When most people think of long-term food storage they instantly visualize pallets of MRE’s and freeze dried food.
Add beans, corn, and wheat to the list of items and that’s about all most people believe can be stored for any prolonged period of time.
But did you know that there are some foods that last forever without ever having to be canned, frozen or dehydrated?
If you’re new to food storage, these staples are a great way to start.
They are the longest lasting foods in the world and most of them are relatively cheap and while they are often tossed in a pantry and forgotten about for months or years, when SHTF they instantly become some of the best bartering commodities available.
These items are often referred to as “forever foods.”
Next time you’re grocery shopping, be sure to grab some of these items, put them in the back of the pantry and forget about them. If you ever need them, they’ll be safe and ready to eat .
These foods are some of the very few exceptions to the FIFO (first in first out) method of food storage.
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Sugars/Sweets |
Salts |
Other |
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Corn Syrup |
Salt |
Hard Liquor |
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Honey |
Soy Sauce |
White Rice |
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Sugar (brown, white & powdered) |
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White Vinegar |
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Vanilla Extract |
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Spices |
How many of these items have you thrown away just because they were old?
How much money do you think has been wasted tossing out “bad” pantry items that were still as good as the day they were packaged?
All of these items are a must have for both their longevity as well as their bartering value after a crisis.
You need to store as many of them as you possibly can before anything happens… BUT, even having all of the above items will not be enough to feed you.
Unfortunately there is ABSOLUTELY no way to live off of these items alone.
Your body needs fresh foods in order to maintain its optimum efficiency and anything less peak performance will put you one step closer to a death sentence.
If you are in a relatively safe area where shelter is provided and water is available, the next step that you need to focus on is preparing and storing any perishable foods that you have available.
When my parents were trapped in a storm cellar for over a week without power after hurricane Rita, they had MRE’s but only one flavor, pasta primavera.
After only three days the children were already refusing to eat the packaged meals.
Nothing was wrong with the food, the children were simply appetite fatigued.
Appetite fatigue is a completely mental block that seems silly but the effects can be devastating .
In a stressful situation, your body is thrown into overdrive and you require hundreds of more calories to maintain peak performance.
Refusing to eat simply because you don't like the taste can quickly wear down your physical and mental acuity in a matter of days.
Luckily my family was out in the countryside and had a crew of persons with backwoods knowledge.
My grandmother and aunt scavenged the garden for fresh vegetables that were not damaged beyond recognition.
My uncle and father were able to cross a small patch of forest into a meadow where they were able to hunt a few jack rabbits and squirrels.
While they had food and water stored, fresh food was much more appealing and the added activity of hunting and gathering gave them a way to occupy their minds while they waited for the switch to be flipped and life to go back to normal.
It was another four days before any help arrived and almost two weeks before the rolling blackouts stopped and power was fully restored.
The only way they were able to keep their morale high and their bellies full was by a combination of the strong bond that my family possesses and the knowledge and skill of how to cook and store food outside.
It was this experience and story that really hit home with me and forced me to take a step back and realize that I needed to have this knowledge myself.
I had a basic idea of how to do these things but a “basic idea” can be deadly when it comes to food safety.
Think hard.
How sure are you in your ability to store your own food?
And if you think that the stockpile of MRE’s and freeze dried food you have is enough to get you through any type of crisis, think again.
Rations are heavy and take up a huge amount of room. They can also be plagued by pests if you happen to have mice or rats that can chew through the Mylar.
If your home or storage location becomes insecure your 25 year food storage system instantly becomes your, “however the hell much I can carry right now” food storage system.
Are you still completely sure of your planning? Check out these for inspiration:
9 “Crazy Simple” Tips To Build Your Emergency Food Supply
How to Store Food Using Oxygen Absorbers
Top 10 survival foods that you can get on your next grocery trip
So whats your plan to avoid appetite fatigue?
