Forever Foods

Forever foods are those that will last practically forever. These are vinegar, maple syrup, honey, corn syrup, salt, hard liquor, cornstarch, white rice, sugar and pure vanilla extract. Obviously, these are the types of foods you might want to have stocked in your cupboard. You should really stock up on honey as it has been known to last for thousands of years.

Of course there is an obvious problem with this list. Nothing on it is a stand-alone last forever food. They need other elements or they do not really work as real food.

The rice is probably the only item on here that is close to a stand-alone food. However it is not a full protein unless beans are added. That is why many people also put dried beans in their shelters and bug-out systems even thought beans do not last forever.

Vinegar and salt are good for pickling cucumbers and other vegetables and the salt can be used for curing pork and storing fish. Corn starch can be used in gravies and it can be counted on as a thickener. Hard liquor is not exactly something that most people can live on although it might be good to have on hand to barter with others.

To break the monotony of tasteless dishes there are some condiments that do not last forever but can help compliment boring meals made almost solely of rice and beans. You can add freeze-dried vegetables, powdered soups, Tabasco sauce and soy sauce to help bring a bit of diversity to your meals.

Although it is not exactly a forever food you might also want to try stowing away a country ham. They do develop mold but they idea is that you keep cutting the mold off. These hams keep about two years as long as they are left in the original wrappy, are away from insects are hung so that rodents and dirt can’t get at them. Adding slices of ham to beans and rice would most certainly give that dull dish a bit more flavor and also a bit of a hit of protein.

Yet another item to consider is fruitcakes. Some fruit cakes are not meant to be eaten until they are at least four years old. You can soak them in liquor to make them last longer. In fact, fruit cakes soaked in liquor have been known to still be good after they were 25 years old.

Survival

Gathering Vegetable Oysters

The plant that is known as the oyster plant or Vegetable Oyster is called the Common Salsify. It is a common wildflower that is also sometimes called Goatsbeard in the Mediterranean. It has long grass like leaves and grows about three feet tall. The flower head is spiky and can be two inches across. The spikey flower petals have long spiky leaves that are longer than the petals.

You can eat their toots and the young shoots of this vegetable. The reason it is called the oyster vegetable is because the roots are reminiscent of the taste of oysters. If the roots are young you can grate them in salads but if they are older you can add them to soups and stews. The flowering shoots and also be used like asparagus. The roots taste very good roasted just like you would any other vegetable. In fact before you make soup with salsify it is recommended that you roast them first.

If you want to eat baked salsify it is recommended that you sprinkle them with a bit of white vinegar and lemon juice to fully bring out the taste as it is roasting.

The flower tops are also edible. They are a striking purple color. The root is darker and looks like a very red carrot. There are also varieties that have white roots and black roots. Black salsify is the most gourmet as it is less fibrous and has the clearest flavour. The seeds will sprout and you can use that as a topping or paste to be served on or with other foods.

Vegetable oysters are known for their pleasant aroma and they have been used to flavour wine, beer and vinegars in the past. If your survival place has a bad odor you can also strew the flours on the floor to help deodorize it.

The good thing about Salsify is that is available all year round. Although it has a peak season from fall through to early spring you can usually dig it up from under the snow in the winters. The plant offers a good amount of protein and fibber, some vitamin C and potassium and is a good source of complex carbohydrates.

To make a particularly nutritious soup to fight illness in the winter try roasting garlic and salsify together in a stove or in a fire and then making a soup out of it. Salsify also goes together well with Ginger or Miso.