Educate me on food storage please!

[peberly400]

I am making the plunge to finally start to store food. I will slowly build up at least a 6 month supply. I am looking for more things with 15-25 year shelf life (wheat, oats, sugar ect) What will store this long, and how do I go about doing it properly. And will any canned food last this long? I am talking super mart #2 cans. Corn, beans, ravioli.

Do I need to use mylar bags with oxygen absorbers? Also, are hand warmers the same as oxygen absorbers? Also, I am a little worried about humidity.

So far I have bought keystone canned meat. I just have a little supply of them, but as soon as I get some more information, I have access to 25lb bags of sugar and oats. Please help a new prepper!

 

[pudly]

This ought to give you plenty to get started.

How long will food keep? StillTasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide - Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment

How to pack foods for long term storage (using mylar and oxygen absorbers):
[video=youtube_share;fk9b0dAtJ80]http://youtu.be/fk9b0dAtJ80[/video]

Yes, hand warmers are the same as oxygen absorbers. For dry products that will keep the longest (rice, beans, wheat, sugar, etc), metal cans or the plastic pail/mylar/oxygen absorber combination will protect your food from bugs & mice, humidity and oxidation. The other key thing to make most foods last longer is to keep them as cool as possible.

Most foods will not last decades+. Those should be used on a rotating basis. Eat what you store. Store what you eat.

 

[Spudgunr]

I am making the plunge to finally start to store food. I will slowly build up at least a 6 month supply. I am looking for more things with 15-25 year shelf life (wheat, oats, sugar ect) What will store this long, and how do I go about doing it properly. And will any canned food last this long? I am talking super mart #2 cans. Corn, beans, ravioli.

Do I need to use mylar bags with oxygen absorbers? Also, are hand warmers the same as oxygen absorbers? Also, I am a little worried about humidity.

So far I have bought keystone canned meat. I just have a little supply of them, but as soon as I get some more information, I have access to 25lb bags of sugar and oats. Please help a new prepper!

You can always go back and mylar / o2 absorber it later. I'd start off with food grade buckets (available at lowes and menards. At menards it is specifically labeled food safe, and the white pails at lowes are good grade too). I'd start off with 4 or 5 gamma seal lids because they are super easy to use. Put them on the stuff you will use some (sugar, flour, rice, etc). The rest just use normal bucket lids. For sugar and salt some moisture absorbers would be good.

Hand warmers can be used as O2 absorbers also. O2 absorbers may NOT work right if you put in a humidity absorber as well (they have to have some moisture to activate).

Get a pressure canner and jars and you can can your own meat, you'll be able to save money on meat left and right if you catch it on sale.

Salt, sugar, oats, wheat, flour, rice, beans, dry corn, pasta, those are all commonly stored bulk foods. Most canned goods will not be GOOD in 15 to 25 years. They may be safe, but may be disgusting. Veggies will turn to mush more than likely, acidic stuff will eat through the enamel/steel, etc. Meat IS probably your best bet.

You definitely want your stuff stored in some sort of rigid or semi-rigid container. Mice will eat through mylar (guess how I know). I am considering getting some 15-30 gallon open top barrels to store bulk foods in.

O2 absorbers are great to make sure any bugs die. You can also use FOOD grade diatomaceous earth (not that pool grade is unsafe, it just does nothing). It will cut bugs exoskeletons. You can also DEEP freeze your food and help kill off bugs/eggs. We are coming up on winter, so outside can be a great big cheap deep freeze.

 

[the1kidd03]

It is my understanding that most any canned food can store indefinitely with a few exceptions. Even certain canned good manufacturers state such on their websites and such. The process of canning includes heating to point which kills bacteria and then sealed air tight. Certain canned foods will begin to degrade in terms of nutritional value and optimum taste/color after a considerably long time, but for the most part the majority of them are still edible. This level of degradation depends on the food, storage conditions, etc. This is one aspect which I commonly find an overwhelming amount of conflicting information on so handle it how you see fit. Many people report eating various canned goods for many years past their dates and shelf lives, so again, it's up to you how to a handle it.

You can buy large bulk containers of things like rice and beans from big box places like Meijer, GFS, and Walmart, however they are slightly more expensive than if you were to go to an LDS cannery like in Indianapolis. I buy the 10lbs boxes of beans from GFS because they come in two plastic packages of 5lbs, which make it easy for separation if need be. Each bag has roughly 64 servings.

That brings me to another point. It's good to have some staple buckets with large quantities like beans, rice, etc., however it's also good to put variety into everything. Put multiple things in a bucket, place a variety of buckets in different locations, etc. The idea being that you won't lose all of everything in case of a centralized incident like a house fire and you are providing a variety of food in general.

As to accumulating food items, my wife and I set a budget for groceries. We never go over that budget, although it is slightly higher than we commonly spend on our routine grocery runs. Even $20 goes a LONG way when using sales and coupons. When we go, we buy the things we need for that week or two and keep track of prices as we shop. Once we have all of those needed items, we then go about buying storage foods with the difference from what we have in the cart and what we have budgeted. Keep in mind, we are making use of all the sales and coupons we can during all of this process to help stretch our dollar. You would be amazed at how quickly your food storage grows just by doing this. While you are still spending money, it is money you planned on having to spend regardless so it at least seems as though it's free in terms of your overall household budget.

Hope this helps. Whether new or not, there is always some learning which can be done when it comes to preparedness.

 

[peberly400]

So the canned meat (keystone) wont last for 10+ years? Also, the mountain house food says 25 year shelf life? Are you guys packing the sugar flour rice wheat beans into mylar bags and then stuffing it into a 5 gallon bucket?

 

[pudly]

Not all Mountain House foods are rated for 25 years. Looks like the cans are all listed for 25 years and the pouches for 10 years. Yes, I am packing dry goods (rice, beans, etc) using the bucket/mylar/oxygen absorber combination.

If you pack in buckets, there are two thoughts on quantities. You can either use a single large bag as in the video above or some (like me) pack using 5 1-gallon bags. The first option is fine if you are feeding a large group. The second option allows you to either pack multiple foods into a single bucket or to be able to open the food in smaller units as needed.

 

[peberly400]

Ok so it really comes down to variety on meals. So maybe bulk a 5 gallon bag of sugar and oats, but keep meals separated into 1 gallon bags.

 

[the1kidd03]

Ok so it really comes down to variety on meals. So maybe bulk a 5 gallon bag of sugar and oats, but keep meals separated into 1 gallon bags.

It's really whichever you prefer. The thought behind mixing buckets is simply not to put all your eggs in one basket.

For example, what if a fire takes out only half of your home which was where you stored your buckets. Keeping them in different locations could help. Also, mixing contents in this same scenario could ensure that you have a variety rather than letting all of one or two things get destroyed.

 

[peberly400]

Well I think I'm convinced thats the way to go. So what kind of pasta and.rice (white?) And beans are u buying to.store? Just and bag of dried beans? White rice usually seems to be expensive around stores near me.

Also, what size thickness mylar bags should I use, or is that not a huge factor. Who has the best price?

 

[pudly]

Rice- Definitely white, either regular or quick rice. Quick rice costs more up front, but takes less energy to prepare. Brown rice has some oils that go rancid fairly quickly, so it isn't a good long-term option.
Pasta- Any basic wheat pasta will keep fine. spaghetti might be best as it will pack most efficiently and keep out air.

Most beans will work. Use the StillTasty link as a guide. Lentils cook quickly compared to others, so they require less energy to prepare. A 4:1 ratio of rice to beans will provide a the proper amino acids for complete protein. You can buy rice in 20-25lb bags at wholesale clubs or Indian/Asian stores.

For mylar, the thicker the better. That is what prevents air infiltration after the oxygen is removed.

 

[6mm Shoot]

You have been given a lot of information. One thing to look at is what do you want to eat when you need to use your preps. The answer is you will want to eat the same stuff that you eat to day.

We will say you like chili. That is nice. Do you really want to eat chili every day. How long do you think you will like chili? My guess would be not long. You need to store all the foods that you eat every day.

The first thing I would tell you is to start canning your food. Every thing you eat that is canned you can can. Get a Ball canning book and it will give you all the times and information you need to can. This will be your best start to stocking food that you will want to eat. When you can you will find out that it is cheaper to can by the case. Such as canning a case of chile. By canning the soups, chili, veggies, meat, sauces and fruit that you eat you have saved money by buying in bulk and you also have very fast and easy meals to fix and eat. Every thing is already cooked that you can, all you have to do is heat it up. That is a added advantage to canning.

Say this winter you get snowed in and the electric goes out. It is time for dinner. You go in and open up a can of meat, a can of veggies and a can of sauce and you have dinner, just heat it up in a pan over a camp stove and you are good to go.

Will canned food freeze? Yes that is some thing you will have to protect if from. Then that isn't all that hard to keep a room warm with a propane heater or one of the little white gas heaters that the campers use.

The next thing you will need is a vacuum packer or sealer. I have seen them called both. Any way you can use one to pack every thing from ammo to dried food to food you want to freeze. Ours gets a work out. I seal all sorts of stuff in the vacuum packer. The thing that it is used for the most is the dry goods. Such as dry mixes that we make that you just add water to eat. Such as dried chicken and noodles or rice. Dried beef, veggies and spices that we make. We even have a cream sauce that is a dry mix. All you have to do is just add boiling water to them and let them stand for about five minutes then they are good to go.

Any thing that you vacuum pack has the air pulled out of it and then sealed. That makes it last longer in the freezer. Water proofs it and protects it from other harm full stuff. They are not bug or mouse proof, ( they can eat through the plastic ) so they have to be kept in sealed plastic jars or some thing like a ammo can that can seal out bugs and mice.

The other thing you will need is a dehydrator. They can be used to make all sorts of dry mixes and treats. You dry your stuff such as tomatoes, tomato sauce, all sorts of stuff. You can make fruit roll ups and such. My wife is always drying some thing to make into a good treat or add to a dry mix. She took some apples turned them in to mush with the blender then dried then out in the dehydrator. They are a great sweat snack that has no added sugar.

A lot of the stuff that we can we grow. If you don't have a place to grow the stuff you can still pick it up at your farmers market. Most meat that we can is bought on sale. Such as if we find a good deal on chicken be buy it in bulk and can it. Same thing for beef or pork. We grind up our own hamburger and can it. If you try it you will love it. It is so much better than what you buy at the store. It has to be better for you because we don't put in all the fat that the store puts in.

I hope I have given you some help full ideas. I have told you how we do it and that works for us. I know a lot of people buy every thing that they prep and keep rotating it. There is nothing wrong with that. What ever works for you. Other people buy the Mountain House stuff and such and there isn't any thing wrong with that either. The problem with some of that stuff is it isn't what you eat every day. All the pros tell you that the more you can keep things the same as normal the better off you are. You will have less stress when things go wrong because not that much has changed for you if you are eating the stuff you always eat. The more you can keep things the same the better off you will be. If your cooking and eating habits don't change one less thing to stress about.

Good luck on what way you decide to go and may you never have to use your preps.

 

[dirtfarmerz]

You have been given a lot of information. One thing to look at is what do you want to eat when you need to use your preps. The answer is you will want to eat the same stuff that you eat to day.

We will say you like chili. That is nice. Do you really want to eat chili every day. How long do you think you will like chili? My guess would be not long. You need to store all the foods that you eat every day.

The first thing I would tell you is to start canning your food. Every thing you eat that is canned you can can. Get a Ball canning book and it will give you all the times and information you need to can. This will be your best start to stocking food that you will want to eat. When you can you will find out that it is cheaper to can by the case. Such as canning a case of chile. By canning the soups, chili, veggies, meat, sauces and fruit that you eat you have saved money by buying in bulk and you also have very fast and easy meals to fix and eat. Every thing is already cooked that you can, all you have to do is heat it up. That is a added advantage to canning.

Say this winter you get snowed in and the electric goes out. It is time for dinner. You go in and open up a can of meat, a can of veggies and a can of sauce and you have dinner, just heat it up in a pan over a camp stove and you are good to go.

Will canned food freeze? Yes that is some thing you will have to protect if from. Then that isn't all that hard to keep a room warm with a propane heater or one of the little white gas heaters that the campers use.

The next thing you will need is a vacuum packer or sealer. I have seen them called both. Any way you can use one to pack every thing from ammo to dried food to food you want to freeze. Ours gets a work out. I seal all sorts of stuff in the vacuum packer. The thing that it is used for the most is the dry goods. Such as dry mixes that we make that you just add water to eat. Such as dried chicken and noodles or rice. Dried beef, veggies and spices that we make. We even have a cream sauce that is a dry mix. All you have to do is just add boiling water to them and let them stand for about five minutes then they are good to go.

Any thing that you vacuum pack has the air pulled out of it and then sealed. That makes it last longer in the freezer. Water proofs it and protects it from other harm full stuff. They are not bug or mouse proof, ( they can eat through the plastic ) so they have to be kept in sealed plastic jars or some thing like a ammo can that can seal out bugs and mice.

The other thing you will need is a dehydrator. They can be used to make all sorts of dry mixes and treats. You dry your stuff such as tomatoes, tomato sauce, all sorts of stuff. You can make fruit roll ups and such. My wife is always drying some thing to make into a good treat or add to a dry mix. She took some apples turned them in to mush with the blender then dried then out in the dehydrator. They are a great sweat snack that has no added sugar.

A lot of the stuff that we can we grow. If you don't have a place to grow the stuff you can still pick it up at your farmers market. Most meat that we can is bought on sale. Such as if we find a good deal on chicken be buy it in bulk and can it. Same thing for beef or pork. We grind up our own hamburger and can it. If you try it you will love it. It is so much better than what you buy at the store. It has to be better for you because we don't put in all the fat that the store puts in.

I hope I have given you some help full ideas. I have told you how we do it and that works for us. I know a lot of people buy every thing that they prep and keep rotating it. There is nothing wrong with that. What ever works for you. Other people buy the Mountain House stuff and such and there isn't any thing wrong with that either. The problem with some of that stuff is it isn't what you eat every day. All the pros tell you that the more you can keep things the same as normal the better off you are. You will have less stress when things go wrong because not that much has changed for you if you are eating the stuff you always eat. The more you can keep things the same the better off you will be. If your cooking and eating habits don't change one less thing to stress about.

Good luck on what way you decide to go and may you never have to use your preps.

Canning your own food is a great way to store food. Dehydrated fruit can last for a few months. Vacuum seal any grain and then put it in 5 gal pails. Freezing won't do you any good if you lose power. A small underground shelter can also be a storage place if you insulate the roof.

I suggest you get busy.

 

[peberly400]

Thanks for all the info! That's a lot to take in. So I can vacuum seal all my spices and put in a food bucket? And how did you make the powders that just need water. I will be trying to prep a lot of sauce and noodles and.canned meat. So I can rotate chili pasta goulash stuff like that

 

[peberly400]

So I can make a big batch of chili, vacuum seal it in a jar and store it? How long is the shelf life on canned goods? I am thinking I will buy the keystone meat, bulk store sugar flour oats, and I can can the rest?

Also, what about long term water storage. I have been saving milk jugs and pop bottles.

 

[peberly400]

So I can make a big batch of chili, vacuum seal it in a jar and store it? How long is the shelf life on canned goods? I am thinking I will buy the keystone meat, bulk store sugar flour oats, and I can can the rest?

Also, what about long term water storage. I have been saving milk jugs and pop bottles.

 

[pudly]

For water- 2 liter pop bottles are good, milk jugs are bad. It has to do with the type of plastic used. Be sure to rinse out the bottle before filling with water. For 2 liter bottles, you can add add 4 drops of plain bleach (no scents or other additives) or 8 drops if the water is cloudy to protect against bacterial growth.

 

[the1kidd03]

So I can make a big batch of chili, vacuum seal it in a jar and store it? How long is the shelf life on canned goods? I am thinking I will buy the keystone meat, bulk store sugar flour oats, and I can can the rest?

Also, what about long term water storage. I have been saving milk jugs and pop bottles.

Again, there is a LOT of conflicting information on canned goods. Many manufacturers say the food is good as long as the can is undamaged and unopened. I've met/spoke with a LOT of people who say they've eaten canned goods that are MANY years even over a decade past their stamped dates. Other places suggest certain time frames past the dates. Some even suggest that certain foods will not last as long as others because of ingredients or chemical composition.

You can spend days going through all of the conflicting research like I have. Or, just judge what you should do with what you feel comfortable with. Even test the things you plan to eat. Of course, this will take a long time to be able to put to the test.

Buying the canned chili is another option too. It's also a good option because it is packed with calories. Probably more so than any other canned food and has a mix of ingredients that ultimately are not too bad for you.

Milk jugs are not recommended. If anything, spend the money on the water jugs. The milk jugs supposedly can still contain some of the fats or components of milk even after a thorough cleaning. The two most common methods are 55 gallon food grade barrels and/or the 7 gallon stackable water storage containers. You could also use the same food grade 5 gallon buckets for this same purpose to save money. I would recommend a mix of the 55 gallon barrels and the smaller containers as a more portable option should you need it.

Another VERY helpful resource is linked below. You may not be of this particular faith, but part of their beliefs are in being prepared. For them, this is simply the way of life and it always has been. Therefore, IMO they would be far more experienced/knowledgeable than many others. Read through and see what you can find. They have a "cannery" outlet store in Indy where you can buy large quantities of sugar, beans, rice, etc. for pretty much cheaper than you can find anywhere.

Food Storage

 

[HeadlessRoland]

So the canned meat (keystone) wont last for 10+ years? Also, the mountain house food says 25 year shelf life? Are you guys packing the sugar flour rice wheat beans into mylar bags and then stuffing it into a 5 gallon bucket?

Canned meat will last indefinitely. It is pre-cooked and there is no BPA in the lining for Yoder's/Werling & Sons/Keystone. It will probably taste weird after a couple decades, but nutritional value will still largely be present for decades, and unless the can is dented or the seal is broken, it should be good to go until you no longer want to eat it. MREs have something like a 5-10 year shelf life based on what I've read, and I haven't had the chance to keep any for longer periods of time to test that hypothesis.

I have my rice, flour, and sugar in the original containers or consolidated into 15-gallon purpose-made pet-food-dispensing totes (rated for food use by the FDA, for what little that is worth), which yields about 100-150 pounds of weight apiece depending on density and weight of the item. (Sugar weighs far more than rice in the same volume, etc.) They have a rubber gasket seal, and they are rarely opened. I have had rice/sugar/flour stored this way for going on three years now and even without dessicants, there has been no spoilage, moisture, rot, mold, or any noticeable degradation in quality or flavor in any of them. I cannot testify for other types of food stored this way, but rice/sugar/flour has held up rather well, and barring something catastrophic, I expect it will hold for several more years, even without mylar. I do plan on getting some dessicant packs eventually, but given the very airtight seal on my containers, it's not been high up on my priority list.

 

[dirtfarmerz]

For water- 2 liter pop bottles are good, milk jugs are bad. It has to do with the type of plastic used. Be sure to rinse out the bottle before filling with water. For 2 liter bottles, you can add add 4 drops of plain bleach (no scents or other additives) or 8 drops if the water is cloudy to protect against bacterial growth.

Hydrogen Peroxide will purify water also. It would be a good idea to have at least a gallon of hydrogen peroxide for other uses.
http://survivalrecovery.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/using-hydrogen-peroxide-h2o2-to-purify-water/

 

[peberly400]

This is a lot to take in. Thanks for the help with the water! I was researching and they said dont put o2 absorbers with sugar because it will make your sugar turn into a brick. And I was looking into that LDS. Would it be cheap enough to offset the cost of gas? Again, thanks for all the info