The one food you always stock?

[stevee]

Mac and Cheese

 

[warthog]

Shrimp Chips and Mango Gummi Bears.

 

[Mgderf]

Rice, whole oats, sugar, honey, salt. Can buy them all in bulk and they virtually never go bad if stored properly.

Everything else has less shelf life and will need to be rotated through accordingly at some point. I've heard mixed things on canned goods shelf lives, so I'm not sure what to believe in that regard.

Honey. That's it.
Honey is a fantastic food source. It's also a natural antiseptic. I don't know of a single bacteria that will live in honey.
Archeologists have found viable honey in pots stored in tombs in the great pyramids in Egypt. They estimate it to be thousands of years old!

As far as canned foods go, I have personal, first-hand experience with "aged" canned goods.

I spent 4 years in the United States Marine Corps. (Semper Fidelis). During my tour of duty I was fed what was known as "C-rations", yesterdays version of MRE's (meals-ready-to-eat).
C-rations were basically a pre-cooked meal in a can, actually several cans, per meal. Think Chef Boyardi (sp?) without all of the yummy flavors.

Each meal contained a main entree' in a can, and also either peanut butter in a can or jelly in a can (NEVER both!), or cheese in a can. You also got a foil pouch with a cookie or crackers...

My point is, I was eating these canned goods from the view of a fox-hole in th late 1970's. These meals had canning dates of July, 1945, and they didn't kill anyone. Didn't even make them sick.
It didn't taste worth a crap, but it was edible after 30+ years.

 

[Leadeye]

I remember that peanut butter from 1944.

Coffee and canned meats for me.

 

[Mgderf]

I remember that peanut butter from 1944.

Coffee and canned meats for me.

Those tiny little cans of peanut butter and the ones with cheese were great to throw into a fire.

Rather large BOOM for such a small can.

 

[rhino]

C-Rat peanut butter was excellent! It was gritty with a lot of sugar, kind of like the inside of a peanut butter cup. I had the pleasure of a few of the small cans, plus there were gov't subsidies that packed the same stuff into #10 cans that some of my relative in California received back in the 1970s. They didn't like it, so guess who got it sent to him? Heh heh heh

 

[teddy12b]

I've had some old canned foods, but nothing that was 30's past it's expiration date.

For all you guys who ate C-Rats, thank you for your service! I'm part of the MRE generation of Vets and we've been thanked more than enough because you guys weren't thanked enough.

 

[Curls & Swirls]

After moving to a new house and having to move my stored food and since we are planning to move again in the next few years, I am looking into more freeze dried and dehydrated foods (veggies, soups, etc.). My goodness those cans of soup and veggies get heavy after a few boxes. :-) When I think we are settled I will go back to some of the cheaper heavier things again. Anything dehydrated or freeze dried ya'll have tried and love? We have tried the honey coated banana chips from auguson farms and they were approved by everyone in the family. Although, after the can was opened they didn't last very long. I guess in a real emergency we will have to re-think what needs to be in the gun safe!!!

 

[The Bubba Effect]

After moving to a new house and having to move my stored food and since we are planning to move again in the next few years, I am looking into more freeze dried and dehydrated foods (veggies, soups, etc.). My goodness those cans of soup and veggies get heavy after a few boxes. :-) When I think we are settled I will go back to some of the cheaper heavier things again. Anything dehydrated or freeze dried ya'll have tried and love? We have tried the honey coated banana chips from auguson farms and they were approved by everyone in the family. Although, after the can was opened they didn't last very long. I guess in a real emergency we will have to re-think what needs to be in the gun safe!!!

I like the mountain house beef stroganoff and the mountain house blueberries, granola and powdered milk.

 

[Justin727]

So far..

Peanut butter
Canned green beans, corn, fruit, soup, tuna, and chicken.
Rice
Beans

 

[Okimeister]

Twinkies...do they ever really expire????

 

[littletommy]

In the last few weeks, I've started concentrating more on canned meats. Hormel ham and chicken, and dried beef/chipped beef, and of course, even more spam.

 

[BigMoose]

beer?

 

[bluewraith]

Twinkies...do they ever really expire????

Yes.