Best oil for "long" term storage?

[Heimdhal]

I know this gets a lot of mixed opinions, so I thought I'd throw it out there on this forum too! :D

But really, what type of oil should I be looking at for the longest term storage? We use a lot of olive oil as it is, only keeping veg oil, etc for specific recipes we bake with where olive oil would cause too drastic a flavor change. We've never really had any long enough to go bad, since we usualy use it up pretty quick.

[StackerKen]

Thats a good question Heim.
I have heard/read that all oil will go rancid. But olive oil will still be good even if it starts to turn.

Im not sure though.

I look forward to other's posting with info.

[Heimdhal]

Yeah, it stands to reason that eventualy it WILL go rancid as it is 100% fat and fat is one of the hardest things to store. I too have heard olive oil is better than legume based oils (like veggie oil/soybean or peanut). Not sure about corn oil though.

Also, as much as I dont like it regularly, shortening pretty much lasts forever. Hydrogenated soybean oil is all it is, and its not the healthiest for you, but depending it can be quite resourcefull and a good storage method of fat.

[Defender]

Here's the little I recall about oils.

Having enough oils/fats in your diet is essential for their fatty-acids.

Oils are self-oxidizing (will go rancid) so storing in an O2 free environment will only slow down the process, not stop it. Light and heat also speed up the process so store in a cool, dark place. (Does the light in the fridge really go out?)

Oil that has gone rancid is a taste issue not a food safety issue - ie it is still edible although there are other health implications involved such as the formation of free radicals.

Crisco (solid not liquid) will store forever. Not saying you should use it, just that you can store it. But, if there's nothing else...

Olive oil is one of the best oils for 'longer' storage. But even it is severely degraded after just a year. http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/how-olive-oil-works3.htm

Here is an article that is the opposite of everything you've heard about what oils to use: http://www.conquerweightloss.com/2008/09/healthy-cooking-oil-best-oil-to-use.html

BTW - I use olive oil for most of my cooking needs too.

[Heimdhal]

If SHTF so bad that I no other oil save rancid oil is available, I wont be as worried about free radicals as I will about just getting some fat in me. It is a valid point in the meantime however.

I guess I'll just have to keep my couple of gallon cans of olive oil on hand like usualy and stock a few more jars of crisco just in case. I do use it occasionaly in baking, though not often, so I do have a little one hand.

I like to buy in bulk when I can, and we get good deals on some things (like the gallon jugs of oil) since my cousins own an italian market. This is a big reason I go for long term storage, since we buy in quantities we wont be using right away and suppliment in fresh grocceries for everyday meals.


Thanks for the info Defender, gonna go read that article now! ;D

[Heimdhal]

Oh yeah, I will add that once my wife and I were in charge of meal preperation around the house (we live in a multi-generational situation) we got rid of that nasty ass margarine for good and use only butter. We still use it sparingly, but its made a world of difference. My mother was (and still is) always of the mind that margarine is better for you because "they say so" and if given the choice she goes for it every time, but it has made a world of difference using real butter again.

I had to take a CRAP load of health and nutrition classes in Culinary school (more than most doctors) and that was always a big thing: Butter vs margarine. You wont find many chefs that prefer the latter ;)

[coopersmith]

From what I understand coconut oil is the least likely of the common oils to go rancid when stored long term.

[JJ.G0ldD0t]

Lard

I've been putting away some crisco as well.

[techguy]

Lard

I've been putting away some crisco as well.


I think crisco will outlast all of us.

[carpediem]

the butter vs margarine debate is just like the democrap vs republicant debate and the mercury vs fluoride debate...
even if you win, you still lose.

I'd have to agree that coconut oil is our best bet for storing oil ( with nutritional value ) for the long term, but it still must be rotated, I have used coconut oil that I bought almost 2 years ago and it is perfectly acceptable... and well within the expiration date too. Storing anything you don't use regularly is a recipe for disaster.. Coconut oil has many legitimate beauty and medical uses as well.

[Heimdhal]

the butter vs margarine debate is just like the democrap vs republicant debate and the mercury vs fluoride debate...
even if you win, you still lose.

I'd have to agree that coconut oil is our best bet for storing oil ( with nutritional value ) for the long term, but it still must be rotated, I have used coconut oil that I bought almost 2 years ago and it is perfectly acceptable... and well within the expiration date too. Storing anything you don't use regularly is a recipe for disaster.. Coconut oil has many legitimate beauty and medical uses as well.


Well, wouldnt recomend eating sticks of butter for dinner or licking butter popsicles or anything as snack, but if I were going to eat some bread, I'd much sooner but butter on it than margarine. Same as if I was going to flavor some rice, or fry an egg in a pan. You only lose when you begin to consume outside of healthy, moderated diet. With the others, you just lose no matter what.

[Korbin Dallas]

I've heard that canned butter has a long shelf life, but is hard to find. Anyone have any experience with it?

[carpediem]

Well, wouldnt recomend eating sticks of butter for dinner or licking butter popsicles or anything as snack, but if I were going to eat some bread, I'd much sooner but butter on it than margarine. Same as if I was going to flavor some rice, or fry an egg in a pan. You only lose when you begin to consume outside of healthy, moderated diet. With the others, you just lose no matter what.


If I were you I would try to find foods that are flavorful enough on their own, so that you aren't tempted to add butter...
I don't eat eggs, rarely eat bread, and the little rice i eat ( i don't really consider white rice to even be a food, but then again neither are butter+ eggs ;D ) is plenty flavorful enough without adding butter ( which I also don't eat ). Now if only we could agree on what a healthy moderate diet consists of...

[Ponce]

Coming in from Cuba I should tell you that down there oil is like gold and when you find it you celebrate.

I do have oil in stock but more lard (Crisco) than liquid oil..........lard will work just as well.

Same with tp and that's why I have 1,850 in stock.

[SLV^GLD]

How are eggs not food?
I get through a 1/3 of most days on nothing but a couple eggs.

[Heimdhal]

Heim,
Try Coconut oil. We have been using it and its great. I use it in most recipes, eat a spoon full a day and even give it to my dogs. It is not too strong and does not flavor your food like olive oil. It is nutritionally better than any other kind of oil.

http://www.vitacost.com/Nutiva-Certified-Organic-Extra-Virgin-Coconut-Oil (http://www.vitacost.com/Nutiva-Certified-Organic-Extra-Virgin-Coconut-Oil)

http://www.vitacost.com/Images/Products/200/Nutiva/Nutiva-Certified-Organic-Extra-Virgin-Coconut-Oil-692752200052.jpg


Thanks! (since we no longer have a thanks button :'()

[Pat Pat]

depending on the recipe, you can substitute ground flax seed for oil

1 tbsp of oil = 3 tbsp ground flax + 9 tbsp of water

mainly in baking, cooking, etc

flax seeds will last years and years until ground

that is a partial solution

you can also substitute flax seed for eggs in cooking

1 tbsp ground flax + 3tbsp water = 1 egg

[Ponce]

I do have two cases of powdered eggs, the 12 #10 cans are sealed in a vacuum.

Also have two cases of butter........super good.

[carpediem]

I know you do not recommend butter or margarine, so what do we put on bread, vegetables, or corn?

Butter is loaded with a dangerous amount of saturated fat, but stick margarines have hydrogenated oils that contain trans fats that raise LDL, the bad cholesterol. Adjusting the type of fat consumed, researchers found that butter caused the highest cholesterol level and that varying amounts of margarines and oils had various harmful effects.14 The best answer is to use nothing, or buy whole-grain bread that tastes good without adding a greasy topping. If you love the flavor of butter, try Butter Buds or sparingly use a spread that contains no hydrogenated oil, such as Spectrum Essential Omega Spread, instead. Lots of my patients like no-salt tomato sauce on bread, or a tomato-salsa blend, avocado, or stewed mushrooms. Of course, the best way to get out of the habit of eating those greasy toppings is not to eat bread at all.
------
Don't want to derail, but I found this on page 238 of "Eat to Live" and couldn't help but think it fit like a puzzle piece. I will make a new thread on eating vegan! when I get the motivation.

[Ponce]

Carp? at 70 years of age I'll worry about my diet and intake on the other side, for now I just want to enjoy life ;D

[Merlin]

I've heard that canned butter has a long shelf life, but is hard to find. Anyone have any experience with it?


Google Red Feather canned butter. It's not that hard to find on the Internet. I've eaten a couple of cans and I think it tastes very much like the fresh butter from the dairy case.

[Korbin Dallas]

Thanks Merlin! I'm waiting for MRE Depot to get a shipment.

Good thread. Oils, butter, etc. are items easily overlooked in preps.

[CrufflerJJ]

But really, what type of oil should I be looking at for the longest term storage? We use a lot of olive oil as it is, only keeping veg oil, etc for specific recipes we bake with where olive oil would cause too drastic a flavor change.

I'm not sure about the "best" oil, other than it's probably some sort of hydrogenated Crisco-like substance in an oxygen barrier package. Some lard you buy in the store is already partially hydrogenated, to extend shelf life at room temperature.

As to the self-oxidation of oil, that tends to be driven by the chemistry (degree of unsaturation) of the oil itself, the amount of oxygen already absorbed by the oil, trace contaminants (water, metals) and the temperature of the oil (+ the ability of the oil to transfer temperature away to its surroundings). I don't fret too much about how much O2 my oil has already absorbed. It is what it is.

I store olive oil in the original full PET gallon plastic jug, at reasonable temperatures. I buy generic veggie oil at Sam's Club in 5 gal cubetainers (polyethylene bladder inside a cardboard box), then cheat & dissolve BHT antioxidant (also good for stabilizing gasoline) in it on a yearly basis. This probably isn't the "best" approach, but it has worked for me so far.

[Ponce]

I did try a five year old can of Red Featjer bitter and it was great......that's why I ordered a case of it............. Warning: in the frig it will get hard as a rock.

[SLV^GLD]

I hear coconut oil is extremely hard pressed to go rancid. It is all I cook with nowadays. I have a few cans set back but no imperial results to speak of. You should at least research the awesomeness that it is. I use Spectrum Organic Expeller Pressed Unrefined.