It’s been the case for thousands of years that people have preserved food. Perhaps the most famous hoarder of grain was Jacob’s son, Joseph, who saved nation upon nation through his squirrel-like foresight. Now you can save your family from the horrible waste that comes with not knowing how to keep food properly. Before we start on how to preserve them, let's take a look at 11 potentially immortal foodstuffs:
The 11 Food Staples We Can Preserve indefinitely Are...
1. Honey
Honey has such a low water content that microorganisms cannot flourish in it. Honey can last an incredibly long time if the environment in which it is kept is stable. Some 3000-year-old honey was once found during the excavation of an Egyptian tomb. Amazingly, it turned out to be edible!
Salt is a well-known preserver itself, and we use it in particular for curing fish and meats. However, it does absorb moisture, so a little silica gel or oxygen absorber is required to make it last forever.
3. Sugar
Sugar also absorbs a lot of moisture, which can be prevented by adding a few grains of rice to your preservation container (see below).
4. Wheat
Over a third of the world's population relies on the constant availability of wheat. The majority of us today get 20% of our carbohydrate requirements from wheat. But in the event of a drought, the price of wheat goes through the roof. Buy it in bulk and save it for the future just in case you ever need to make use of it.
5. Dried Corn (Maize)
Corn, or sweetcorn, has a very short window in which it is seasonable, therefore it has long been dried to provide a substitute for fresh maize. The same applies today. By drying out corn, you will be able to transcend the time limits imposed by the world's seasons, and enjoy some of your favorite recipes whenever you want.
6. Baking Soda
The uses of baking soda are so numerous that there are hundreds of articles and dozens of books about them. It is considered a must have for any long-term storage plan.
7. Instant Coffee, Tea and Cocoa
Frozen dried coffee is well known to be something that outlasts most drinks that you enjoy, but the same is also true of tea and cocoas by following the same principles outlined below. By using desiccant or oxygen absorption packets, the life of these heart-warming beverage products can be lengthened indefinitely.
8. Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks
Carbonated drinks contain too many sugars that, although bad for you too, just break down and remove the drinks' particular flavors when stored for a long enough time. This accident is not so with non-carbonated drinks such as vitamin water, Gatorade, bottled water and juices. You can in fact invest smartly in such drinks, and store them for future need.
9. White Rice
Buying food in bulk is an excellent and cheap way to sustain your family, and this is especially the case when we come looking at rice. Yet often we are tempted to buy so much that we never get around to eating it before it turns. However, if you store it properly it can last you 30 years, becoming a great source of calories, and dozens and dozens of healthy, tasty meals.
10. Bouillon-Based Products
Removing stock cubs or bouillon products from their usual packaging and placing them in a controlled environment with a pinch of salt can add lots of longevity. This will allow you to preserve something you can use to flavor your dishes for a very long time.
11. Powdered Milk
One good way you can preserve already long-life powdered milk for longer than usual is to store it in the freezer. If you remove its packaging and store it properly, you will also be able to free up your freezer for other products.
...The "multi-barrier" system. This method for storing food keeps out sunlight, moisture and air almost perfectly by using more than one storage system at the same time, thus reinforcing the protection. Let's take at look at some of these barriers.
- A 5-gallon food-grade plastic container as pictured will not transfer non-food chemicals into your food, and does not have in itself any harmful chemicals. Often, such a container will be marked with a number 2 and an acronym HDPE (high density polyethylene). Before using this container, please clean it with soapy water before thoroughly rinsing and drying it.
- A Gamma lid, which, if you purchase, means no need for a lid opener, though these lids are more expensive than usual bucket lids. If you purchase a simple bucket lid, make sure it's airtight and spill-proof.
- A Lid opener will be required if you have a basic lid.
- Mylar bag liners are very important because even the best container allows air seepage over time. If you purchase a bag over 5mm in width you will be gaining a 20 year guarantee of food protection!
- Oxygen absorbers at 2,000 ccs of oxygen can be added to your 5-gallon container, prolonging the food's durability by absorbing the container's oxygen, preventing the development of mold and aerobic pathogens. They have no affect on the taste, smell and toxicity of your food either.
- Desiccant packets, which, although they do not absorb moisture, moderate moisture levels, will be necessary for certain foods. However, DO NOT use them with flour, sugar or salt since they need a certain percentage of moisture to keep them from solidifying.
- Food-grade diatomaceous earth is organic and perfectly safe to use with your food, being the fossilized remains of diatoms. For every 25 pounds of food, 1 cup of diatomaceous earth should be added to your lined container.
The Procedure
