# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Gardening >  Is popcorn a good food to store?

## nimrod

Would popcorn be a good item to store long term? 

If so,
 - any special kind that would be best? 
 - how would one store it?  
 - Nutritional value (other than fiber) 
 - how long would it last?

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## crashdive123

Popcorn is high in fiber and actually pretty good for you.  Well, that is air popped popcorn.  The addition of oil to pop it in, butter, salt or sugar for flavoring may cause some to argue about the nutritional value.  If you store it in mylar bags with oxygen absorers and then in larger containers, it should keep for 5 years or more.  As far as nutritional value, you can find it HERE

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## nell67

Plus as a comfort food it would be a welcome addition to your stored items.

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## MCBushbaby

> Would popcorn be a good item to store long term? 
> 
> If so,
>  - any special kind that would be best?  *plain seeds, non-buttered or oiled*
>  - how would one store it?  *dry, dark*
>  - Nutritional value (other than fiber) *nutritiondata.com*
>  - how long would it last?*Probably as long as any other hard-coat seed...  forever as long as they don't get wet or moldy*


this is 10 characters

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## nimrod

Let's say I buy a big bag of unpopped popcorn (not buttered) and put it in a five gallon bucket and put a Gamma lid on it.  Then put it in my cold storage room in my basement.  Would that be sufficient?   Or would I have to put it in some special bags first or put dessicant in the buckets or seal it in a speical way?

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## nell67

> Let's say I buy a big bag of unpopped popcorn (not buttered) and put it in a five gallon bucket and put a Gamma lid on it. Then put it in my cold storage room in my basement. Would that be sufficient? Or would I have to put it in some special bags first or put dessicant in the buckets or seal it in a speical way?


I think it would work,I bought several tins of trails end popcorn when my boys were in scouts,and still had 1 unopened tin left when my house burned in May,temperature got hot enough to pop the corn,and pop the top off the tin,that tin was 5 years old.

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## dominored

A lot of people don't realize how versatile popcorn can be in food storage.  It is excellent for grinding into cornmeal, stores well and can make a nice treat.  For long-term storage you can't go wrong including popcorn so long as it is stored properly.

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## Badawg

My brother uses jolly time popcorn as shipping peanuts. Saving the world, one kernel at a time...

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## edr730

I just popped some 9 year old popcorn about a month ago. Popped great. I didn't do anything special to store it, but doing so would keep them sproutable longer. You could grow it and harvest it or sprout it and eat it. Sprouting is a good way to quadruple the amount of food you store as seeds. As the seed begins to grow there is an explosion in the increase of vitamins. Also, if you eat some beans with the corn your body can make use of the balanced protein. Or you can just pop the corn 'cause it tastes so good.

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## old soldier

buy yellow pop corn at Bobs Red Mill in 25 pound bags and learn how to cook it in a little lard, just sprinkle a little sugar or salt on it soon as it's done(depending on your taste,sugar for kids)
 50 pounds, a mylar bag,ox absorbers, a pail and lid will cost about 60 dollars and you should have a quick snack for years to come.

 people should forget about using butter and all the good things if the SHsTF. If anyone want so survive, they should practice now, don't wait til the boat is sinking to learn how to swim

 THE MAIN THING WITH ANY GRAIN, IT HAS TO BE KEPT DRY,once it has been damp and got the musty smell, it is gone, but a great bait to lure squrrils with.

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## Alpine_Sapper

> My brother uses jolly time popcorn as shipping peanuts. Saving the world, one kernel at a time...


OMG I bet he pays a fortune in shipping costs.

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## Alpine_Sapper

> people should forget about using butter and all the good things if the SHsTF. If anyone want so survive, they should practice now, don't wait til the boat is sinking to learn how to swim


while I agree with your logic, I'm sorry, ts has NOT htf. I don't have to live like a rat in a hole and give up things like butter at the moment. Yes, I live off my food stores. It's called rotation. I also don't stock a bunch of crap we don't eat now, cause, well, we won't eat it then. Can I function without things like butter? Yep, everytime I run out I have to, since I have a large supply of just about everything else on hand. 

That's like saying "You shouldn't drink or smoke because you won't have that stuff when TEOTWAWKI comes!" First, yes, I will, I have stores and ways to make more, and second, why in the hell would I want to live without the little things in life that make it GOOD unless I HAVE TO?

See, I know how to swim. But I also know the boat will keep me from having to swim until it sinks. When it sink, I'll swim. Until then, I'm gonna sit back and listen to the outboard.

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## Durlaburban

wait popcorn is a grain with water inside. thats how they pop. so if any bacteria AT ALL got in the bags it would ruin it all. Unless the bags where in fact completly free of O2. get plain popcorn. as bacteria contamination already existing will be a lower risk. butter and things tend to get some bacteria in them no mater the circumstces. let stand for 5 years and the consequences could be harsh. or better yet grow your own popping corn aster the SHsTF

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## edr730

Good post Old Soldier. Keep the grain dry. Some don't know that. Cook with lard. A simple important survival food that gives you energy and nutrition. It's clear to me that your experience is how you draw your conclusions and not something that advertisers have led you to believe.

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