Learn about the top 10 Best Forever Foods for Your Survival Pantry. These foods have an indefinite shelf life for long-term food storage. In addition, these foods can be an essential part of your Extended Pantry as part of your Four Corners Pantry system.
Plus, I share a little bonus in my latest pantry video. I also talk about additional foods that, although they do not have an indefinite shelf life, can be stored for up to 30 years!
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Table of Contents
The Four Corners Pantry
So what exactly is a Four Corners Pantry? Great question! The “Four Corners” Pantry term refers to the following combination:
- Working Pantry
- Refrigerator
- Freezer
- Extended Pantry
Your Working Pantry is that area in your kitchen, such as a closet or cupboard, where you store foods that you use on a regular basis. It may contain about a month’s worth or more of shelf-stable foods.
Your Four Corners Pantry also includes your refrigerator and freezer where you can store additional food. But what exactly do I mean when I use the term Extended Pantry?
The Extended Pantry is usually a second closet, cupboard, or maybe even a room where you store those foods that you stock up on. These foods are generally shelf-stable and ones that you use on a regular basis.
You can stock your Extended Pantry over time with extra foods, such as when you find them on sale. With this process, you can save money and have a backup supply of food in the event of bad weather, illness, or job loss. Additionally, in a national or worldwide emergency, you may not be able to go to the grocery store or you may encounter food shortages. In these extreme situations, you’ll need to rely on the foods in your Extended Pantry.
Where Do Forever Foods Fit In?
As part of your Extended Pantry, you’ll want to designate an area as your Survival Pantry that you’ll stock with foods that have an indefinite shelf life. In my forever foods video, I outline the top 10 Forever Foods, including honey, maple syrup, instant coffee, popcorn (yes! popcorn!) and…much to my surprise upon researching this topic…store-bought canned goods!
According to the US Department of Agriculture, store-bought canned goods have an indefinite shelf-life. Be sure to watch the video where I share how to store these canned goods to guarantee their indefinite shelf life.
Almost Forever Foods
But there is more good news! There are additional foods that, although they do not have an indefinite shelf life, can be stored up to 8, 10, 12, 25…and even 30 years!
These almost forever food include white rice; dehydrated vegetables; pasta; soft grains, such as rye; and hard grains, like wheat berries. In my video, I go over the different shelf lives for each of these foods (and more!) and how to store them.
Learn More About Forever Foods
To learn more about the shelf-life of foods and discover which are classified as forever foods, be sure to check out these great resources:
- US Department of Agriculture
- Utah State University Extension Service
- Food Storage Index (Includes “A Guide to Food Storage for Emergencies” free PDF download.)
- Eat By Date
Other Pantry Videos
Here are some additional videos to show you how to make various items that you can store in your pantry, including your working pantry, extended pantry, and your survival pantry. I also include a few recipe videos to show you how to use some of those pantry staples that you’ll want to stock up on!
- How to Make Homemade Extracts – Flavored Extracts – Baking Basics
More Prepper Pantry Videos
3 Crucial Pantry Questions You Need to Ask
Ask yourself these questions to ensure you have the essentials in your pantry to prepare for emergencies.
How to Prep a Pantry That Can Withstand Price Controls – The 3 Essential Foods to Stock NOW!
Learn about foods you should stock in your pantry that would be the most affected by future price controls.
The 3 EASY Ways to Lower Preparedness Anxiety
Take these simple steps to ease your “Preparedness Anxiety” and help you feel ready for the unexpected.
Download Your Free 36-Page Pantry List
For an extensive list of the traditional foods you can make and purchase to stock your pantry, be sure to download my free 36-page Traditional Foods Pantry List. This comprehensive eBook is full of links to recipe videos, helpful articles, and more!
And if you’re looking for a printed book full of my traditional foods recipes to show you how to create a traditional foods kitchen, be sure to order your copy of my new bestselling book, The Modern Pioneer Cookbook.
Order YOUR COPY Now!
The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
Seasonal ingredients, traditional techniques, and nourishing recipes. Over 85 traditional, from-scratch recipes! Discover for yourself how you can use simple ingredients and traditional techniques to cook the modern pioneer way.
Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy
Are you looking for more traditional foods videos? If so, I invite you to join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy. Members of this optional paid YouTube community get access to exclusive videos and other members-only perks. Plus, your YouTube comments include a special members-only badge.
Kitchen Academy Videos
The Only Traditional Recipes You’ll Ever Need!
Focus on traditional recipes with real food. Don’t chase trends.
Let’s Talk Akkermansia: A Tiny Helper for Big Gut Health
Discover how Akkermansia muciniphila supports gut and immune health—and how traditional foods help this mighty microbe thrive.
How to Eat a Mediterranean Diet with a Keto Twist
Explore a Mediterranean-Keto twist with a full sample menu focused on healthy fats, quality proteins, and low-carb veggies.
Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest
- Subscribe to My YouTube Channel for Traditional Foods Videos (Free) - When you subscribe, be sure to click on the notification bell that will let you know each time I upload a new video.
- Subscribe to Mary’s Traditional Foods Newsletter (Free) - Get a free 36-page eBook for signing up: How to Stock Your Essential Traditional Foods Four-Corners Pantry.
- Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy - For more detailed videos and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
- Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook - Get a hardcover book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.
- Preorder The Modern Pioneer Pantry - Be one of the first to get Mary's hardcover book about preserving food and making delicious meals from your Four Corners Pantry. Mary's second cookbook is also published by Penguin Random House.
I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!
Shop for items used in this blog post or video
Favorite Food Storage Supplies
- Handheld Food Saver
- Food Saver Jar Adapter Kit
- Food Saver Space Saver Kit
- 32-Ounce Canning/Storage Jars
- Presto Dehydrator
- Excalibur Dehydrator
- 1-Gallon Mylar Bags
- 5-Gallon Mylar Bags
- Oxygen Absorbers
Amazon Shop and Shopping Guide
- Visit Mary’s Nest Amazon Shop
- Visit my Shopping Guide page
Get up to 15% off for stocking your Traditional Foods Pantry and equipping your Modern Pioneer Kitchen, including discounts from US Wellness Meats, Farmhouse Teas, Lehman's, Masontops, Cultures for Health, Survival Garden Seeds, Redmond Real Salt, Plan to Eat, and More!
Recommended Reading
- The Modern Pioneer Cookbook
- Nourishing Traditions
- The Ultimate Dehydrator Cookbook: The Complete Guide to Drying Food, Plus 398 Recipes, Including Making Jerky, Fruit Leather & Just-Add-Water Meals
- Prepper’s Pantry: Build a Nutritious Stockpile to Survive Blizzards, Blackouts, Hurricanes, Pandemics, Economic Collapse, or Any Other Disasters
- Emergency Food Storage & Survival Handbook: Everything You Need to Know to Keep Your Family Safe in a Crisis
I really appreciated this video about the pantry. I was raised when the economy was pretty bad up in Alaska, and we had to use everything we had. I’ve learned how to keep a pantry simply from living it and necessity. The fact that I have had a well-stocked pantry has kept me from freaking out about food during all of this craziness!!! I only buy TP twice/year when it’s on sale and I have coupons. I had over 100 rolls of TP before everyone panicked.