Estimated reading time: 10 minutes
Having a food stockpile is one of the best preparations you could make to prepare your family for uncertain times. Many folks set aside nonperishables and keep them rotating in their meal cycles. Should an emergency ever strike, you and your family can live on this food until things get better.
The question is, what kind of nonperishable food do you keep in your stockpile? Although it may seem like a simple question, there is some logic and science behind why some foods age better than others. Here are 14 types of food you need to stockpile for uncertain times.
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1. Beverages
An often-overlooked food to stockpile, drinks are as essential as food. Water is the main beverage we are speaking of here. We can't overemphasize the importance of water storage. Many folks keep large jugs or barrels full of sealed clean water. You never know when you are going to need to provide your own water in times of an emergency.
Any beverages aside from water should have an expiration date well into the future and should not require refrigeration. These can include:
You want to avoid any types of juice that are minimally processed or freshly-pressed as these do not have a long shelf life. Gallon-sized juices that need refrigeration after opening may take up too much space in your cold storage. Stick with smaller individual packaging to minimize waste and maximize storage space.
2. Dairy
Dairy is necessary for essentials like vitamin D and calcium, but fresh dairy does not keep long without refrigeration. The solution is to stock up on dairy products that do not require using the fridge.
Dairy products without refrigeration? Sounds too good to be true until you realize just how many dairy products are canned or nonperishable! These include:
- Canned evaporated milk
- Dry milk powder
- Powdered buttermilk
- Sweetened condensed milk
All of these products are great for baking or simply mixing dry milk with water for a glass of ice-cold milk.
3. Eggs
Eggs are not nonperishable, but it doesn't hurt to farm chickens on your homestead. Farmed chickens mean daily fresh eggs and an additional food source in case of an emergency. Eggs do keep well without refrigeration for 10-15 days depending on the time of year, but you will likely eat through your egg stockpile by then.
If you don't have chickens, you can also get dried egg powder.
4. Fruits
The grocery store offers a wide variety of jarred or canned fruits. Keep your favorites stocked so you have an enjoyable snack that is also healthy. Peaches, cherries, pears, pineapples, and papaya are all excellent to keep around.
If you are lucky enough to have a fruit tree on your land, that is a bonus! Harvest the fruit at peak season before canning or freezing it to eat all year long.
5. Grains
Whole grains are a part of a well-balanced diet. Unprocessed whole grains are the healthiest types of grains out there, so stock up on these:
The best way to preserve these foods is by removing them from their original packaging and vacuum-sealing them in their own individual bags. You can also store them in their packaging if you plan on eating through them and replacing them quickly.
6. Legumes
Another part of an essential diet, be sure to keep legumes around for fiber and protein. Dried legumes last a very long time as well as canned. Keep these in your stock:
- Black beans
- Chickpeas
- Kidney beans
- Lentils
- Pidgeon peas
- Pinto beans
- Split peas
7. Meat
Canned meat may not be everyone’s first choice, but it will save your family in an emergency. Luckily, many types of meat can be found in canned form, including:
Also, don’t forget about jerky! Jerky can last through very harsh times and conditions. A popular Great Depression recipe includes making gravy from beef jerky, which was well-loved by that generation.
8. Nuts
Another healthy snack that can last a long time is nuts. Different nuts spoil at different times, so be very aware of your expiration dates. Freezing nuts helps them last a little longer, but it is not required. Pick out your favorite nuts and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for easy snacking.
9. Oils
It’s hard to cook anything without cooking oil. Thankfully, cooking oils tend to last quite a while! Stock up on your favorites like olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, or any others. Keep unopened oils in your stockpile for up to 4 months. You can also strain and save clean cooking oil if you need to.
10. Seafood
The obvious choice of seafood to keep in stock would be canned tuna. Canned tuna provides lots of nutrients and healthy fats that are essential to health. Stock up on some other canned seafood varieties to add more protein to your diet:
11. Seasonings
Food tastes very bland without seasonings. The most important seasoning to keep in your stock will be salt. Salt has multiple uses from curing to seasoning to creating an anti-slip driveway during the winter.
In addition to salt, stock up on these seasonings so your meals are flavorful:
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon
- Dried herbs
- Paprika
- Sugar
- Turmeric
12. Seeds
This category has a double meaning. Healthy seeds are a fabulous addition to meals as they add tons of nutrition to an otherwise bland diet. They also add flavor and texture. Keep healthy seeds to add to your diet such as:
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Poppy seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
In addition, you also will want to keep gardening seeds on hand. Growing your produce during the warmer months can provide your family with tons of vitamins and minerals that are absent in their canned counterparts. Some seeds that are great for growing are:
- Apples
- Carrots
- Cherries
- Cucumbers
- Herbs
- Lemons
- Lettuce
- Potatoes
- Rutabagas
- Spinach
- Squash
13. Sweets
We all develop a sweet tooth now and then. It’s important to keep some sweet nonperishables in your stockpile for when that moment strikes. Being able to indulge in some cookies or a packaged cake brings back a sense of normalcy in an emergency situation.
These sweets are great for your stock:
- Animal crackers
- Cakes
- Cookies
- Graham crackers
- Sweet cereals
- Wafers
14. Vegetables
Both canned and fresh vegetables are easily attainable when stockpiling. Canned vegetables can be found in almost any variety. It is recommended that you only stock up on your favorite vegetables that you know you like. This way, waste is reduced significantly.
Grown vegetables are also commonly farmed in the spring, summer, and fall. Certain root vegetables can even be stored in the ground during the cold months, using the ground as cold storage. Re-burying ripe potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and other root vegetables keep them fresh (as long as the critters don’t get to them!) for several months during the winter.
Farmed vegetables can also be stored at room temperature for up to a few weeks.
Although there are several categories of food to stockpile, there are even more foods within those categories. Stocking up on food is not easy or cheap, but it is well worth it should an emergency strike. As long as you have a combination of these 14 types of food, your family can live quite a while based on your stockpile dedication.
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F.y.I. eggs
You can also freeze eggs. Crack them open put in small plastic containers, 2 to 4 eggs per container. When you need eggs for scrambled eggs or cooking/baking thaw and whip. Better than nothing. I used eggs from freezer 9 months later and still were good tasting.