Forever foods - what do your PCs look forward to finding?

[Grazzik]

Let's face it, not everyone has a friendly enclave to grow fresh food. So, finding shelf stable food will likely be something PCs will look forward to whether on the road running scared or systematically scavenging in nearby homes and businesses. As expiry dates pass, packaged food becomes riskier. For those who set their games a few years after the Wave, what kind of stuff is looked for/found ... or does food scarcity not play into your game?

[Snicker]

Peanut butter is always a good standby. It's very dense in calories and generally doesn't spoil due to its low moisture content. It does undergo something called rancidification due to chemical reactions, but that tends to cause a poor smell, taste, or texture, rather than dangerous bacterial growth. Even if its rancid, it usually won't do worse to you than indigestion.

Canned food should be sterile inside the can, so it also shouldn't spoil, but it can also undergo rancidification.

[Grazzik]

Peanut butter is always a good standby. It's very dense in calories and generally doesn't spoil due to its low moisture content. It does undergo something called rancidification due to chemical reactions, but that tends to cause a poor smell, taste, or texture, rather than dangerous bacterial growth. Even if its rancid, it usually won't do worse to you than indigestion.

Canned food should be sterile inside the can, so it also shouldn't spoil, but it can also undergo rancidification.

Yeah, rancidification... eating bad peanuts is not a good turn of events. Last time I did that IRL, it was not pleasant and would have translated into an epic Dead Reign fail were there zombies nearby...

Canned goods can definitely last. Steve1989MREInfo on Youtube has many interesting videos on that... even going so far as cooking up some ~120 yr old field rations.

Freeze dried foods rank high on PC shopping lists in my games. I saw a freeze dried meal that had a 30-year expiration date! Honey, vinegar, and spirit liquor. Also, any dry goods sealed airtight (salt, sugar, powdered milk / hot chocolate, instant coffee, pasta, etc.). Honestly, if a PC can keep their wits during and after the Wave, it should be no problem stockpiling a healthy shelf-stable larder. Keeping it is another adventure for another day.

BTW twinkies do not last! They degrade rapidly, I had one go moldy after only a month...