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What foods have the longest shelf life?

The way food is stored is what really makes it last the longest. Keep food stored in a cool, dark place. Check out the hub that goes into great detail on properly storing food for long term food storage.

  • White rice – no mylar bag will last 2-4 years. In mylar bag with oxygen absorber 25-30 years
  • Dried beans – no mylar bag, 2-3 years. In mylar bag with oxygen absorber 25-30 years
  • Honey – Infinite
  • Peanut butter – 2-5 years
  • Powdered milk – 2-10 years
  • Ramen – 5-10 years
  • Rolled oats – In mylar bag with oxygen absorber 25-30 years
  • Wheat berries – Stored in mylar bag with oxygen absorber 10-15 years
  • Dry pasta – Stored in mylar bag with oxygen absorber 25-30 years
  • Freeze dried foods – 25-30 years
  • Dehydrated foods – Stored in mylar bag with oxygen absorber up to 15 years
  • Cooking oil such as olive or coconut – 2-5 years, store in fridge or freezer for longer shelf life
  • Ghee – 2 years
  • Sugar – Infinite shelf life, especially when stored in a mylar bag WITHOUT oxygen absorber
  • Salt – Infinite shelf life, especially when stored in a mylar bag WITHOUT oxygen absorber
  • Vinegar – Infinite shelf life
  • Baking soda – Infinite shelf life
  • Coffee – Instant has around 25 year shelf life, green beans in mylar bag with oxygen absorber can last 25+ years
  • Alcohol – Infinite shelf life
  • Pemmican – 25-50 years
  • Hardtack – 10+ years
  • Potato flakes/powdered – 20-30 years
  • Canned foods – 2-10+ years

What are the best canned foods to store?

  • Chicken, beef, tuna, spam
  • Vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Chili
  • Beans
  • Milk
  • Soups

Check out this huge list of specific canned foods to store.

What is the best survival food with long shelf life?

Freeze dried has the best shelf life for long term food storage. Freeze dried food can last anywhere between 25-30 years, if not longer. There are many brands available. Look to YouTube and written reviews to find your favorites.

If you can afford your own home freeze dryer, that’s even more ideal. They can range between $2,000-4,000, depending on size, they also offer layaway plans. They also offer giveaways every few months. By freeze drying at home, you can easily make your own money back in no time and eventually start saving money, simply because you’re freeze drying your own food.

Freeze dried foods, so far, have the longest shelf life of any preservation method available.

Should I store vitamins?

Yes, vitamins can and should be stored. In a survival or emergency situation, we may not be intaking the proper nutrients through the foods that we’re eating so supplementing with vitamins is recommended.

Here are some ideas for vitamins during a survival situation:

  • Gardening provides a great source of nutritious food
  • Sprouting seeds offers quick nutrients
  • Microgreens will offer quick greens without needing to go through the whole gardening process
  • SurvivaGuard offers longer lasting vitamins
  • Nutrient Survival offers survival food with added vitamins
  • The Survival Tabs offer vitamins and a meal replacement packed in a chewable tablet
  • Multivitamins last around 2 years then they may begin to lose potency
  • Grow fruit trees and bushes

There are many ways for us to find and store vitamins with a little forethought and preparation.

Who makes the best survival food?

The ‘best’ survival food will be subjective to the individual based on a wide variety of factors, including price and flavor variety.

Here are some options for the best survival food:

What drinks don’t expire?

Hard liquor and generally most alcohol, when stored away from direct sunlight, will never expire.

Instant coffee, though there’s a lot of debate about ground and whole bean coffee, though the majority of coffee will last indefinitely.

Though above I said that powdered milk can only last between 2-10 years, non-fat powdered milk if stored in a mylar bag with oxygen absorber and away from direct sunlight in a cool place can theoretically last decades.

Though water itself doesn’t exactly ‘expire’, the way that it’s stored can affect the shelf life by creating bacteria or algae. However, there are many ways to sanitize water to make it potable again. Frozen water should, if frozen with clean water, should technically last forever.

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