Oatmeal?
 

I like oatmeal it is easy to cook and has good nutrition and want to store a fair bit. I prefer quick oats because they are so easy to prepare. Does anyone know how long they should store for? How do they compare to rolled oats?

Re: Oatmeal?
 

Have you looked for a date they must sell it by - should be on the container..

I get the old fashioned oats as they are processed much less.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

The quicker the oat, the less time it will store for. They're "quick" because they've been partially cooked, then dried again. "Instant" oats are cooked even more.

Oat groats are best for long term storage, and a mill set on "Coarse" or a cereal mill will get you the finest bowl of oatmeal you'll ever have. It's good to have quick or instant oats for those times when cooking isn't possible, and oats are mighty filling.

One alternative to resorting to quick oats is called "Thermos cooking", where you add your oat flakes and boiling water, then seal it up for 6 to 8 hours. Quick oats will be ready sooner, and instant (being instant) don't need any cooking time at all.

Just don't store them in the cardboard.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

I'm interested in your question as well. I like the old fashioned oats and wonder how long they will store if they are vacuum sealed?

Re: Oatmeal?
 

Both the rolled oats and quick oats we package from the LDS storehouse are rated by the church as VERY long term storage. I will have to check, but I think it was in excess of 15 years for oats canned with oxy absorbers.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

I bought a package of quick oats just yesterday that has a best-used-by date of July 2009 on the bottom of the container. And that's in its original cardboard box packaging. I immediately re-packaged mine in vacuum-sealed quart jars and would expect a good deal longer than that. With oxygen absorbers in a cool dark place would be even better.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

Are you sure about that? I thought rolled oats keep longer because the bran is removed, steel cut oats have some bran left and oat groats have all the bran left on them. I'm pretty sure its the bran that decreases the self-life. It will go rancid on you.

I do have rolled oats that are at least two years old in a 5 gallon bucket and they still make good oatmeal, no vac pack or oxy absorbers either.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

Just watch for those little black beetles...buggers'll eat through the oatmeal box!

Re: Oatmeal?
 

instant oatmeal ( flavored, in packets) gets a little stale, but is completely edible after 4 years, takes a tad longer to soak up the hot water.
we are presently consuming regular oats purchased in 1989, they go in meatloaf, bread, and cookies. they were stored with no special preparation in a plastic garbage bag.
so 19 years is par.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

You can buy steam rolled oats by the 50 lb sack at any feed store - super cheap survival food.

They're big flakes compared to breakfast cereal but damn good.

I suggest gassing them with co2 while packing them in 5 gal buckets.

They should be bug free after processing at the mill but you can't be too careful because they sit at the feed store ...

Re: Oatmeal?
 

Thanks for the info guys. I sort of went with the shotgun approach and bought both the quick oats (shorter term with rotation) and rolled (long term Mylar bags and buckets.

I'll check into the animal feed rolled oats as well thanks for the pointer BS.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

Oats are like wheat in that respect; as long as you haven't processed it, rancidity doesn't set in, barring heat and moisture exposure, of course. And rolled oats still have all the bran; it's just been smooshed and steamed a bit to make it easier to cook.

Re: Oatmeal?
 

I'm stocking up on DIRT. All purpose survival commodity.
You can dig holes in it, plant potatoes.
You can dig holes and hide copper pennies.
You can even dig a big hole, cover it with a board and sleep in it.
Probably a few other uses I will discover, when I get enough of it.