Prepping Food Storage – Top 10 Foods to Stockpile
More than one group of experts are talking about increased risk of soaring food prices and economic instability. With recent droughts and other natural disasters around the world, our food production and delivery system is under a lot of of stress. If you can, I’d highly recommend stocking up on non-perishable food items.
Freeze Dried Meals
Valley Food Storage provides freeze dried food storage that is free of GMOs, MSG and fillers (unlike some other brands).
The food tastes like good quality prepackaged food – not overly salty or metallic. We’ve stocked up on some of meals as an easy to prepare option for emergencies such as a snowstorm or an extended power outage.
More Foods That Store Well Without Electricity
In addition to prepackaged meals, I also keep a stockpile of other foods that store well without electricity. Many food storage lists include large amounts of heavily processed food items because they are cheaper, readily available, and have amazing shelf lives.
This list is different because it includes living foods to provide probiotics and enzymes, which are critical to good health. It also features food that are more nutrient dense than standard packaged fare, as well as foods that enhance the flavor of bulk foods and those that can be used to preserve other foods to increase your storage even more.
So what are some of the best options for “real food” storage foods? Here are my top ten choices for foods that can be stored at room temperature for extended periods:
1. Lacto-fermented vegetables/ Home Preserved Products
Large containers of properly fermented vegetables can last for months, if not over a year, in cool conditions (for instance, an unheated basement or root cellar). Captain Cook used kraut on his ships to prevent scurvy, as did other sailors.
My mom talked about how they would preserve large crocks (15-20 gallons or more) of kraut from season to season. She said it would sometimes taste a little different but it was still good.
In my own experience, this past season I keep two one gallon crocks of kraut in my basement from October until May – seven months – and the quality was still acceptable at that time. The flavor was a little more tangy/bubbly than younger kraut.
At this point I repackaged it into smaller containers and put it in the fridge and freezer. Sauerkraut is very high in vitamin C, and is also a good source of vitamin K, which is often deficient in modern diets.
Home canned, dried or root cellared fruits, vegetables and other foods are not quite the nutritional powerhouses that lacto-fermented products are, but they are much easier to use for the bulk of a meal, or for an entire meal.
I’ve been working hard this season to preserve the bounty from the garden through canning and and drying, and will soon be filling the root cellar.
If you’re unfamiliar with home food preservation, I recommend checking out the post “New to Food Preserving – Start Here“. If you decide to purchase canned food items, make sure to buy from a reputable source.
You may also be interested in:
- Canning and Preserving Recipes – from salsa and marinara sauce to jams and jellies
- How to make Sauerkraut
- How to make kimchi
- Root Cellars 101
- Above Ground Root Cellars – Enjoy Your Local Produce Longer
This year we purchased a HarvestRight™ home freeze dryer, and it has dramatically increased our home food storage options. It can be used to preserve food that is fresh, frozen, cooked or fermented.
Most fermenting cultures are shipped freeze dried and then rehydrated, so I suspect live culture food would also retain its active cultures after rehydrating. You can learn more about the unit in the post, “Home Freeze Drying – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly“.
2. Live Culture Dairy
You can use a yogurt culture to culture powdered milk. While powdered milk is not ideal, it does store without refrigeration. Culturing makes the nutrients much more digestible.
Milk kefir is also an option for a drinkable product. Milk kefir grains can also be used to culture coconut milk, if they are are occasionally revitalized in milk. Kefir provides protein, minerals and B vitamins. Traditional hard cheeses (such as Parmesan) may also last for months in cool dry temps.
3. Whole grains
Whole grains (in general) have excellent shelf lives, much longer than milled flours. If you store unprocessed wheat, such as red hard wheat it will last longer but you need to be able to process it. Places like Emergency Essentials sell grains and grain mills (electric powered and hand powered).
If you keep a sourdough culture, you can use it to make many baked goods, not just bread, such as sourdough crackers. Again, using sourdough culturing makes the nutrients in the grain more available.
Grains can also be sprouted and used to make a simple essene bread, which is very filling and nutritious. Read about purchasing and storing bulk grains here.
4. Chia seeds
Chia seeds have a shelf life of 4 to 5 years for dried seeds. They have omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, fiber, B vitamins, calcium and protein. They can be used to make drinks and no-cook puddings, as well as adding nutrition to baked goods and smoothies.
5. Sprouting seeds
Sprouting seeds also have a great storage life, generally 2 years or more. They are generally high in vitamin C, and may also contain other antioxidants and essential nutrients. They also provide fresh, growing food in a hurry when it may be in short supply.
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Sprouting seeds are easy to use. You can grow them in handy sprouting kits, or in sprouting trays or even nylon stockings.
Mary Bell (in the Dehydrator Cookbook) suggests bringing sprouting seeds with you while camping. She says to soak them overnight in a bag of water, and then place them in a section of nylon sock attached to your backpack. Rinse daily, and in a few days you’ll have live, crunchy additions to your trail rations.
6. High Quality Saturated Fat
Coconut oil, lard and tallow will all keep for at least 12-18 months (most likely longer) in sealed, airtight containers kept in a cool area. Keep extra containers of oil that you use regularly, and use the oldest first (buy it on sale).
Your body needs healthy fats. Your brain is largely made up of fat, as is protective coating on your lungs, and many other critical body systems. Fats are energy dense, which is also critical during emergency situations.
My personal favorite coconut oil is Nutiva, which tastes like fresh coconut to me.
7. Dried Beans and Rice
Dried legumes/beans have a great shelf. They can be stored in just the plastic bags from the store, 10 to even 30 years if sealed in airtight containers with oxygen removed.
Dried beans and rice keep more than 1/2 the planet alive. Consider stockpiling some, buy a 25 or 50 pound bag and break it into smaller 1 pound to 5 pound mylar bags with oxygen and moisture absorbers. That way you open a smaller bag of what you will use in the short term. Don’t forget to label and date everything. Dried Beans and white rice have the longest shelf life. Brown rice and wild rice have much shorter shelf life.
Utah State University Cooperative Extension states: “Dry beans average about 22% protein in the seed, the highest protein content of any seed crop. They contain all essential amino acids, except methionine. Methionine can be obtained from corn, rice, or meat. Beans are an excellent source of fiber, starch, minerals and some vitamins.”
8. Real Salt
Unrefined salt has many trace minerals that are essential to health. In my experience, the unrefined salts (Real Salt, grey sea salt, pink salt, etc.) have a “saltier” more robust flavor, meaning you can use less to achieve the same result.
Buy 25 pound or 50 pound bags. Salt keeps forever.
Salt can also be used to preserve food (such as fermenting vegetables, above, and meats). Since ancient times, salt has been also used as a valuable trade commodity.
9. Bulk Spices, Herbs and Teas
Don’t underestimate the power of herbs and spices. As well as being high in antioxidants and anti-inflammatories, many of them have preservative properties as well. The New Agriculturalist explains:
“Cinnamon is just one of a large number of spices that have long been known to preserve food. Recent research has tried to find out exactly how effective the spice can be, over what time period, and in suppressing which bacteria.
At Kansas State University, microbiologists have been testing the effectiveness of cinnamon and other spices in eliminating one of the most virulent bacterial causes of food poisoning, E.coli type 0157.
Complications arising from the bacteria can include anemia and kidney problems, and a serious outbreak can lead to fatalities.
The Kansas researchers found that cinnamon added to apple juice that had been contaminated with E.coli, was able to kill 99.5% of the bacteria within three days, at room temperature.
They also did tests on meat and sausage, and found that cinnamon, cloves and garlic all had a powerful ability to stop the growth of the bacteria.
Other microbiologists in Tennessee have found that oils extracted from oregano, coriander and basil, also have strong anti-microbial properties.
In future we may see more natural preservatives supplementing the synthetic compounds currently in use.”
I store my spices and herbs in glass jars out of direct light. I buy in bulk, store a small amount in the cupboard and the rest in the bulk food storage.
Larger spices, such as cinnamon sticks or other “chunky” spices, can be vacuum sealed in mason jars to extend shelf life.
Under cool, dry conditions out of direct light, spices should have a shelf of two years. They can still be used after this time, but potency will diminish. Spices could also be used as a trade commodity.
10. Sweeteners, Including Refined White Sugar, Raw Sugar, Honey and Maple Syrup
I’m sure some foodies will cringe at the inclusion of white sugar, but it is less expensive than the other options and has a great shelf life (white sugar will last indefinitely if kept in a sealed container in a cool, dry location).
Buy 25 or 50 pound bags and divide up into mylar bags based on how you use it.
Sugar can be used as a preservative for fruits. It can be used to heal wounds (as can honey). More details on the sugar for wound healing here.
I use sugar to brew my kombucha, too. Raw sugar can store as well as regular sugar, but may be cost prohibitive for many.
Honey can store easily for over a year, possibly decades. Older honey may need to be warmed. Archeologist have found edible honey in tombs over 1000 years old.
To store honey, Honey.com states:
Processed honey should be stored between 64-75°F (18-24°C).1 Honey can be exposed to higher temperatures for brief periods; however, heat damage is cumulative so heat exposure should be limited. It is best to minimize temperature fluctuations and avoid storing honey near heat sources.
The recommended storage temperature for unprocessed honey is below 50°F (10°C). The ideal temperature for both unprocessed and processed honey is below 32°F (0°C). Cooler temperatures best preserve the aroma, flavor and color of unprocessed honey.
Maple syrup has the shortest shelf life – around one to two years in glass bottles without freezing or refrigeration.
There are many other food options, but these are my top choices for foods that store a long time without refrigeration.
In addition to food, water is critical. Learn more about water storage and water filtration in the post Emergency Water Storage – What You Need to Know.
What are your favorite storage foods? Have any tips you’d like to share? Please leave me a comment and let me know.
View all our preparedness posts, including:
- Emergency Cooking – 10 Ways to Have a Hot Meal When the Power Goes Out
- Preparedness – Summer Storms, Tornadoes and Hurricanes
- Emergency Power Options for Your Home
Originally published in 2011, updated 2021.