What type of food lasts the longest

In general, canned meats last the longest, followed by vegetables, fish, beans, rice, broth, soup, and lastly, canned fruits. This article will explore the shelf life of canned foods, provide you with tips on proper ways to store them, and discuss the signs that they have gone bad.

Also, keep in mind to buy in variety to avoid appetite fatigue and nutrient deficiency. The following are the best canned foods that can last on your shelves for a long time and contain a variety of nutrients that are vital for survival during a SHTF situation:.

Consider the these brands:. In general, canned meat has a higher salt content compared to other canned food. Hence, it can last longer on your shelf. So, you should experiment to know which ones your family will likes the most. When deciding which canned meat to store, you should also consider its other ingredients, such as sauces and sugar.

Additional sauces in it will shorten its shelf life. Likewise, a high sugar content will result in faster quality degradation.

Most canned meat contain preservatives. But, it may not be healthiest choice if one intends to survive with canned meat alone for a prolonged time. Those animals tend to have leaner muscles compared with animals that consumed artificial feeds. Also, look for low-fat canned meat. Fat is necessary to keep a well-rounded diet, but canned meat is not exactly the healthiest source of it.

Most canned vegetables are preserved through pickling alone without other artificial chemicals, making them more natural and safer.

Often, they are canned without additional sauces so they can last longer. Canned vegetables are a must-have for any prepper. They are rich in minerals, vitamins, and fibers essential in maintaining a complete nutritional profile even during an SHTF situation. Raw and fresh vegetables are obviously more nutritious than canned vegetables, but they tend to perish faster.

Despite having a lower nutritional value, canned vegetables can last on your shelf for several years. Also, they are easier to prepare and eat during emergencies.

The following are great canned vegetables that can provide you with the essential nutrients that your body needs to function properly during an SHTF situation:. Beans are an excellent source of proteins, calories, fiber, and carbohydrates. In particular, navy beans, kidney beans, and black beans are great options. Baked beans have low sodium but high protein content. However, it is not the case for canned beans. Salt source of sodium is necessary to preserve canned goods, including beans.

Therefore, canned beans have up to 10 times sodium content relative to baked beans. You can rinse off about half the sodium content by washing the canned beans. But, by doing so, you are also washing off some of the nutrients in it. Canned beans, as previously mentioned, contain a fair amount of salt, allowing them to last longer on your shelf. The following are canned beans and legumes packed with vitamins and nutrients vital for survival:.

Canned fish is one of the healthiest types of canned foods out there, as most of it contain a high percentage of Omega-3 fatty acids that help lower the risk of heart problems. Other than that, canned fish may also have additional nutrients depending on the type of fish and particular ingredients included: such as fishbones, oils, fat, and sauces.

Fish caught in the wild is healthier and more nutritious than fish cultured in farms. Wild fish have more developed muscles since they lived in unlimited space, unlike farmed fish that lived in narrow pens. Wild fish lived by eating natural food, while farmed fish consumed artificial feeds, making canned wild fish healthier. Canned fish with fishbones is better. Fishbones are a great source of calcium, and they are small enough not to cause ingestion problems. The main factors are oxygen, light, heat, humidity, bacteria including mold , and insects or rodents.

The best advice I have heard for food preservations is to create an environment that is inhospitable to bacteria by removing the presence of oxygen and moisture. Most likely, the shelf life of those products will be significantly less than a product which contains less moisture. The simplest way to extend the life of your food is to keep it away from light, heat, moisture and oxygen.

Typically this is in a pantry or basement where temperatures remain stable year-long. One more tip is to rotate your food as you eat it. If you want to prepare your own dehydrated fruits, vegetables and other treats, look into purchasing Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.

I made a checklist of the long-term survival foods I discussed above. You are welcome to print it out and share it with your friends. This checklist can serve as a shopping list, as well as a reminder of how long certain kitchen staples will last and when you should rotate them. My recommendation is to mark your food on the front with a permanent marker. Write the date at least the month and year that the item should be rotated and always use older food first. I hope this blog helps you determine which are the best survival foods for your family to keep for long-term storage.

The list above is written with the consideration that the food discussed is in its original packaging and unopened.

Of course, anything that has been opened and exposed to fluctuating temperatures will have a much shorter shelf life. If you have shelf stable food that is still safe to eat but you no longer want it, donate it to your local pantry rather than throwing it away.

You can always bless someone in need! What about if your basement is warmer from your furnace? Also if your basement floods during heavy rain. Is that too much moisture to keep food if it is in a Rubbermaid container On shelves?

Can anything be added to the Rubbermaid container for extra moisture protection? Best, Nadia. How do you determine what size oxygen eliminator to use? For instance, how much to put in a 5 gallon can of rice? How is the amount of oxygen eliminator determined when packing food for a long shelf life? An excellent article, thank you. I considered re-stocking on MREs but after reading this I can come up with a blended meal package.

Stay safe. I just want to stockpile food for extreme emergencies so I am considering MREs. Are there alternatives that you can recommend? Great job! Good luck to all!! Second question I want to use 5 gallon buckets do they have to be food grade or can they be regular buckets. Third question For the powder goods is it better to use smaller mylar bags then using a 5-gallon mylar bag I think it might be safer in the long run what do you think. Really appreciate the tips on food storage and long life foods, air tight containers ordered, secure cool dry place set up, time to start and build my supply room, cheers,.

Would we be able to get a list for the calories of the food, like just the rang for what they are or should be? Thank you. Whether you re preparing for the zombie apocalypse or you re an urban prepper preparing for an emergency, you re going to need ways to collect and purify water.

The survival gear below, therefore, will likely be stockpiled by all types of survivalists and preppers alike. Definitely, I agree!! What do you mean by survival gear below? Were you intending to send a link? I love this. God bless you. I want to know more and learn more. I would be happy if I can come over to your country and be learn all this in full as an agriculturist and food suppliers. Well its good to know that my unopened bottles of hard liquor have an unlimited shelf life.

I was worried there for a minute! Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Get the survival food list. You will receive the download link in your inbox. By submitting your name and email, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy. We will never send you spam or sell your email. Survival foods that have the longest shelf life. How does food processing change the shelf life of food?

What causes faster food spoilage? How to store food for maximum shelf life? Print out the list! In Conclusion. Did I miss anything? Try to store them in a cool, dark place and take note if it's starting to get soft or leaking — once that's happened or if you notice mold it's time to throw it out. If you couldn't find a good reason to eat beets before, now you have one: They last a long time when stored properly in the refrigerator. They will start to get soft pretty quickly if you leave the green tops intact, so be sure to remove those as soon as you get home from the grocery store.

The tops are edible, but they're only good for a few days. The roots, on the other hand, will maintain their firmness from one to three months if you place them in a plastic bag and put them in a high-humidity crisper drawer.

Don't wash them first; that will add moisture to the bag and speed up spoilage. From there, there are tons of ways to enjoy beets for months on end. Peel and shred the roots and eat them raw in salads and coleslaw. Better yet, roast them in the oven to soften their texture and coax out their sweet flavor. If you need to extend their life even further, don't be afraid to make pickled beets.

Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that have gotten a bad rap over the years. So many of us grew up with boiled-to-death Brussels sprouts that tasted sulfury and mushy. Luckily, Brussels sprouts have gotten a makeover in the last few years, and it's surprisingly easy to roast or fry them so they're crispy and wonderful. But first, you have to store them correctly to extend their shelf life beyond a week. Brussels sprouts will last longer the colder they're stored.

At storage temperatures close to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, they can last as long as five weeks. Considering that most of us don't have a root cellar, it's safe to assume your Brussels sprouts can live for up to two weeks.

It's best to put them in a clean plastic bag and keep them in the crisper drawer. If they happened to come on the stalk, leave them on and only pick off the ones you plan to eat. You'll want to keep them as dry as possible, too, so refrain from washing them until you're ready to cook.

You might have seen rutabagas also called swede at the grocery store and never pulled the trigger on purchasing this strange vegetable. They're a member of the Brassica family like broccoli and cauliflower , and they're actually a hybrid cross between turnips and cabbage. They have a sweet, potato-like flavor , so feel free to use them as a potato substitute for dishes like mashed rutabaga, shepherd's pie, soups, or stews. Another good reason to give rutabaga a chance is its shelf life.

When stored in a high-humidity crisper bin in the refrigerator, these roots can last for up to four months. They have the best chance at lasting a long time if you store them in a clean plastic bag , and be sure to keep them as dry as possible. Don't peel them ahead of time, either. The skin provides moisture protection for the flesh inside, and peeling them in advance will cause them to dry out. Believe it or not, there is a big difference between sweet potatoes and yams.

For starters, yams are closely related to lilies and grasses, while sweet potatoes are in the morning glory family. In case you were wondering, neither is technically a potato, which is part of the nightshade family. But, the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA doesn't regulate food labeling for sweet potatoes and yams, so you may not know which you're buying at the grocery store. Luckily, they both store the same, so it doesn't matter which one you bring home.

When it comes to maximizing storage of sweet potatoes and yams, you'll want to keep them out of the refrigerator. They do well in a cool, dark place, and storing them in brown paper bags can optimize storage time. It's also best to keep them away from other vegetables.

Onions in particular are a bad storage companion, as they release gases that can cause the sweet potatoes to sprout and rot. If you do everything right, your sweet potatoes and yams can last as long as four to six months. Believe it or not, before kale became a superfood in , the biggest buyers of this cruciferous vegetable didn't serve it in their meals.

It was used as decoration to line salad bars and food displays! Today, kale is as trendy as it gets, and it's used as a secret ingredient in tons of recipes from pesto to cake. If you're addicted to adding kale to your morning smoothie, don't fret. It can last longer in the refrigerator than you'd think.

The biggest problem with storing greens for long periods of time is that they can go limp. To keep your kale crisp and fresh, make sure to keep the leaves dry. That means saving the washing part for just before you use them. Place the unwashed leaves in a large container and cover them with a damp paper towel.

Store the covered container in the coldest part of the refrigerator and change out the paper towel every few days to keep the leaves hydrated. The kale should be in good shape for up to two weeks. There are already a lot of Brassica vegetables on this list, and we're about to add two more: Broccoli and cauliflower.