Prepper tip: Rolled oats can be ground into flour in a pinch.

“Rolled oats are a prepper’s favorite food,” says Martin. They can last virtually forever, are easy to prepare, and can serve as a whole meal with some raisins and nuts. Oats that aren’t stored correctly can quickly go off, so be sure containers are tightly sealed to keep pantry pests out!

Pasta is usually just semolina flour and water, ingredients that can hold their own against the sands of time. Pasta stored in a sealed container-not the cardboard box many pastas come in-can enjoy up to a 30-year shelf life. Direct sunlight encourages bacteria growth, because it makes rice “sweat” and ruins any hopes of long-term storage, says Backe. Prepper tip: It’s imperative to keep all grains in a cool, dry place, and that’s doubly true of rice. As long as the corn is stored in an airtight, dry container such as a glass jar, it can last for up to 20 years, says Backe. Unmilled brown rice, while higher in calories, protein, and minerals, doesn’t keep as long, due to its higher oil content.ĭried corn can be added to a casserole or stew or used on its own as a side dish. The secret to white rice’s longevity is in the milling process that removes the husk, bran, and germ. White rice sealed in an airtight container can outlast five presidencies and be a tasty meal with minimal effort. She also stocks water purification tablets, for additional water purification. Prepper tip: Martin stores water-key to rehydrating food and basic survival in long-term disasters-in 50-gallon drum containers. After food’s dehydrated, it’s vacuum-packed or sealed in airtight bags to further ensure that no outside moisture affects it. The water removed from food during the dehydration process is why the food preserves so well-bacteria that generally spoil food need moisture. Claim homeīoth powdered and dehydrated products can last for a decade-sometimes two, says Caleb Backe, a health and wellness expert for. Instant drinks and dehydrated foods: 10 yearsĬlaim your home to stay up-to-date of your home‘s value and equity. Prepper tip: The one exception? Canned foods high in acid, like tomatoes. “Canning involves a cooking process that sterilizes the inner ingredients while sealing them off from any outside bacteria,” says Martin. Canned foods: 5 yearsĬanned foods low in acid-that’s everything from veggies to tuna fish-will safely keep for half a decade. Prepper tip: Don’t plan on making walnut cookies or pesto in your bunker: Walnuts and pine nuts are naturally covered in oils and break down faster.

Salting-the preferred (and proven) method of preserving meat for the long haul-adds a layer of preservation to the surface of the dried jerky, says Claire Martin, RD, a registered dietician, co-founder of, who devotes her Oakland, CA, garage to disaster-readiness. Jerky keeps because it’s well-salted during the drying process. Nuts naturally stay fresh for a year in sealed containers and are even edible after two years, says Matthew Baron of , a company that supplies a number of survivalists. The top nuts preppers stockpile are almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, and pecans.

Best food to stockpile for apocalypse