# Mac and cheese 20 years anyone



## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

"Costco's "doomsday" product line is apparently taking off.

The wholesaler made news this week for selling out of its 26-pound bucket of macaroni and cheese that has a shelf life of up to 20 years."

https://www.foxbusiness.com/feature...-26-lb-mac-cheese-tub-with-20-year-shelf-life


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole >>>> the macaroni side is actually eazy to store 20 years - mylar and the correct sized 02 absorbers >>>> it's the dehydrated cheese that's the problem - even in a #10 sealed can 20 years would be double the likelyhood of storage survivalability ....


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

That's a whole lotta water to be used and boiled.


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## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Lunatic Wrench said:


> That's a whole lotta water to be used and boiled.


Yes, if one hasn't provided for a dependable water supply, freeze dried and pasta items are going to be problematic. But WITH an adequate water supply, they are a lot of good calories to be stored with little weight. I have buckets this size from Costco and EE of cereal, oats, freeze dried sausage chunks, etc....


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Lunatic Wrench said:


> That's a whole lotta water to be used and boiled.


Like what you'd need for a bucket full of freeze-dried meals?


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Water here will not be an issue. Two spring and two wells on the property. Most of Wisconsin has water. On the western side it is down deep, but it is there. You will never store enough food to last a life time. Stored food is to get you by until things get back to normal or buy you times to start growing your own. Stored foods allow you to devote time to other issues when needed. 
Little Mac and cheese can help with that.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Mac And Cheese might last 20 years, but we won't. That much cholesterol would kill you in a short time if that's all you eat.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> Mac And Cheese might last 20 years, but we won't. That much cholesterol would kill you in a short time if that's all you eat.


 I doubt anyone would eat only mac and cheese . But if SHTF here say weather just bough everything to a halt . Madison, Milwaukee all the larger areas would get help. Those of us not in the major areas would be forgotten. 20 pounds of Mac would help feed others for a while if their supplies ran low. We stock MRE's for emergencies. I like MRE's (most of them) and have lived on them for extended time. But some Mac would break it up a bit. 
need to be creative post SHTF. The MAC can be used without the cheese and the cheese can be used in other meals. 
Right now I am enjoying some coffee stored 20 years . We put away 3 different types at the time . This is the first sample of this kind. Pretty darn good for a 20 year old cup of coffee.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

It's like you read my mind. I was just about to make some coffee. It's still dark here, and all I am going to do is relax. Saturday is my day-off from the gym.


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

All this talk of mac and cheese is making me hungry!!


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## Yavanna (Aug 27, 2018)

I do not like it that much, but I would keep one of those around, because after a long time eating only rice and beans, I would get very bored and want something different


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

You can have my share. There are things I have refused to eat for more than 20 years. Mac and Cheese is one of them. I eat unbreaded fish and vegetables. I will eat flat-bread and turkey from Subway, but only because they use Jenny-O. I did replace chocolate with dates.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

next to lasagna pasta and egg noodles macaroni packs the worst of the pastas >>> lots of wasted space and that translates to air voids - need to make sure to compensate when packing ... if you have kids having macaroni around makes total sense - otherwise spaghetti strands pack 34+ pounds per 5 gallon bucket - that's decent packing there - some of the other pasta types like bowtie shake/rattle/roll fairly pack tite also ....

buy your cheese for the kid's mac & cheese dehydrated - rotate the cans in the pantry - don't even think 20 fricking years - 10 yrs would be pushing it - dairy isn't one of the better preserved foods around ....


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

Back Pack Hack said:


> Like what you'd need for a bucket full of freeze-dried meals?


Freeze dried food use just enough water to rehydrate the food, Mac and cheese uses a whole lot more just to prepare, and the rest, in non SHTF, goes down the drain. That's not saying you couldn't use the starch water for something else, but I'd rather not, plus they'er empty calories, fine for filling the belly, but not so good long term. Then factor in more water takes more fuel to heat. 
Then there is the morale point one could make, especially if you have kids. I'll admit I do like me some mac and cheese, but my aging gut no longer allows me to eat dairy w/o giving my some grief.

If you have a dependable source of water it's not a big deal as @StratMaster points out, but you'd get better nutrition from cereal grains and still use less water, and I'd say you'd get more meals per weight from grains.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Lunatic Wrench said:


> Freeze dried food use just enough water to rehydrate the food, Mac and cheese uses a whole lot more just to prepare, and the rest, in non SHTF, goes down the drain. ...........


I've haven't drained pasta in years. If you do, you're simply using way too much water to start with.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

When you are hungry you will eat it like it or not. And after awhile you will even stop griping about it.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

It would be easier to store the fixings to make homemade noodles. all you need is flour and eggs






if you can get milk you can make cheese, it is somewhat easy

and to top it off, wine is very very very easy to make


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## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Maine-Marine said:


> It would be easier to store the fixings to make homemade noodles. all you need is flour and eggs
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yep, I keep plenty of evaporated milk on hand for making all sortsa stuff...


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

When MRE's were passed out . you either walked by grab the number you were told to or they were handed to you. I had to be the only one in the Army that could grab or be handed 3 or more of a chicken al king in a row. Now I like chicken. But that ground up stuff mixed with what ever al king is turns my stomach to look at. And no one in there right mind trades for one of them. To be fair it really did not taste all that bad if you used the flame-less heater and warmed it up. But the idea of it really make me ill.
But I did eat it


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## Deebo (Oct 27, 2012)

@Inor makes his own noodles and pasta, I believe.


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

It is enlightening to me that so many companies are jumping on the survivalist bandwagon. They see a buck to be made, which is OK with me, but I think that there are closet preppers out there.
Somebody is buying that stuff, and I have seen preppers on Christian TV stations, that did not happen 20 years ago.


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

MisterMills357 said:


> but I think that there are closet preppers out there.


I came out months ago, but thanx for noticing.


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## MisterMills357 (Apr 15, 2015)

Lunatic Wrench said:


> I came out months ago, but thanx for noticing.


You fit in here, and you slid in under the radar.


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

MisterMills357 said:


> and you slid in under the radar.


Just working on my Gray man techniques.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

StratMaster said:


> Yes, if one hasn't provided for a dependable water supply, freeze dried and pasta items are going to be problematic. But WITH an adequate water supply, they are a lot of good calories to be stored with little weight. I have buckets this size from Costco and EE of cereal, oats, freeze dried sausage chunks, etc....


Ezy, just buy some freeze dried water. :tango_face_grin:


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

But only kids eat mac n cheese. Its not for adults unless it has a cheesy leathrey crust on top. Thats how they made it out of guvment commodites free cheee rations back in high school.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Annie said:


> Ezy, just buy some freeze dried water. :tango_face_grin:


They do have a dry water product comes in a can now.


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## Annie (Dec 5, 2015)

Smitty901 said:


> They do have a dry water product comes in a can now.


Do you have a link? Do you remember when they sold canned air back in the 70's? Remember pet rocks?


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