Super Long Life Food

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
Mojo_UK
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue May 11, 2021 6:14 pm

Super Long Life Food

Post by Mojo_UK »

Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy so super long life foods but have limited funds. Where is the best place to buy cheaper and moderately flavoursome freeze-dried foods?

TIA

Joanne x
Joanne x
Jerseyspud
Posts: 397
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:16 pm

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by Jerseyspud »

Not sure about freeze dried but some super long life stuff is

dried beans
white rice
honey
cous cous

As long as its sealed. also tinned stuff. although it might be past its best before, alot of the time doesn't mean its past its use by
when it comes to catastrophic events, we never know when the day before is the day before. So we prepare for tomorrow

Prepping on a small island
Arzosah
Posts: 6323
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 4:20 pm

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by Arzosah »

I'm seconding what I think is the implication from jerseyspud, that buying from a commercial company isn't necessarily the right way to go. Sorry if I'm putting words in your mouth, jerseyspud! Personally, I need basic ingredients, which I then mix up as I want them. There are very few processed foods that don't give me a disgusting chemical taste afterwards - I can eat baked beans, pasta, things I make myself with gluten free flour, bit of dried milk, cheese. Everything else I eat is veg and beans - fresh/frozen/tinned/dried, carbs like rice, quinoa, barley, oats, or nuts and seeds. HTH
Jerseyspud
Posts: 397
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:16 pm

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by Jerseyspud »

Yep it was kind of lol

I have 40 odd days worth of food for me and 3 kids. That's basics like vegetable protein that I could cook with tin of tomatos and pasta if that makes sense.

So rather than storing ready meals, I store what I can use to make meals
when it comes to catastrophic events, we never know when the day before is the day before. So we prepare for tomorrow

Prepping on a small island
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by jansman »

I have looked ( in the past) at those rather expensive freeze- dried meals.Frankly,I came to the conclusion that everyday food- which of course,we NORMALLY eat-which is recognised as a good thing in a crisis,is the best way forward.Rice,beans, pasta,tinned food,dried food etc. all eaten regularly,so stored and rotated, means a familiar diet. By eating those foods regularly,it means that you can build a good store.I wouldn’t fancy eating 25 year old food in a crisis.Obviously if that’s all I had, then so be it.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

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Jerseyspud
Posts: 397
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:16 pm

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by Jerseyspud »

I looked at freeze dried meals. But with 3 kids with three different eating requirements I based my stocks around stuff they would all eat.

I do however need to find another home for alot as I'm running out of space
when it comes to catastrophic events, we never know when the day before is the day before. So we prepare for tomorrow

Prepping on a small island
ForgeCorvus
Posts: 3035
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by ForgeCorvus »

The makers of Freeze-dried food know that their two biggest markets are the Lightweight ( or Ultralight) campers/hikers and folks like us..... And make us pay for the privilege.

Over the pond, our American counterparts have a few more options which helps keep the prices lower. But Mountain House and the like are still expensive.

I don't think you can get F-D that is both fairly tasty and reasonably cheap.

Whatever your beliefs, try googling "Mormon shopping list"* as a useful guide to start building your stash (if you don't eat or use something listed, swap it out for something you do).

Basic advice can best be summed up as "Eat what you store, Store what you eat" and "First in, First Out"


*The Latter Day Saints have a religious requirement to store a years worth of food for all members of the household, not all of them do though
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Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
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jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by jennyjj01 »

Mojo_UK wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 6:25 pm Hi guys,

I'm looking to buy so super long life foods but have limited funds. Where is the best place to buy cheaper and moderately flavoursome freeze-dried foods?

TIA

Joanne x
Hi,

May I ask, whats the attraction of super long life foods to you. as opposed to say holding a year or two worth of food that is good for 4 or 5 years and continually rotating it? I don't see the need or reality of storing enough food to last me till I die, just enough to survive a year or two longer than my neighbours. Of course, each to her own. I'd love to hear your thoughts and motivations.

I looked at the Mountain house type stuff with it's supposed 25 year life, but completely walked away from the idea at the absurd prices. Besides, it's not the sort of stuff I'd rotate into my normal diet, so it would be a one way stash, ultimately an expensive insurance policy. Also, something in dried soups and freeze dried meals gives me migraine. Maybe the MSG or salt.

Far better, in my opinion to buy regular food at the supermarket. Supermarkets sell freeze dried meals ( remember Vesta curries :)) at far lower prices than MH, and the quality and shelf life can't be THAT different, can it? ( I confess I don't know )

With modern canning, and sachet packaging you can buy much more food which will probably be good for 5 to 10 years anyway. Nothing wrong with my 2017 tins of big soups and baked beans and by rotating them they are effectively free.

I'm a big fan of home dehydrating and vac sealing, lately into mason jars. Stuff would last at least 3 or more years if I wasn't rotating it, but I am. Accept that the rehydrated stuff will lose structure, but will be perfectly nourishing in soups, casseroles etc. Then adapt and adopt into your family's regular diet. You have to keep family on board.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

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Medusa
Posts: 488
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2016 8:41 pm
Location: UK

Re: Super Long Life Food

Post by Medusa »

I have a pretty good store of food, mostly tinned, jars and packets but some home dehydrated and stuff in the freezer which isnt reliable in the case of long power cuts. I have just invested in a few packets of freeze dried emergency meals for the truck box and am considering buying a couple of cans of freeze dried chicken to keep at home too. Does anyone know how long the tins of freeze dried food (chicken) keep once opened?
Growing old disgracefully!
jennyjj01
Posts: 3429
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

5p flour in Asda

Post by jennyjj01 »

Looks like Asda are desperate to flog off their Brexit stash of flour.

5p per kilo?? at local Asda ( North west region ) and they had plenty. BBE Next month, but who cares about that.
At a push, make some batter or pastry and freeze it?

Pancakes for breakfast at chez JJ for the rest of summer.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong