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    Food Storage: 10 Emergency Foods That Last Practically Forever

    207.5KViews Modified: Apr 10, 2022 · Published: Apr 3, 2016
    By Jacqueline 15 Comments

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    Food Storage: 10 Foods That Last Practically Forever, empty grocery shelves

    (Source)

    Historically, a huge part of being a keeper-at-home has been keeping food… for winter months, for lean times, and for various trials. Today, conveniences abound all around us, and we think we will be in a good place forever. Please don’t be lulled by what seems like permanent abundance. Louis Pasteur once said, “In the field of observation, chance favors the prepared mind.”

    Food Storage Is a Good Place to Start

    It is important to note that all of these foods will have an increased lifespan when kept in a cool, dry space.

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    Before I begin, do NOT forget to make provision for water available without electricity!

    Consider a Bison frost-free hand pump and a Berkey water filter (gravity-drain non-electric). If the electrical grid is down, just fill the Berkey with pool, stream, or rain water – or from your Bison water source!

    Now for the food:

    1. Raw Honey

     raw honey

    Raw honey (never heated) has such a long shelf life that it has even been recovered from Egyptian tombs. While it can change color and crystallize over time, its edibility does not change. You can restore crystallized honey by soaking it in a sink of very hot water (never over 102 degrees and lower is even better). In its raw form, honey is chock-full of enzymes and essential nutrients.

    Honey also double-duties as a perfect topical wound healing salve due to many factors including its acidity and the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Dr. Mercola states that the use of honey in wound care is regaining popularity as researchers are determining exactly how honey helps fight serious skin infections, including MRSA! Dr. Mercola recommends only Manuka honey for wounds.

    2. Rice

    washing rice

    Whatever your reason for storing food, rice is perfect, and it, too, like honey, is said to have been found in Egyptian tombs, though I cannot substantiate the rice. White, jasmine, wild, arborio, and basmati rice all have an almost indefinite shelf life. Rice is considered by many to be the ultimate survivalist food to stockpile in order to be prepared for a food crisis. Our rice is in tightly sealed 3 gallon food grade plastic tubs.

    Brown rice, while a healthier alternative to white, has a lot shorter lifespan and tends to slowly become rancid due to the higher oil content.

     

    3. Raw apple cider vinegar and white vinegar

    Bragg vinegar, ACV, apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar

    White vinegar is made out of corn, the top genetically modified produce item, so I save the white vinegar for cleaning and use Bragg or Spectrum organic apple cider vinegar for our salad dressings and cooking. I keep both in stock.

    Both have high acidic properties and are used as a preservative to keep other foods fresh or pickled so they can keep for years to come. White vinegar is very inexpensive, so I keep the most of it on hand.

    I try to think of items that keep well that also have medicinal properties for a time of prolonged emergency (like honey). Bragg organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is unfiltered, unheated, unpasteurized and 5% acidity. Contains the amazing Mother of Vinegar which occurs naturally as strand-like enzymes of connected protein molecules. Apple Cider Vinegar has been highly regarded throughout history. In 400 B.C. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, used it for its health benefits.

    4. Salt

    Celtic sea salt, full assay of trace minerals

    Celtic sea salt, Redmond Real Salt®, or Himalayan pink for everyday cooking

    Sea salt is the ‘real’, unrefined form of traditional table salt, sodium chloride, with all the trace minerals in their natural balance as God designed them. It is the ideal choice over its unhealthy counterpart, but in the event of a food crisis sodium chloride can also do the job. It is better to be prepared with sodium chloride than to not have anything at all. Salt is a powerful flavor enhancer, anti-microbial meat preservative, and helps food keep its texture. It will never go bad if stored properly. You can also use it to cure the meat in your freezer in a pinch.

    Redmond Real Salt® is from the US of A where Celtic and Himalayan are not.

    Want to preserve meats? How much salt should you store?

    If you have a lot of meat frozen, keeping a lot on hand (say up to 100 pounds?) could mean saving it in the event of a prolonged electrical grid failure. Here is what one source says:

    Historically, brining and salting has been used as a method to preserve meat. Some method were as simple as submerging the meat in a barrel of salt water.  The salt solution was judged ready when it would float a raw egg. This solution would require approximately 8 lbs of salt to 5 gallons of water.  Cover the meat completely with the solution and leave covered until ready to use. From the amount of salt it requires, you can see that it pays to store a substantial amount.

    5. Dried Beans

    “A note on dried beans – smaller beans like lentils and split peas cook faster and require less fuel if you are dealing with power outages. ~M.N.

     dried beans, soaking

    A B.Y.U. study reveals that more than 80 percent of a consumer taste panel deemed retail-packaged pinto beans up to 30 years old as acceptable for emergency use (samples were stored for years in #10 cans with the oxygen removed). Dried beans can last almost indefinitely in the absence of oxygen and light, but gradual moisture loss will affect its taste and texture. Older beans may need longer soaking and cooking times; try adding acidic ingredients or salt toward the end of the recipe to avoid toughening up the skin.

    6. Cornstarch

    corn starch

    Cornstarch is a food substance that has a variety of uses.

    Helpful in thickening gravies, sauces, or soups, cornstarch is a food crisis necessity that will help you be prepared. Normally, I would not buy organic cornstarch for an emergency stash, but we do buy organic for use now to avoid the GMOs in regular conventional cornstarch. We find it in the ‘health’ section of the grocery or buy it in bulk here. Check out what GMOs have been shown to do to our health.

    7. Pure vanilla extract

    real Madagascar vanilla extract, long shelf life

    The extract in this jar is only hours old and not yet ‘finished’.

    Pure vanilla extract, different from its imitation counterpart vanilla extract, will last forever. The extra cost over its imitation is only minor compared to the elongated shelf life of pure vanilla extract and you can make your own! To make vanilla extract and herbal tinctures, you will need the next thing on my list: vodka.

    8. Vodka/Alcohol

    vodka, long shelf life, indefinite

    I have had some funny looks at the grocery when I – a smiling, gray-haired old lady – buy vodka. But vodka stores forever, and with the wonderful Frontier herbs I get from Amazon for my natural medicine cabinet, I can make a tincture (which will keep practically forever, too) anytime I need it! I wouldn’t be without it as a keeper-at-home.

    Note: vodka is a solvent. Buy in glass bottles instead of plastic to avoid leaching of plastic. These are vodka-based and last indefinitely!!

    Here are some tinctures we make and always have on hand:

    • Elderberry colds and flu tincture
    • Feverfew migraine tincture
    • Garlic wellness tincture
    • Vinegar of the Four Thieves insect repellent
    • Dandelion blood-building, detoxifying tincture

    Vodka is also a great emergency wound cleaner in a pinch!

    9. Tinned Sardines/Canned Goods

    King Oscar bristling sardines, in olive oil,

    You can choose any canned goods you like (you will need a can-opener), but certain foods pack more bang for the buck! Our family wants to avoid the food additives and chemicals found in so many processed canned foods today that will weaken use rather than strengthen our bodies and minds, especially in a time of crisis.

    Sardines (small bristling) and fresh water salmon are LOW in mercury (calculate here), but are high in protein, micro-nutrients, and minerals. A little goes a long way to curbing hunger and sustaining optimum health and are very reasonably priced for the nutritional value. While we don’t love them, we do like them; they could save lives even if you don’t choose to eat them now.

    10. Coconut oil

    American Heart Association opinion of coconut oil

    What shelf stable item can be used (nutritiously) in place of butter, shortening, and cooking oil, and then pressed into duty as a health and beauty aid?

    Coconut oil! Unrefined coconut oil is also called virgin coconut oil. This type of coconut oil has the most nutritional benefits and the shelf life has been documented as anywhere from 2-5 years to “indefinite”.

    The number one health benefit of coconut oil is that about 50% of it is lauric acid, an essential fatty acid that is only found in such high levels in human breast milk. It contains antiviral, antimicrobial, anti-protozoal, and antifungal properties, so basically, it boosts your immunity in every possible way. We have found Tropical Traditions to be a great quality Coconut Oil but we also get it at Amazon.

    11. Rice Pasta

    Food Storage: 10 Foods That Last Practically Forever. Tinkyada noodles, spirals

    Since rice stores so well, so do pastas made from rice. We love Tinkyada! It keeps its texture wonderfully, doesn’t get mushy, and is our gluten-free choice of noodles all the time. We get them here. Update: we also love Trader Joe’s rice noodles which are identical in texture and quality to Tinkyada.

    So be a prepared keeper-at-home. Right along with food comes the need for a clean, non-electric source of water.

    Do not fear but ask for God’s wisdom; think about ways you can provide for your family whether in the event of a major winter snow storm that cleans out the supermarket shelves in 6 hours or a 6 month grid failure. Your family may thank you one day for your foresight!

    Elderberry Syrup Recipes
    Get your printable elderberry syrup recipes!

     

    See my new post: My Complete List To Be Prepared in an Uncertain World: 125 +Things

    “She smiles at the future. She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.” ~Proverbs 31: 25, 27

    “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” 
      ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Hi! I'm Jacqueline!

    Thanks for being part of this journey with me.
    Welcome to my own little place on the internet! Home is where I love to be. I feel there is no greater place to incubate souls. These days you’ll find me using my experiences here to write about herbal remedies and natural health research — a big passion of mine. But being a wife and mother is not easy. It is challenging and potentially lonely. I get that. I wanted to create a place to connect with and support other moms for creating a natural, healthy, and fulfilling home life.
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. stephen bailey

      August 21, 2014 at 4:13 pm

      Thank you for sharing your knowledge! I’m a 61yo disabled Marine (PTSD) with 14 years of sobriety. While waiting for the V A to determine the disability Rating, I’ve found the ‘net to be a wondrous fount of information as well as a constructive way to pass time. At my age, I am concerned about losing what ‘brain power’ I’ve got and have come to believe that Learning is a good way to preserve it.

      Reply
      • Julie

        February 16, 2020 at 5:12 pm

        Please don’t rely on the government: pray to God for knowledge and wisdom. If you can start small garden, such as pots, raised beds, straw beds.

        Reply
    2. Angelique Ouellette-Tower

      April 27, 2015 at 10:45 pm

      What a wonderfully helpful post! I’m visiting from the Art of Homemaking Mondays (blog hop).
      Thanks
      Angie
      http://www.godsgrowinggarden.com/

      Reply
    3. Emily

      July 30, 2015 at 1:08 pm

      I really enjoyed reading this! I didn’t know about brown rice having a higher oil content and the potential for it to turn rancid. Good to know, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    4. Karen bogart

      August 06, 2015 at 6:50 pm

      I am a recovering alcoholic with 35 years of sobriety. I have stayed away from tinture (apologize for spelling) because of alcohol. Am I right in my concern? I use doTERRA EO as they do not use peticides or chemicals in the processing. Just an fyi.

      Thank you for you ste. It had been helpful.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        August 06, 2015 at 9:41 pm

        I have addressed the question of the alcohol in the post, I believe. The alcohol in a dropperful (1/4 tsp.) is about what is in a very ripe banana (as it ferments, it produces a bit of alcohol), so it is VERY little. Also, if you put the dropper-full in a glass of water and let the alcohol evaporate, there will be no alcohol left when you drink it (about 20 minutes).
        Hope that helps, Karen! And praise the Lord that you are in the better place with alcohol! That is awesome!

        Reply
    5. Elbert Jones

      August 27, 2020 at 8:55 am

      In your opening photo; why’d you choose for the boy to wear an Obama t-shirt?
      Donald trump has made the concept of having an emergency food supply very necessary. Not just for emergencies like tornadoes. But for living month to month.

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        August 27, 2020 at 1:58 pm

        No, Elbert, all this started a long while ago and the deep state has intentionally stalled the economy to be able to push the narrative (flood the zone) with the very thing you just repeated.
        The videos in this post will take you into the rabbit hole and may give you a new perspective. This post is not political, but there is a lot of things coming together in the last 20 years that bring us to this point. https://deeprootsathome.com/the-grooming-of-a-nation-took-place-right-under-our-noses/
        https://deeprootsathome.com/the-coming-food-shortage-some-things-to-consider-now/
        https://deeprootsathome.com/rf-kennedy-jr-dr-andrew-kaufman-discuss-medical-procedures/

        Reply
    6. Tammie

      April 07, 2021 at 9:21 pm

      Hi! I would love it if your would link the bins you use to store dry goods like rice, beans, oats, noodles. I want to make sure I got the right things to store the longest! Thanks. 🙂

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        April 07, 2021 at 11:17 pm

        Hi, Tammy!
        I store dried beans and grains in 2 different things.
        One style I got from a restaurant/grill that are square, white food grade plastic, 4 gallons, with heavy duty snap on lids.
        They held pickles, ketchup, and mayo in bulk. I asked for them to save them for me when they got 5 or 10 empty one and they gave them to me free.
        The other ones that are round 5 gallons, white food grade with the similiar lids.
        They are like these: https://amzn.to/39Qhtpk

        I hope that helps.
        God bless you!
        Jacqueline

        Reply
    7. Elbert Jones

      January 12, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      A food crisis can happen at anytime. it does not matter who’s in the white house

      Reply
      • Jacqueline

        January 13, 2022 at 12:14 pm

        Amen to that, Elbert… but it would be so much more unlikely with someone who cared about the country and was proactive and a real leader FOR the people!

        Reply

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