# frozen pasta



## Stephan1eMitchell (Jun 12, 2016)

Space for my preps is fairly limited.

Lately my prepper thoughts have been regarding food storage in an extended no-electricity situation.

I have access to a secure cold storage spot that I would like to utilize. But temps can get to -20 here during the winter.

Pasta looks like it might be a way to store some calories in a form that would not be spoiled by wild fluctuations in temperature.

Is that correct, and are there any other food candidates for a secure storage spot that is is both hot and cold over the course of a year?

(This is also a spot where I am hiding some hardware that may come in handy lately - items that are immune to temp fluctuations.)


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

actually almost all food is influenced by temps - pasta is best stored at a steady temp of 70 degrees +/- a few degrees ....


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I have to say.. why store pasta when you can use flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt and make your own. 1 cup of flour makes enough for 4 people


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

If you really are limited on space a pound of spaghetti takes up less space than a pound of macaroni. 70 degrees and 70 percent humidity without lot of daylight is best for long term storage . 

Any chance of digging inside the building - you could put in a cellar and perhaps avoid the freezing issue. If you cannot dig think about an insulated room/ closet within the building . Most likely still need source of heat with the temperatures you describe but only have to heat the room and then only enough to stay above freezing. 
In an area where that temperature only gets to 10 f I have seen a small room/closet heated with an old fashioned light bulb they just leave the light on. Of course a heat lamp would put out more heat and they make zone heaters with a thermostat as well.

Within your room you might also pack canned goods inside cardboard boxes lined with newspaper to hep protect from freezing. Pain to put it away and get stuff out but it might work for you.


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## Stephan1eMitchell (Jun 12, 2016)

Maine-Marine said:


> I have to say.. why store pasta when you can use flour, eggs, and a pinch of salt and make your own. 1 cup of flour makes enough for 4 people


I appreciate all the replies everyone!

I'm preparing a food cache for an extended no power situation. If I pack away pasta today, that would last longer than eggs that I pack away today, right?


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## Stephan1eMitchell (Jun 12, 2016)

RJAMES said:


> If you really are limited on space a pound of spaghetti takes up less space than a pound of macaroni. 70 degrees and 70 percent humidity without lot of daylight is best for long term storage .
> 
> Any chance of digging inside the building - you could put in a cellar and perhaps avoid the freezing issue. If you cannot dig think about an insulated room/ closet within the building . Most likely still need source of heat with the temperatures you describe but only have to heat the room and then only enough to stay above freezing.
> In an area where that temperature only gets to 10 f I have seen a small room/closet heated with an old fashioned light bulb they just leave the light on. Of course a heat lamp would put out more heat and they make zone heaters with a thermostat as well.
> ...


I appreciate the time you spent typing this detailed reply.

I should have explained in more detail what I'm trying to do. But my original post was already too long.

I have a small house which I can keep heated without electricity by burning wood. I also have a barn that is no longer used for farming. It has a false wall that provides a hidden 10x10 area where I would like to store things that don't mind freezing. I could put an electric heater in there now, but what I'm concerned about is a no-electricity situation, so I'd just rather build my plan around the assumption that I will not be heating this area.

Farming implements and other hardware can obviously stand the cold temps and will be stored there.

I was also wondering if there is any kind of food that could be stored there that wouldn't mind getting cold. Pasta and maybe rice came to mind but maybe there are no dry foods that will survive freezing temps and still be edible . .?


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## Stephan1eMitchell (Jun 12, 2016)

BTW last fall (2015) I thought that maybe whey protein shakes that bodybuilders buy at GNC would withstand the cold. But everyone I asked said no.

So I left them in a plastic RubberMaid box outside on my patio all winter.

The alternating -10F / +whatever F temps didn't seem to bother the shakes at all. They were just as tasty as new ones. So unless my methodology was flawed, there is at least one food that could live in a cold space for a year . . ?


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

I think any dry food will do just fine with freezing temps during the winter for 3 years or so . After that is the problem . If they staid frozen all the time no problem . It is the freezing, thawing , freezing that is the problem as you get moister pulled out and collected from the air or from the product that can cause problems. One of the reason they try and get air out is to get the moister that is in that air out.


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## Stephan1eMitchell (Jun 12, 2016)

AWesome, thanks for the info.

If I could get 3 years out of my food stash I'd be very happy. If civilization is still civilized in 3 years, I will be in much better shape financially and be in a position to do a better job with my food stash.


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## Stephan1eMitchell (Jun 12, 2016)

For anyone who may be interested in the idea of food freezing and thawing, after starting this thread a little more than a year ago I stored bodybuilder protein shake packs, Advil, pasta, rice and Vitamin C in a couple plastic grocery store bags on my back patio/deck for 3 winters and 2 summers. So far everything is just fine. They must have all frozen and thawed many dozens of times. The Advil still works for headaches so I'm hoping that that means that the Vitamin C tabs are still good as well. So as of right now I know that I will have a supply of carbs as well as protein shakes to last many years even if my house is raided. Much more than this is needed of course but with these necessities and my stash of water filters maybe I will outlive most of the population, the non-preppers who die off in the first few months.

I think that people in cold climates like the frozen tundra we call Canada don't put enough thought into storing food in hiding spots outside of their home. Once marauders come and take the food that's in your home, you are left with whatever you hid out in the cold / heat.


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