I'm wondering what sort of foods could be found at a common grocery store that would be great for long-term storage/extremely long life, if not lacking an expiration date all together.

I considered canned food, but I'm wondering if it is a good idea and/or if there are certain types I should avoid. Any suggestions?
Thanks guys.

Good question. Most can food lasts for a few years before they need to be thrown away. The only advise I can give you is when you buy up, check the expiration date.

A good buy is tuna. I noticed it lasts for a few years, has lots of protein and can be eaten straight out of the can. Hell, anything can be eaten out of the can. Just be careful not to buy to many condensed soup. You have to add water to make/cook it and if SHTF, water maybe hard to come by.

extreme long life... you want freeze dried.....

The date found on canned goods is the "Best By" date. What this basically means is that if you eat it on or before that date it will have the best flavor and the actually nutritional value will be what is listed on the can's nutritional content label. The nutritional value is said to degrade over time in canned goods. To what degree can vary from product to product and depending on the method in which it was stored. Ideally, you want to store them a cool(60-75 degrees), dry place with limited exposure to direct sunlight(especially important with home canned goods in glass jars).

Avoid storing dented cans or ones that have rust present. Before opening, ensure that the cans are not bulged/swollen. This is an indication of spoilage and/or botchulism is present. Store items that you normally eat on a regular basis and always rotate them so that you are using the oldest stuff first. I've eaten canned goods that were ten years past the "Best By" date on the can. It wasn't the best tasting stuff in the world(a little metallic) though.

100% non-pasteurized raw honey stores indefinitely. Rice, beans, pasta, oats, sugar and salt all store well too. The trick is the same for the most part...... cool, dry, dark place. The absolute best way to store this stuff is in an air tight, non-translucent containers with as much as the oxygen removed as possible. FDA approved 5&6 gallon buckets w/ gasketed lids and mylar bags are usually the most common container/packaging methods found. While there are several different methods for removing the O2 content such as; O2 absorbers, dry ice, nitrogen purging, etc., etc. I personally prefer the O2 absorbers as they are quick, easy and the safest to use.

If you are really serious about getting into and using food storage, I highly recommend as a starting point getting a copy of Marlene's Magic w/ Food Storage Book. ( http://beprepared.com/product.asp?pn=EB%20...hcd2=1229543043 )

Not only does she give you a list of easily attainable ingredients to store, she gives numerous recipes to use them in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. Here are a couple of really good sites for finding some excellent freeze dried veggies and fruit, wheat( a whole other subject of it's own), powdered eggs, powdered milk, powdered cheese and much more.

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/driedmilkandeggs.aspx < these folks have a $4.50 flat rate shipping regardless of quanity ordered which is awesome.

http://beprepared.com/quickshoplist.asp_Q_...me_E_Superpails < Shipping is as low as $6 and as high as $12(orders over $120), they offer pre-packed food in mylar w/ O2 absorbers in buckets w/ gasket lids. Pricing every thing out indivdually, these are pretty good deals. They have a wide assortment of other items as well.

I got a ton more links and info on this subject I can post up if folks are interested.

Wow man, thanks for all the info. I knew freeze-dried food was great but what the fellow up there mentioned is that water might not always be available and I'd like to plan for all circumstances. I know that a few drops of bleach in a gallon of regular water will make it last a heck of a lot longer.

I've actually been looking around for freeze dried food for a while - I can't seem to find it in any grocery stores around here unless I'm looking in the wrong sections - which I probably am. The only places I've ran across the stuff is in stores like REI, Gander Mountain and variosu other camping/hunting stores. It's all pretty expensive.

Rice and pasta are good ideas though, thanks. Foods that arent moist such as those - will they last long if left in the original packaging? Or do you think it'd be a good idea to re-pack them in something else.

If you have invested in large quantities of food then it would be best to spend the money to ensure that it is properly stored. Not only does oxygen aid in the breakdown of the nutritional content it also allows for bug eggs to hatch. All rice and grains have bugs in them. By removing the O2, you remove the possibility for them to survive. You can kill some of the eggs by freezing but it is not a 100% guarantee by itself. It is better to to do a couple hard freezes then repackage in and air tight container and using some method to remove the oxygen. Freezing if done improperly can introduce moisture which is obviously counter-productive.

When white rice has been exposed to O2 over prolonged periods of time it gets a yellowish color tint to it. While still edible at this point it will not have much in the way of nutrients. While it may be filling to eat, it will be little more than empty calories. From a survival standpoint this is really not good. Your burning precious calories digesting food that is not giving you a sufficient return. Brown rice does not store well at all. This is due to the fat content in it. Depending on the method in which it is stored it will start to go rancid within a year to year and a half.

How to tell if you rice supply has been hit by bugs...... first look for the bugs. Look for trails of them in, on and around you food supply. Another indicator is if you start finding hollow grains of rice. more to follow. gotta go tend to my kids.

My group has been using the emergency essentials website for years, they are extremely helpful and the most well stocked supplier of longterm storable foods. While canned foods are a good idea for basic supplies, freezed dried and dehydrated foods are the best way to go. You'll also find plenty of water storage items on the site, water should be your#1 priorty. So give emergency essentials a look, I'm sure you find what you need.

Canned beans are good all around. Try buying a bunch of different cans of soup and such and try sampling them right out of the can with a spoon or fork.

Comments about condensed soup are true however some soups like Campbells chicken noodle are fine eaten out of the can.

Another note is that anything saying "cream" or "creamy" will look and taste terrible much faster than others.

Wal-Mart carries Mountain House meals for $5-6 for a 2 serving entree. Be advised, a 2 serving entree is 1 serving by it self.

Canned foods... Have a few cans in the basement. I usually buy 1 or 2 extra cans of "whatever" when I am grocery shopping. Making an expanded pantry that is on hand for SHTF and everyday use as well... Just remember to rotate your cans. Oldest to the front. Going to start canning vegetables this summer. I wind up with to much wast from my garden every year. And, too much tomato sauce in the freezer taking up valuable meat room....

Pics to follow...

So how did that turn out for you?

You want honey, lots and lots of honey. But seriously see if you can ever find an expiration date on honey. I have yet to find one.