Shelf life of Canned and dried food

[Myrrph]

found this on a Singaporean Forum and thought it might be relevant.

Not sure if anyone else has shared it but here you go.

http://www.grandpappy.info/hshelff.htm

 

[Gazrok]

Nice articles. I've read similar ones before, but this main article should mention that the key is to listen for the tell-tale "whoosh" when opening the can, to ensure it was fully sealed the whole time. There are numerous other safety measures used by canning companies, to best to look for them, and make sure the can is still fully sealed before trying the contents years and years later. Even then, the taste may be way off, so may or not be palatable, even if it is completely safe.

 

[Myrrph]

thats true. We could probably compile a bunch and put it here

 

[jimLE]

i didnt read it all.and i didnt click on any of the links in that...but i sure did like what i did read.and found it inresting

 

[Myrrph]

Finally we're in the right thread! haha.

Yeah, I didn't read it all either but the article was too good NOT to share!

 

[jimLE]

i gotta read more of it.who knows,it might tell me a thing or 2 when it comes to what i need to know

 

[Myrrph]

i am just wondering, whether it would be good to build a foundation of dried foodstuff like rice, oats and pinto beans with maybe 2 months of canned food and supplement with hunting and foraging. Would that help to last a family of 4 6 months or more ?

 

[jimLE]

i do plan on canning such dry foods my self as well..so yes i do believe it's a all around great and best idea to go with.especially seeing how you'll have more variety of foods to eat.stocking up on wet and dry foods for the longest time possible is a great idea.be it 6 months,or 5 years.if not some where in between..on acount,chances are.they'll probally be times when a person can't do any gardening and or canning..

 

[Myrrph]

hmmm.. i'm looking at these home vacuum seal machines. I'll look into it and post about it once I can. They're pricey machines. They cost like 300 bucks SGD each and the vacuum seal plastics are 100 bucks a basket. But if they can extend the life span for rice for 30 years. I really wouldn't mind.

 

[jimLE]

oh another thing to think about..will any one of us be able to get any of these foods.vacuum sealed bags,canning jars etc etc 20-30 years from now?..i believe we wont be able to.or they'll either be extremely pricey compared to now.or very scarce

 

[Gazrok]

i am just wondering, whether it would be good to build a foundation of dried foodstuff like rice, oats and pinto beans with maybe 2 months of canned food and supplement with hunting and foraging. Would that help to last a family of 4 6 months or more ?

First, I'd recommend stocking up on things you eat now, if at all possible. You don't want to have to deal with a big change in diet, especially if kids are involved.

Second, different foods store best in different ways. For example, for fruits, home canning is best (both for duration, and for taste). Canned fruits will last, but will taste off way before they would in home canning jars.

Dry foods, in mylar bags, in food grade buckets with gamma seal lids:
Rice, Beans, Mashed Potato Flakes, and types of Pasta, Sugar, Salt, Flour, are also good

Canned foods:
Sauces, Soups, Veggies, Meats

Home canned:
Veggies, Fruits, Meats

 

[Myrrph]

thanks Gaz.

Problem is, I have to import mylar bags and food grade buckets with gamma seal lids.

I am surveying my surroundings to see what I can work with. Rice and oats in vacuum sealed bags with food grade silica gel is a really tempting option.

 

[Gazrok]

Well, that's just the ideal...any fully sealable, sanitary container will do. The mylar bags are recommended, and will keep it longer, but you'll still get a long time without using them.

 

[getnready]

Hey Myrrph, have you checked with your local bakeries and resturaunts to see if they have food grade buckets and lids you could have or buy real cheap? I would also check with local churches or food kitchens that feed elderly and poor.

 

[Myrrph]

hi. the issue really is that we don't have a culture of using them buckets.

I've seen smaller, litre big food containers but not the big ones. We have pails though but without lids

 

[Swen_in_ca]

Most preppers like to store dried goods the commercial way, food grade buckets, Mylar, and O2 containers.

Mylar in my opinion, will only help keep them fresh longer. But with a 15 plus shelf life what's a they really aren't going to be fresh when you open them. I personally think that some preppers put way too much effort into it. I use a food grade bucket and O2 absorbers. I've had this argument with many fellow preppers and they quote the loss of vitamin/nutrition for the reason to overdo it. I feel that the loss of 5% nutritional value is more than acceptable, I'm looking for a full belly mostly.

The use of O2 absorbers is to remove the oxygen and create an environment that bugs can't grow. This is a necessary item if trying to store stuff for 10 plus years. Especially rice and flour which is a prime environment for bugs. BTW, do not use O2 removers with salt and sugar, unless you have a rock hammer to break it apart afterwards.

Dried goods like beans and pasta will last a while (3 to 5 years) with nothing special except an air tight container. In fact I remember eating 8 year old pasta from a mason jar once, and really there was no difference.

I have used 2 and 3 liter soda bottles washed and dried really well to store many items. I then stuff two O2 absorbers in there and I am good to go.

Flour is different altogether. I sealed 5 gallon pails myself, but I also purchased Augason Farms pails through Costco. Flour is risky at times due to all the bug eggs in flour just waiting to hatch. I have been opening some of my home packed pails and it really isn't that fresh anymore, so I wanted to make sure I had some for real long term storage.

Anyways, this is just the tip of the iceberg in regards to my experience with LTS (Long term Storage), feel free to be more specific and probably should be on a thread of it's own.

As mentioned in a previous post rice and beans are the most affordable way to put a lot of calories into storage. But however, that is just a start. I cringe when people tell me that they have 50 pounds of beans, 50 pounds of rice and 25 pounds of flour and are good to go for a few months. The only thing I can say to that is, food fatigue and nutrient deficiencies.

Then there's canned goods. I'll post my info on this later.

 

[Myrrph]

yes. food fatigue is one of the issues I'm worried about but rice and beans are staples. the veges and fish or chicken and rabbit will serve as the differentiating factors when it comes to tastes.

The missus is a picky eater and likes to have different food for different days. planning for meals with her is challenging.

 

[DannyboyDS]

I dip my cans in wax, when I say "my cans" that's store bought stuff. Then as i get enough they go into a plastic sealed container with a share of other supplies and get buried under the house, planning on bugging in, If I have to bug out, well I'll just have to scurry under there once in a while and grab a container and go.

 

[Gazrok]

Personally, I'm a bigger fan of multiple, smaller containers. That way, if there's a breach, less product loss. Also, when you do crack it open, less that will then go bad quicker.

 

[nubria]

I got a food saver from Wal marts for 79.00 2200 model with the jar canning sealer on it. Wide mouth sealer 10 bucks so with tax about 100 bucks. Plus jars at 10 bucks a dozen for quarts.