Keepable foods - what and where to find them?

[Pannonian]

I'm looking for foods that are storable for considerable periods, ie. months at least when kept dry. A couple of things I've heard about are erbswurst and tushonka. However, local stores don't stock them. So I'd like to ask: can anyone suggest some reasonably interesting (for the British palate) foods that are thus keepable, and where one might find them? They need to be reasonable economical, so no extravagances, and they need to be found in shops in the London area.

[Fragony]

Rice of course. Also works great when you forgot yo take out your cellphone (or any electrical device) before washing your pants, just throw it in a cup with some rice and it will work just fine the next day. And pasta naturally, full of the good stuff and very cheap, olive oil + pasta + garlic + some parmasan cheese = a really really good meal. If you want meat buy liver, not very keepable but cheap as can be, very nuitricious and very tasty if you know what you are doing. Knowing what you are doing means adding sour apples.

[Hax]

I'm looking for foods that are storable for considerable periods, ie. months at least when kept dry.

McDonald's.

[Veho Nex]

MREs'

[Kagemusha]

dried meat. preserves for long and has high nutritional value. Are you going trekking? If so i have just the thing for you in mind.

[Pannonian]

dried meat. preserves for long and has high nutritional value. Are you going trekking? If so i have just the thing for you in mind.

No, just going through a survivalist phase after various media scares about fuel shortages. Googled rations, and erbswurst and tushonka intrigued me as something that might supplement staples which I've never tried before. I can't find them in local stores though, hence I'm asking if anyone knows where one might find them in the London area, and what other stores might be a good mix of keepability, availability, economy, and palatability.

[Megas Methuselah]

Pemmican. Failing that, beef jerky.

[miotas]

Apples can keep for months if kept in a cool, dry, dark place.

[Myrddraal]

Tins.

Almost all tinned vegetables last for months, I bought some tins of baked beans just the other day, the best before date is May 2011. Same goes for some tinned petit pois I got months ago, their sell by date is June 2011. The other great thing about tins is they're very easy to find

EDIT: I'm not sure about tinned meats, but they probably last forever as well, and for pudding: chocolate. Food that keeps is more common than you might think.

[aimlesswanderer]

You wouldn't happen to have a nice new bunker in the backyard?

I'd second dry meat, pasta and rice, and tinned foods. Don't forget plenty of water, you'll die of thirst before you die of hunger apparently. Not to mention that rice and pasta need it to be edible. Also the long life milk lasts for years.

How about sugared nuts? They are basically fat and sugar - full of energy. There must be places which sell them. Buy in bulk and save!

[Megas Methuselah]

Almost all tinned vegetables last for months, I bought some tins of baked beans just the other day, the best before date is May 2011. Same goes for some tinned petit pois I got months ago, their sell by date is June 2011. The other great thing about tins is they're very easy to find

Whoa, canned food has expiry dates? Damn. Imma hafta go take a look at those old cans of tomato soup buried in the back of the cupboards.

[Kagemusha]

No, just going through a survivalist phase after various media scares about fuel shortages. Googled rations, and erbswurst and tushonka intrigued me as something that might supplement staples which I've never tried before. I can't find them in local stores though, hence I'm asking if anyone knows where one might find them in the London area, and what other stores might be a good mix of keepability, availability, economy, and palatability.

If you dont want to buy expensive pre dried meats. There are quite cheap ways to make as much dried meat you want yourself if you have a owen. Just buy low fat minced beef. sier in a pan and add any spices you like. Then put the meat in owen on flat surface on thin layer for 24 hours on +50 celcius and leave the owen door just a bit open. Turn the meat between every couple of hours or so and take the separated fat off. Once the meat is almost black and has hard texture, its ready. Done properly such dried meat lasts years in room temperature. When you want to use it, just put it in water and it swallows acting like normal minced meat.

Great and light stuff for trekking, but not bad for survivalist either.

[Vuk]

Honey is a good one to have, that can be used in many things, or eaten plain. (but I warn you, it is an acquired taste.) And may I ask exactly what brought on the survivalist phase? :P

[Zradha Pahlavan]

Treacle.

[TinCow]

Canned foods of all kinds
Dried meat, fruit, and pasta
Dry grains and starches, such as rice, oatmeal, bulgur, quinoa, etc.
Hard cheeses

[Myrddraal]

Perhaps Pannonian actually works for the intelligence service. Should we be evacuating the cities yet?

[CountArach]

Preparing for a zombie invasion are we?

[pevergreen]

Preparing for a zombie invasion are we?

If so, we all know what type of zombie you are going to become:



(The one in the spotlight)

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

MREs'

No.

There's nothing useful in them. Military grade food is high in carbs and protein, but low in minerals and vitamins. You'll eventually waste away eating it.

No, just going through a survivalist phase after various media scares about fuel shortages. Googled rations, and erbswurst and tushonka intrigued me as something that might supplement staples which I've never tried before. I can't find them in local stores though, hence I'm asking if anyone knows where one might find them in the London area, and what other stores might be a good mix of keepability, availability, economy, and palatability.

Tinned food of all kinds, rice and grains, hard cheese, butter will keep a lot longer than the sell-by date, as well fruit if kept cool, and potatos.

[KukriKhan]

Mormons have quite a bit of experience with storing foods. Many use this place. The fellows above made some pretty good recommendations, too.

If you have deep-freeze ability, a vacuum-seal machine might help. It's a little pricey, IMO, and they "get" you ($$)) on bags replacement; OTOH, I ate a Seal-a-meal steak that was bagged in 2005, last week (my widowed step-Dad is a kinda-survivalist).

[Megas Methuselah]

Mormons have quite a bit of experience with storing foods. Many use this place. The fellows above made some pretty good recommendations, too.

Haha, that's awesome!

EDIT: lol, it was even recommended by that weird Glen Beak guy.

[drone]

Nobody has recommended Spam yet.