Posted: 5/15/2007 10:03:09 AM EDT
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Now that I have accomplished my 90 day goal of basic food preps, I've thought about adding a few "niceties". Although I don't have a need for coffee, it is a very good barter item so I've considered buying a case of the smaller "1 pound" cans for personal use as well as possible trading barter. Over the weekend I picked up a single can of Wally World brand ground Colombian coffee to try. When I got home I was surprised & dismayed to find an expiration date on the bottom of the can showing March 8th of next year (2008)! Not even a full year. No way I'm going to invest in excess coffee if it can only be stored for 1 year. Anyone have suggestions / ideas for storing coffee long term? Freezing is out of the question --- too much bulk and questionable electricity supply during dire times. |
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I buy the Vacuum sealed Folgers brand. I bought a bunch off amazon about 1 year ago. They have a "best By" date on them of 07/08. Being Vacuum sealed I'm sure they would be good for much longer then that. Good price too. Link to Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-1844313-4419939?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=folgers+coffee+brick |
From This website You might consider stocking up on 'em green, like many frontiersmen did in the past. Roasting the beans is what really shortens the shelf life. ETA=
So a campfire popcorn popper can be used to roast the green coffee beans quite nicely, and according to the earlier link a hot air popcorn popper works great for an inexpensive roaster if you've got electricity still. I have one of these type stovetop coffee makers that I use often when camping, over an MSR stove, and it works great. Sure it doesn't exactly fit in with the whole chuckwagon type percolators you see in the movies, but even when I attended rendezvous' I rarely tried to keep my campsite 100% authentic... |
I find that sealed cans/packets of coffee can last awhile. I store mine frozen in the freezer. Remember the dates are "use by" dates and not "expiration dates." But then coffee is not a priority item in any emergency. The companies are not making a distinction because everyone mistake them for "expiration" dates, and throws them out, and of couse you buy more....
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That does not apply to Folgers though. Floor sweepings do not improve with SHTF. I'd roast and boil roots before another fetid drop of Folger's tainted water ever passed my lips. A Folgers 'best by' date is like a 'smells ok' date on a turd. If you still can't tell, I hate Folgers. Compost squeezings filtered through a panty-liner would taste better. |
OK, Good for you. Go ahead and roast them roots. As I know it will taste bettter in the SHTF. I will be next to you as we do this.  Really, you will find things that taste better when you have nothing else to eat. |
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I'm not a coffee drinker, but my wife is an addict. She's somewhat picky, and her current favorite is the Costco Kirkland 100% Columbian 3# cans. They're usually stamped "best by" or "use by" two years from the date they're on the shelves. I'd go out on a limb and guess that most coffee drinkers would be delighted to get an unopened can even if it were three or four years old. Next time you go to WMart, just for fun, pull out a few different cans (of whatever) and compare the "best by" dates. It's surprising, but typically the dates will vary by four or six months, especially if you check cans that aren't too close to one another. |
 I agree. I would give up the bean first. . .
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More back to freebear's original question; what scenario does this work in? Ground coffee has a terrible shelf life. The only way to store it I have found is to keep the amount on hand that I know I will use before the oldest can goes bad. If you do not drink it you would be giving it away on a yearly basis. Look for a barter item that your group can and would use. I would substitute a case of rum or other such spirits for barter as the shelf life is much much longer. No need to discard, well unless .......I digress. If you have a neighbor that is an addict (as am I) then that having a rescue can that you replaced every six months, might be worthwhile. Being a good and caring neighbor and all that. That is about all that I can come up with for you. Good job on your starting to prep. Keep it up on the things and supplies for what would work for you and yours first before you get too trading post. BRD |
Some funny stuff on this thread... I have to agree about the Flogers, though. On it best, optimum buy date it still tastes like hot water strained through camel dung... When it comes right down to it, any vacuum packed coffee of any quality at all (except Folgers) is going to taste pretty damn good when you crack it open (as long as the vacuum seal remains intact). Sure, I'd love to be drinking my freshly ground French roast like I do every day now, but somehow that doesn't seem like a reality when I'm eating MRE's and canned food to survive. Survival is about lowering your expectations according to the new reality. Nutrition will be far more important that gormet taste. About any cup of Joe will taste pretty damn good to me in SHTF, I'm sure. |
Yep. When/if the real deal is gone, this will be the elixir of the gods/liquid gold. Not worth as much as some liquors, but harder to get when the supply gets thin. I'd check the expiration dates on quality instant brands.  Some pretty basic staples will be pretty hard to come by in certain scenarios, like sugar, salt (in many locations), flour. Seasonings, like pepper, etc., will make some foods tolerable that would otherwise be nearly inedible. 
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I have also stocked up on tea, as I know from personal experience that it keeps way longer than coffee, and will satisfy/supply a caffeine fix if necessary/wanted. Caffeine will help an athsmatic attack in a pinch, and you never know if you may need to stay awake fighting off MZB's.
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