[flw]

In addition to bottled water, salt,dried rice and beans, what other foods are available at a typical grocery store that has a long shelf life?

Also how long do typical canned foods last from date of canning ? Not best served by but still safe by ?

[quake]

Longest-lasting is probably what you list, frankly. Rice, beans, etc. Pasta and canned goods are also very good for shelf-life considerations. Worst candidates are things with oils (nuts, bottles of cooking oil, etc) as the oil tends to turn rancid. No way to prevent that that I know of; and it can only be moderately mitigated even in ideal storage conditions.

Canned stuff can be literally years past its marked date. Tuna, canned hams, canned things in general. I was on my own last night (wife is babysitting a family member who just had their gall bladder out at 94), so for dinner I grabbed a can of chili (wolf or hormel; not sure) that 'expired' last year. I've eaten canned hams 3-4 years past their 'use by' dates. This isn't unique to me, many others here have done likewise. Some things will eventually get mushy (fruits, vegetable soups, etc), but in good conditions that takes quite a while past the 'use by' date, and even then it's still safe & healthy for quite a while afterward.

Storage conditions are the biggest factor in shelf life. We keep our 'pantry' between 45-65 degrees and also keep the humidity in there down at 35%; at low as the dehumidifier will go. And in those conditions we're able to keep even things like boxed breakfast cereal fresh-tasting for over a year; do it all the time.

[par4buffett]

Twinkies, don't forget Twinkies... shelf life is in star dates...

Isn't canned stuff generally good as long as it's still vacuum sealed? I had a can of cream corn "explode" in the pantry once... : )

[Donn57]

If you're squeamish about eating canned foods after the "expiration" date, the best foods at the grocery store (besides what you mentioned) are going to be canned meats. You can usually find these with an expiration date of three years or so. Not much else in the grocery store is going to be any better.

Of course, if you're willing to ignore the expiration date, almost anything in a can should be edible for years beyond the expiration date. The nutritional value and consistency may not be what it was when fresher, but it will sure beat starving.

[dukeblue91]

From a grocery store buying point the canned goods are the way to go.
But thanks to the internet buying freeze-dried and dehydrated foods is very simple and relatively affordable.
But there are other things you should think about too, like spices, honey and sauces and the list goes on.
Most anything powdered will last quite a long time.
The trick is to buy what you consume now so that you can rotate your stock on a regular basis and don't have to worry about out of date stuff till the SHTF.
Do not look past the little things we take for branded now like coffee, teas, paper towels, toilet paper and if you drink a few bottles of the stuff that you like.
This will make it so much better then just eating beans and rice.

[SFCSMITH(RET)]

Canned goods..

I ate green beans and corn from cans last night that were bought in '97. tasted just like they did then.

We did mac n cheese w/ vienna sausages today for lunch, M&C was "best by" Apr of 10, VC's in '09. Cooked/tasted fine. Salsa was fresh, but i would think it would keep as long as the packaging holds up.. tomato products being very hard on cans and jar lids..

Canned goods last a L O N G time if the can is intact.

BTW, I have been quite surprised since finding "prepper communities" on-line, at how many people are squeamish about canned goods in general, and canned meats in particular. A couple years ago I had canned venison that my grand father had shot and meema canned. They both died in '97. I honestly don't remember what was the last year he hunted, but probably '94. I didn't die. My father still has a few jars of theirs.

[Carry16]

Every so often, when people are discussing food longevity, I just have to relate this story. When my father died I found a jar of bread and butter pickles in his fridge that his mother, my grandmother, canned 50 (that's FIFTY) years prior. We opened and ate the whole jar, and the pickle slices were actually still crispy. My grandmother really knew how to can.

[Deputydave]

Good ole fashioned oat meal!

[boone10]

Your post reminded me--I haven't seen a "swollen" can in many years. Seems like I used to see them a lot more as a kid. Makes me wonder if commercial canning methods are even better than they were 30 years ago.

[DustyJacket]

Google is your friend. I remember a page with that info. Here are a couple:

Pretty extensive:
http://www.stilltasty.com/

Less extensive but easy to use:
http://frugalliving.about.com/od/sto...ntry-Foods.htm

I've eaten c-rations older than I was (in my younger days).
I've eaten some pretty old canned chili and canned meats.

[Syclone538]

YooHoo
do lot triumph tphcm ao chip do dung cho be vay cong so chan vay cong so nu chup anh cho be o ha noi

[waawaaweenie]

Originally Posted by Carry16

Every so often, when people are discussing food longevity, I just have to relate this story. When my father died I found a jar of bread and butter pickles in his fridge that his mother, my grandmother, canned 50 (that's FIFTY) years prior. We opened and ate the whole jar, and the pickle slices were actually still crispy. My grandmother really knew how to can.

I can't believe his fridge has lasted that long

[Carry16]

His fridge didn't. He lived in several places after my grandmother died.

Originally Posted by waawaaweenie

I can't believe his fridge has lasted that long

[JBL13]

I don't know if there's anything special about how Hormel cans foods, but I've been focusing a lot on buying their canned meats. One of the reasons can be found here, right on their website: http://www.hormelfoods.com/About/FAQs/FAQs (scroll down to "Products - Pantry").

[Aceman]

I would not blink at 5 years past the date. But hopefully by rotating, that is never an issue, unless you have accumulated more than 5 years of canned goods!

[ClydeG19]

Honey ftw.


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[pugman]

Canned goods from subs sunk during WW2 have been found to have no harmful bacteria in them when opened.

Granted its a cold environment; but the canned goods held up to the pressure.

I've drank beer which sat in a Wisconsin unheated garage for three years. The beer definitely had a metallic taste and it tasted like crap (then again, does Miller taste good even when fresh?) but I didn't get sick at all. However, I only had one.

Canned goods will last a very long time.

[SFCSMITH(RET)]

Here is the deal.

If canned properly, no matter what the food, all the bacteria is DEAD. No new bacteria will magically appear to ruin the food. It is a SEALED environment. If the container is not breached, and the food was properly canned, the contents are edible. Tasty? maybe not. As full of nutrients as when fresh? maybe not. Edible? yes.

Use your brain.

Is the can undamaged, not leaking ? Is the can swollen? Upon opening do the contents seem ok? don't stink..? well, no more than when they were canned? No fuzz? no green/pink/grey growth etc?

The answers to these questions determine if it's edible or not. Not the date on the bottom of the package.

[inzone]

CRISCO supposedly is just about forever..... not the healthiest cooking oil, but it has an extraordinary shelf life....
Mac and cheese in the boxes has a very long life, white rice, honey, salt, sugar, soy sauce, ramen noodles, pasta, bullion cubes, pre packaged Kool-aid mix, beans/dried, canned meats, canned fruit, anything canned, hard salami, hard cheese sealed in wax,

hardtack (you can make it in your oven). pinole (do a google search).... cornstarch, most spices, oatmeal, raisins, penaut butter is not too bad for a few years, I stored some white flour with dessicants and o2 absorbers, etc and it lasted fine for twenty years....although the experts say otherwise....

dont forget PLENT of matches, svae your jars, all your plastic bottles andf fill them up with matches, bullion cubes, salt, sugar, honey, etc etc......

[USMC61]

SPAM

As an aside, I read once that more Spam is consumed in Hawaii than any other state.

[FireForged]

Originally Posted by USMC61

SPAM

As an aside, I read once that more Spam is consumed in Hawaii than any other state.

and second place goes to Indian Reservations (according to the all knowing internet)

[humanguerrilla]

Originally Posted by USMC61

SPAM

As an aside, I read once that more Spam is consumed in Hawaii than any other state.

BK and Mickey D's serve spam in Hawaii and several really nice restaurants have Spam dishes. There are some delicious, very mean SPAM sandwiches.

I'm weird. I love potted meats and a lot of canned stuff that sophisticated folks turn their noses up at.

[Stevekozak]

Originally Posted by humanguerrilla

I love potted meats and a lot of canned stuff that sophisticated folks turn their noses up at.

There's peckers in that there! UmmHmmm!!

[Snaps]

I think Ramen lasts pretty much forever

[Jon K]

I heard on a radio talk show, (so take it for what it is worth) That on many items the best by date is there not because the food is bad on that date, rather that the manufacturer believes that after that date the food tastes will be degraded below what they want their brand associated with.