I am in the process of stocking a pantry for long term food storage. Does anyone know how long items like vegetable oil, shortening and liquid rennet will last w/o going bad? I would hate to end up with a lot of rancid oil. (It would be stored in a cool, dark place.) Thanks.

-- Lenette Stroebel (kigervixen@webtv.net), November 16, 1999

Answers

Olive oil doesn't store well. But you should be fine with the rest. Try to find oil with added Vitamin E...it is a preservative. Surround the openings of your containers with vaseline to avoid rusting and air exposure. Shortening probably lasts the longest since in really a trans fat. Sue

-- Sue Landress (Sulandherb@aol.com), November 17, 1999.

Check out this site for Food storage and preservation tips:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000ryp

-- walt (longyear@shentel.net), November 17, 1999.

Lenette,

Here is a site that has a lot of info on food storage and planning. It should get you off to a great start. As far a oil goes I am not sure. I do know we had some vegatable oil for 18 months and it seemed allright when we opened it.

Good luck

Scott

-- Scott Hansen (dshans@hotmail.com), November 17, 1999.

oops trying again

Lenette,

Here is a site that has a lot of info on food storage and planning. It should get you off to a great start. As far a oil goes I am not sure. I do know we had some vegatable oil for 18 months and it seemed allright when we opened it.

HTTP://www.est.usu.edu/publica/foodpubs.htm Good luck

Scott

-- Scott Hansen (dshans@hotmail.com), November 17, 1999.

I have also added Vitamin E to the oil. I open a liquid capsule and squeeze it in. PatW

-- Pat Warden (hairles@bellsouth.com), November 19, 1999.

Lenette,

I recomend "Stocking Up III" Published by Rodale Press. Not too pricey and chock full o information.

Cheers

-- Joe Longshaw (deercreekfarm@juno.com), November 23, 1999.

Oooh, Sue! Olive oil keeps virtually forever! If it doesnt, maybe I died a long time ago and just havent realized it yet.Other bottled vegetable oils and shortening will last for several years at least, in our experience. Rennet wont go bad, but it might lose its strength: Im not sure about that. But we have used tablets that were several years old.

-- jd (belanger@midway.tds.net), November 23, 1999.