Aug192011
Forever foods and your food storage pantry
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PDFThe original list, “10 cooking staples that can outlast you“, was written by Laura Moss. It’s great info for anyone stocking up on food and would make a good addition to your Survival Mom Binder. The original list follows with my comments in italics.
- Sugar – Regardless of whether your sugar is white, brown or powdered, it will never spoil because it doesn’t support bacterial
image by afiler
growth. The challenge with sugar is to keep it from hardening into chunks. To keep sugar fresh, store it in an airtight container or seal it in a plastic bag. If your brown sugar is more like a brown rock, you can revive it with just a minute in the microwave on low heat.
If you don’t use sugar very often, store it in canning jars and even sealed, small mylar bags. The price of sugar has been rising, so now would be a good time to stock up on at least 40 pounds, which is the recommended amount for one person for one year. If you’re planning on making preserves, you’ll need a lot more.
- Pure vanilla extract – If you have pure vanilla extract in the back of the cupboard, there’s no need to throw it out because it lasts forever. It may be more expensive than its imitation counterpart, but its shelf life certainly outweighs the extra cost. Keep that vanilla flavor at its best by sealing the bottle after each use and storing it in a cool, dark place.
If you buy extracts for storage purposes, they should all last at least four years if stored in a dark, cool place. Most contain an amount of ethyl alcohol, which has preservative elements and lasts for years.
Love that rice! photo by Leandro H.
- Rice – White, wild, jasmine, arborio and basmati rice all keep forever so there’s no need to throw them out. Brown rice is the one exception because it has a higher oil content so store it in the refrigerator or freeze it to maximize its shelf life. Once you’ve opened a bag or box of rice, move it to an airtight container or resealable freezer bag to keep it fresh.
You simply can’t go wrong by stocking up on plenty of rice. It’s a meal-stretcher and can be prepared in so many different ways that it’s one of my favorite food-storage basics. Save up 2-liter soda bottles, clean them and let them air dry for super storage containers for your rice.
- Corn starch – You can thicken gravies and sauces for years with just one box of corn starch because it keeps indefinitely. Store this kitchen staple in a cool, dry area and be sure to reseal it tightly after each use.
If you don’t normally use corn starch, stock up on a few cans since it can double as a treatment for diaper rash and skin irritations of all kinds. Corn starch mixed with some water effectively cools sunburned skin and can even be used in fun craft activities for kids.
- Honey – Whether you use it in your tea, on your toast or as an alternative sweetener, that jar of pure honey is good forever. It may get grainy or change color, but it’s still safe to eat — and delicious — because its antibiotic properties keep it from spoiling. You can help keep it fresh by storing it in a cool area, and you can improve the quality of crystallized honey by placing the jar in warm water and stirring it until the grainy parts dissolve.
Before pulling out the Neosporin or some other antibacterial ointment, try dabbing a little honey on scratches, scrapes, and bug bites. Do a little research on the benefits of honey, other than as a sweetener, and you’ll want to stock up on a whole lot more of this sweet stuff!
- Hard liquor – Mixing drinks at your holiday party? There’s no need to replace those decades-old bottles of gin and whisky.
image by *~Dawn~*
Distilled spirits like vodka, rum, whisky, tequila and gin don’t ever spoil — even after opening. The taste, color or aroma may fade over time, but it’ll hardly be noticeable. Keep the bottles tightly closed and store them in a cool area away from direct heat or sunlight.
Plenty of preppers talk of making their own stills and having alcohol on hand as an item for barter. It’s good to know that those little airplane-size bottles you buy of vodka, rum, or whatever will last a very, very long time, and historically, bottles of alcoholic beverages have always been popular for trade and barter.
- Salt – The contents of your salt shaker will never spoil, regardless of whether it’s basic table salt or sea salt. Simply store it in a cool, dry place and salt will keep indefinitely.
Try Celtic Sea Salt for a healthy version of salt and remember to stock up on about 5 pounds of salt per person. It’s main enemy is moisture, so make sure it’s stored off the ground, away from outside walls, and if possible, in glass jars or commercially sealed cans.
- Corn syrup – If you come across a years-old bottle of corn syrup in your pantry, don’t throw it out. This sweetener keeps indefinitely as long as you keep it sealed and store it in a cool, dry area.
It’s good to know that the bottle of corn syrup I’ve had for at least five years is perfectly fine! You can always make your own , another good reason for stocking up on plenty of sugar.
- Maple syrup - What good are pancakes or waffles without maple syrup? Luckily, this flavorful syrup will never spoil if you refrigerate it or freeze it. For long-term storage, seal it in an airtight plastic container and freeze it. “The freezer is such a useful tool that can really save you money because there are very few foods that don’t freeze well,” says Janice Revell of Still Tasty.
image by Kai Hendry
Except that where food storage is concerned, the freezer is only a back-up since it’s so vulnerable to power outages and even something as simple as someone leaving the door open. It’s possible to make your own maple syrup. If your family enjoys pancake, French toast, and waffle breakfasts, you’d better have plenty of syrup on hand or a few maple trees out in the backyard!
- Distilled white vinegar – This wonder product can be used for everything, from making marinades and salad dressings to cleaning house and doing laundry. But the best thing about distilled white vinegar is that it lasts for years. Simply close it tightly after each use and store the bottle in a cool, dark place.
My own recipe for a multi-purpose cleaner is simply equal parts vinegar and water. I use it for just about everything. The LDS Food Calculator suggests just a half gallon per person per year, but I recommend much more in order to take advantage of its many uses.
© 2011, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(27) Readers Comments
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Mike
I got very excited about this post, but then saw that included in the ten items that store forever are: sugar, honey, maple syrup, and corn syrup. I mentally group those all together, and knew that they were forever foods.
I occasionally use some small amounts of corn starch. I'd love to hear from others what you use corn starch in. I just use if for a thickener in soups and gravies and I know people use it in fruit deserts also to thicken. Can you use it in quickbreads, dumplings, or anything more like that? Or, is it ever a main ingredient in any ethnic food?
Cathy
you can make deodorant using equal parts cornstarch and baking soda. I put mine in an old plastic spice jar with shaker holes. Sprinkle on your hand and pat/rub onto your arm pits. Works great!
millenniumfly
Didn't realize that vinegar could last that long. Guess I'll have to stock more of it. Thanks.
Ron G
Thank you for sharing these long term items for storage. I will keep this in my preparedness folder. Excellent advice.
A Prepared Mom
Great post. There are several items on here that I had no idea had a forever shelf life. Thanks!
LizLong
I also recommend baking soda and cream of tartar. Baking soda has a ton of uses, of course, but one lesser-known one (that I learned of on this site) is to combine it with cream of tartar and make your own baking powder. Baking powder doesn't last very long at all, so this is a good way to ensure you'll be able to bake away for much longer.
I got my cream of tartar in a big bag from amazon.com so it was A LOT cheaper than at the grocery store near me. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Home…
Vinegar is also a great weed-killer. Kills 'em right down to the roots. I pour it directly on my weeks, personally. Mostly the ones that try to grow up through cracks in the sidewalk and driveway that can be very hard to get out, and very damaging long-term.
The LDS Calendar is great, but some items it recommends A LOT less than the average prepper would keep on hand. I don't think they take cleaning and hygeine needs into account on the amounts. Salt comes to mind. It's great to keep more of in case you need to salt down meat for storage, for instance. And as you said, a lot more sugar if you plan on making your own jam or jellies.
kdonat
You can also make your own vanilla flavoring with the leftover brandy/cognac/vodka. Purchase a vanilla bean or two at a bulk foods or health food store (least expensive sources) or a grocery store. Slice the bean open lengthwise to expose the seeds, place it in a bottle and add the brandy/cognac/or vodka to cover. Let it set in a dark cupboard for a couple of weeks shaking it up once a day. You can leave the bean in the bottle and just add more alcohol as the flavoring is used up.
Tia
you can also put a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar. The sugar will absorb the smell and the flavor.
Jan
Thank you! I was wondering what the shelf life of vinegar was. I only have a few gallons left and want to stock up on that soon.
John
I keep pressed coconut oil on hand because it doesn't require refrigeration.
TheSurvivalMom
We love coconut oil around here!
crzyquilter
Do you know the shelf life of cider vinegar? For canning you need the more acidic vinegar. Also, hard liquors could be used for medical reasons as an anesthetic or antiseptic.
@Mike cornstarch is also used as a powder. Think for diaper rash. Hub and I use cornstarch after our showers(although we currently buy it in the powder sized containers for easy use) It would definitely be cheaper to use the cooking cornstarch(which is the same really).
Tia
apple cider vinegar never goes bad and can be used for so many things. If you ever run out of regular vinegar you can use acv in its place. As for the LDS calculator, well to each their own I suppose, but in my house a gallon doesnt last a month much less a year. Vinegar, baking soda, and peroxide are my main cleaning ingredients.
Michele in MN
Replacing part of the flour in a cake recipe with cornstarch gives a lighter texture to the cake (more like a boxed mix). You can find the proportions on line, just search for cake flour.
Cornstarch does work well as a body powder and can be scented with essential oils by placing a few drops on a cotton ball in the bottom of your container of cornstarch.
If you use spray starch, you can make your own from cornstarch and water.
PatTheCat
Good list. Includes something one doesn't often see on these types of lists: I've always said that liquor is important to invest in.
Liquor, bullets and blue jeans.
When the SHTF, I know I'M going to need a drink!
Donna Brown
Two things that aren't on your list that also last forever are white flour and white rice. Like your white sugar, they don't have much in the way of nutrition but they will fill the belly so even though they don't keep forever, get and keep a year's supply of vitamins. Keep buying and using them and rotating your stock. You'll be healthier now and you'll be healthier when the SHTF if you've got that stock of GOOD vitamins.
TheSurvivalMom
Flour definitely doesn\’t last forever. It has a shelf life of a year or so.
wyzyrdap
The old "Big 4" – wheat berries, honey, salt and powdered milk – will last nearly forever – there are 'leftovers' in 5000 year old Egyptian tombs – sill viable (not the milk, that's relatively new), but a good start
Kimmer17
Any ideas on the best way to longterm store saltine or oyster crackers? Most have an average shelf life of up to one year. I'm a beginner and am starting my stores. Can't image not having my crackers with chili and soups. Thanks Kimmer
TheSurvivalMom
I haven\’t tried to store oyster crackers long term, but saltines get super nasty. Ugh. You could try storing them in plastic or glass containers with an oxygen absorber. That would probably buy you a little time — a few more months, maybe. You could also learn how to make crackers from scratch and store the ingredients. In general, ingredients have a much longer shelf live than prepared foods.
KMoore
I'm learning how to make my own crackers from scratch. I REALLY hate crunching up some saltines in my soup only to find that they've gone stale and rancid! LOL
CRVD
I recently used red wheat berries 30 yrs old stored in a pail with a good seal and it was fine but hard to grind
TheSurvivalMom
Good info. Thanks!
Andrea
I see you mention the 2-liter soda bottles for storage. I was wondering what you thought about using the 1-gallon vinegar jugs for storage?
SilentNightPrepper
Honey Lip-Balm
1 cup sweet almond oil
1/2 cup beeswax**
2 Tablespoons honey
Place almond oil and beeswax in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until mixture melts. Whisk honey into beeswax mixture; stir well. Set aside to cool completely. When cool, pour into small containers with lids. Apply to lips as a moisturizer. Makes about 1-1/2 cups. *Sweet almond oil can be found at natural food stores; other sheet oils can be substituted. ** Beeswax can be purchased at craft and beekeeping stores.
GunBurger
I used your link to the LDS calculater and put in 2 adults. It seams off since it only told me I need 28 gallons of water for 1 year. Everything else seamed okay (fats & oils seamed a bit low for a year). Why would this only suggest 28 gallons? Is their calculation only for preparing the recommended pounds of food (and not drinking, washing, etc…)?
thesurvivalmom
I have no idea how their calculator comes up with the various amounts for each food listed. I think their numbers are only helpful as a general guideline. Personally, I don’t own any flavored gelatin or molasses!