Popcorn: One of the Cheapest Long-Term Food Storage Staples

 Popcorn is one of those foods that often gets overlooked when people think about food storage. Yet it remains one of the most affordable, shelf-stable, and family-friendly foods you can keep in your pantry.

bacon popcorn - dogs loved this! 

Growing up, popcorn was often the snack that helped keep hungry bellies full between meals. Today, I still keep it on hand because it is inexpensive, easy to store, and makes a healthier alternative when I'm craving something salty and crunchy.

Unlike many processed snack foods, plain popcorn contains fiber, antioxidants, and whole-grain carbohydrates that provide energy. With the right seasonings, it can be transformed into a favorite family treat for pennies per serving.

Cheese flavoring

Cheese Popcorn Flavors

One reason I like storing popcorn is its long shelf life. When kept in airtight containers and protected from moisture, popcorn kernels can remain viable for years. Many long-term food storage enthusiasts freeze kernels for a few days before storage to help prevent insect eggs from hatching later.

My all-time favorite salt- Redmond Sea Salt 

Redmond Sea Salt 

Popcorn is also one of the most economical foods you can buy. Five years ago, popcorn was already considered an inexpensive staple. While food prices have risen across the board, popcorn remains one of the lowest-cost snacks available compared to chips, crackers, and many packaged convenience foods.

Popping popcorn in Israel to share with large group

For flavor, try popping kernels in coconut oil, avocado oil, or olive oil and seasoning with simple pantry ingredients such as salt, garlic powder, cinnamon sugar, ranch seasoning, or parmesan cheese.

Whether you're building an emergency pantry, stretching a grocery budget, or simply looking for a healthier snack option, popcorn deserves a place on the shelf. It's affordable, stores well, and provides a quick way to fill hungry stomachs when times get tight.

Popcorn Store - Hico Texas

With ongoing concerns about weather, crop failures, and rising food costs, popcorn is one of those simple staples worth stocking up on while prices remain relatively affordable.

Shopping popcorn at the Amish stores while passing through Oklahoma and Missouri 

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Popcorn IS a comfort food!     Comfort Foods Matter Too

How Long Would a 20-Pound Propane Tank Last During Emergency Pressure Canning?

 

pressure canning meat for off grid 

One thing many people never think about during a long-term blackout is what happens to all the meat sitting inside the deep freezer.

During a short outage, most families simply cook what they can. But in a true grid-down emergency, freezers eventually begin to thaw — and that expensive food supply suddenly becomes a race against time.

This was actually a situation I covered in my novel, Miles Apart, where the family is facing an EMP grid-down disaster. During the first few days, they tried cooking what they could from the freezer. But as the days passed and the deep freezers began thawing, the women started pressure canning meat outdoors on a propane grill in an effort to save as much food as possible before it spoiled.

And honestly, in a real-life emergency, this could become the exact same situation for many families.

preserving meat for emergency food storage

Can You Pressure Can Meat Outside on Propane?

Yes — many homesteaders already use propane burners or propane grills for outdoor canning during the summer months. In an emergency blackout, propane may become one of the most valuable backup tools a family owns.

To safely can meat, you need:

• A true pressure canner
• Quart or pint jars with lids
• A safe outdoor cooking area
• Enough propane to maintain steady pressure

Low-acid foods like beef, chicken, pork, or venison MUST be pressure canned for safety. A regular water bath canner is not safe for meat preservation.

Popular canners include heavy-duty models from Presto and All American pressure canners. (Amazon link) 

Backyard set-up for off-grid food preservation

How Long Does Meat Take to Pressure Can?

Most raw-packed meat is processed for:

• 90 minutes for quart jars
• 75 minutes for pint jars

The meat can be cold packed directly into the jars, meaning the sterilization happens during the pressure canning process itself.

A standard canner usually holds:

• 7 quart jars
• Roughly 14 to 21 pounds of meat per batch

How Long Would a 20-Pound Propane Tank Last?

A standard 20-pound propane tank contains about 430,000 BTUs of fuel.

Most propane burners used for pressure canning burn approximately:

• 10,000 to 15,000 BTUs per hour once steady pressure is reached

That means one propane tank could realistically provide:

• Around 25 to 40 hours of canning time

Depending on conditions, a single tank could potentially help preserve:

• 60 to well over 100 pounds of meat

That is a massive amount of food that could otherwise be lost during an extended power outage.

1 lb propane could potentially last 1.5 to 2 hrs while pressure canning

Why This Matters More Than Ever

Many families rely almost entirely on freezers for long-term food storage. But during hurricanes, ice storms, cyber attacks, EMP events, or extended blackouts, frozen food becomes vulnerable fast.

Having a backup preservation plan is critical.

Pressure canning allows families to turn thawing meat into shelf-stable food that can last for years without electricity.

Preparedness is not about panicking -- it's no different than planning ahead with insurance.

It's all about protecting the food your family already worked hard to buy, raise, or harvest before it goes to waste.

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Beef Prices Have Nearly Doubled — Here’s Why I’m Preserving More at Home

 I recently went through my old Sam’s Club purchase history from May 2022 and compared it to today’s beef prices. Honestly, the difference shocked me.

Four years ago:

• Ground beef was $3.98 a pound
• Prime New York Strip Steak was $10.86 a pound

Grocery history of Ground Beef and Streaks - from May 2022

Today:

• Ground beef is around $6.18 a pound

Ground beef costs from May 2026

• Prime New York Strip Steak is now about $16.98 a pound

Steaks costs for May 2026

Let's do the math

Ground Beef

• 2022 Price: $3.98 per pound
• 2026 Price: $6.18 per pound
• Increase: $2.20 more per pound

That equals about a 55% increase in just four years.

Prime New York Strip Steak

• 2022 Price: $10.86 per pound
• 2026 Price: $16.98 per pound
• Increase: $6.12 more per pound

That equals about a 56% increase in four years.

                           That is a huge jump in a short amount of time.

So why is beef getting so expensive?

The simple answer is that ranchers are dealing with rising feed costs, drought conditions, fuel prices, transportation costs, and higher operating expenses. Many cattle herds were reduced over the last few years because they became too expensive to maintain. Unlike chickens, cattle take years to rebuild, so supply cannot recover overnight.

Meanwhile, demand for beef remains high.

One thing I learned years ago while excavating in Jordan was just how much we take beef for granted in America. I went an entire month without eating it and remember looking forward to finally getting home and having a hamburger. I was surprised when I stopped at the McDonald’s in the Jordanian airport and realized they were not even serving beef there at the time. My only option was a chicken sandwich.

That experience stayed with me.

It reminded me that foods we consider “normal” can become expensive, limited, or unavailable much faster than people expect.

Home Canned Ground Beef from 2022 still good today in 2026

Because of that, I’ve started preserving more beef at home whenever I find decent prices. Some people freeze it, pressure can it, dehydrate it, or freeze dry it for long-term storage.

I’m not encouraging panic buying. But I do think this is one of those times where it makes sense to prepare a little ahead instead of waiting until prices climb even higher.

Even putting away a few extra pounds of ground beef at a time can help later on.

Preparedness doesn’t always mean preparing for disaster. Sometimes it simply means paying attention to what’s happening around us and making practical decisions while we still can.

What am I doing now? -------> How We’re Stretching Ground Beef as Meat Prices Rise