Which Foods are Best (and Worst!) for Long-Term Storage in Mylar Bags
Mylar food storage bags are the best possible way to store food long-term. Their ability to keep out light, moisture, odors, and gasses while being durable and reusable makes them incredibly convenient. However, not every type of food is suitable for long-term storage in mylar bags. To make sure you get the most out of your long-term food storage, familiarize yourself with this list of the best (and worst!) foods to store in mylar bags.
Dry and Lean Are the Ways to Go
Two things determine whether a food is suitable to store long-term: water and fat content. The basic rule is that the higher the water or fat content, the lower the suitability for long-term storage.
Dry foods are easy to spot, but oils and fats can be more difficult. For example, most people would assume that nuts and seeds would be perfect for long-term storage, as they are dehydrated and often roasted. However, they have a high oil content and would go rancid in less than a year, even in a dry, no-oxygen environment. Therefore, pay very close attention to the nutritional info of any food you want to store!
How Long Is Long-Term?
People store food for different reasons, and their definitions of long-term may differ slightly. So, instead of using ambiguous terms like short, medium, and long-term, we will arrange foods according to how long you could store them safely. Then you can decide if each food is suitable for your storage needs.
Store Sugar and Salt Indefinitely
- Salt
- Sugar
- Baking Soda/Powder
- Honey
Although you might not consider salt, sugar, and baking soda proper foods, they are essential in general food preparation. For example, if you plan on storing things like flour or grains to make bread or cakes, you may want to have all three on hand. Honey is an interesting choice here, but it will never go stale in an air-tight container due to the high sugar content. Scientists have actually found edible honey sealed in ancient Egyptian tombs!
Rice, Pasta, and Some Beans Are Long-Term Staples (20-30 Years)
- White Rice
- Tea/Instant Coffee
- Dry Pasta
- Powdered Skim Milk
- Freeze-dried fruit and vegetables
- Pink, Kidney, and Lima Beans
Several nutritional staples fit in this category. Beans, rice, and dry pasta hold a lot of calories and can keep a person going for a long time. Since they have close to 0 fat content and are thoroughly dried out, they will stand the test of time in a mylar bag with oxygen absorbers.
Dried fruit and veggies are similar and can preserve many vitamins and other essential nutrients. Just remember that they must be completely dry! Some people are surprised at powdered milk, but skim milk has no fat and works well for long-term storage.
More Flavorful Grains Don’t Last as Long (5-10 Years)
- White Flour
- Wholewheat Flour
- Durum Wheat/Flax
- Black Turtle Beans, Black-eyed Peas, Chickpeas
- Cocoa Powder
- Steel-Cut Oats
Wheat flour may be one of the most versatile long-term food staples. If stored at cold temperatures, it can last beyond 20 years. On the other hand, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and black turtle beans are slightly fattier than many similar foods, so they will not last quite as long.
Nuts, Brown Rice, and Junkfood Only for Short-Term (1-5 Years)
- Nuts
- Potato Chips/Candy
- Brown Rice
- Jerky
- Cookies/Crackers
- Full-Fat Powdered Milk
- Cornmeal
- Baby Formula
The fat content of nuts, brown rice, jerky, and junk food keeps these common dry foods out of long-term storage. While small mylar food storage bags work great for many of these items as travel snack containers, most of these foods will turn rancid within a year. Likewise, powdered milk, baby formula, and cornmeal may last up to 4 or 5 years, but no longer.
What is your favorite food to store ?
Let us know in the comments below !
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