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When stockpiling food for emergencies, it's a good idea to focus on basic ingredients. It's cheaper, you'll be able to cook a variety of meals, and many ingredients have an incredibly long shelf life. In fact, some cooking ingredients can last for decades if you store them properly.
But how exactly should you store them? First, you want to make sure they're in a cool, dark, dry location such as a pantry, cabinet, or closet. You'll also need to repackage some of them or add extra packaging. A good option is Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. You could also vacuum-seal them in plastic bags.
Whichever bag you choose, you want to put them into a five-gallon bucket with Gamma seal lids. This will make them airtight. Another airtight option is vacuum-sealing them inside mason jars. Just make sure the jars are covered with something that keeps out any light. Also, make sure you label anything you've sealed with the contents and the date it was stored.
Even with all these precautions, it's possible that some of your food will go bad even if you take all of these precautions. If an ingredient is past its expiration date, you need to check it carefully to make sure it's safe to eat. Look for any changes in color, smell, texture, or moisture. Any of these could indicate your food is no longer safe to eat.
Now that we've gotten all the disclaimers out of the way, let's get on to our list of 23 cooking ingredients that can last for decades.
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1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar can be used to make sauces, dressing, marinades, or to make pickles. But the great thing about apple cider vinegar is all of its health benefits and other uses. It can treat all sorts of common ailments, making it very valuable in a disaster-scenario where OTC medications are hard to find.
Be sure to get the kind with the “mother” and store it in a glass jar.
2. Bouillon Cubes
Bouillon cubes are a must-have so you can make tasty soups, broths, and gravies with very little effort. A great way to store these is by packing them into mason jars and sucking out all the air with a vacuum-sealer.
3. Cornstarch
Cornstarch works as a thickening agent for soups, sauces, and gravies, but it's also useful for making fried foods or desserts like pies and pudding. This is best sealed up in a Mylar bag with oxygen absorbers.
4. Corn Syrup
If you have a sweet tooth, corn syrup is great for making candy and desserts such pies and ice cream. The reason for the long shelf life is its high sugar content. Because of that, it should last a long time in the bottle it came in, but make sure it's a glass bottle as plastic can degrade over time.
5. Dried Beans
Beans are a great source of protein and can be used in soups, stews, chili, pasta, casseroles, burritos, and much more. I recommend storing them in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers, then putting those into five-gallon buckets with Gamma seal lids.
6. Dried Herbs & Spices
It's incredible how many preppers forget to store herbs and spices. You definitely want these so you're not eating boring, bland meals during a crisis.
The best way to make these last is by storing them in airtight containers such as mason jars. You can use a vacuum sealer, or you could just add an oxygen absorber before closing it up.
7. Dried Lentils
While dried beans require presoaking, lentils can cook very quickly. They're rich in protein and nutrients, and they can be used in all sorts of dishes such as soups, stews, and casseroles. Store them in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.
8. Dried Pasta
Pasta is a fantastic option for your food stockpile because it's more affordable than most survival foods, it's filling, and it can be used in all sorts of dishes, from spaghetti to macaroni and cheese.
I recommend vacuum-sealing pasta in plastic bags. Just make sure the bags are sturdy if the pasta has any sharp points or ridges.
9. Dried Peas
One of my favorite childhood dinners was split pea soup with cornbread, which is why I've stockpiled a bunch of dried split peas. They are one of the most affordable foods, pound for pound, and if you don't want to make split pea soup, there are plenty of other ways to use them.
Store them in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers or vacuum-sealed mason jars.
10. Flour
I don't have to tell you the importance of having flour on hand. There are countless recipes where it's a crucial ingredient, especially when baking things like bread. The best way to store large amounts of flour is in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers inside five-gallon buckets with Gamma seal lids.
11. Ghee
Ghee is clarified butter in which the water and milk solids have been removed, leaving almost pure fat, which has a very long shelf life. Since butter can't be stored long-term, ghee is a great alternative. The best way to store it is inside an airtight mason jar.
12. Instant Coffee
Most people wouldn't think of instant coffee as an ingredient, but it certainly can be. You can use it to make tiramisu, mocha-frosting, or coffee-flavored cakes and brownies. Or you can just make some coffee, which can be very comforting during hard times.
I recommend storing it in a vacuum-sealed mason jar.
13. Liquor
Liquor such as rum and bourbon is used in various soups, stews, sauces, and desserts. It doesn't need any special storage methods. As long as it's in a glass bottle, it should last indefinitely.
14. Maple Syrup
Maple syrup isn't just for pancakes; it can be used to make glazes, dessert sauces, salad dressings, or as a substitute for sugar in baking recipes. As long as it's in a glass jar, it should easily keep for decades thanks to its high sugar content.
15. Oats
Oats are nutritious and very filling. Most people use it to make oatmeal, but it can also be a substitute for bread crumbs or crushed crackers in almost any recipe. And let's not forget about oatmeal cookies.
Oats are best stored in large Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and kept inside a five-gallon bucket with a Gamma seal lid.
16. Powdered Milk
Since you can't store milk long term, you'll need to store powdered milk. You can mix it with water to make a glass of milk, which won't taste great, but it works perfectly in recipes that call for milk.
Unfortunately, it doesn't last quite as long as the other ingredients on this list, even in airtight bags and containers—probably about a decade. However, it can last up to two decades if it's stored in nitrogen-packed cans.
17. Raw Honey
Most people have heard the story of archaeologists who found 3000-year-old honey inside the Egyptian pyramids and were amazed to find that it's still edible. Well, it's true. And not only does honey last indefinitely, it has antibacterial properties that make it useful in natural medicine.
Plus, it makes a great sweetener and sugar substitute in recipes. Store honey in a glass jar. Over time, it will crystallize, but all you have to do is warm it up before using it.
18. Salt
Salt is important in practically every recipe, so I don't need to explain why it's important to have it on hand. Technically, salt is just tiny rocks that will last indefinitely. Your biggest danger when storing salt is moisture, so be sure it's in an airtight container such as a mason jar.
19. Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is most commonly used in stir-fried meals, but it's also used in certain soups, marinades, and dipping sauces. Because of its high-sodium content, the shelf life is indefinite, but make sure it's in a glass bottle.
20. Sugar
If you have a sweet tooth, be sure to stockpile lots of sugar. It naturally has an indefinite shelf-life thanks to its low moisture content, which means you'll need to keep it dry. I recommend large Mylar bags, and be sure its in a dry location.
21. Vinegar
Vinegar is mainly used for picking, but it's also an essential ingredient in various dressing and marinades. One great bonus about vinegar is that it can also be used for cleaning things around the house. Even more so when you combine it with baking soda.
Be sure to store it in a glass jar in a cool, dark location.
22. Wheat Berries
Wheat berries are usually ground into flour using a grain mill, but you don't have to grind them. You can use them in soups, stews, pilafs, and more. I recommend grinding them just a little bit and making cracked wheat cereal.
Store wheat berries in large Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and keep them in five-gallon buckets with Gamma seal lids.
23. White Rice
One of the most popular survival foods of all time, and for good reason. Rice has an incredibly shelf life, it's easy to prepare, it's very filling, and it's useful in countless recipes. However, be sure it's white rice and not brown rice, which only lasts about six months.
I recommend storing white rice in large Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers and putting them in five-gallon buckets with Gamma seal lids.
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