The 30 Cents Survival Food That You Should Hoard

This article was originally published by Kristan M on www.askaprepper.com

One of the best instant foods you should have in your stockpile is ramen noodles. Instant ramen is well-known as the staple food for many college students. If college students can live off of Ramen for a few years, then so can you if necessity calls for it. Ramen is a super light and easy to make food that lasts for a long time. It is a good source of carbohydrates that gives you energy. It also contains high levels of sodium, which isn’t always a bad thing since sodium is an important nutrient that plays a key role in our nerve and muscle functions.

The great thing about ramen is that it only really requires 2-4 minutes to make in boiling water, and it only has about 188 calories per serving. It is such a super cheap and tasty meal that will be a very wise and practical addition to the variety of your food stockpile.

Best Ramen to Store

There are plenty of good brands of instant ramen that you can store. Here are two of the best:

• Nissin Top Ramen

Nissin Top Ramen has grown to be a staple prepper food. These instant noodles are very affordable and filling. You can get 48 packs for just $9.49 at Costco! This comes up to only around 20 cents per pack. Nissin Top Ramen is easily available at just about any grocery store and is purchasable online.

• Nongshim Shin Ramyun

Shin Ramyun is another delicious instant ramen option. Shin Ramyun is one of the best selling ramens around the world. This ramen is made from fresh produce and a blend of great complimentary spices that enhances its taste, guaranteeing you a satisfyingly delicious instant meal. One pack is around 40 cents. And you can find them at any grocery store such as Walmart and Costco. Shin Ramyun is also available in bulk packs online.

Shelf Life

An instant ramen pack generally has a shelf life of anywhere between 2 to 12 months. Ramen will last for a while past its Best Before Date because of its preservatives. But the shelf life depends on a few factors and conditions, namely the storage method, room conditions, and the type of noodles.

Some people make a personal rule of keeping and consuming their stock of ramen noodles within a year past their Best Before Date. While some might question the wisdom in this, it might be helpful to consider the many claims that ramen noodles can be stored for a few years and still turn out just fine when cooked and consumed. That’s why some say that if you store it properly, ramen may even last for 10+ years. But it would be best to keep its storage time to just a year or so past its Best Before Date. You wouldn’t want to end up with the risk of having the noodles tasting stale after being stored for a very long time.

When it comes to instant ramen, the more protected the packs are from moisture, the better. Storing the ramen somewhere humid could spoil it. You will know that the ramen is spoilt when you open a pack. It will definitely smell! If you’ve stored the ramen for quite a long while, be sure to check for molds and discoloration before you cook it.

Storage

Instant ramen noodles don’t require much when it comes to storing. A pantry or cabinet will do just fine.

Here’s a simple guideline to storing ramen:

• Keep your stock away from heat sources and sunlight.
• Keep them in low humidity.
• Store them in a cool place or at room temperature.
• Do not store them with food or items that emit a strong smell.

Best Ways to Have Ramen

Ramen can be prepared in a variety of ways, and it all depends on the mood you are in, the flavors you are craving, and the creativity you put into it.

If you want to make it more nutritious and healthy, you can add vegetables such as onions, spinach, carrots, shallots, and lettuce to it. For more protein, you can add eggs and any type of meat, depending on what you have in stock.

Having protein with your ramen helps energize you and make you feel full for longer. An example of meat that goes well with ramen is Spam. It is high in protein and packed with energy, which makes it a good complement to ramen. 

Below are a few ways to upgrade your instant ramen into a gratifyingly flavourful meal. You can use these as a guide or you can follow any recipe of your choice to the letter.

 Ramen contents and basic ingredients you may use:

Method 1

Ingredients:

• 1 ramen pack
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons of sesame oil
• ¼ cup of milk.
• Cheese (however much you prefer)
• Baby spinach
• Shallots
• Lettuce
• 1 boiled egg
• Spam and/or beef jerky, or other types of meat you prefer
• Nori seaweed (optional)

Preparation:

1. Boil about 500ml of water on medium-high heat.
2. Pour both instant packets into hot water along with soy sauce, sesame oil, and milk.
3. When water starts to steam, put the noodle brick in.
4. Stir and move noodle brick around occasionally until it softens and breaks apart (This may take about 2 minutes).
5. Once the noodles are done, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stove top.
6. Then put the lettuce, spinach, and shallots into the pot and mix them in. You can also add other vegetables if you wish.
7. Put in sliced Spam and/or other types of meat you prefer.
8. Put the slices of cheese on top while hot.
9. Enjoy it with a garnish of some nori and sliced boiled egg.

There are two possible ways to prepare this recipe with garnishes which are shown in these pictures.

Method 2

Ingredients:

• 1 ramen pack
• 2 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons of sesame oil
• Paprika
• 1 minced clove of garlic (sautéed)
• Shallots
• Carrots
• Lettuce
• Cheese (however much you prefer)
• 1 egg
• Spam and/or beef jerky, or other types of meat you prefer
• Nori seaweeds (optional)

Preparation:

1. Boil about 500ml of water on medium-high heat.
2. Pour both instant packets into hot water along with soy sauce, sesame oil, paprika, and garlic.
3. Crack the egg into the soup and stir well.
4. When water starts to steam, put the noodles in.
5. Stir and move noodle brick around occasionally until it softens and breaks apart (This may take about 2 minutes).
6. Once noodles are done, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the stovetop.
7. Then put the lettuce, spinach, carrots, and shallots into the pot and mix them in. You can also add other vegetables if you wish.
8. Put in Spam and/or other types of meat you prefer.
9. Garnish it with more shallots and cheese and enjoy with some nori.

There is another recipe that you can try using the ingredients from above. Meat lovers will definitely like this one.

And the third possible way to prepare this recipe with garnishes is shown in the picture below:

Method 3

Ingredients:

• 1 ramen pack
• ½ teaspoon butter
• Corns, peas, and potatoes
• Spam, beef jerky, chicken (any of these or a combination)
• 1 egg

Preparation:

1. Follow pack directions for cooking.
2. Stir in vegetables and butter, then leave to simmer.
3. Fry egg and put on top along with the meat. Then enjoy.

There are also two possible ways to prepare it:

All in all, instant ramen can be mixed and cooked with a wide range of simple prepper foods.

It is definitely a good and ideal food source that should be in every preppers’ food stockpile.

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