Our first prep challenge in October, is to buy oils and fats for our food storage. Some people don’t like the word fat, but you must store some foods with fat because our body needs this nutrient for survival. Oils and fats are not a long-term shelf storage item, so they need regular rotation. The shelf-life of oils and fats varies as well so it’s important to be knowledgeable.
Buy Food Storage Oils and Fats
- Look in your pantry and write down the oils and fats you typically use such as nut butters, cooking oils, coconut oil, chocolate chips, chocolate candy, butter (freeze it), shortening and mayonnaise. (I usually stock up on mayo in the summer.)
- Throw away old items that are past their shelf life.
- Smell oils and fats before using. These items do not last forever and can go rancid which will make you sick.
- Write down the amount you want to store of each item. Perhaps 1 bag of chocolate chips, and 3 bottles of cooking oil. It’s totally up to you based on your normal use, finances, and storage area.
- Two gallons of oil is a suggested year’s supply amount for one adult according to the document An Approach to Longer-Term Food Storage. You can interchange oils and fats.
- Many of these items go on sale during the fall, so now is a great time to purchase them.
- I prefer buying oil in smaller containers since I don’t use it quickly even if that’s more expensive than a larger container.
- I buy two containers of cooking oil at a time, then in six months I buy two more to vary the expiration dates of my oils.
Good luck buying oils and fats for your food storage.
Best wishes and stay warm!
Valerie Albrechtsen
The Food Storage Organizer
Purchase my food storage and emergency preparedness items in my Etsy shop.
