10 Natural Foods That Have An Extended Shelf Life

The shelf life of frozen food stored in the freezer varies from between one month to one to two years, depending on the food; Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) last for up to five years without refrigeration.

Some survivalists have mentioned canned food has an indefinite shelf life. But the plastic used to line metal food cans contain Bisphenol-A, commonly referred to as BPA.

Even at low doses, BPA is linked to diabetes, heart disease, breast and prostate cancers, reproductive abnormalities, learning disabilities, and obesity.

But nature has created many natural foods with an amazingly long, built-in shelf life. Based on various sources, we’ve compiled a list of ten whole foods ranging in shelf life of several months to indefinitely:

1. Eggs

Coating eggs in mineral oil can extend their shelf life for up to 9 months without refrigeration.

2. Winter Squash

Winter squash, including acorn, hubbard, butternut, spaghetti, and even pumpkin, can last between 2 and 6 months when stored in a dark cabinet with little to no airflow.

3. Beets

Beets can last between 2 and 4 months in the refrigerator. First, cut off the greens if they’re still attached, and then store them in a perforated plastic bag in your vegetable crisper.

4. Cabbage

Cabbage, when wrapped in plastic and kept in the crisper can last for up to 2 months.

5. Onions

Stored in a cool dry area, onions can keep for up to a year. Even if left in the mesh bag on the counter top, onions can last a month or more and will usually start to grow more onions rather than rot.

6. Potatoes

Potatoes like temperatures near 40ºF and no light, kept within these parameters they will last between 2 and 4 months.

7. Rice

When stored in a dry place the shelf life of rice is nearly indefinite and will last well past the 20 year mark.

8. Kiwi

Believe it or not, if you keep kiwis stored in the refrigerator, away from other fruits that emit high levels ethylene, like apples, they can last for months.

9. Peanut Butter

While not a completely whole food, (since peanuts are crushed, mixed with various ingredients and packaged in a jar), peanut butter stored in low humidity has a shelf life of 2-5 years. Some claim the high amount of Vitamin E in peanut butter helps to prevent it from spoiling.

10. Honey

The shelf life of this amazing super food is indefinite. Kept out of the light the and at room temperature the worst that can happen to the honey is crystallization.

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Inquisitive foodie with a professional investigative background and strong belief in the organic farm to table movement. Author of Bad Seeds: A FriendsEAT Guide to GMO's. Buy Now!