Image source: deborahwiles1
When it comes to preparedness, food should be one of our top priorities. Stockpiling food is an option, but many people worry about the shelf life of certain products.
There are many foods out there that will last a long time, and some of those foods may surprise you.
1. Eggs
Eggs can be preserved in a way where they will be kept for as long as you need them. Dehydrating eggs [1] is a possibility when looking for long-term egg storage. Dehydrating the eggs and sealing them airtight will allow them to last for years without any problems. All you have to do is dehydrate and store in an airtight container.
To dehydrate eggs, you will want to put fruit leather trays in your dehydrator. Next you will want to crack open your eggs and whisk them together. Make sure that you break the yolks up well. Your eggs will take anywhere from 6-8 hours to dehydrate. Once you have dehydrated your eggs you will need to store them in an airtight container such as a sealed bag. Store in a dry place.
2. Butter
To store your own butter, you can dehydrate it. Once dehydrated, the butter will be a powder and you will need to store it in an airtight container. Correct storage will give you a long-term food staple.
Prepare now for surging food costs and empty grocery store shelves… [2]
To dehydrate butter you will want to melt several sticks. The size of the machine you have will determine how much butter you can dehydrate. Never overfill the trays, and be sure to put the fruit leather tray in your machine. It will generally take about 6-8 hours to dehydrate your butter. Time for dehydration might vary depending on the model of your dehydrator. Store the butter in an airtight container in a cool and dry place.
3. Whey
Whey is great for a variety of different dishes, including bread. Whey can be stored for years with the help of dehydration. Whey has been known to last 20-plus years if dehydrated properly.
To dehydrate whey, you must put in the fruit leather trays. Next you will pour the whey into the machine and let the machine take all the moisture out. Once the machine is done you will want to make sure that you store your whey accordingly. If stored properly, it will last many years.
4. Soups
When you think about storing foods long-term, soup may not come to mind. The truth is that storing soup is a great way to have ready-to-eat meals, and many of the soups stored will last a lifetime.
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To make a variety of different soups, you will need to have some dehydrated vegetables and flour. These vegetables can include onion, celery, lettuce and any other vegetable you wish to eat. All you need to do is mix the ingredients that you want for your soup, add a little flour and seal the soup in an airtight container. A great soup recipe is to take a cup of dehydrated carrots, a cup of dehydrated onions, a cup of dehydrated tomatoes, a pinch of flour and any other seasonings that you may want. Mix these together and store properly. When needed, all you will have to do is add water and heat.
5. Honey
One of the most overlooked food storage items is honey [3]. Honey is great to sweeten foods and is easier to store than sugar. Honey can be stored indefinitely. It has no shelf life and can last centuries. Honey should not only be stored because of its food capabilities but also because of its healing capabilities.
To store long-term, get honey that is locally raised. Make sure that it is stored in a glass jar, in a dry area. The honey that you store will last longer than anything else that you ever store.
Adding these foods to your food storage can help you to have plenty to eat in case of an emergency situation.
What are some “surprising foods” that you store? Let us know in the comments section below.
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