desiccant also do not store hybrid seeds only store open polinated heirloom seeds)
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Dehydrated Dairy Products
-Cheese Powder
-Cocoa Powder
-Powder Eggs
-Butter/Margarine Powder
-Whey Powder

*8 - 10 Year Items:*

Soft Grains (Whole)
-Barley
-Hulled or Pearled Oat
-Groats
-Quinoa
-Rye	
Brown Rice
Shortening

*3 - 5 Year Items:*

Peanut Butter Powder
Coffee (Possibly Longer. Minor flavor loss in the first 2 weeks)
Bottled Butter (3 years google "bottled butter" or visit Wendy DeWitt's blog)
Chocolate (Vacuum packed in canning jars) 
Meats** (See Note)
Brown Sugar (Vacuum packed in canning jars)

*1 - 2 year Items:*

Flours* and Other Products Made From Cracked/Ground Seed
Yeast (1 year if frozen)
Fresh Eggs 1 year (lightly coated in mineral oil and stored point down in a cool place. I have not tested this yet)

*Flour stored longer than a year or two will make perfect looking loafs of bread but the bread will taste bad. LDS package flour in #10 cans with O2 absorbers and give it a 10 year shelf life. SO this remains up in the air and I would suggest testing and erring on the side of caution.

**For the method of safely bottling meats please see Wendy DeWitt's blog below.

Useful Links:
Why to Keep Quiet About Your Preps. <--Everyone read this
Food Storage Mylar & Buckets By Wendy Mae
Food Storage Mylar & Buckets Video
Food Storage Calculator (A good starting place for the beginner)
LDS 30 Year Extension Message
Wendy DeWitt lots of good info
Other Shelf Lives
Stock Rotating Storage for Canned Goods


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## The_Blob

I think this thread needs to be stickied or linked in a FAQ, because "what is the shelf life of _______ ?" gets asked a LOT around here :2thumb:


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## bunkerbob

Sounds reasonable Blob, there you go.

BB


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## efoodsupply

What's the difference between Oats and oat groats?


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## JayJay

That article was published in 1918???

The situation is much different today---all preppers are not considered hoarders.

And it was just mentioned on the Alex Jones show, the problem will NOT be a shortage of food in the stores; the problem will be affording it..:gaah:

I'm gonna go buy MORE rice this weekend..

Molon Labe


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## The_Blob

JayJay said:


> That article was published in 1918???
> 
> The situation is much different today---all preppers are not considered hoarders.
> 
> And it was just mentioned on the Alex Jones show, the problem will NOT be a shortage of food in the stores; the problem will be affording it..:gaah:
> 
> I'm gonna go buy MORE rice this weekend..
> 
> Molon Labe


the shortage aspect will come from getting the food *to* the shelves

especially with the turmoil in Egypt (look where the Suez Canal is on a map :sssh: )


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## vn6869

The_Blob said:


> the shortage aspect will come from getting the food *to* the shelves
> 
> especially with the turmoil in Egypt (look where the Suez Canal is on a map :sssh: )


You have definitely hit on something in my opinion. The fall of Egypt will surely cause a rise in oil prices, which has a very direct effect on transportation prices for food and everyting else. It may not be so much a "shortage" as cost. And food prices are already climbing at an alarming rate, due to other factors such as the flooding in Australia.


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## The_Blob

efoodsupply said:


> What's the difference between Oats and oat groats?


Oats come in more than one form. In fact, there are six basic types found at the grocery or health food store. Each kind has a different texture when prepared, different cooking times, and even some nutritional differences.

Oat Groats: This is the harvested 'as-is' product. Whole oat groats are widely used as animal feed, but not so easily found for human consumption. Some health food stores carry them. Whole oat groats can be cooked or steamed, but because they're a bigger grain than rice or even whole wheat kernels, take much longer to cook. It usually takes over an hour, although a pressure cooker will cut that in half. Because they are 'as-is', they have the highest nutritional value of all forms of oats. They are digested very slowly, which reduces the glycemic load and makes them quite filling.

Steel Cut Oatmeal or Oats: Just to make things even more confusing, steel cut oats are also commonly called Irish Oatmeal. They're exactly what the name says, being whole oat groats that have been cut into smaller pieces. This shortens the cooking time, but keeps all the nutritional value of the whole oat groats. These are much easier to find at the grocery stores than whole oat groats. Look for either steel cut oats or Irish Oatmeal.

Scottish Oats: Scottish oats are not to be confused with Irish Oatmeal. They are steamed, steel cut oats than are then ground into a meal. This improves the grain's ability to absorb water and allows a shorter cooking time. Some manufacturers toast the oats to create a richer-flavored oatmeal, or combin it with some oat bran to make the oat meal creamier.

Rolled Oats or Oat Flakes: When people think of oatmeal, this is the kind they usually mean. Rolled oats can be made with the whole oat groat or using steel cut oats. Either way, the oat is steamed to soften the grain, so it can then be pressed between steel rollers to flatten it. There are four main types of rolled oats:

Thick Rolled Oats: These are made from steamed whole oat groats rolled into flakes. Because they're the thickest variety, it takes them longest to cook.

Old Fashioned Oats (Regular Rolled Oats): Think Quaker Oatmeal. These are the steamed whole oat groats rolled into a thinner flake which shortens the cooking time. The texture is a bit mushier than thick rolled oats, but still pretty filling and full of whole grain goodness.

Quick Oats: Instead of using whole oat groats, these are made from steel cut oats so are smaller pieces, and faster cooking. They digest a little quicker than regular rolled oats, but are still nutritious.

Instant Oats: These are quick oats that have one more processing step&#8230; they are pre-cooked. Because of this, all you have to do is add hot water and they're ready to eat. Non-flavored varieties may have a bit of salt added, but are still nutritionally decent. However, the flavored varieties can have a lot of sugar and artificial flavoring, so aren't quite as good for you as regular types of oatmeal.

Oat Bran: Made from oat groats ground into a fine oat meal, oat bran is then combined with some of the outer bran or husk of the oat to increase the overall fiber content of the oatmeal. Because of this, it is slightly higher in insoluble fiber than rolled or cut products. It is also quick cooking with a creamy consistency somewhat like cream of wheat. Oat bran is a great addition to breads or granola for a little extra fiber.

Oat Flour: Steel cut oats are steamed, then ground into a fine powder to make oat flour. It has a lot of fiber, and also contains very little gluten. It can be used in place of wheat flour in recipes, though it is usually mixed with other whole grain flours since it needs a little help to make it rise due to the lack of gluten so add baking soda/powder.


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## UncleJoe

Never had it all laid out like that. Quite informative. :congrat:

Thank You Mr. Quaker.  :ignore:


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## JayJay

The_Blob said:


> the shortage aspect will come from getting the food *to* the shelves
> 
> especially with the turmoil in Egypt (look where the Suez Canal is on a map :sssh: )


On this we agree--and the cocoapuffers are gonna be in a awful lot of hurt, me thinks.:scratch


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## IrritatedWithUS

LOVE THIS POST!

And thank you for mentioning quinoa!! Past 3 days I have been trying to remember the name of this grain! I eat it yet I ran out and had a major brain-fart. It's a good thing to have on hand because its a complete protein.


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## semperscott

Thank you for the explanation on oats; information I did not know and needed to know.


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## lilmissy0740

Hi
Newbie here. I am sure this is answered somewhere but I cant find it. I am purchasing different wheat berries, corn and beans for storage. My question is. I got buckets from a local bakery and they have a cake smell, peanut butter smell, etc. I washed, I baked in sun, nothing gets the smell out. I dont want my sugar and grains to smell like this so I seal saved smaller packages and then placed the packages in the buckets. Do I still need an oxygen absorber in each bucket? Or should I have purchased mylar bags and just dumped the contents into the buckets?

TIA


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## Geo7770

The turmoil did not begin as a democracy push. It started as a food and monetary issue/ The stores in Egypt had only three items forsale when this began. Potatoes, tomatoes, and onions. The political push came from outside these countries, which seems suspicious. I smell a Soros!

"politicians love an unarmed peasantry"


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## Emerald

IrritatedWithUS said:


> LOVE THIS POST!
> 
> And thank you for mentioning quinoa!! Past 3 days I have been trying to remember the name of this grain! I eat it yet I ran out and had a major brain-fart. It's a good thing to have on hand because its a complete protein.


Just one little word of warning with Quinoa-some folks can be sensitive to the seed coating that is on quinoa and if it is not rinsed properly they can get sick... Ask me how I know?
I have had it twice and the first time was at a restaurant that was very fancy smancy and I was fine. Had it at a friends house and she didn't know that you should rinse it and I got super sick.


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## Emerald

lilmissy0740 said:


> Hi
> Newbie here. I am sure this is answered somewhere but I cant find it. I am purchasing different wheat berries, corn and beans for storage. My question is. I got buckets from a local bakery and they have a cake smell, peanut butter smell, etc. I washed, I baked in sun, nothing gets the smell out. I dont want my sugar and grains to smell like this so I seal saved smaller packages and then placed the packages in the buckets. Do I still need an oxygen absorber in each bucket? Or should I have purchased mylar bags and just dumped the contents into the buckets?
> 
> TIA


I also buy mine from a local bakery and I soak them in hot water with about 1 to 2 cups of baking soda in them for at least overnight if not a bit longer(depends on how lazy I am that week) rinsed with a bit of vinegar and let dry and I haven't noticed any lingering smell... I have not bought any with peanut butter in them tho.. Only frosting sand fillings. I have flour, sugar and other cooking ingredients in them and have not noticed any off flavors.
You will have to ask others about the mylar as I haven't done that yet.:dunno:


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## Sam1957

Im sorry for my ignorance but what is LDS? Also has anyone used a food saver system to seal up flour?


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## lotsoflead

Sam1957 said:


> Im sorry for my ignorance but what is LDS? Also has anyone used a food saver system to seal up flour?


 (1)Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

I did, but use a large bag so NO flour at all gets sucked into the machine or you'll be like me and have to buy a new machine, but I also store it in the freezer
regular flour and gluton free flour


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## danerogers

Sam1957 said:


> Im sorry for my ignorance but what is LDS? Also has anyone used a food saver system to seal up flour?


I have not used Food Saver for flour but this gives me a chance to mention brown rice and quinoa storage. Both these grains will go rancid if stored with oxygen. I tried storing brown rice in buckets (before I knew of oxygen absorbers) and it was a total loss. Instead, I now store brown rice and quinoa in vacuum sealed canning jars using the Food Saver. After 3 years, they remain as fresh as when they were stored.


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## Graebarde

I know this is an OLD thread, but I'm new to the list and working through the threads, gleaning information. Nice list and set of link references. The only thing I would caution persons about is the long term storage of seeds ment to be planted. It depends on the species as to how long the seed remains viable (will sprout). I don't have a ready reference to hand, but some are only viable for a couple of years, others can be ten years or more. Corn for example is a two to three year. Now this does NOT mean some will not remain viable longer, or with cold storage (ie in the freezer) they wont last longer.. just be prepared for failure. Your best bet is to plant heirlooms and save your seed, and have enough seed for three or four years incase of crop failures. That way the seed is 'fresh'. But a really good list.. thanks. FB


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## gatorglockman

Thumbs up on this thread, this is why I joined this forum. I posted this question on another forum I frequent and it has been crickets chirping...so far.


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## readytogo

*Some Information on Preservation/Storage*

http://nchfp.uga.edu
http://www.family-survival-planning.com/long-term-food-shelf-life.html
http://www.freshpreserving.com
http://www.canningsupply.com
Hope it helps.


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## HisOwn

NavyKen said:


> If these items are properly packaged in 5 gallon buckets in sealed Mylar bags with O2 absorbers the following shelf lives can be applied. Once packed, they must be stored in a dry location where the temperature is at or below room temperature (75 degrees F; 24 degrees C) the cooler the better. If anyone can locate documentation to extend any shelf lives please let me know and I will edit this list.
> Initially this list was only for the above packing method. I am now expanding it to include Canned (mason Jar) Items but I will note if its is a packing method other then Mylar but I will still avoid listing metal packed items like store bought green beans or carrots.
> 
> *Indefinite Storage Life Items:*
> 
> Salt
> Raw Honey
> White Sugar
> 
> *30 Year Items:*
> 
> Hard Grains (Whole)
> -Buckwheat
> -Corn, Dry
> -Flax
> -Kamut
> -Millet
> -Durum wheat
> -Hard red wheat
> -Hard white wheat
> -Soft wheat
> -Special bake wheat
> -Spelt
> -Triticale
> Oats (whole or rolled)
> Rice
> Beans
> -Adzuki Beans
> -Blackeye Beans
> -Black Turtle Beans
> -Garbanzo Beans
> -Great Northern
> -Kidney Beans
> -Lentils
> -Lima Beans
> -Mung Beans
> -Pink Beans
> -Pinto Beans
> -Small Red Beans
> -Soy Beans
> Macaroni
> Powdered Milk
> Potato Flakes
> Dried Apple Slices.
> Dehydrated Vegetables
> 
> *20 Year Items:*
> 
> *10 - 15 Year Items:*
> 
> Garden Seed or Sprouting Seed (Do not use O2 absorbers or desiccant also do not store hybrid seeds only store open polinated heirloom seeds)
> Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
> Dehydrated Dairy Products
> -Cheese Powder
> -Cocoa Powder
> -Powder Eggs
> -Butter/Margarine Powder
> -Whey Powder
> 
> *8 - 10 Year Items:*
> 
> Soft Grains (Whole)
> -Barley
> -Hulled or Pearled Oat
> -Groats
> -Quinoa
> -Rye
> Brown Rice
> Shortening
> 
> *3 - 5 Year Items:*
> 
> Peanut Butter Powder
> Coffee (Possibly Longer. Minor flavor loss in the first 2 weeks)
> Bottled Butter (3 years google "bottled butter" or visit Wendy DeWitt's blog)
> Chocolate (Vacuum packed in canning jars)
> Meats** (See Note)
> Brown Sugar (Vacuum packed in canning jars)
> 
> *1 - 2 year Items:*
> 
> Flours* and Other Products Made From Cracked/Ground Seed
> Yeast (1 year if frozen)
> Fresh Eggs 1 year (lightly coated in mineral oil and stored point down in a cool place. I have not tested this yet)
> 
> *Flour stored longer than a year or two will make perfect looking loafs of bread but the bread will taste bad. LDS package flour in #10 cans with O2 absorbers and give it a 10 year shelf life. SO this remains up in the air and I would suggest testing and erring on the side of caution.
> 
> **For the method of safely bottling meats please see Wendy DeWitt's blog below.
> 
> Useful Links:
> Why to Keep Quiet About Your Preps. <--Everyone read this
> Food Storage Mylar & Buckets By Wendy Mae
> Food Storage Mylar & Buckets Video
> Food Storage Calculator (A good starting place for the beginner)
> LDS 30 Year Extension Message
> Wendy DeWitt lots of good info
> Other Shelf Lives
> Stock Rotating Storage for Canned Goods


When I have researched the shelf life of raw honey, I nearly always see "Keep out of sunlight and in a cool place." I have no dark, cool place except for the fridge. How "cool" is cool supposed to be anyway?


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## rhiana

Any suggestions on the cheapest place to buy food grade 5 gallon buckets?


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## tsrwivey

rhiana said:


> Any suggestions on the cheapest place to buy food grade 5 gallon buckets?


A lot of folks prefer those free food grade buckets you can get from bakeries, groceries, donut shops, restaurants, etc. :2thumb:


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## weedygarden

*Craigslist*

Craigslist can be hit or miss, but if you watch, people do give away food grade buckets, or sell them for a buck or two. These are always used, but reusable.

Craigslist has a free section, but if you go to the home page for your area and put what you are looking for in the search menu, you will see what is available, free or otherwise.

Currently, when I do this search, I find them for free to $10 a bucket.


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## readytogo

The great dilemma, long term food storage, and actually is no dilemma at all, is all chemistry eventually time will take its proper reaction on whatever you store, proper rotation will give you better results, having experience that first hand at the US Army storage facilities I can tell you that rotation plays a first hand on whatever we eat .You have a lot of money invested in 25 year food items you better make sure that is in its proper store conditions or they would last 5 years, this fancy food companies will never tell you this.Humidity,Air,Heat,Cold,Light,and God knows how many more conditions take place in food preservation for the long road.
This may be of some help.
http://www.family-survival-planning.com/long-term-food-shelf-life.html#


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## myrtle55

I have looked and cant find it, please can someone tell me if I can store flour, sugar and rice with 02 absorbers..or baking soda and powder sort of things ?


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## Cotton

myrtle55 said:


> I have looked and cant find it, please can someone tell me if I can store flour, sugar and rice with 02 absorbers..or baking soda and powder sort of things ?


Properly packaged, low moisture foods stored at room temperature or cooler (75 F 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 website for more detailed information.

According to the LDS Manual
Rice 30 years
flour 10 years
sugar 2 years

Buying food at the store and putting in a container with some 0xygen absorbers is much different&#8230; much shorter shelf life. Properly is the key&#8230; Also, grains store much longer than flour or cornmeal. Grinding really shortens shelf life.

I'd urge you to buy a good book on the subject if you plan to put up foods for yourself long term&#8230; Like the LDS preparedness manual&#8230; handbook&#8230; $25 on amazon


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## Cotton

*Properly but done at home*

1. Flour and cornmeal&#8230; I bought a grain grinder. I don't try to store either as flour.

a). Grains, I put up several hundred pounds every couple of years. Since 9-11 you can't get hospital grade nitrogen from a welding gas supplier anymore. I now get the highest purity available paying attention to moisture percentage.

b) Mylar and food grade buckets, available from many places.

c) I clean my grains using fans and pouring them down sloped screen troughs. Later, if they need a quick rinse before grinding so be it!

d) Here, most field grains are harvested at around 17% moisture, at the edge of putting up safely but I've had no problems. Grains I put up 10 years ago are fine.

e) Compressed nitrogen is very, very cold. I put a mylar bag in a bucket. I connect a regulator and hose to a bottle of nitrogen and place hose so it's at the bottom of the bag. I fill the bag/bucket with grain. I open the valve on the nitrogen bottle and set the regulator to just over 1 psi (which is in reality 17psi, one above atmospheric pressure)

f) By slowly filling the bag with super cold gas (heat rises) the gas will push out the warm air. The result is almost 0% oxygen.

g) When the top of the mylar bag feels cold I toss in a few moisture and oxygen absorbers and then seal the mylar.

Result&#8230; a bucket of grain ready to store for 30 years. This can be dried beans or peas etc.

With shipping you can buy grains and legumes professionally sealed. With shipping you can easily pay $75 and up ($$$) for a 5-7 gallon pail or about 50lbs

I can put up grains for about $10 a bucket including grain and materials. Roughly, I can safely store 1000lbs of grain for around $250 assuming I don't grow the grain.

How I acquire grain that I don't grow&#8230; I put a 100 gallon cow watering trough (purchased from the local co-op) on a trailer. When one of my neighbors is combining (harvesting) a particular grain I want. I pull up beside them in the field and they off load from the combine into my trough. That is about 20... 5 gallon buckets of grain or about 800lbs. It's a lot of work but doable.


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## myrtle55

Thank you all, but what I meant by my question is will my rice, flour, sugar etc turn into a big rock if I store it with 02 absorbers making it unusable ? Seems I heard that somewhere and have now got quite a bit of it and am ready to pack it for storage and want to get it right. Again thanks !


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## Cotton

myrtle55 said:


> Thank you all, but what I meant by my question is will my rice, flour, sugar etc turn into a big rock if I store it with 02 absorbers making it unusable ? Seems I heard that somewhere and have now got quite a bit of it and am ready to pack it for storage and want to get it right. Again thanks !


Rice, flour and sugar are very different when it comes to storage with different considerations. Using O2 absorbers won't cause any of them to turn into a big rock but other factors may. Each has a very different life span when stored, flour shortest of the three. It will go rancid fairly quickly while even badly stored rice can be good for years. Even white and brown rice have different life spans.

With flour and sugar moisture can be a major concern.

How are you planning to store each? how long are you planning to store them, a few months or for years? What are you storing them in? If from a store are there any dates on the packaging.. especially the flour? maybe this would be a better place to start?


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## myrtle55

I plan on mylar bags and buckets if these items can be sealed up with 02 absorbers hoping to get at least a year, hoping to get up to 5 years. Does freezing any of it first help anything ?


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## ClemKadiddlehopper

myrtle55 said:


> Thank you all, but what I meant by my question is will my rice, flour, sugar etc turn into a big rock if I store it with 02 absorbers making it unusable ? Seems I heard that somewhere and have now got quite a bit of it and am ready to pack it for storage and want to get it right. Again thanks.
> 
> I plan on mylar bags and buckets if these items can be sealed up with 02 absorbers hoping to get at least a year, hoping to get up to 5 years. Does freezing any of it first help anything ?!


If sugar turns into a rock, put it in a rubber maid and smack it with a hammer. It will be right back to its original form with a little elbow grease. Than pack it up so moisture cannot get to it again.

Rice and flour will benefit from time in the freezer to kill bugs. In a cold climate the best time for buying rice and flour is in the winter when you can just leave it out on the porch to freeze.

Flour starts losing quality the minute its ground, so for long term storage, whole wheat for grinding is best. However, the so called rancidity of your flour is not something to worry about. Its already "rancid" by the time you buy it at the store. Its ok to buy and store a years worth, preferably in the freezer, but in buckets and mylar is fine too, but in a cool area only and not for the really long haul.

Rancid flour is a taste most of us have already acquired, and if no one tells us its gone bad, we won't know the difference. The nutrition factor is another thing entirely, but there is nothing nutritious about white flour or whole wheat flour, much more than three days old, either.

Bread is not a necessity of life. It goes under the comfort food and filler category. If one is truly hungry than bread made with rancid flour is better than stone soup. I don't prep for the end of times. I am more about self sufficiency and making do, so my oppinions may be off base for many here.


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## LincTex

Cotton said:


> Compressed nitrogen ... I connect a regulator and hose to a bottle of nitrogen and place hose so it's at the bottom of the bag. I fill the bag/bucket with grain. I open the valve on the nitrogen bottle ... slowly filling the bag with super cold gas (heat rises) the gas will push out the warm air. The result is almost 0% oxygen.


I use a little dab of dry ice - as it sublimes, it pushes the air out the top. 
Once it's consumed, I seal the container. Cheap, and easy to do.


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## readytogo

Life is very funny, unprocessed foods last longer than the process ones; on resent archeological digs grains have been found to be thousands of years old, even honey. My question is his; for how long do you plan to stored the food for and why?


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## Beaniemaster2

myrtle55 said:


> I have looked and cant find it, please can someone tell me if I can store flour, sugar and rice with 02 absorbers..or baking soda and powder sort of things ?


I just put the whole bag in a vacuum bag... I've had sugar stored for years this way... Flour can be done this way but I like to get my flour in #10 cans from the LDS Food Center cause it lasts alot longer... With the vacuum packer, I've had no reason to add obsorbers...


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## tsrwivey

readytogo said:


> Life is very funny, unprocessed foods last longer than the process ones; on resent archeological digs grains have been found to be thousands of years old, even honey. My question is his; for how long do you plan to stored the food for and why?


Just because a few foods last longer unprocessed doesn't mean the same holds true for all foods or even most foods. Despite what some would have you believe, manufacturers started processing food so that they last longer, can be shipped farther, prepared more quickly/easily, &/or was more appealing. Any food not in it's natural state can be defined as processed, including those dried grains found in the tombs.

We try to store what we eat & eat what we store so we wouldn't plan to store any food for longer than 10 years, & that would only be beans, rice, & wheat. Most canned goods we hope to rotate through in no more than 5 years. Our storage & rotation system in by no means perfect though so we may well exceed these dates.

Why would I store it that long? We store food for a lot more people than we currently feed since we have grown children who have families of their own.


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## weedygarden

Beaniemaster2 said:


> I just put the whole bag in a vacuum bag... I've had sugar stored for years this way... Flour can be done this way but I like to get my flour in #10 cans from the LDS Food Center cause it lasts alot longer... With the vacuum packer, I've had no reason to add obsorbers...


This has been said before, but I will say it again, if you add an oxygen absorber to your sugar, it will turn into a rock. Sugar is used as a preservative for dried fruit, so it is its own preservative. It will probably last 1000s of years, if kept dry.


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## ZoomZoom

Stumbled across some Hershey's with almonds and Snickers bars last week (old rotation from some BOB's).

The "best by" date was June 2011 so I'm guessing they're from 2010.

No special storage or handling. Kept in a cool, dark place in a ziplock baggie.

Snickers pretty much tasted like new. Hershey's appearance was good (oils didn't separate) but taste was a little off. I ate 2 to make sure and no belly ache so I'd say 5 years is good for chocolate!! Yum.


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## ClemKadiddlehopper

Deleted for reasons of insanity


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## danerogers

readytogo said:


> ... My question is his; for how long do you plan to stored the food for and why?


I live in the Pacific Northwest. The most realistic threat here is a 9.0 subduction zone earthquake from northern California to Canada. Our infrastructure will not stand such an event. I store large amounts of a wide variety of whole grains and beans but I also eat those same foods on a regular basis. We eat what is called a whole food (unprocessed) plant based diet - or more specifically, a starch based diet with the addition of fruits and vegetables. The grains and beans (except for brown rice) will store for decades if kept well packed and dry. We add potatoes, sweet potatoes, and other vegetables from our garden. Eating this way makes food storage for emergencies easy, inexpensive and (though many may claim otherwise) extremely healthy. I keep enough on hand for maybe 18 months for 5 to 6 adults. And there are NO expiration dates!


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## oldasrocks

Stumbled on a cache of 07 we put away.

Dakota Brand beef sticks- still good although look a little brown
Hormel 10oz vacuum sealed meals- excellant
store brand mixes for cake and pancakes- BAD but chickens like them
Betty Crocker -add water mixes- flavor OK but don't raise
canned corn beef- good
Bacon bits- stale but dogs liked it.


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## JayJay

*Cereal; generic*

I started storing food in 2008 and one of the first things I bought in large amounts was boxes of generic cereal from Sav-A-Lot and Aldis.
I admit I am saving all these years for birds or whatever since I discovered the round ones like cheerios but not flavored or colored (can't remember the name)was stale.
Well, I opened one box yesterday for the bird feeder (yes, cereal is great for that) and today opened a rice krispies (generic) and guess what??
It has a great taste; it has to be stored since 2008/2009 time frame.

So there. Off to have lunch of rice krispies generic brand!! Who would have thought after my cracker disaster I'd have good cereal after all these years.


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## tsrwivey

I've not tried storing the rice based cereals, I'll have to try it. My attempts at storing kid cereal 9 months or more past their expiration date have not been successful. Hubby will just gave to live without peanut butter Captain Crunch.


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## JayJay

tsrwivey said:


> I've not tried storing the rice based cereals, I'll have to try it. My attempts at storing kid cereal 9 months or more past their expiration date have not been successful. Hubby will just gave to live without peanut butter Captain Crunch.


I love the pb captain crunch I get at Aldis!


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## DrPrepper

I've been storing flour, sugar, and rice in mylar bags in 5 gallon buckets with gamma seal lids. The mylar bags are not sealed, but I do keep them folded shut. I have not had any problem with any of it, but I do use all three frequently. I love the food-safe buckets and gamma lids for storing food. I also rely on my vacuum sealer to help keep food fresh. Some time ago, I got a bunch of the Jiffy corn bread and muffin mixes on sale. Only problem is they come in waxed paper wrappers in cardboard boxes. I emptied each box into a vacuum sealer bag, sealed up the bags, and put them into smaller 2 gallon buckets (along with the instructions for making the mix!) and then sealed the buckets. So, there are buckets for corn bread, banana nut muffins, chocolate chip muffins, etc. I recently unsealed a bucket and used some of the corn bread mix and it tasted fine (as fine as a mix tastes compared to homemade!) :2thumb:

I also vacuum seal other things to put them in buckets - coffee, corn meal, baking soda, brown sugar, home-dried fruits and veggies to name just a few. It's also a great way to store home-grown dried herbs. 

One other thing that a vac seal bag works well for is something I used to do in the military, and that was packing underwear and socks in seal-a-meal bags. Keeping items like these in vac bags in my TA-50 meant they didn't take up a lot of room and they stayed dry! I also store certain med equipment that way- no leaks, no zip lock bags that didn't seal, and dressing materials stay as sterile (in their wrappers) as they were when they were sealed.

I think if we ever lost the power grid, my vac sealer would be at the top of the list of items I would really miss!!


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## recon-1

What happens when your spouse is not food friendly? I mean a picky eater for most foods. Makes it very difficult on what to store for the long term. 
Good site here on shelf life of foods. http://www.stilltasty.com/


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## Caribou

recon-1 said:


> What happens when your spouse is not food friendly? I mean a picky eater for most foods. Makes it very difficult on what to store for the long term.
> Good site here on shelf life of foods. http://www.stilltasty.com/


The old adage, "eat what you store, store what you eat." Rice and pasta will outlast you and instant or dehydrated potatoes will last an extremely long time. Canned beef chicken or fish will last as long as the container they are stored in. Make sure to keep plenty of condiments and spices. Ignore the expiration dated on canned goods, they are put there by attorneys and marketing people. Most of the things you eat today you can get in a canned or dehydrated form.

If your wife's favorite thing to make for dinner is reservations, I can't help you with that. If you can give us more specifics on how you eat now perhaps we can help more.


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## LastOutlaw

*Opened stored items.*

We recently opened a few containers that we had stored in 2011. Inside was coffee and creamer as well as cake mixes and brownie mixes. All stored in Mylar from lds store and put in buckets with O2 absorbents. Then stored in a cool room (60 degrees ) since 2011.

I was particularly interested in the coffee as I've heard it doesn't store well and if I wanted coffee I would need to store green coffee beans then roast and grind when needed. The coffee was still very good. I'm drinking it now. creamer was good still too. I expect the cake mixes not to rise though but should taste fine. 
I've heard that if I add some baking soda they will rise when I bake. Anyone know if that is true?


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## tsrwivey

LastOutlaw said:


> I expect the cake mixes not to rise though but should taste fine.
> I've heard that if I add some baking soda they will rise when I bake. Anyone know if that is true?


I tried it not long ago & it worked out great. Couldn't tell any difference.


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## LastOutlaw

*thanks*

thank you for the reply


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## JayJay

LastOutlaw said:


> We recently opened a few containers that we had stored in 2011. Inside was coffee and creamer as well as cake mixes and brownie mixes. All stored in Mylar from lds store and put in buckets with O2 absorbents. Then stored in a cool room (60 degrees ) since 2011.
> 
> I was particularly interested in the coffee as I've heard it doesn't store well and if I wanted coffee I would need to store green coffee beans then roast and grind when needed. The coffee was still very good. I'm drinking it now. creamer was good still too. I expect the cake mixes not to rise though but should taste fine.
> I've heard that if I add some baking soda they will rise when I bake. Anyone know if that is true?


I bought 6 # 10 cans of coffee and I'm not a big coffee drinker--remember the coffee scare I fell for and coffee is now cheaper than then??? 

Well, last year I opened the #10 cans, sealed the coffee in mason jars.


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## tsrwivey

We drank some Maxwell House coffee in a metal can from 2008 that we'd stored in the upstairs of the carport exposed to 100+ degree heat & 100% humidity for 8 years (yeah, we know better now). It's not the best cup of coffee I've ever had but it looks like coffee, tastes like kinda weak coffee, smells like coffee, & has caffeine. Beats no coffee for me! :2thumb:


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## readytogo

The issue of food storage has been around every since survivalist have been around and it all boils down to the degradation mechanism of the specific product. Most can be influenced by several factors: exposure to light, heat, moisture, transmission of gases, mechanical stresses, and contamination by things such as micro-organisms. Product quality is often mathematically modeled around a parameter (concentration of a chemical compound, a microbiological index, or moisture content) so in plain language ;if you don`t have the proper storage facilities like military underground storage facilities keep under total temperature and humidity control don`t waste your money on survival foods. My canning is keep for a maximum of 3 years or less and during the hurricane season here in Florida I keep a good supplied of basic goods for immediate use ,I`m to old to honestly worry about the Mad Max scenario or if the Russians are coming .


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## Caribou

RTG three years is a great goal for your canned goods though that is far less than they are capable of. I found a can of salmon that had been forgotten on the back of a bottom shelf for twenty years. I canned it in '92 and ate it in '12 and I really enjoyed it. There have been documented cases of canned goods recovered after over a hundred years where the food was still edible and nutritious.


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## Beaniemaster2

I vacuum pack my cake mixes too... Be sure to snip the inner bags so all the air is removed... I am making cakes from 2011 and they are rising just fine...


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## lilmissy0740

We just opened a box of crackers from 2014. Yuk. They came in a box sealed in a plastic bag. The crackers weren't stale, but they tasted like the plastic bag. Next time they are coming out of the plastic bag and then I will seal them. Beanie, Did you take the cake mixes out of the plastic bags?


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## Beaniemaster2

I just snip the corner of the cake mix bag, get the air out and fold it over... that way the air gets out of the inner bag too... I do this with everything I vacuum pack... I have had VERY good luck with doing my dry items this way... I am eating pasta from 2011 and it is just as fresh as when I vacuum packed it... The investment in a Foodsaver machine has paid for itself many times over.....


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## DrPrepper

lilmissy0740 said:


> We just opened a box of crackers from 2014. Yuk. They came in a box sealed in a plastic bag. The crackers weren't stale, but they tasted like the plastic bag. Next time they are coming out of the plastic bag and then I will seal them. Beanie, Did you take the cake mixes out of the plastic bags?


Take the crackers out of the bag they came in and either vacuum seal them or else store them in mylar zip lock bags with an oxygen absorber. That's how I store crackers like triscuits. For things like saltines and ritz that come in wax paper type wraps, I take them out of the box, still in sleeves and store in a 5 gallon food safe bucket with a gamma lid. We're still munching on an excess of saltines we bought on sale in 2009 and they taste great!


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## oldasrocks

I find salad dressing only last a yr or less then turn rancid. We have flour 15 yrs old that is still good. I just froze the flour for 30 days at 0 F, then packed in a food grade bucket and sealed.


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## capt.

Coffee , I like steel cans , but it is harder to find. The manager at the air base where I shop told me they are still making coffee from a warehouse with cans dated in the 50s-60s and as long as it holds a vacuum it make good coffee. I'm not a big fan of plastic cans of coffee, but do buy them on sale to use instead of the steel ones put away. Some one told me they are putting a freeze dried coffee Tasters choice back in glass jars, I've yet to find it though.


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## oldasrocks

I just opened some Jiff extra crunchy with a date oof 08 on the plastic jar. It tastes fine.


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## capt.

Freeze dried Nescafe reg coffee is now back in glass jars/wally world. 100 cup size. So far only glass jar I have found. The glass stores way better then plastic. Side note, Army likes this brand instant the best.


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## FrankW

This thread has had a lot of energy!


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