Close Me!
How healthy cooking oil is varies dramatically, so I have listed some of the oils and there pros and cons below. Choose the oil that best fits your needs and pocketbook
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil, if it has been processed properly, has a shelf life of about 5 plus years and it is really good for you. If it has not been processed properly its shelf life will be considerably shorter. It’s important to buy it from a quality manufacturer.
Coconut Oil tastes kind of different and it takes some getting used to, however, fats are very important to cellular regeneration and a quality fat source could be very helpful in keeping you healthy in an emergency situation. Food is fuel, right?
Cold Pressed Unfiltered Olive Oil
This type of oil has a shelf life of around 3 years, it’s a very high quality oil. Cold pressed unfiltered olive oil has a natural preservative in it; if the oil is filtered the natural preservative is removed. Most olive oil is filtered and will last only about 6 months.
We highly recommend Bariani Olive Oil, it meets all criteria needed for long shelf life plus so much more. If you want to increase your health, you should start using this type of oil in your day to day cooking.
A very close second is California Olive Ranch, it is unfiltered and cold pressed. You can purchase a gallon of this oil at Costco for about $30.
If you currently use olive oil in your day to day cooking, you could purchase about $100 of this oil and then rotate it. Not only would you have a major nutritional advantage during the disaster you would be serving your family one of the best sources of oil in your day to day cooking.
Canola Oil
Canola is only good for about 2 years, it is highly processed oil but it seems to be much better for you than corn or soybean oil. The major advantage to canola oil is that it is inexpensive. 3 gallons of this oil at Costco should cost you about $25. If money is an issue you can always purchase this oil and then slowly build up your supply of olive oil.
Heat, oxygen and light are the main factors that cause oil to go bad. Store your unopened containers in a cool dark place.
There are several factors that effect how long your emergency food will last. Properly stored food should last 20 to 30 years, which can help justify your investment, especially if an emergency comes up.
In this article we are assuming that the food you are storing is designed and package for long term storage. Some dried foods do not store well. For example, brown rice will only store for about 6 months because of the oils. White rice that is stored with the oxygen removed will last around 9 years if stored at 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
In this article we will look at one of the factors that affects the shelf life of emergency food, temperature. The USDA statistics show that “Each 5.6oC (10.08oF) drop in temperature doubles the storage life of the seeds.” Long term food storage has proven that is applies to foods as well. For example, most long term storage foods will store for 40 years if you store them at 37.6 degrees Fahrenheit, however, the same food will only last 15 months if stored at 103 degrees. As you can see from the chart below, temperature makes a huge difference.
| Temperature Stored Fahrenheit Degrees |
Years Food is Good For |
| 102.4 degrees | 1 ¼ years |
| 91.6 degrees | 2.5 years |
| 80.8 dregees | 5 years |
| 70.0 degrees | 10 years |
| 59.2 degrees | 20 years |
| 48.4 degrees | 30 years |
| 37.6 degress | 40 years |
The chart above shows how temperature radically affects the shelf life of food. What is important to know is the food was stored at a constant temperature. If you put the food in your garage and the temperature in the garage is in the 90’s in the summer you will not see double digit shelf life even though for over half the year your food is at temperatures below 40 degree.
Storing your emergency food in the basement seems to be the best solution as it is free and the temperature is usually in the 50 to 60 degree range and fairly constant. If you don’t have a basement, you can store your food on a lower shelf inside your house. The exception to this is, if you live down south and don’t air condition your home.
No matter where you live, don’t store your food it in the attic! Even in northern states, attic temperatures (including garages) can exceed 90o Fahrenheit in the summer. Even if these high temperatures are only for 2-3 months a year they will seriously shorten the shelf life of your survival food.
If you don’t have a basement and your house (or garage) gets hot, another option is to refrigerate your emergency food. This solution offers low temperature and consistent temperature. Use a secondary refrigerator; adjust the temperature to a warmer internal setting. To adjust the temperature, place a thermometer in the fridge, adjust the temperature setting to keep the food at about 55 degrees this will reduce your energy consumption. Your food will last for twenty plus years.
The money you have invested in your emergency food can last for literally decades if you properly store it. Nothing could be worse than to be in the middle of a disaster and find that your food has gone bad.
Assurance