Forever foods: 9 cooking staples that can outlast you

[Chris_]

Forever foods: 9 cooking staples that can outlast you

Most weeks, you make a big grocery list and head to the store, prepared to buy loads of fresh food to make your family's meals. We often don't give a thought to stuff sitting in the kitchen cupboard or we automatically throw out anything that's been in there longer than we can remember.

But Janice Revell, co-founder of StillTasty.com, says "Look in your pantry and your cabinets and check whether the items really do need to go. You'll be shocked by what you really don't need to throw away."

So before you throw out that years-old sugar or replace that bottle of vanilla that's been gathering dust, consult this list of "forever foods." You may be surprised how many of your kitchen staples have a shelf life of decades — even after they've been opened.

Yahoo

This is the site referenced in the article: Still Tasty

[Boudicca]

Chris, not only can Twinkies and PopTarts survive indefinitely, it's my belief they, along with cockroaches, would be the sole survivors of a nuclear holocaust.

[BlueStateSaint]

Yahoo

This is the site referenced in the article: Still Tasty

When the article first came out, I printed it and added it to the "Survival/SHTF Binder" that I keep.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Chris, not only can Twinkies and PopTarts survive indefinitely, it's my belief they, along with cockroaches, would be the sole survivors of a nuclear holocaust.

Even better, the PopTarts would be warm!

 

[Celtic Rose]

So when the world collapses, we can live on rice, sugar and vinegar.

[Chris_]

It'll be like having Chinese take-out every night.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Still leaves a hole to be filled for fats and protein, but I guess that's where rats fit in to the circle of life.

 

[Boudicca]

Still leaves a hole to be filled for fats and protein, but I guess that's where rats fit in to the circle of life.

 

EEEEEEWWWWWWWW
I'll have another warm PopTart please.

[Evil_Conservative]

Poptarts?  I have six boxes, soon to be nine, once I get home from shopping today.  Guess I'll just fill up my whole pantry with Poptarts and tell the family that's what we're eating when shit really hits the fan.

[BlueStateSaint]

Poptarts?  I have six boxes, soon to be nine, once I get home from shopping today.  Guess I'll just fill up my whole pantry with Poptarts and tell the family that's what we're eating when shit really hits the fan.

Make sure that you piss off that young socialist in Wisconsin and include lots of noodles.  Ramen, if possible.

[Thor]

I've had pinto beans that  were three or four years old. They cooked up just fine. Store in a cool dry place and some stuff will last a lot longer than they're saying.

[Celtic Rose]

It'll be like having Chinese take-out every night.

Sweet and Sour Squirrel!

[Boudicca]

Sweet and Sour Squirrel!

OH, so THAT'S the famous mystery meat.  Here I thought it was dog.
Nevermind, that's Korean restaurant fare.  Or was it cat?

SHIT, I need to go do a fur baby head count now.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Rat, squirrel...not really that much difference besides the tail.

[vesta111]

Yahoo

This is the site referenced in the article: Still Tasty

Here I am falling asleep as I was up half the night checking into how to dehydrate EGGS.   

What did I find????

I found that people are so worried about emergency situations they are not depending on electricity to there freezers, they are putting out how to survive films teaching everyone how to dehydrate just about anything one can imagine to feed their family's when TSHTF.

What really bothered me is the number of people that believe we need to do this NOW. Thousands of sites put out by religious and non religious folk that are getting ready to hunker down.

I got into this as I do remember a few shipping strikes that led to grocery stores being cleaned out of meat and canned goods in the 1970, The Unions were going to teach us a lesson and did they ever.


Why are we doing this hording food at this time that if nothing happens we will not need.-----Shelf life for some of this stuff is 10-30 years, if we are not around in the future, someone in our family  may thank God we had the fore sight to feed them in the future. 

I dd find 50 or so Company's that sell dried foods that are a complete rip off.  Their biggest rip off was the cost for dried beans and rice that will last many years and if bought in bags at the grocery store cost 1/4 of the cost of their products.  Vaccum seal the suckers and they will last may more years then their products.

What I cannot find is how to dehydrate meats that have all ready been cooked.  Food safety when it comes to chicken and pork, hamburger etc is a question.   So the freeze dried form of cooked meat  foods is not so palatable, when one is hungry, who gives a flying freak about the seasoning , just eat the damn stuff.

BTW, I found over 2 dozen videos on how to dehydrate fresh eggs, I will give this a try when Eggs go on sale.  Any one know how to dehydrate Hot dogs??

[Celtic Rose]

Here I am falling asleep as I was up half the night checking into how to dehydrate EGGS.   

What did I find????

I found that people are so worried about emergency situations they are not depending on electricity to there freezers, they are putting out how to survive films teaching everyone how to dehydrate just about anything one can imagine to feed their family's when TSHTF.

What really bothered me is the number of people that believe we need to do this NOW. Thousands of sites put out by religious and non religious folk that are getting ready to hunker down.

I got into this as I do remember a few shipping strikes that led to grocery stores being cleaned out of meat and canned goods in the 1970, The Unions were going to teach us a lesson and did they ever.


Why are we doing this hording food at this time that if nothing happens we will not need.-----Shelf life for some of this stuff is 10-30 years, if we are not around in the future, someone in our family  may thank God we had the fore sight to feed them in the future. 

I dd find 50 or so Company's that sell dried foods that are a complete rip off.  Their biggest rip off was the cost for dried beans and rice that will last many years and if bought in bags at the grocery store cost 1/4 of the cost of their products.  Vaccum seal the suckers and they will last may more years then their products.

What I cannot find is how to dehydrate meats that have all ready been cooked.  Food safety when it comes to chicken and pork, hamburger etc is a question.   So the freeze dried form of cooked meat  foods is not so palatable, when one is hungry, who gives a flying freak about the seasoning , just eat the damn stuff.

BTW, I found over 2 dozen videos on how to dehydrate fresh eggs, I will give this a try when Eggs go on sale.  Any one know how to dehydrate Hot dogs??

Canning cooked meat might be an easier, and more palatable option than dehydrating it. 

[LC EFA]

...

I found that people are so worried about emergency situations they are not depending on electricity to there freezers, they are putting out how to survive films teaching everyone how to dehydrate just about anything one can imagine to feed their family's when TSHTF.

You think there's going to be electricity for any meaningful period come a SHTF situation ?

What really bothered me is the number of people that believe we need to do this NOW. Thousands of sites put out by religious and non religious folk that are getting ready to hunker down.

I got into this as I do remember a few shipping strikes that led to grocery stores being cleaned out of meat and canned goods in the 1970, The Unions were going to teach us a lesson and did they ever.

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

Why are we doing this hording food at this time that if nothing happens we will not need.-----Shelf life for some of this stuff is 10-30 years, if we are not around in the future, someone in our family  may thank God we had the fore sight to feed them in the future.

It's kinda hard to prepare for an emergency situation after the fact.

I dd find 50 or so Company's that sell dried foods that are a complete rip off.  Their biggest rip off was the cost for dried beans and rice that will last many years and if bought in bags at the grocery store cost 1/4 of the cost of their products.  Vaccum seal the suckers and they will last may more years then their products.

No shit. That's why you purchase in bulk and preserve / store using your own devices.

What I cannot find is how to dehydrate meats that have all ready been cooked.  Food safety when it comes to chicken and pork, hamburger etc is a question.   So the freeze dried form of cooked meat  foods is not so palatable, when one is hungry, who gives a flying freak about the seasoning , just eat the damn stuff.

BTW, I found over 2 dozen videos on how to dehydrate fresh eggs, I will give this a try when Eggs go on sale.  Any one know how to dehydrate Hot dogs??

What kind of ****in moron wants to preserve meat that has been cooked, and doesn't already have the ability to pressure can or freeze dry.

[vesta111]

You think there's going to be electricity for any meaningful period come a SHTF situation ?

Proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

It's kinda hard to prepare for an emergency situation after the fact.

No shit. That's why you purchase in bulk and preserve / store using your own devices.

What kind of ****in moron wants to preserve meat that has been cooked, and doesn't already have the ability to pressure can or freeze dry.

I guess I am the moron here.   

If I can dehydrate raw meat, why not semi or full cooked food.  Can one dehydrate Kielbasa when it goes on sale, or hot dogs at $.80 cents for 12.??

Is it the fat content that screws stuff up, ?

Just a question from a moron that is just learning the art.

[BlueStateSaint]

I guess I am the moron here.   

If I can dehydrate raw meat, why not semi or full cooked food.  Can one dehydrate Kielbasa when it goes on sale, or hot dogs at $.80 cents for 12.??

Is it the fat content that screws stuff up, ?

Just a question from a moron that is just learning the art.

Must . . . resist . . . urge . . . 

[vesta111]

Must . . . resist . . . urge . . . 

I finally found the how to preserve cooked meat and what an eyefull I received. Things sure have changed in the meat industry in the last 20 years due to food poisoning.

Every site warns about drying raw meat.   Cook it first on a temp high enough to kill most bacteria, then season the meat and dry it.  Chicken, turkey, wild game, hamburger and Buffalo meat, eggs from chicken, ducks or geese cook first then dry.   

[Thor]

I finally found the how to preserve cooked meat and what an eyefull I received. Things sure have changed in the meat industry in the last 20 years due to food poisoning.

Every site warns about drying raw meat.   Cook it first on a temp high enough to kill most bacteria, then season the meat and dry it.  Chicken, turkey, wild game, hamburger and Buffalo meat, eggs from chicken, ducks or geese cook first then dry.   

That's because we have a bunch of apathetic wetbacks working in our meat packing or poultry plants any more. It USED to be that meat packers took their job seriously.

[Chris_]

That's because we have a bunch of apathetic wetbacks working in our meat packing or poultry plants any more. It USED to be that meat packers took their job seriously.

I don't think it's a racial issue at all.

The processing plants are a lot different than they used to be. We have a Tyson's plant in the town where I live and you can smell the stench for blocks. These places are nasty.

BTW, the people who work there are U.S. citizens. But I wouldn't wish that job on anybody.

[Chris_]

There's a Tyson plant in the town where I live and you can smell the stench for blocks. I hardly think that's because of undocumented workers. In fact, I don't know of any working there. It's just a big, nasty place trying to turn a quick buck.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I don't think it's a racial issue at all.

The processing plants are a lot different than they used to be. We have a Tyson's plant in the town where I live and you can smell the stench for blocks. These places are nasty.

BTW, the people who work there are U.S. citizens. But I wouldn't wish that job on anybody.

"Citizen" is a race?  My, my, the strange things one learns on the internet.

[Chris_]

"Citizen" is a race?  My, my, the strange things one learns on the internet.

They don't call ya DumbAss Tanker for nothing, do they?