Stable Fats

[Oak Smoke]

My wife has decided we need some food stored for some future disaster. What is the most stable fat for cooking. Something I could store for a year or longer if feasible before needing to change it out.

[jfmorris]

This is a good topic.

Believe it or not, olive oil is one of the more stable cooking oils, and has a shelf life of about 24 months. Granted, it will be better fresher, but that's about the limit before it goes rancid.

Crisco (vegetable shortening) has a shelf life of 2 years unopened, and 1 year once the can is open, and requires no refrigeration. That is probably an even better option than olive oil.

[jfmorris]

And when in doubt, let me help you Google that...

This list looks pretty comprehensive:

https://www.happypreppers.com/oil.html

And I am sure there are more:

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=best+...l+for+prepping

I think the best source of oil would be to have your own herd of pigs in your back yard, and render oil as needed from the bacon...

[hoovarmin]

"And when in doubt, let me help you Google that..." That gave me my chuckle for the day.

[Oak Smoke]

Thank you, that was very informative.

[DogFaced PonySoldier]

Lard! Crisco.... something along those lines will essentially last forever, won't it?

[jfmorris]

No - a couple of years though. It will go rancid over time even if you don't open it.

[hoovarmin]

If I find myself in a survival situation I'm going to cook with squirrel fat.

[Oak Smoke]

Your squirrels must live a better life than ours. All of them I’ve shot were very lean.

[hoovarmin]

Oak Smoke the bastards have gotten fat as a wood chucks in my backyard raiding my bird feeder!

[Oak Smoke]

hoovarmin I like watching the YouTube videos showing the squirrels figuring out how to get to the bird feeders.

[WillTravelForFood]

it won't be something to keep forever -- but nothing wrong with keeping a jar or two of duck fat on the shelf (then fridge after opening)

[Donw]

If considering liquid oils look for coconut oil or palm oil. Solid Crisco is really good in sealed cans too. Since oxygen is what will cause oils to go rancid consider buying the oil in bottles or cans only sufficient for several months normal use and vacuum sealing all the other bottles or cans in their own vacuum bags. This way you are only exposing one can or bottle at a time to oxygen and the rest stays fresh almost indefinitely.