Mountain House at Costco deal

[arbitrary]

Costco - $279.99 after $60 OFF Easy Meal® Combo Kit

"For its members, Costco offers the Easy Meal 18-Gallon Combo Kit for $279.99. (Non-members pay $14 more.) With free shipping, that's $60 off and the lowest total price we could find for any such meal combo. Sales tax is added where applicable. This kit includes 18 1-gallon cans of various ingredients and meals. Just add water to make up to 302 servings. They have a shelf life of 25 years or more, if unopened. Deal ends October 10."

302 servings is exaggerated if you add up the calories, but still much cheaper than other sources.

 

[BigMatt]

This would be great if it were in individual servings, but as soon as you open the can - 17 years from now, you had better eat it quick.

 

[UltraRick]

This would be great if it were in individual servings, but as soon as you open the can - 17 years from now, you had better eat it quick.

If you put a lid on the can after opening, how long is it good for? a week, a month, 6 months???

 

[mrjarrell]

If you open the cans, you'd better have some vacuum sealing bags handy or be ready to eat it all really soon. Just putting the top back on does nothing. You have to remove the air and as much humidity as possible. This isn't a bad deal, by any means, but big cans have their drawbacks.

 

[BBSparkle]

I think we'd all be better off putting together our own supplies. Though it does sound like a decent deal. I'd rather take a cue from Christopher Walken in Blast from The Past.

He didn't need no stinkin Costco.

 

[arbitrary]

"Mountain House #10 cans. Our unique canning process uses both vacuum oxygen removal and nitrogen flushing. This is a time consuming and slightly more costly process...but well worth it. It is the same process mandated by the U.S. Military for whom we also can. Our foods will have the longest shelf life available...up to 30 years! Each of our cans is coated with a protective enamel inside and out for double protection, including the lid. The cans contents are protected until you are ready to open and use them. After opening, we recommend using the contents within 1 to 2 weeks for best results and taste; using the convenient resealable plastic lid between uses. Treat any leftover food as you would fresh food."

I would think you could freeze extras for a while.

 

[XtremeVel]

This would be great if it were in individual servings, but as soon as you open the can - 17 years from now, you had better eat it quick.

There would be some advantages to the smaller 1-2 serving offerings from Mountain House. Shelf life would not be one of them. Their #10 can supposedly is good for 25-30 years, while their 1-2 serving sized pouches are only good for 7 years.

A small family would have no trouble going through a #10 can in a few days. They claim it will be good for 1-2 weeks after opening.

 

[smokingman]

"Mountain House #10 cans. Our unique canning process uses both vacuum oxygen removal and nitrogen flushing. This is a time consuming and slightly more costly process...but well worth it. It is the same process mandated by the U.S. Military for whom we also can. Our foods will have the longest shelf life available...up to 30 years! Each of our cans is coated with a protective enamel inside and out for double protection, including the lid. The cans contents are protected until you are ready to open and use them. After opening, we recommend using the contents within 1 to 2 weeks for best results and taste; using the convenient resealable plastic lid between uses. Treat any leftover food as you would fresh food."

I would think you could freeze extras for a while.

You can freeze anything you do not use.Trust me our freezer is 1/8th full of open mountain house product and none has ever been bad.We tried most of the mountain house products and put the left overs(#10 cans mostly)in zip lock bags in the freezer right away.We even took a few on our camping trip,and they where perfectly fine.

 

[BigMatt]

You can freeze anything you do not use.Trust me our freezer is 1/8th full of open mountain house product and none has ever been bad.We tried most of the mountain house products and put the left overs(#10 cans mostly)in zip lock bags in the freezer right away.We even took a few on our camping trip,and they where perfectly fine.

How do you run your freezer with no electricity?

 

[Regionnus Rattis]

That's still a lot of eating to go through in 1-2 weeks. We have either canned or dehydrated our food and store it in the basement. Dehydrating your own food and storing it will last several years and so we are always rotating it each year. We usually cook with it during the winter and each fall resupplying the stock.

Hard grains like rice and wheat will last for years in a plastic pail. Various beans and oats will last several years. They are much cheaper than what you can get from Mountain House and last you much longer.

Here's a link to some good food products you can purchase and store at room temperature...

Survival Acres Shelf Life Dehydrated & Storable Bulk Foods