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1. Canned foods: If weight is not an issue, canned foods are probably your best bet for long-term food storage and ease of use. High acid foods such as tomato sauce can last to 18 months. Low acid such as canned green beans can last for five years. However, do not store these in a hot space. A dry, cool place, is best. This could be increased if the pantry has low humidity and is quite dry and the can has not been compromised, rusted or otherwise damaged.....canned food has an almost indefinite shelf life when stored at moderate temperatures (75° F and below). All you need is a can opener. An added benefit is that canned foods—especially veggies—often contain water, which makes it easier to heat them up and can add to your water supply. Already cooked, so it can be eaten straight from the can. It’s what you are used to eating. More filling than other methods. Best for shelter-in-place at home or established retreat or bug-out location. Canned foods generally contain more calories in the form of fats than freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. Canned foods are generally resistant to vermin (bugs, mice, rats, etc.). Canned foods are heavy....This is due mainly to their additional moisture content. If you are going to keep a large stock of canned foods they must be protected from freezing. There are two types of canning: water bath and pressure. The water bath method consists of simply placing sealed jars of food on a rack and immersing them in boiling water for a set period of time. When the jars are removed from the water and cool down, the lids form a vacuum seal. This method is suitable only for acidic foods like fruits, preserves, and pickled vegetables. Anything else must be pressure canned. Pressure canning involves the use of a—wait for it—pressure canner. Food is packed into jars and subjected to high pressure. This pressure causes the food to heat at much higher temperatures than it would in boiling water, killing botulism spores. Operating a pressure canner over an open flame is a bit trickier than doing so on a stove top. A #10 can (pronounced ten pound can) is a size of can used to store food. You can often find foods sold in #10 cans at warehouse supermarkets. The #10 can holds over 6 pounds (3 quarts) and over 20 servings depending on the contents. This can measures about 6 3/16” wide and 7” high.
Canned Alaskan wild Salmon: rich in protein and wholesome fat like omega 3s. One can eat it right out of the can, without cooking.
2. Dehydrated foods: Lighter weight and less bulk. When weight or volume is an issue—such as when you are on the move or don’t have much space to store your long-term food supply—dehydrated foods are a good option for your emergency pantry. These are always good to have in addition to other foods. One negative is that they don’t look much like their normal state, so they may not be appetizing to some in your group or family. Stores well for a long time. Requires a ready supply of drinkable water to prepare the food. Does not look like “real” food, dried up in appearance. Some people may have trouble tolerating it.
3. Freeze-dried foods: Have the longest shelf life and are usually tasty and nutritious. The basic idea is to completely remove water,while leaving the basic structure and composition of the material intact. This keeps food from spoiling and significantly reduces the weight of food. Freeze-dried foods still look like what they did before they were processed (just dried) and you can eat them without rehydrating. them. They are also lighter weight, but they won’t help with your water needs. Retains more of its flavor thandehydrated variant. Lighter weight and less bulk. Stores well for a long time....25 year shelf life. Some nutrients, such as vitamins C and E and folic acid, are somewhat depleted through the freeze-drying process. Freeze-drying is a three-step process that begins with freezing. Next the food is placed in a vacuum chamber under low heat. The frozen water crystals evaporate directly from ice to water vapor in a process called sublimation. The food then undergoes “secondary drying,” in which any remaining water molecules are removed under slightly higher temperatures. The food is nitrogen sealed for storage to prevent contamination from water or oxygen. Freeze-drying is one of the most energy-intensive ways to preserve food....Mountain House freeze-dries its food in 3,000-pound batches over a period of 18 to 20 hours. The final product weights about 900 pounds and takes about 2.4 million BTU of heat to produce—1.2 times more energy than canning, and 1.7 times more energy than freezing.
4. MRE’s: Meals, Ready to Eat, the name says it all. Everything can be consumed without cooking or heating. The entrees usually taste much better when heated up with the included Flameless Ration Heater or by boiling in water. Each will survive unrefrigerated at average temperatures for up to three years. Inside each MRE bag is an entree and a variety of other food and drink items. MREs come packaged in cases with 12 MREs per case. There are currently 24 different “menus” or varieties of MREs. Each MRE provides an average of 1,250 calories (13% protein, 36% fat, and 51% carbohydrates). For the most part, civilian MREs use the exact same components as the military MREs.