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Long-term Food Storage
If there is a catastrophic event because of natural disasters, pandemics or terrist activities, having long-term food storage will make the situation easier to survive. Creating a larder of this magnitude requires planning and dedication. The satisfaction you'll have from being prepared will make the effort worthwhile. The comfort you get from having foods around in a crisis will make it worthwhile too.
Long-term food storage is a whole different ball game from short- and medium-term food storage. This approach to self-sufficiency and emergency preparedness requires much more commitment. It takes commitment of time and thought, space and money.
People who are interested in taking this step, because they live in areas where they can readily get cut off from food supplies, or for people who want to be prepared for large-scale problems or disasters, want to learn as much as they can about what and how much to stockpile. Planning, as in most projects, is the biggest time commitment. You'll need to plan the foods to store, the storage location and then start the shopping and storing process, complete with a rotation plan.
I've reviewed how to develop both a short-term larder and a medium-term larder. Those are the daily basics for long-term supplies. This is a great time to consider bulk supplies as well. The following is an easy approach to long-term food storage:
- Buy a supply of bulk staples.
- 2. Build your larder of canned and dried goods until you have a six- to twelve-month surplus. Rotate the contents periodically to maintain a supply of common foods that will not require special preparation, water or cooking.
- 3. From a sporting or camping equipment store, buy commercially packaged, freeze-dried or air-dried foods. Although costly, this is an excellent form of stored meat, so buy accordingly. Though outing stores have historically been the main source for these kinds of supplies, some grocers are now carrying such supplies. Another option is to purchase dry, packaged mixes from the supermarket.
Bulk Staples
Wheat, corn, beans and salt can be purchased in bulk quantities fairly inexpensively and have nearly unlimited shelf life. If necessary, you could survive for years on small daily amounts of these staples. The following amounts are minimum suggested per adult, per year:
| Item | Amount* | 1 month supply |
| Wheat*** | 240 lbs | 20 lbs |
| Flour, White Enriched | 17 lbs | 1.42lbs |
| Corn*** | 240 lbs | 20lbs |
| Corn Meal | 42 lbs | 3.5 lbs |
| Powdered Milk | 75 pounds | 6.25 lbs |
| Dry Yeast | 1/2 lb | 1 oz |
| Sugar, White Granulated | 40 lbs | 3.3 oz |
| Baking Soda | 1 lb | 1.3 oz |
| Baking Powder | 1 lb | 1.3 oz |
| Dry Soup Mix | 5 lbs | 6.7 oz |
| Pasta (Spaghetti/Macaroni) | 42 lbs | 3.5 lbs |
| Soybeans | 120 lbs | 10 lbs |
| Beans (dry)*** | 25 lbs | 5 lbs |
| Beans, Lima (dry)*** | 1 lb | 1.3 oz |
| Peas, Split (dry)*** | 1 lb | 1.3 oz |
| Lentils (dry)*** | 1 lb | 1.3 oz |
| Iodized Salt | 5 pounds | 4.2 oz |
| Fats and Oil** | 20 pounds=3gal | 1 qt |
| Vitamin C*** | 180 grams | 15 grams |
| Peanut Butter | 4 lbs | 5.3 oz |
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* Best to buy in nitrogen-packed cans ** 1 gallon equals 7 pounds *** Rotate every two years |
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Other grains to consider storing include rye, rice, oats, spelt, triticale, barley and millet. Pasta products also satisfy the grain component of the diet, especially if you stock whole wheat pastas. Milled rice will maintain its quality longer in storage than will brown rice. Maybe you'd enjoy powdered cheese in your larder for fun and variety.
Shelf Life of Foods for Storage (Unopened)
Here are some general guidelines for rotating common emergency foods to ensure the best quality of the products.
* Use within six months:
Powdered milk (boxed)
Dried fruit (in metal container)
Dry, crisp crackers (in metal container)
Potatoes
Nuts, cooking oils
* Use within one year:
Canned condensed meat and vegetable soups
Canned fruits, fruit juices and vegetables
Ready-to-eat cereals and uncooked instant cereals (in metal containers)
Peanut butter
Jelly
Hard candy, chocolate bars and canned nuts
* May be stored indefinitely*** (in proper containers and conditions):
Wheat
Vegetable oils
Corn
Baking powder
Soybeans
Instant coffee, tea
Cocoa
Salt
Noncarbonated soft drinks
White rice
Bouillon products
Dry pasta
Vitamin C
Powdered milk (in nitrogen-packed cans)
***Two to three years
Part of maintaining your larder is to keep the foods in cool, dry conditions. Basements, crawl spaces and root cellars are great options for long-term food storage. Ideally your larder location needs to be a place that's easy to get to so you can easily rotate the stock. But put it where you can and deal with the consequences if it's in less than an ideal spot.
Part of our plan is to stockpile items we may not personally want but could be of interest or value to others for the purpose of bartering and trading. Presuming the reason we are cut off from the grocer isn't a pandemic which would put us in quarantine, we can trade the items we have but don't want to people who want those items and have something we want or need. For example, we don't like many canned vegetables while others don't mind them; that would be a perfect bartering item. And some of the things we like, but have large quantities of, like wheat can be traded too. Think outside the box. Money won't be the only currency of commerce in times of trouble.
Water is the biggest challenge in my mind for storing in ample supply. We presently have several 7- gallon jugs of water, but know that won't be a long-term answer. What solutions can you think of for your situation? Be creative and see what you can figure out.
Now that you have a sense of what you need to do for a long-term food and essentials storage, act. Make your list of foods and supplies you want and will need. Determine your larder location and get it ready for the supplies you'll start buying today. Keep your stock rotation list handy to your supplies and keep it up to date.
As your larder grows, you can enjoy a peace of mind you didn't have before. Even having a plan that you act on today will give you more peace than you may have had before. Action is the key, so develop a plan, determine your storage area, and start buying your food supplies to last you through a long-term situation where food supplies will be difficult or expensive to obtain.
Comments
How long will packages of oatmeal keep unopened? I would guess a long time since they are sealed. I have been looking on line but can not find an answer. I wanted to add some to our emergency stores. Thanks Steve
Steve, thanks for your question. I hadn't stopped to realize there wasn't a specific date stated for rolled oats. If they are hermetically sealed they should last for 8 years at 70 degree temperatures. If the storage temperatures are cooler the oats can last even longer.
Since I have so much I'm glad to learn they will last a long time.
I am preparing long term storage.can wheat and other dry foods be safely stored in plastic rubbermaid type containers and buryed in the ground?i would leave the lid exposed. would bugs get in a storage system of this nature?
All kinds of things could get into that food storage arrangement. Things like moisture and rodents come to mind immediately. Why are you taking that approach?
How long can I store quick oats in glass jars?
Robert, oats have a long shelf life, if stored in proper conditions. The use of glass jars is good because it keeps moisture and pests out. If you keep them in a cool, dark space they could last much longer than seven years.
I recently heard of quick oats lasting longer than 25 years. That might be long enough. :~)
I'm a bit new to this. Fill me in. When you're talking about quick oats, are you referring to store bought Quaker Oats?
Quaker Oats is an example of a quick oat, and a steel cut oat from what I can tell.
I just bought a larg bag of quick rolled oats and I want to store them in 5 gallon buckets but I don't know if I should use dry ice or oxygen packets?
I'd personally go for the oxygen packets, though I haven't done either. I buy my oats in smaller cans than that. I've seen both recommended, however.
The wheat berries I have in large buckets have the oxygen packets, for whatever that's worth.
Where can I buy (or order from)long-term storable foods IN Canada.
Shipping from the US is too costly for my budget.
Thanks in advance.
Pete, I understand the cost of shipping is a drag. I don't know the Canadian market, but I'd think there would be at least several companies that sell bulk food online. Have you tried a Google search for them?
If online shopping doesn't work find a distributor that will sell to you. The LDS churches may have an outlet for bulk food too. And if worse comes to worse, just stock up bit at a time when things are on sale at your local grocer.
Hi Pete,
I've been searching for somewhere myself.. I frequent the Goldismoney 'survival prep forum' and again it seems to be mostly Americans that understand we have a need to prepare..
I did however uncover this website that is based in Canada.... http://www.survivalpro.com/catalog/
I hope that helps..
Cheers
Why do you recommend rotating dry beans & grains every 2-3 years? Shouldn't these keep much longer if properly stored? Thanks.
Brent,
I agree with you that these things should keep for a very long time, if stored properly. Not everyone can store food properly so a shorter time is appropriate for me to suggest for its longevity.
Some foods, when stored with care, can last 20 years or more. The quality may not be as good as when fresher/newer, but it's better than nothing. And in emergencies nothing may be the other option.
I was silly and mixed brown rice with my white rice in a 5 gallon bucket. The ratio is about 60% white rice to 40% brown. The rice is in a mylar bag, with several oxygen packets, the bag is sealed. How much of a problem is it that I mixed my rices? Any suggestions on how i can help this store longer?
Cindy, I think you'll be fine with your mixture of white and brown rice as far as storage goes. My first thought as I read your note was that the cooking of the two together would be challenging. At least in my experience brown rice cooks longer than white rice. But the flavor will be great!
Also note that the information I shared here is very conservative. The storage time for either rice is probably much longer than noted here, especially if you keep them in a cool, dry location.
what are ldl churches and where are they located thanks dorothy
Dorothy, it's LDS -- Church of the Latter Days Saints, ie Mormon. They are located "everywhere".
Hi, I am organizing 10 year old food storage. The flour tastes like the #10 can. I also have many other things. What should I throw out at this point?
Tina,
I'm not a food expert. Contact your county health office to see if they have input for you. Of course, if the cans are bulging they need to be thrown away. If they just don't taste good, perhaps a farmer can use the foods to feed goats, chickens and pigs.
You are demonstrating nicely the need to rotate your food stock.
Question about shelf life....
Is there a chart anywhere that talks about how long foods are safe to eat?
For instance, your chart shows crackers with a shelf life of 6 months. I know 3yr old crackers aren't going to taste very good, but will they harm you?
Jelly and hard candy and chocolate you have to use within 1 year. Jelly (usually) comes in a glass jar, so would it be safe to eat if it were stored for 3yrs, unopened. Also, hard candy and chocolate might not taste so great after a year, but will they harm you?
PS - I do know in a crisis situation you would not want to be eating tons of crackers (or other salty snack for that matter) due to the fact they increase thirst, I'm just asking as a matter of having a safe, edible (allbeit untasty) food.
thanks
Kris,
I have not found such a chart, and I looked. I had the same concerns as you are expressing but didn't find answers.
We all should know not to eat food that's in cans/jars with bulging lids. Throw those away, don't even try composting the contents.
Beyond the obvious, I don't know what to tell you about food that's been on the shelf too long. Hopefully you rotate it so it doesn't get too old. The LDS guidelines are to have multiple years of food stored, and they rotate those stocks.
Check with your county health department or the agriculture extension office to see if they have answers.
I am using Cornelius Kegs to store my beans, rice and pasta in. These are 5 gallon SS kegs, also known as soda kegs that are made to be pressurized with up to 130 psi of CO2. I can get between 30 and 35 pounds of 'stuff' in one of these. I use the oxygen absorbers and also pressurize the keg to 50 psi. I am thinking they will stay good a long - long time..20 or more years...
I also can lots of meats and vegtables and keep everything as cool and dry as possible.
Mike, what a great storage device! Where do you get Cornelius kegs? Do they have a wide mouth so it's easy to get foods in and out?
Thanks for sharing. I hope you'll tell us more.
Emergency Lady,
Thanks. I keep an eye on Craigslist for these kegs. People get into home brewing and then give it up and want to sell these kegs. I picked up 4 more yesterday at $20 each and will fill them with Wheat. You can also order online from a place like www.chicompany.net/. If you order 20 you can get them delivered for about $23 per keg. I then get a new set of gaskets from www.mcmaster.com/ since they are MUCH cheaper than buying from a brew house or keg place.
Dip Tube O-Rings 9452K172 BunaN #109 Pkg 100/$2.24 Post O-Rings 9452K23 BunaN #111 Pkg 100/$2.77 Lid O-Rings 9452K218 BunaN #417 Pkg 10/$12.50
There is a 4" hole in top which makes for easy cleaning, filling and retrieval - it reseals nicely. I don't use these for everything since they are spendy..but I like them for grains and beans since I can pressurize the tank.
Hi,I like your helpful site. I wanted to address mixing brown rice and white rice. Brown rice will go rancid much faster than white rice. I've had white rice stored 10 yrs ago and it's great. The brown rice will go rancid even inside a mylar bag with oxygen absorbers in a years time.
i have a ? i have the beans, rice and food grade buckets. am i correct that i need mylar bags and oxygen packets to help store for the long-long term. how much oxygen for a 6.5 gal bucket of rice?
Monica, I hope someone with experience chimes in here soon as I don't have experience with this process. If you find an answer please report here to expand everyone's education.
Make sure to use food grade 5 gallon buckets. You need to use the mylar bags with oxygen absorbers that are impulse sealed to insure freshness. Do not just put the absorbers in the 5 gal. buckets alone as they do not completely seal. The bags keep out moisture and air, the bucket keep out the rodents and help organize. Don't forget to label everything. LDS is a great source for bags and absorbers.
I am new to the food storage idea and would like to store say 20 # of white rice and the same in dried beans. What is the best way to store these staples and in what type containers, as they both come in bags from the store. What are these oxygen absorbers I read about on your site and where can they be purchased from. What is the easiest way to seal these containers . Should I use plastic or glass containers. Thanks for your help.
Howard
Howard, I think the answer to your question lies in the various comments found on this thread. Read them all, if you haven't already.
