Best Cooking Oils for Long Term Storage
May 13, 2022
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To prepare for a SHTF scenario and keep our family well-fed with healthy and nutritious food, we must know the best cooking oils for long term storage.
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BEST COOKING OILS FOR LONG TERM STORAGE
As food products are becoming more expensive, and countries are refusing to export cooking products, it’s important we have our pantry filled with this basic cooking ingredient and have cooking oils for long-term storage. We do not want to be caught looking for cooking oils when stores are in short supply as this means they will be either more expensive than they are now, or we will not be able to find them at all. If we lose access to cooking oils, then significantly limits the type of food that can be cooked at home. So, it is best we fill up our pantry with the best cooking oils for long-term storage now, ahead of a SHTF scenario. Our writers sorted through our pantries and asked our friends their favorite cooking oils they include in their pantries. We found the best overall product is Nutiva’s Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil.
Best Cooking Oils for Long Term Food Storage
- Editor’s Pick – Dr. Bronner’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
- Longest Shelf Life – Nutiva’s Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil
- Healthy Long Lasting Cooking Oil – 365 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Affordable Long Lasting Oil – PAM Olive Oil Spray
- Most Versatile Cooking Oil – Wesson Vegetable Oil
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
Check Current Price | Editor’s Pick
Pros:
- Healthy Saturated Fat
- Long Shelf LIfe
- Multipurpose Cooking Oil
Cons:
- Price, it is less affordable than other options on this list on a per oz basis
- A strong flavor that can alter the taste of ingredients in a dish
- The product’s physical state shifts from liquid to solid so may need to rethink your food storage location
Our experience with Dr. Bronner’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil:
This is what I use, and it is great because it is more than just a cooking oil; it’s versatile and can be used for skin moisturizing and as a hair mask. The shelf life is also 18 months after the manufactured date, but I have noticed it stays fresh for much longer. If you are looking for a resource that can help you in more ways than one, I think this is one of the best options on the market and it is well worth the price. Although I use it as one of my two primary cooking oils, I mainly use it when cooking with certain ingredients where I do not mind a sweeter coconut flavor in my food. If you are not a fan of coconut, I suggest avoiding coconut-based oils. One more point to consider is that coconut oils are solids at room temperature but become liquid at 78°F or 26°C, so you may need to reconsider how you store cooking oil. We suggest storing it in a cool dark place or a refrigerator.
Nutiva Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil
Check Current Price | Longest Shelf Life
Pros:
Price per oz is a good deal compared to other coconut oils
The 128oz option is an airtight container and designed for extended storage
Multipurpose cooking oil
Cons:
The product’s physical state shifts from liquid to solid so may need to rethink your food storage location
A strong flavor that can alter the taste of ingredients in a dish
Our experience with Nutiva Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil:
Here we have another unrefined coconut oil but with a shelf life of well over two years. The Nutiva Organic Cold-Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil is designed for long-term storage and is packaged for the ages. If you are looking for cooking oils for an emergency food storage location, we think this is one of the best cooking oils for long-term storage. If properly stored, coconut oil can last up to 5 years. Plus, when the need calls for it, it can serve as a moisturizer replacement and serve other multipurpose uses. Part of the downside of using unrefined cooking oil is that the cooking oil can switch from solid to liquid depending on the temperature of your pantry. Although it will not influence taste, it may affect where you can store items in your pantry and the type of ways you can use the coconut oil. Additionally, coconut oil has a strong natural flavor. Although we think the added coconut flavor can enhance most meals, we strongly suggest you determine if you like the flavor of coconut oil before making this purchase.
365 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Check Current Price | Healthy Long Lasting Cooking Oil
Pros:
Affordable olive oil
Rich flavor
Multipurpose cooking oil
Cons:
Strong olive taste that can overwhelm the natural flavor of ingredients
Our experience with 365 Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
We use this brand of extra virgin olive oil when cooking savory foods and fish. It is not only a healthy and affordable choice, but it is rich in flavor and breaks down vegetables and spices to allow them to go into the food. Additionally, olive oil is a versatile tool, and many cultures have creative ways to turn it into candles, soaps, and more uses. If you find yourself in a SHTF scenario, you can repurpose the cooking oil and make use of olive oil-based soaps and candles that can be sold or traded. Similar to coconut oil, olive oil does have a strong olive flavor and will change the taste of food products.
PAM Olive Oil Spray
Check Price Here | Affordable Long-lasting Cooking Oil
Pros:
Compact and easy to store
Affordability
Easy to travel
The flavor is not as potent compared to other olive oil alternatives
Cons:
Not natural
Single-purpose product
Our experience with PAM Olive Oil Spray:
We found this to be an affordable and easy-to-store option when it comes to cooking oils. They are compact, and if stored properly, have a shelf life just as long as the liquid alternative. This is also good to have for people on the go. It can be stored in a backpack while going on a road trip to a bug-out location or a simple camping trip to make a meal. Depending on how you like to cook meals, the flavor of spray olive oil is not as overwhelming as liquid olive oil. If you prefer a subtle taste of olive oil this will be a good alternative for you. One downside to this is that the liquid and solid oils are more natural, and we always recommend products closer to their original source.
Wesson Vegetable Oil
Check Current Price | Most Versatile Cooking Oil
Pros:
Multipurpose cooking oil
Non-toxic oil for household chores
Affordable price in terms of price per oz compared to other cooking oils
Cons:
Polyunsaturated fat
Our experience with Wesson Vegetable Oil:
Cooking oil can be used for more than just cooking purposes. Vegetable oil is one of the better options if you need a non-toxic oil for errands around the house. We keep a large gallon of vegetable oil in our home when we need to polish appliances or oil squeaky hinges. Most vegetable oils are heavily processed and are made from GMO seed oils, which have proven to be harmful to heart health. So, we do not consume nor recommend consuming it when there are healthier cooking oil alternatives. Still, if your goal is a non-toxic versatile oil with a long shelf life, we recommend this product because you can buy a product in bulk for an affordable price. Trust us from experience, there are lots of uses for this at home, and we find ourselves restocking this item twice a year. For some ideas on how to use vegetable oil at your home, click here.
How to Dispose of Cooking Oil
Often overlooked are the dangers of disposing of cooking oil down the drain. Pouring used cooking oil down the drain can lead to serious damage to pipes and slowly clog them over time. This can lead to an unwanted and costly call to a plumber later to resolve. However, you can learn how to dispose of cooking oil in an environmentally friendly way. When disposing of cooking oils, consider turning it into a DIY project and make a natural soap out of it, adding it into compost, or even adding the left-over oil to your dog food to give it more flavor. For more ideas, click here to see our past post on disposing of cooking oils.
Healthy Cooking Oils for the Heart
Not all cooking oils are created equal. Recent evidence has shown that heavily processed cooking oils, high in trans fats are dangerous for humans and increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes. However, fats and oils are a natural part of the human diet, and humans have eaten healthy fats and oils throughout much of human history. Cooking foods in fats and oils that are natural and the least processed is encouraged as it can provide your body with the essential fats it needs to operate. At Soulful Prepper, we encourage healthy fats and oils because this is not only what we consume but also is generally better for our audience.
Evaluation Criteria for Our List
When making this list we wanted to include healthy options, and avoid polyunsaturated fats and oils that are known to cause harm. Examples of these include corn oil, canola oil, and other various oils that are often genetically modified. We think the more natural the product the better even if it means a short shelf life. We also wanted to encourage glass bottles as opposed to plastic bottles, as we do not want microplastics to be absorbed into the cooking oil. Additionally, we excluded some oils we love like, avocado oil since it has a short shelf life. We wanted to include high-quality oils, that not only have a long shelf life but also come with numerous health benefits. Our goal when creating posts is to provide our audience with relevant prepper information that encourages healthy and natural living.
For more details on our evaluation criteria, read our rationale on how we rate cooking oils and fats.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this article are sponsored links. If you make a purchase through these links, we may receive a referral fee at no additional cost to you. However, if you do purchase from the link you will be supporting Soulful Prepper and help us continue to produce content for this site. Thank you.
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Saul M
Saul M
Saul is a founder and editor of Soulful Prepper. He previously worked as an emerging technology advisor to companies and governments. But now, he makes his living by advising people on prepping and holistic living. In his personal time, he enjoys hiking with his wife, biohacking, reading about history, and embracing his spirituality.
