10 Best Forever Foods for Your Survival Pantry

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!

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

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
  • Before You Toss Food, Wait. Check It Out!
  • How long can you keep canned goods?
  • Food Safety Fact Sheet
• Utah State University Extension Service
  • Food Storage Index (Includes “A Guide to Food Storage for Emergencies” free PDF download.)
• Eat By Date
  • Find out how long thousands of foods will stay safe and what is the best way to store them

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!

Stay in Touch with Mary’s Nest

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Join the Traditional Foods Kitchen Academy (Optional Paid) - For more detailed videos, live streams, and exclusive members-only perks, join my YouTube membership community.
4. Order The Modern Pioneer Cookbook (Optional Paid) - Get a printed book of Mary's nourishing recipes from a Traditional Foods Kitchen. This bestselling cookbook is published by Penguin Random House with their DK imprint.

I look forward to having you join me in my Texas Hill Country Kitchen!

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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

Recommended Reading

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^**Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor, a medical professional, a dietician, or a nutritionist. All content found on the MarysNest.com website, including text, images, videos, eBooks or eGuides, social media, or other formats, were created solely for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or proper nutritional advice. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have watched in a video or read on this website. Use caution when following the recipe in this video. The creator and publisher of this video and website will not be held responsible for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of this recipe and method or any other recipe and method on this website or corresponding video channel.