How to Store Soups and Stews Long-Term?

Emergencies can be physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging as the survival of your family is at stake! There are so many things you need in an emergency to be truly prepared, but the thing that you will need the most is food. Food is fuel after all, and that is why feeding your family should be priority number one!

An emergency doesn’t always have to be a disaster or a pandemic. It can be as small as a layoff, job loss, struggles with your finances, or an illness. No matter the nature of the emergency, food security is extremely advantageous.

Now, there are different nutritious meals that you can prepare from the items you store long-term, and soups and stews are at the top of our list here! 

Soups and stews are versatile and can include a myriad of nutrient-rich ingredients that will provide your family strength during tough times. So, if you haven’t already, add soups and stews to your yearly DIY long term food storage plan now.

You can easily prepare them with items you probably already have on hand, such as rice, bouillon cubes, spices, freeze-dried veggies, freeze-dried meat, quinoa, barley, and more. But, after you make soup or stew, how can you store it to keep it fresher for longer?

Let’s discuss three of the best ways to store soups and stews long-term based.

Refrigeration

If you are someone who likes to do weekly meal prep, storing soups and stews in your regular refrigerator is the best way to keep them fresh for the week. Modern refrigerators can keep the soups and stews at a safe temperature and avoid spoilage for at least three days.

To store soups and stews effectively using simple refrigeration, all you need to do is let the soup and stew come to room temperature. Transfer it to a new container that has a tight lid. And simply put it in the refrigerator to be used over the week.

However, since soups and stews are delicious and nutritious, they might be finished even before the week ends.

Freezing

To increase the shelf-life of your soups and stews to about three months, freezing is the next best way to store them.

When stored properly, soups and stews will stay edible for the next three months in the freezer. However, there are a few things that you should be aware of when storing soups and stews in the freezer.

• Ingredients: Now, specific ingredients such as rice, pasta, noodles, dairy products, and more can create problems while storing soups and stews in the freezer. These ingredients can absorb a lot of water and make the soup mushy. Dairy products can separate when stored in the freezer. However, to avoid this issue, you can add these ingredients freshly when you consume the soups and stews. 
• Types of Storage Containers: When you are storing soups and stews in the freezer, use freezer-proof containers. For example, you can use Mylar bags for freezer storage. You can also use tempered glass containers for freezer storage. 

When storing soups and stews in the freezer, you don’t have to worry about ice crystals. Just make sure that the soups and stews are at room temperature before putting them in containers and freezer storage. 

Canning

For soups and stews to last for a year, you must opt for canning methods. Although canning increases the shelf-life of soups and stews to one year as opposed to three months, it does come with a set of strict procedures and tested recipes.

Now, there are usually two types of foods: highly acidic foods and low acidic foods. And you need to determine which canning method you will use based on the food’s acidity.

In the case of soups and stews, you usually should use pressure canning as soups are often less acidic. On the flip side, you should utilize water bath canning for high acidic foods such as fruits.

In addition, you should avoid adding ingredients like pasta, rice, noodles, and dairy to ensure that canned soups and stews stay edible and fresh for about a year. You can add them fresh just before serving. However, ingredients like lentils and beans must be cooked before adding to soups and stews for canning.

Bottom Line

Soups and stews are nutrient-rich options that we highly suggest you add to your emergency meal plan!

You can buy soup packets to enjoy in the immediate, but you can also prepare and preserve fresh, homemade soups for your family if you abide by our expert advice. 

And if you need more guidance when it comes to long-term food storage and emergency preparedness, you can browse the food storage tips section on our website. 

We want you to be fully equipped for anything that comes your way. That is why we offer a variety of educational resources in addition to our market leading food storage products, like Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers, buckets and lids, heat sealers, and more.

Shop our site or contact our expert staff to start preparing the right way today.