Advice on food to stock and forget about
Posted by preparedbassfisher@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 70 comments
I didn’t search but I wanted to ask about updated options. I have one month of food I’m rotating and have a storage container that’s empty that I’d like to stock with “store and forget” foods. I’m thinking freeze dried rice and beans, mre’s, etc. something I can buy as an “oh shit we ran out of our month supply“. I don’t have the space to add more rotating food and this would go under a bed and be forgotten about.
Uncle_Biltmore@reddit
Freeze dried meals. Beans you like. Rice. Salt. I purposely stashed jars of peanut butter, (single ingredient kind) to be tested at a later date. Ten years later it had only separated….mixed back together in small food processor with a pinch of salt and it tasted fine.
Iartdaily@reddit
It doesn’t go rancid? I’m shocked actually.
Uncle_Biltmore@reddit
Me too. Looked fine, smelled fine upon first opening. Brand was Krema, ingredients only peanuts. Jars were plastic, stored from purchase simply in a bucket with gamma lid in cool/dry basement.
Iartdaily@reddit
I will store some. I am familiar with the brand. I assume the oil was on top. Another question- if it was rancid, are there health implications from eating?
Necessary-Film7832@reddit
Do you know how long it will last after it's opened? And thank you for telling me about this peanut butter.
Aggressive_Wrangler7@reddit
Honestly, this. I’m not good at rotating my pantry and finally decided to invest in Mountain House meals. They last 30 years and are strictly for emergencies.
chrs_89@reddit
I am currently thinking about adding textured vegetable protein to my preps. The girlfriend had to have some pretty drastic dietary changes recently and that was something I wasn’t expecting to like. A cup of the protein crumbles, a cup of water and a bouillon cube and you have something very similar to ground beef or ground chicken. I made chili using it for my carnivore dad and he couldn’t tell it wasn’t real meat
BigButtBeads@reddit
Is that just soy?
chrs_89@reddit
Yes I believe it is. The stuff I have has a mild nutty taste when completely unseasoned.
BigButtBeads@reddit
I dont eat soy myself
It's allegedly an endocrine disruptor. Some studies say yes some say no. It can mimic estrogen
chrs_89@reddit
This just sent me down a fun little rabbit hole looking at a few interesting scientific papers. Apparently hummus, alfalfa and other various beans also have the same compounds. Thankfully I don’t think I could voluntarily eat enough of it to make any sort of difference in my hormone levels
BigButtBeads@reddit
Its in Subway deli meat and a bunch of stuff. Protein bars as well
Necessary-Film7832@reddit
Most eat really crappy food!
AudreyML3@reddit
I bought 25 pounds recently for this very reason. I started cooking with it to get used to it and it’s surprising how much I’ve used already.
chicagotodetroit@reddit
From where? I was thinking of getting some.
AudreyML3@reddit
bulkfoods.com
chicagotodetroit@reddit
thanks!
Crazy_Raven_Lady@reddit
I bought a giant bag of tvp 6 years ago and I’m still using it. It’s a great prep. I hydrate it and use it for taco meat, put it in soup and chili, and make “chicken” pot pie with it. I’ve even made some fake chicken nuggets by mixing hydrated tvp with bisquick and some broth, forming into little patties, covering it with crushed cornflakes, seasoning, and baking til crispy.
pcsweeney@reddit
Everyone forgets about wheat berries. You can get a grinder fairly cheap and make your own flour. The unground wheat can last for 25+ years if stored properly. Don’t store flour, it spoils.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
Yes! For anyone interested... wheat berries do not need to be ground into flour. If I'm ever having a break into my wheatberries… I don't think that I'll be very interested in grinding it for use.
Just like barley, wheat grain can be tossed into soups and stews whole. It's also easy to sprout on trays, inside, and once sprouted it provides a ready source of vitamin C, which is often lacking or low in long-term storage foods and is a great resource in a situation where growing fresh foods is difficult or somebody needs to hunker down inside for a while.
Necessary-Film7832@reddit
Where do you get your wheat berries please?
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
Thank you for this. I don't eat much bread and have just skipped most of the flour stuffs but this sounds so multipurpose and perfect
MindfulGardening@reddit
It me! Thanks, need to look into this :)
CJLenz_Author@reddit
Freeze dried coffee. You'll be a legend in the neighborhood years after the power goes out. Haha
Classic_Bathroom9856@reddit
Hi
mommaquilter-ab@reddit
Instead of food, think about stuff like toiletries or dry items. Toilet paper, shampoo, conditioner, laundry soap, baking soda, borax, dish soap, salt, oxy clean, toothpaste, your razors, hair spray, garbage bags, body soap, etc etc etc. If it's going under a bed to be a "stocked and forgot" item, these things can be stored indefinately. And the prices on these things are going up just like everything else, and shortages will start being seen on them too. If you use it, and can buy it to store, then anything you put aside for the future is a good idea.
If you really just want to store food, you can stock up on boullion cubes - they can last a loooooong time. If you vaccuum seal them in a mason jar, even longer. Some spices - take a look at what you use in a year or two, and buy an extra one for your stores. If you eat them, dried mushrooms keep a long time, and you could powder some off to make into an umami bomb to put into anything savory - again, vaccuum seal it off (maybe put half in your pantry, half in storage). Really, any dehydrated vegetable or fruit will work for your stores. Properly stored freeze dried foods can be bought too. But only buy what you would use on a normal basis - if you hate beans, don't store them. If you love onions, buy more.
Be aware though, if this is a in an apartment or house, the "under the bed" storage option may not be optimal for food items. If you are sleeping in there, it may not be the best temperature or humidity. I've heard horror stories about people losing their entire stash because of the poor temperature controls that under bed storage offers. Any food items should, at the very least, be put into plastic bins. Mason jars, sealed with a vaccuum pump is better, but fragile.
ChocolateOk7997@reddit
Mason jars, sealed with a vacuum pump? Please do tell about this. I'd really like to know.
mountainsformiles@reddit
pump
This is one type that you can use to vacuum seal mason jars.
You can also buy vacuum sealers for bags that also come with an attachment for jars. Or you can buy the attachment separately if it doesn't come with it.
Mason Jar Vacuum Sealer, Jar Sealer and Accessory Hose for Foodsaver, Food Storage Vacuum Sealer Jar Attachment Kit with Lid Opener for Wide-Mouth & Regular-Mouth Mason Jar https://a.co/d/0hZvUTI1
Very good tools that I use often!
preparedbassfisher@reddit (OP)
Thanks for the comment. Learn how to read and stay on topic next time. This was useless
preppers-ModTeam@reddit
Your comment has been removed for being excessively hostile.
Current-Code@reddit
Rice, dried beans, dried peas, dried, pasta, flour, dried nuts of varied sorts, cans,...
No need to get fancy.
Honestly I've ate year old of all those items, as long as they were kept dry and away from pests, you couldn't tell the difference.
I'd throw some spices into that forgotten storage, and some salt. Nothing worse than eating blend food for weeks I believe.
I had the bad surprise to discover once that my stocked was infected with a bug (I think it's weevil in english), and though they are 100% edible, they ate a shitload of my food, they dig through the packaging, they were everywhere. Plastic is nothing to this pest.
One sure way to get rid of them is to freeze your food 48 hours before long term storage, it kills them and their eggs.
Didn't bother personally, but I do check my stock more often now, as they can be already present in the store.
Imagirl48@reddit
My freezer space is extremely limited, so I use food grade diatomaceous earth mixed in with flour, grains, etc. Then pack in Mylar bags and vacuum seal.
Efficient_Wing3172@reddit
Rice and beans is a good start. However, if you don’t make rice and beans regularly, understand what it takes to make it, etc. It’s easy, but does require water and energy to make. Make sure you tolerate the beans well, etc. Lentils could be a good alternative. Just don’t store it and completely forget it, you do want to make it occasionally to know what you have and what’s needed to make it.
Ok-Philosopher-5139@reddit
white rice and lentils is pretty good...
Radiant_Device_6706@reddit
I would imagine you already have rice and beans. I stock up on a lot of canned tuna and salmon. I've seen salmon have 5 plus year shelf life. Mountain house is great, but it requires hydration. Canned fish you can eat right from the can.
CurrentDay969@reddit
I have little kids. They aren't picky and are pretty adventurous eaters. But our go to meals are an easy tuna salad pack with crackers or salmon pack with crackers. They love dried fruit. And they devour rice beans and oatmeal. We have some pastas but tinned fish is awesome to keep on hand.
lr99999@reddit
Walmart chicken cans and Costco chicken cans are both good. Mixing up the tuna with chicken reduces mercury intake.
Godsbladed@reddit
The chicken cans go good in a pot of ramen or some soup you can make a decent chicken noodle with better than bouillon, canned chicken and some noodles
Soff10@reddit
Canned chicken, freeze dried veggie mix, canned beans, and maybe some back up utensils or opener.
DEADFLY6@reddit
Food dehydrator and vacuum sealer. Dehydrate near expired canned vegetables and vacuum seal em. They last 5 more years that way. Ive been eating 6 year old bananas lately.
8Deer-JaguarClaw@reddit
Interesting idea. How long does that take, on average? I'm imagining a can of carrots would take forever because they have been soaking in water for several years.
DEADFLY6@reddit
Put em in the dehydrator and check them after 24 hours. It dont take as long as you might expect. Also, rinse all the canned water off before you dehydrate. BTW, you cant over dehydrate anything. Just make sure youre ready to vacuum seal em immediately after theyre done dehydrating.
lr99999@reddit
Tip: Frozen fruit and veg is an already blanched for dehydrating. That saves work, big bags are reasonably priced, and you really can’t tell the difference.
fenuxjde@reddit
The local farm market near me bags up and sells huge grocery bags of unsold fresh fruit and veggies for $1 at the end of the day.
6lbs of dehydrated mango for $1, as my dehydrator runs on solar power, was a steal.
WhereDidAllTheSnowGo@reddit
Fastest, easiest, safest, cheapest (if you include your time), mouse-proof (10# can), boxed/stacking, dry, well-researched, quality, 30-year, LTS food is from LDS. Low-cost shipping. Stores open to the public… but limited hours. After finishing your Deep Pantry go to https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage. After that, freeze-dried and other in #10 cans, on sale, in bulk.
generogue@reddit
This is the kind of thing that the kits from Mountain House are great for. 25+ year shelf life, taste decent, and don’t take a ton of water to prepare.
symplton@reddit
If you're a frugal prepper, I've had really good success with the Bear Valley meals when they're on sale - we throw them in mylar and then the bigger buckets - pulled a 7 year old brocolli cheddar out last week for dinner during a storm and it was delicious. Also, if you have an ALDI, their 3-bean chili is as good if not better than MH (when stored properly) IMHO. Happy prepping!
preparedbassfisher@reddit (OP)
brother this Aldi 3 bean chili is pretty good. how do you store it im gonna pick up some more
symplton@reddit
Throw whole bag with fresh sealed 1/2 lb freeze dried ground beef , icy absorber, vac n seal til needed!
lr99999@reddit
Curious if anybody around here has ever opened those after 10 or 15 years?
Unlikely_Ad_9861@reddit
Yup, I know someone bought a couple pallets of mountain house for an emergency one-year supply for his family. Bought it and can forget about it.
joelnicity@reddit
The only problem with the big kits, like 3 months or one year, is how much white rice they stuff in there
Conscious-Tip-119@reddit
Agreed. With a reported 30 year shelf life, they're pretty "set and forget." Only downside is price, so look for them on sale.
Casiarius@reddit
Do you have a yard? There are plants you can grow that will produce food every year with minimal maintenance. Having some fresh vegetables never hurts even if you do have a container full of freeze-dried meals and dry beans. Root crops in particular require little maintenance and many of them are available year-round.
SyntheticDude42@reddit
I recently bought a bunch of #10 cans of rice, beans, and quick oats off the LDS store. They're not picky on who buys off them, and shipping is astonishingly cheap. Shelf life of 20+ years
Old_Dragonfruit6952@reddit
Whole spices and salt . Rice and Beans . All are shelf stable for years.
smsff2@reddit
The only food with a truly indefinite shelf life that I’ve been able to find is canned corned beef. I also make my own jars of corned beef soup, chicken soup, and other foods. However, jars typically have relatively thin lids that can rust through; once the lid is compromised, the contents are compromised as well.
One workaround is to use a double lid with a layer of oil in between. The top lid may rust and need replacement every few decades, but the bottom lid can remain intact.
As for rice and beans, if they’re stored properly to prevent pest infestation, the container can end up costing more than the contents. I’m aware of one effective method: I store rice in a metal trash can, and then place that metal can inside a plastic trash can to protect it from the elements, since metal can rust. Another option is to store rice in Mylar bags inside plastic bins. However, mice can chew through these materials, so that risk remains.
I’ve lost my entire stash to pest infestations multiple times in my life. Plastic also deteriorates over time—especially under ultraviolet radiation—and eventually becomes brittle.
iambecomesoil@reddit
My rice and beans and such go in mylar into buckets.
9volts@reddit
Vacuum sealed bags of flour. Chuck in some satchets of dry yeast with them and you're good.
Fluffy_Efficiency623@reddit
Protein pancake powder maybe? Powders always seem to last forever, and pancakes could be a nice change up from rice and beans.
Arlieth@reddit
Freeze them first or risk weevils.
SunLillyFairy@reddit
How much do you want to store? 3 days? A week? A month? More?
I'm asking because I think your storage strategy and ideal foods change depending on your time goals, and also if it's something you plan to take if you had to evacuate. You said "a container" so I'm thinking like 5 gallons? Like a few days? Or by container did you mean a storage unit or area you want to fill?
If you let me know I'll provide further suggestions.
Many-Health-1673@reddit
The cheapest options for extreme long term storage are high in calorie content per lb. Wheat berries, rice, lentils, pinto beans, etc. Dry food does much better with long term storage.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Definitely erring on the side of longer term PACKING methods is the right way to go versus just assuming you will always be 100% good on always rotating short term foods on time.
It gives you a leeway knowing that your properly packed LTS foods have a rotation window in the DECADES not in months or even years.
Ryan_e3p@reddit
Don't need to freeze dry rice or beans. You also need to consider the prep for any foods you store. Rice and beans will need cooking (and for beans, potentially an overnight soaking). I recommend using the wiki on the righthand side.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Definitely do not need to freeze rice or beans if properly purchased and then packed.
I think MAYBE what he was trying to say was "freeze dried" rice and beans?
Routine_Mortgage_499@reddit
Pemican is the only thing I store forever. I'm in the tropics and all grains get buggy no matter what.
No_Albatross7213@reddit
Canned broth, vegetables, fruit and meat. Canned foods should last like 3-5 years. Also make sure you stock up on herbs and spices.
BoxProud4675@reddit
I like those HDR’s. ( humanitarian daily rations) Are a good value, high calorie meal. Sportsman’sGuide is selling newly manufactured ones now.
Conscious-Tip-119@reddit
Properly stored rice and properly stored beans (consider something that cooks up fast like lentils) could be great. Add bullion (or at least salt) and a long-shelf life fat like coconut oil, and you have something basic and affordable. If you're worried about cook time, consider pre-soaking or even adding a pressure cooker to your setup.