The Lost SuperFoods

1. Historical survival foods offer proven preservation methods.

History is filled with unique characters and unique groups of people, many of whom we can learn things from.

Learn from ancestors. Our predecessors, lacking modern technology, developed ingenious methods to preserve food and survive hardships. Studying historical groups like the Japanese Ninja, Native Americans, Vikings, and Ottoman Empire reveals time-tested techniques for creating shelf-stable, nutritious foods. These methods often relied on simple, natural processes like drying, salting, and fermentation, proving that complex equipment isn't always necessary for long-term food security.

Adapt ancient wisdom. Many traditional survival foods, such as Pemmican, Hardtack, Salted Cod (Bacalao), and Pastrima, were developed out of necessity by cultures facing harsh environments or prolonged travel. These foods were designed to be lightweight, portable, calorie-dense, and resistant to spoilage without refrigeration. Adapting these ancient recipes allows modern preppers to build resilient food stores using readily available ingredients and basic skills, offering a valuable alternative to commercially processed survival meals.

Beyond basic needs. Historical survival foods weren't just about calories; they often incorporated ingredients for nutritional balance and even medicinal properties. The Ninja's Suikatsugan, for example, included mint and licorice root, believed to aid digestion and suppress thirst. Understanding the full composition and intended use of these foods provides a holistic approach to survival nutrition, ensuring not just survival but also maintaining health and well-being during a crisis.

2. Salt is a fundamental preservative, drawing out moisture via osmosis.

Salt is used in most methods of preserving food because it is a natural preservative.

Osmosis in action. Salt preserves food by drawing moisture out of cells, both in the food itself and in spoilage-causing bacteria. This process, called osmosis, creates an environment too dry for most microorganisms to survive and multiply. By reducing water content and increasing salinity, salt effectively inhibits bacterial growth, preventing decomposition and extending shelf life significantly.

Ancient and effective. From Viking salted cod (Bacalao) to Ottoman Pastrima and traditional pickled meats, salt has been a cornerstone of food preservation for millennia. These methods involve packing meat or fish in large quantities of salt or soaking them in concentrated brine solutions for extended periods. The salt penetrates the food, altering its texture and flavor while creating a hostile environment for bacteria, allowing storage for months or even years without refrigeration.

Consider salt content. While highly effective, salt preservation results in foods with very high sodium levels. For consumption, especially for those monitoring salt intake, brined or salted meats often require soaking in fresh water for several hours or days, with multiple water changes, to draw out excess salt before cooking. This step is crucial for palatability and health, demonstrating that even simple methods require careful preparation for safe and enjoyable consumption.

3. Removing moisture through drying extends food shelf life significantly.

Drying foods is the oldest method of preservation in the world.

Inhibit microbial growth. Drying removes the water content that microorganisms need to survive, effectively halting spoilage. This ancient technique, used by cultures worldwide, creates lightweight, portable, and shelf-stable foods ideal for travel, storage, and survival. From sun-drying to using modern dehydrators or ovens, the principle remains the same: reduce moisture below a critical threshold to prevent bacterial and mold growth.

Versatile application. Almost any food can be dried, including meats (jerky, biltong, pemmican), fruits (fruit leather, dried berries), vegetables, herbs, and even cooked grains and beans. The key is to ensure thorough drying, often until brittle or leathery, depending on the food type. Proper drying, combined with appropriate storage (like airtight containers or Mylar bags), can extend the shelf life of these foods for years, making them invaluable additions to a survival stockpile.

Nutrient retention varies. While drying preserves many nutrients, some vitamins can be lost, and the texture changes significantly. However, the concentration of calories and other stable nutrients increases relative to weight, making dried foods highly energy-dense. Rehydrating dried foods typically involves soaking them in water or adding them directly to soups and stews, restoring some of their original texture and making them palatable for consumption.

4. Fermenting foods creates probiotics and enhances preservation.

Sauerkraut, like other fermented foods, is created through a process called “lacto-fermentation.”

Lactic acid production. Fermentation, particularly lacto-fermentation, uses naturally occurring bacteria to convert sugars and starches into lactic acid. This process not only creates unique flavors and textures but also lowers the food's pH, creating an acidic environment that inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. Foods like sauerkraut, Tarhana dough, and sourdough starter are preserved through this method, offering shelf stability without refrigeration.

Probiotic powerhouses. Fermented foods are rich in beneficial probiotics, live microorganisms that support gut health, aid digestion, boost the immune system, and even help synthesize vitamins. Incorporating homemade fermented foods into a diet can replenish the body's beneficial bacteria, which can be depleted by factors like antibiotic use. This makes fermentation a valuable skill for maintaining health and resilience, especially in a survival scenario where access to diverse nutrients might be limited.

Simple process, rich results. Making fermented foods often requires minimal ingredients and equipment – typically just the food item, salt, and a container. The process relies on controlling temperature and oxygen exposure to favor the growth of beneficial bacteria. While some fermented foods, like sauerkraut, can be canned for extended, non-refrigerated storage, this process kills the probiotics. For probiotic benefits, fermented foods should be stored in cool conditions (like a root cellar or refrigerator) after the initial fermentation is complete.

5. Canning provides a sterile, airtight environment for long-term food storage.

What makes canning so effective is that it creates a hermetically sealed environment, where no live enemies of our food exist.

Heat and seal. Canning involves heating food to a temperature high enough to kill microorganisms, then sealing it in an airtight container (jars or cans) to prevent recontamination. This creates a vacuum seal as the food cools, ensuring that no oxygen or bacteria can enter. Properly canned food can remain safe and edible for decades, making it a cornerstone of long-term food storage.

Pressure vs. water bath. The required canning method depends on the food's acidity. High-acid foods (fruits, pickled vegetables, tomatoes with added acid) can be safely processed in a boiling water bath (212°F). Low-acid foods (vegetables, meats, soups, mixed recipes) require a pressure canner to reach higher temperatures (240-250°F) necessary to destroy heat-resistant bacteria like Clostridium botulinum. Using the wrong method for low-acid foods is a critical safety error.

Versatile storage. Canning allows for the preservation of a wide variety of foods, including meats (hamburger, bacon, poor man's steak), vegetables, fruits, soups, and sauces (pasta sauce). This versatility enables preppers to store complete meals or individual ingredients, providing diverse options for survival nutrition. While commercially canned goods have a "best by" date, home-canned foods, if processed correctly, can last much longer, retaining quality and safety for many years.

6. Rendered fat is essential for calorie-dense, shelf-stable survival foods.

The process of frying the bacon releases the fat from the cellular structure of the meat and drives off the water.

Energy and preservation. Rendering fat involves heating animal fat to separate pure fat from connective tissues and water. This pure fat, like lard or tallow, is calorie-dense and, when properly rendered to remove moisture, is highly stable and resistant to spoilage without refrigeration. It served as a crucial energy source and binding agent in traditional survival foods like Pemmican and was used to preserve meats like Potted Meat.

Pemmican's foundation. Pemmican, a staple of Native Americans and early explorers, is typically a 50/50 mixture by weight of dried lean meat and rendered fat. The fat binds the dried meat, provides essential calories and nutrients, and helps preserve the mixture. This simple combination created a complete, highly portable food that could sustain individuals for extended periods, demonstrating the power of fat in survival rations.

Beyond Pemmican. Rendered fat also played a role in preserving cooked meats. Potted meat, for example, involves mashing cooked meat with butter and then sealing it under a layer of clarified butter or lard. This fat cap creates an oxygen barrier, extending the meat's shelf life. Similarly, pork cooked and stored submerged in lard (Pork in Lard) could last for months, showcasing fat's utility as a protective coating and storage medium.

7. Basic ingredients create highly caloric, portable survival rations.

The brilliant thing about hardtacks is that they are little more than water, flour, and salt.

Simple and enduring. Survival rations often prioritize calorie density, shelf stability, and ease of production over palatability. Hardtack, a simple biscuit of flour, water, and salt, exemplifies this. Baked multiple times to remove all moisture, it could last for decades, fueling soldiers and sailors through long journeys and conflicts despite its rock-hard texture. Its simplicity made it easy to mass-produce and store.

Doomsday crackers. During the Cold War, the US government developed a survival cracker based on Bulgur wheat, salt, and water. Designed for fallout shelters, these crackers were cheap to produce, nutritious (due to Bulgur's properties), and shelf-stable for years. Like hardtack, they were intended to provide basic sustenance in an emergency, highlighting how minimal ingredients can form the basis of large-scale survival food production.

Emergency ration bars. Modern emergency ration bars, often providing 2400 calories per day, build on this principle by combining calorie-dense ingredients like sugar, oil, honey, peanut butter, oats, and nuts. These are mixed, baked, and portioned into portable blocks. While more palatable than hardtack, they share the goal of packing maximum calories and energy into a small, shelf-stable format, suitable for bug-out bags or emergency kits.

8. Utilize simple tools and common items for food preparation and storage.

Our relation with modern conveniences is a funny one. We cannot bear to live without them.

Improvise and adapt. Survival often requires resourcefulness, using everyday items for unconventional purposes. Traditional methods frequently relied on basic tools and natural materials. Making butter in a mason jar with a marble, cooking bread on a stick over an open fire, or using coffee cups as "pots" for potted meat are examples of how common items can be repurposed for food preparation and preservation when modern appliances are unavailable.

Beyond the kitchen. The text highlights using a clay planter bottom as a pizza stone or baking surface for hardtack, demonstrating that effective tools can be found outside the conventional kitchen. Similarly, improvising a sausage filler from a bottle and wood or using bricks as weights for pressing meat shows creative problem-solving with readily available materials. This mindset is crucial for preppers, enabling them to function effectively even in low-tech or off-grid scenarios.

Natural resources. Utilizing natural resources, like slippery elm bark for meat preservation or harvesting wild yeast from potatoes or fruit, reflects a deep understanding of the environment and its potential. Knowing how to identify and use edible wild plants further expands food options in a survival situation. These skills reduce reliance on manufactured goods and connect back to the fundamental resourcefulness of our ancestors.

9. Proper packaging with oxygen absorbers ensures decades-long dry food storage.

Dry foods will keep long past their expiration date if they are packed dry and oxygen is eliminated from the package.

Oxygen is the enemy. For dry foods like grains, beans, and pasta, the primary threats to long-term storage are moisture, insects, and oxygen, which causes oxidation and nutrient degradation. While simply storing in airtight containers helps, removing oxygen is key for extending shelf life to 20-30 years or more. This is achieved through vacuum sealing or, more effectively for dry goods, using oxygen absorbers.

Mylar bags and buckets. Repackaging dry foods into Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers creates a low-oxygen environment. Mylar is impermeable to oxygen and moisture. For added protection and ease of handling, these sealed Mylar bags are often placed inside food-grade plastic buckets with gasket lids. This multi-layered approach protects against light, moisture, oxygen, and physical damage from pests like rodents.

Process matters. Success depends on starting with completely dry food and ensuring a perfect seal on the Mylar bag and bucket. Oxygen absorbers should be added just before sealing, and the correct size/quantity must be used based on the container volume and food density. While dry canning in an oven is mentioned as an experimental method for dry goods, Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers are presented as a proven, reliable technique for achieving multi-decade shelf life.

10. Building a substantial food stockpile is possible even on a tight budget.

You’ll be surprised how much food $5 can get at a store like Walmart or Sam’s Club, if you spend it on large, economical packages.

Small steps accumulate. Building a significant emergency food supply doesn't require a large upfront investment. By consistently allocating a small amount, like $5 a week, towards purchasing staple foods in bulk, a family can accumulate hundreds of pounds of food within a year. This approach makes preparedness accessible and manageable for most budgets.

Focus on staples. Prioritizing inexpensive, calorie-dense, and shelf-stable items like rice, beans, pasta, flour, and sugar forms the foundation of a budget stockpile. These bulk items offer the most calories and nutrients per dollar spent. Supplementing these with canned goods like vegetables, fruits, meats, and sauces adds variety and essential micronutrients without drastically increasing costs, especially when purchased in multi-packs or on sale.

Strategic purchasing. Shopping at warehouse stores or buying larger packages generally offers better value. The $5/week plan demonstrates how strategic, consistent purchases can build a diverse stockpile including grains, legumes, canned goods, oil, shortening, peanut butter, spices, and even comfort items like mac and cheese or candy over 52 weeks, totaling over 295 pounds of food security.

11. Mastering canning safety principles is vital to prevent deadly spoilage.

Properly canned food is safe from botulinum contamination – but do it wrong and you’re playing Russian Roulette.

Botulism risk. Improper home canning, particularly of low-acid foods, carries the risk of botulism, a potentially fatal illness caused by the toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum bacteria. This bacteria thrives in low-oxygen, low-acid environments like those created in improperly canned foods. Understanding and strictly following tested canning guidelines is non-negotiable for safety.

Key safety measures. Preventing botulism involves:

• Using only fresh, high-quality food.
• Thoroughly cleaning and sterilizing jars and equipment.
• Using the correct canning method (water bath for high-acid foods, pressure canning for low-acid foods and meats).
• Adding acid (lemon juice, vinegar) to borderline or low-acid foods when water bath canning.
• Ensuring correct processing times and temperatures based on altitude and jar size.
• Leaving proper headspace in jars.
• Ensuring a proper seal after processing.

Inspect before consuming. Always inspect canned goods before opening for signs of spoilage like bulging lids, leaks, or off odors. Discard any questionable jars without tasting. While canning is a powerful preservation tool, it demands meticulous attention to detail and adherence to established safety protocols to avoid dangerous outcomes.

12. Simple hacks can significantly extend the freshness of everyday foods.

Being a prepper has a lot to do with canned goods, but it also has a lot to do with learning how to save space and extend your food’s shelf life.

Reduce waste. Beyond long-term storage methods, simple techniques can extend the freshness of everyday perishable foods, reducing waste and maximizing resources. These "hacks" often involve controlling moisture, temperature, or exposure to air and other foods. Implementing these practices helps manage current food supplies more effectively, a valuable skill for both daily life and crisis situations.

Practical examples. Simple hacks include:

• Storing mushrooms in paper bags to prevent mildew.
• Wrapping banana stems to slow browning.
• Storing delicate herbs like flowers in water, covered.
• Spraying guacamole with cooking spray and keeping the pit in to prevent browning.
• Storing potatoes, onions, and apples separately.
• Wrapping celery and broccoli in aluminum foil.
• Storing lettuce with a paper towel to absorb moisture.

Creative storage. Some hacks involve slightly more unconventional storage, like tying onions in nylon stockings for air circulation, storing cheese upside down in buckets, or storing carrots in sand. Freezing eggs in ice cube trays or portioning ground meat and tomato sauce in freezer bags are also effective ways to extend life and manage portions, demonstrating that resourcefulness applies to short-term as well as long-term preservation.

Last updated: June 21, 2025