Storage Life of Dry Foods

http://waltonfeed.com/grain/life.html

The Soft Grains
Barley
Hulled or
Pearled Oat
Groats
Rolled Oats
Quinoa
Rye

Soft Grains have softer outer shells which don't protect the seed interior as well as hard shelled seeds and therefore won't store as long. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 8 years at a stable temperature of 70F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.

The Hard Grains
Buckwheat
Corn, Dry
Flax
Kamut
Millet
Durum wheat
Hard red wheat
Hard white wheat
Soft wheat
Special bake wheat
Spelt
Triticale

Hard Grains all store well because of their hard outer shell which is nature's near perfect container. Remove that container and the contents rapidly deteriorate. Wheat, probably nature's longest storing seed, has been known to be edible after scores of years when stored in a cool dry place. As a general rule for hard grains, hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 15-20 years at a stable temperature of 70F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.

Beans
Adzuki Beans
Blackeye Beans
Black Turtle Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Great Northern
Kidney Beans
Lentils
Lima Beans
Mung Beans
Pink Beans
Pinto Beans
Small Red Beans
Soy Beans

As beans age they lose their oils, resist water absorbtion and won't swell. Worst case, they must be ground to be used. Storing beans in nitrogen helps prolong the loss of these oils as does cool temperatures. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 8-10 years at a stable temperature of 70F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored 10-20 degrees cooler temperatures.

Dehydrated Vegetables
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Celery
Onions
Peppers
Potatoes

Dehydrated vegetables store well if hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen. Plan on a storage life of 8-10 years at a stable temperature of 70F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.

Dehydrated Dairy Products
Cheese Powder
Cocoa Powder
Powder Eggs
Butter/margarine pdr
Powder Milk
Morning Moo
Whey Powder

Dehydrated Dairy Products generally store very well if stored dry in hermetically sealed containers with the oxygen removed. Plan on a storage life of 5 to 10 years if stored at a stable temperature of 70F. They should keep, probably 5 years longer, if stored at cooler temperatures. Fat is an agent that markedly decreases the storage life of dairy products.

Flours and Other Products Made From Cracked/ground Seed
All Purpose Flour
Bakers Flour
Unbleached Flour
White Flour
Whole Wheat Flour
Cornmeal
Mixes
Refried Beans
Cracked wheat
Germade
Gluten
Wheat flakes

After seeds are broken open their outer shells can no longer protect the seed contents and seed nutrients start to degrade. Don't try to store unprotected flours longer than a year. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 5 years at a stable temperature of 70F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.

Note: Granola is not a long storing food because of the nuts. They contain high concentrations of oil which go rancid over the short term. Expect granola to last about 6-9 months.

Note: Peanut Butter Powder will not store as long as wheat flour. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 4-5 years at a stable temperature of 70F. It should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.

Pasta
Macaroni
Noodles
Ribbons
Spaghetti

Pasta will store longer than flour if kept dry. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 10 - 15 years at a stable temperature of 70F. Pasta should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.

Dehydrated Fruit

Fruit doesn't keep as well as many dehydrated items. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life of 10-15 years at a stable temperature of 70F. They should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures.

Honey, Salt and Sugar
Should keep indefinitely if stored free of moisture. Watch for additives in the honey. It's possible to buy honey with water and sugar added. This honey generally doesn't crystallize like pure 100% honey does when stored for a long time. If there are additives, there is no saying how long it will last.

Brown and White Rices
Brown rice is only expected to store for 6 months under average conditions. This is because of the essential fatty acids in brown rice. These oils quickly go rancid as they oxidize. It will store much longer if refrigerated. White rice has the outer shell removed along with those fats. Because of this, white rice isn't nearly as good for you, but will store longer. Hermetically sealed in the absence of oxygen, plan on a storage life for white rice of 8-10 years at a stable temperature of 70F. It should keep proportionately longer if stored at cooler temperatures. Stored in the absence of oxygen, brown rice will last longer than if it was stored in air. Plan on 1 to 2 years. It's very important to store brown rice as cool as possible, for if you can get the temperature down another ten degrees, it will double the storage life again.