Times are crazy. It’s pretty smart to learn about foods to hoard. Having a stockpile of foods and even non-food items can help in times like these.
I know things are tough right now. We’ve had a health crisis, shipping crisis, financial crisis, inflation on gas and food, and a housing crisis.
Jesus said these things would happen, He said it long ago in the Bible. In Matthew 24:6-7, it says the beginning of sorrows are filled with wars and rumours of wars, pestilence and famine.
If He said it before that means He knew it would happen. Some things must take place in order for the end to come. In this we rejoice that our savior comes for us.
Just a little reminder for my brothers and sisters in Christ to call out to Him when you are in need. If you are hungry He will feed you. He is the good shepherd who takes good care of his sheep. Psalm 23. Cast all of your worries on Him.
Foods To Hoard List
I want to be clear…I don’t support going into a store and buying all the rice, toilet paper, etc…Other people need supplies too. Hoarding food is best done over a long period of time. However, if you aren’t prepared yet and are feeling the stress, I understand and I have some tips!
If you’re just starting out… and don’t have any long-term food storage, I suggest you buy a 50 lb. bag of rice. I buy them at Costco for about $17 and some change. You can also buy quinoa, dry black beans, flour, and sugar from Costco in bulk. Buying in bulk is a great way to get a quick food supply without making the store run out of food. Plus, their prices are pretty fair for most products.
If you can’t buy from Costco, you can buy on Amazon. Some of the items will be more expensive though. It’s important that you store your long term foods properly. I’ve been doing this for years, so I have some more information about storage at the bottom of this post.
Suggested shelf life varies with products, brands, packaging and more. I’ve linked to a couple of resources, at the bottom of this post, that have varying suggestions.
I’ve written down some possible shelf life estimates with most of these items, but you should make your own conclusion for the health and safety of you and your family.
Foods That Naturally Have A Long Shelf Life
All Shelf Lives listed are for opened products. Once you open the product the life decreases dramatically.
Food Name
- Raw Honey
- Granulated Sugar
- Blackstrap Molasses
- Iodized Salt
- White Rice
- Dry Beans
- Lentils
- Pasta
- Distilled White Vinegar
- Nonfat Dry Milk
- Quick Rolled Oats
- Steel Cut Oats
- Quick Grits
- Instant Coffee
Estimated Shelf Life
- Indefinitely
- 2 years
- 10 years
- Indefinitely
- 30 Years
- 25-30 years
- 25-30 Years
- 20-30 Years
- Indefinitely
- 20 Years
- 30 Years
- 30 Years
- 30 years
- 20 years
Foods To Make Yourself
- Pemmican (check out the Field and Stream recipe)
- Hardtack (See the American Table’s Recipe)
- Dehydrated Foods – Like Jerky, dried fruit, dried veggies, herbs, and more!
- Home Canned Foods
Dry Goods List Of Foods To Hoard
There are many food items that we eat often that are actually dried, which helps keep them preserved. Items such as rice, beans, etc…
Typically, quick or instant foods have been dehydrated to a high degree than its counterparts; These items usually last longer as a result of lower moisture content found in the food. So, I suggest buying quick grits, quick oats, instant coffee, instant mash, etc…
Food Name
- Ramen Noodles
- Ramen Noodle Cups
- Baking Soda
- Chicken Flavor Bouillon
- Beef Bone Broth Powder
- Beef Bouillon
- Instant Potato Flakes
- White Flour
- Powdered Drink Mix
- Quinoa
- Corn Starch
- Vegetable Stew Blend
- Dried Corn
- Powdered Peanut Butter
- Butter Powder
- Cheese Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Baking Powder
Estimated Shelf Life
- 1 Year
- 1 year
- 3 Years
- 10 years
- 2 Years
- 2 years
- 5-20 Years
- 1 Year
- 3 Years
- 2-3 Years
- Indefinitely
- 25 Years
- 8-10 Years
- 10 Years
- 10 Years
- 10 Years
- 3 Years
- 18 Months
Note: Brown sugar, whole wheat flour, brown rice, these all have shorter lives because of their moisture content is typically higher. These items are not on the list of foods to hoard because of this.
Pickled Foods To Hoard
Many pickle products can last 1-2 years opened or unopened! However, once opened they should be eaten or placed in the fridge.
There may be a couple of fermented foods that you can store for up to a year. Most fermented foods have limited shelf lives. I keep fermented garlic for up to a year. Sauerkraut and kimchi may last for 6 months to a year.
Liquid Foods To Hoard…
Liquids are quite often overlooked when it comes to storing emergency food supplies. However, there are many items that you may be surprised that keep for long periods of time, especially when unopened.
Liquor will last indefinitely but wine and beer will not. So keep that in mind. Liquor can be a great bartering item and it can also help you make herbal medicines (like my calendula tincture) and even preserve food from your garden.
Food Name
- Bottled Water
- Soy Sauce
- Worcestershire
- Maple Syrup
- Hot Sauce
- Vanilla Extract
- Almond Extract
- Vinegar
- Liquor
Estimated Shelf Life
- 2 Years
- 2-3 Years
- 3-4 Years
- Indefinitely
- 2 Years
- Indefinitely
- Indefinitely
- Indefinitely
- Indefinitely
Solid/Semi-Solid Foods To Hoard
There are some products such as whole coffee beans, peanut butter, popcorn, etc…That falls into the category of solid food or semi-solid. Many of these items aren’t going to have a long shelf life. Such as whole coffee beans have about a 1-year shelf-life. I’m still working on adding to this list of solids.
Food Name
- Peanut Butter
- Whole Coffee Beans
- Ghee
- Cereal
- Popcorn Kernels
- Hard Candy
Estimated Shelf Life
- 1 Year
- 1 Year
- 1 Year
- 6-8 Months
- 2-5 Years
- 1 Year
Canned Foods To Hoard
Canned foods are great non-perishable foods that should be in every pantry! However, they don’t come without concerns
Botulism is nearly invisible. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it, and just a sip of it can be deadly! Home-canned food items and low acidic canned items are most likely to contain botulism.
Here are my tips: Don’t buy dented, leaking, or bulging cans. Home Canning: Use a pressure canner, NOT a water bath canner to can low acidic foods. Check out what The CDC has to say for more info on botulism!
Canned Food List
When you're shopping for canned foods to include in your long term food supply, I want you to buy only foods that you and your family will actually eat.
Buy favorite foods, like soup, beans, veggies, and even fruit that can help you make delicious meals, like mushroom soup or cheese soup...
Canned Soups
Below you will find a few canned soups to stock up on. This list is basically just an idea list of things you could buy. Obviously, there are probably 100's of soups and brands to choose from. So I can only include so many.
Chicken with Rice Soup - 12pk
Chicken and rice soup is a popular food to have on hand.
Tomato Soup - 12pk
Don't forget to stock up on saltine crackers too!
Chicken Vegetable Soup - 12pk
I've never heard of this flavor and I've never tried it. I found it on Amazon. Sounds good though. I mean I like fresh soup way more than canned, but I'll eat canned soup sometimes.
Vegetarian Vegetable Soup -12pk
Vegetarian vegetable soup is really good and perfect for those who don't eat much meat.
Vegetable Beef Soup -12pk
This is another popular soup people like to keep stocked.
Noodle Soup
Obviously, this isn't canned, however, I wanted to include it in the soup section. This is a favorite soup to eat when we are sick.
Cream of Mushroom Soup - 12pk
Mushroom soup can be used to make casseroles or other meals. It's a good idea to stock up on these in case we don't have fresh mushrooms or milk.
Fiesta Nacho Cheese Soup
This could be good on crackers, chips, or even veggies. They also have a regular cheese soup but this one is more fun.
Canned Vegetables & Fruit
I like to keep a healthy amount of canned vegetables. There are so many to choose from, try to choose only the vegetables that you'll actually eat! I'm also including a couple of fruits to stock up on.
Canned Tomatoes
I consider canned tomatoes one of the more important canned food items, because you can make so many things with a delicious red sauce, am I right?
I urge you to not only buy diced tomatoes, but tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste.
Also! Buy some tomato powder! You can make sauces with it, and it has a 25-year shelf life!
Extra Long Asparagus Spears - 12pk
I'm not a fan, but if you love asparagus you should get a case of them!
Canned Kimchi - 4pk
Keep your flora healthy and add some fermented foods to your food hoard.
Green Beans - 12pk
I really like green beans they are very versatile.
Canned Sweet Peas - 12pk
Peas go good in meals. They will go well with instant mash too.
Dole Pineapple Chunks
Don't forget to add a few fruits to your food hoard!
Mixed Tropical Fruit - 12pk
Mixed fruit will make a good breakfast item along with oatmeal.
Canned Meat
Having canned meat is a good idea. There may come a time when we can't hunt or aren't victorious on a hunt...
Canned Chicken
If you have a big family, these large cans are nice to have. I've tried this brand and it was pretty good for canned meat.
Taco Meat - 6pk
I don't know about you but I would love to have tacos when SHTF!
Corned Beef Hash - 8pk
One of my favorite canned meats! So good, and it will go well with instant mash and a veggie of your choice.
Spam - 12pk
We love spam, although it has gotten very expensive for a canned meat!
Chicken Breast - 6pk
Sometimes Costco will have sale on their canned chicken and I try to buy when it's on sale!
Beef Chili with Beans -12pk
Don't forget the chili! You can pair chili with saltine crackers.
Roast Beef - 4pk
I haven't tried canned roast beef. It's a bit expensive if you ask me.
Vienna Sausage - 6pk
My kids love these stupid things.
Canned Beef
Here's more of these Keystone meats. I believe they make a ground beef can too, but I always have trouble finding it. It must be popular.
Ground Beef
I found it! However, this one can is super expensive! You won't believe how expensive it really is! That's way out of my price range.
Canned Turkey
You could add this to meals, soups, or stews.
Canned Seafood
Keeping fish in your diet is important. If you don't live near a waterway, you may want to buy some canned seafood.
Tuna in Water - 48pk
Add a few spices and your good to eat with some saltines!
Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon - 12pk
Yum! We love making salmon patties! That would be a delicacy in SHTF times.
Natural Smoked Baby Clams - 12pk
I don't eat these but I know a couple of people who do, so I'm including it.
Wild Sardines - 12pk
Again I don't like them but I know some do. Don't buy them if you don't like them...
Random Canned Food Items
Stuff like canned bread, cheese, and butter don't really fall into a category.
Brown Bread - 12pk
Mm, bread!
Canned Butter - 24pk
- Real butter from new Zealand-100%
- No artificial colors or flavors
Bega Cheese - 36pk
- A Real Canned Cheese From Australia
- 100% Pure
- No Artificial Colors or Flavors
Canned Gouda Cheese - 3pk
I'm also including this Gouda canned cheese because there aren't many canned cheese to choose from.
Emergency ration army survival
Don’t Forget To Store Water!
It’s not a food item, but it is extremely important for survival. Check out my post about keeping a Backup Water Supply.
MRE’s & Freeze-Dried Food
Freeze-dried foods typically can last from 25-30 years. These are some of the most expensive survival foods on the market. I’ll just list a few, so you can get some ideas on what to buy. I suggest you invest in some of these.
- Freeze-Dried Meat – You can buy beef, chicken, and even turkey.
- Freeze-Dried Complete Meals – Seek out brands like Mountain House. Their meals are great and so are the people working at the company!
- MRE’s – Designed for the military. “Meals-Ready-To-Eat” are super expensive but they come with a heater to heat the food wherever you are.
- Emergency Ration Bars – These bars contain all the caloric intake you’ll need hopefully with a few nutrients to help you get through some hard times.
- Freeze-Dried Cheese and Butter – I put these on the dry goods list too, because they are must haves.
- Powdered eggs – I’m weird and love powdered eggs. Pair these with the powdered butter! P.S. Mountain House egg with bacon…Mm delicious!
- Freeze-Dried Veggies – We use these in my camp soup recipe! It really makes a soup taste divine!
How To Package Foods To Hoard
- Use mylar bags to store loose items such as rice, pasta, cornmeal etc…
- Add desiccant packs to the mylar bags to help keep moisture down.
- Use a heat press bag sealer to seal mylar bags, and try to squeeze most of the air out of the bag before sealing!
- Use food grade 5 gallon buckets. Store the mylar bags in the buckets, and add more desiccant bags to the buckets.
Tips For Storing Food Long Term
- Temperature – Whenever possible try to store most foods around 75ºF or below.
- Light – Light can remove nutrients in food, and decrease their shelf-stable properties. Keep most food items away from light if possible.
- Moisture – Yet another enemy. Moisture from the air can completely ruin some foods. Storing them in an airtight container is great. Even better if you add desiccant packs and vacuum pack them in mylar bags.
- Pest Issues – Rodents and insects can be a huge problem when storing food. Keep your food storage area, neat and clean. Check your stash often for moths, weevils, holes, etc… Throw out any exposed foods.
FIFO Or First In First Out
Fifo or First in First Out is very important when it comes to hoarding foods. The oldest food must get eaten first. This will help avoid having expired foods in your stockpile.
When you add more to your stockpile make sure the newest items go to the back of the shelf or the bottom of the bucket. That way it’s not right on top and easiest to grab and eat before the older food items.
I’d love To Know what you think!… Leave me a comment!
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Resources:
- [1] Albrecht, J. (n.d.). Food Storage. [online] Extensionpublications.unl.edu. Available at: http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/ec446.pdf [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].
- [2] In.gov. (n.d.). Cupboard Storage Chart. [online] Available at: https://www.in.gov/fssa/files/CupboardStorageChart.pdf [Accessed 4 Mar. 2019].
- [3] Fisher, L. and Medeiros, L. (n.d.). Pantry Food Storage. [online] Ohioline.osu.edu. Available at: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-5401 [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].
- [4] Anon, (n.d.). Food Storage Chart – Food Storage Guidelines – eXtension. [online] Available at: https://articles.extension.org/sites/default/files/w/8/8e/Food_Storage_Chart.pdf [Accessed 2019].
- [5] Bjcp.org. (n.d.). Shelf Life and Stability of Honey. [online] Available at: https://www.bjcp.org/mead/shelf.pdf [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].
- [6] Dulles South Food Pantry. (n.d.). Shelf Life Food Safety Guidelines – Dulles South Food …. [online] Available at: https://dsfp.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Food-Safety-Guidelines.pdf [Accessed 2019].
- (7)https://extension.usu.edu/foodstorage/howdoi/white_rice
- (8) http://www.eatbydate.com/other/baking/how-long-does-cornstarch-last-shelf-life/
- (9) https://www.foodsafety.gov/keep-food-safe/foodkeeper-app
- (10) https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/facpub/39/
- (11) https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-5401
- https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/What-is-the-shelf-life-of-baking-soda
- https://www.doesitgobad.com/does-hot-sauce-go-bad/
AMAZING! Thank you so much. This is by far the best list ever. 😊
You’re very welcome and thanks so much!
This is a great list, packed full of great ideas of food to keep in long term storage! thank you!
You’re welcome!