[BarryHalls]

Hey guys,

To make a long story short, through the keto diet and fasting I have learned that keeping fats like cream, butter, coconut, and bacon in my diet (and dramatically curbing carbs) are huge for keeping my weight loss and keeping a consistent energy level. I don't function as well coming down off a carb high. Furthermore we need the complex fatty acids from easy to burn fats like coconut and butter to keep our nerve cells functioning at their best. Taking in carbs can keep you from burning your fat reserves (when desired) and of course your body can convert carbs and even proteins to fats for storage, but we already know that keeping fats in your diet is optimal in in a "lean times" situation. SO, what are some good ways to keep these easy to burn fats around for long term storage? Cost effective is a huge boon. I'm talking olive oil, coconut, butter (ghee), cream, animal fats. I'm thinking diversity is going to be what makes the lean times much better.

If you don't already know how to make ghee (shelf stable butter), it's a no brainer. Make a little every few weeks, and put the jars into your larder. It's not expensive or hard work.
Make Your Own Ghee

Making your own lard/shelf stable animal fats too. I save drippings from chickens, etc, and bake them, and keep them in jars, rotate/check often. I also render lard from fatback, and cook the chrunchies into soups or greens. Store bought lard is stabilized with hydrogenated oils like margarine is. It's not nearly as easy to burn. It's like eating plastic.

Render Your Own Lard


I have just sort of rediscovered canned coconut milk. I'm pretty excited about it's ease of use, flavor, ease of storage, but cost, volume, weight, aren't ideal. I'm definitely going to keep a several cans in rotation. Price on amazon for a 6 pack of cans is acceptable for the amount of fats and flavor.

$0.025/gram of fat
6 Pack of Canned Coconut Milk

Coconut milk powder is a good option if you need to reduce weight. I'll probably get some to make my backpacking meals a little richer, but it's more $ per gram of fat, and more carbs per gram of fat. Good for backpacking/hard work, and still acceptable on cost, $0.046/gram of fat.

2 Pounds Coconut Milk Powder

Ditto these powdered butter/cream/cheese. I can't nail down cost/gram of fat because the there are two different images for number of servings/unit, but it's between powdered and canned coconut milk either way.

Powdered Dairy

Obviously oils are also a must, and it's easy enough to get a little extra olive oil here and there.

Any other ideas, folks? What can I grow that has good fat content (besides animals!)?

Any other easy fat storage I might be overlooking? Let me know!

 

[TXplt]

Olive oil is good stuff. Canola oil is OK too.

Problem with oils is they can go rancid over time. Storing them unopened away from light and heat can help. They can last a LONG time unopened (and if they DO go rancid don't become unsafe to eat; just unpleasant).

The good thing about oils is that they have a very high caloric value (which is why when people have been low on food--like really low with real starvation problems--fried food became popular because not only did it cook and sanitize while keeping flavor inside but also provided a huge calorie source).

If you're fat (and don't want to get fatter) consuming lots of fried stuff and oils isn't gonna help. But if you skinny and having problems getting real food, they are a good source of fat to keep you alive.

I consider Olive Oil as one of the better oils to use from a health perspective. And I like it.

 

[Get Out]

I've read that olive oil in dark glass bottles stored away from sunlight is good for up to 3 years and coconut oil is good for about 18 months.

 

[BarryHalls]

Olive oil is good stuff. Canola oil is OK too.

Problem with oils is they can go rancid over time. Storing them unopened away from light and heat can help. They can last a LONG time unopened (and if they DO go rancid don't become unsafe to eat; just unpleasant).

The good thing about oils is that they have a very high caloric value (which is why when people have been low on food--like really low with real starvation problems--fried food became popular because not only did it cook and sanitize while keeping flavor inside but also provided a huge calorie source).

If you're fat (and don't want to get fatter) consuming lots of fried stuff and oils isn't gonna help. But if you skinny and having problems getting real food, they are a good source of fat to keep you alive.

I consider Olive Oil as one of the better oils to use from a health perspective. And I like it.

All over olive oil, man. The flavor and texture are outstanding as well as some of the health benefits.

I would only point out that while battered and deep fried is by and large horrible for your health (excluding the need to add body fat) this is because this almost always means battered or breaded with refined wheat flour or corn meal and then fried in soybean oil. Bean oils are harder to break down and the combination of relatively balanced carbs, protein, and fats a body in fat storage mode.

Low carb diets work because they force the body to rely on burning fats to keep moving, and very light fats like fish/omegas, olive, and coconut oils, combined with low carbs and moderate protein can actually break up plaque in the arteries, reduce weight, and improve health.

So in a round about way, pan fried foods in olive oil and nut/coconut flour could be healthy even if you aren't starving. Naturally, grilled or sauteed would have even less carbs and be better for promoting fat burning.

On the flip side the places which have the longest life spans (blue zones) tend to have balanced diets with low quantities of meats, much smaller portions, fewer meals, and a lot more activity, less hard labor and stress, than the first world is known for. This lifestyle obviously promotes overall wellness and much less meat means much less tumor growth. The most common tumors much consume amino acids we only get from meat in order to grow. Denied this long enough, and they shrink.

I kinda went way out into the weeds there but I felt it necessary.

 

[BarryHalls]

I've read that olive oil in dark glass bottles stored away from sunlight is good for up to 3 years and coconut oil is good for about 18 months.

Counterintuitively virgin (unrefined) coconut oil contains more antioxidants and a more diverse fatty acid mix and has a much longer shelf life, sealed it lasts for several years. Oxygen, moisture, and light are the enemies of oils. Limit or eliminate those to get rhe most out of their shelf lives.

 

[BarryHalls]

Side note, the hoosier farms powdered cheese has partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Definitely not my favorite, but probably worth it for me to add some cheese to my home dehydrated eggs, potatoes, broccoli, etc.

 

[jedwil]

The seed oils are bad news. Stick with olive oil, coconut, oil, ghee, butter, and bacon fat.

 

[theGrizzFan]

I've seen videos where people "can" (in canning jars) crisco and coconut oil so it keeps for many years. Never tried it myself so I can't say for sure. Also have seen where they found butter in bogs that are many hundreds of years old and still good.

 

[chris l2018]

Freeze ghee for long term storage

 

[Ron The Legend]

When I was working in Island, at the man camp they had bottles of olive oil and tablespoons at the Chow line. Most of the Polish guys would take 2 tablespoons before breakfast. The Russians would pile up at least a half pound of bacon on their food at breakfast. It was a quick way to get and maintain energy to start the day. None of any of us doing that would get cold. It takes fat to burn fat and keep up your energy up. Carbs are like sugar and give you a quick energy and then let you crash. Complex carbs last longer, but the body still needs protein and fat needed for sustained energy. I eat a lot of butter and we cook with olive oil. Lots of eggs and bacon too. Another way to keep warm is when showering use a little mineral oil over your body before getting out. Heck, the American natives would rub fat all over their bodies in the winter time. It retains heat and is like wearing an extra set of clothes. JMO, but it does work.

 

[ka5siw]

I cook almost entirely with cast iron pans. We always keep bacon grease in the frig to re-season cast iron after cleaning. I would not eat it but just a teaspoon improves the flavor of jambolia, gumbo and many country dishes.