# Food storage. Am I doing it right?



## AntiObama (May 13, 2013)

I have pinto beans, white rice, flour, corn meal, baking powder, sugar, instant potatoes, instant non fat milk, instant eggs, pasta, oatmeal, salt, pepper & other spices. 

I pack these items "in their original packaging" into 5 gallon Home Depot buckets. I put two 2000 cc oxygen absorbers into the buckets. One in the bottom, and one at the top of the bucket. I have some of each randomly in the buckets. Example.. In one bucket I may have beans, rice, and corn meal. In another bucket I may have pasta and milk. I label the buckets with contents and date. Then I seal the lid with non toxic silicone and put them in a dark room in my basement. 

Should I be emptying the contents into Mylar with oxygen absorbers instead of leaving them in their original packaging. If so, please explain. And could I just use cheaper zip locks instead of Mylar?

Thanks.


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## grinder37 (Mar 1, 2013)

I personally use the mylar bags with o2 absorbers in 6 gallon buckets with gamma lids (gamma lids are not needed,just my preference),but you do want gasketed lids at least that will seal air tight.

My salt and sugar are not in bags,I just filled my clean buckets and sealed the lids.Salt and sugar doesn't go bad,so it just needs to be kept protected and dry.Oxygen absorbers will cause salt and sugar to clump into a big solid mess that you will have to chisel out and break it up to use.

I also found for sealing mylar bags is much easier using my wifes hair straightener,makes for a nice wide seal as I was wasting bags by burning them or not sealing right by not having the heat set just right on our iron.I also use alot of rubbermaid totes to store smaller bags of food/seasonings/etc after they're sealed in mylar.The hair straightener also is much easier to work with than an iron.


Edit-yes I do remove food from their original packaging to save space and the packaging,if sealed,will defeat the purpose of using o2 absorbers.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Go with grinder's advice. The poly buckets allow oxygen to seep thru. Only (to my knowledge) glass jars, mylar bags, metal cans, PETE jugs and bottles are oxygen proof.


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## PrepperDogs (May 12, 2013)

We use mylar bags (1/2 gal & 1 gal) for our dry food storage as well.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

I store more rice then anything else - as I don't expect to grow rice but I do plan on growing about everything else. We use mylar and o2 absorbers. If you want a good lesson on it try a Morman Food Bank - do a google for them in your area. We have only one about 30 miles away but darn if they aren't the nicest sorts and help with packaging up your stored foods. No recruiting on their part either - I would give them an A+ here locally for helping anyone.


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## rickkyw1720pf (Nov 17, 2012)

You can get 5 gal Mylar bags, so that you can just repack your items back into the same 5 gal containers.
I prefer storing in 1 gal bags.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

By the way Costco has quite a few prepped long term storage food items that are not bad. Prices are not bad either especially considering free shipping is always included. They have a new item and I think I'll probably order another bucket of Lentils with it - which I really enjoy and won't be growing post SHTF either. 540 Total Servings of Cheese and Alfredo Sauce By Chef's Banquet This would go a long way to mixing up the beans and rice. I usually add beans and rice to soups right now but that'd get old after a bit. I may also try this one: 388 Total Servings of Gluten Free Vegetable Stew Blend Emergency Food Bucket

Between those two I'd have over 900 serving additions to any beans, any rice combo's. Together about $200


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## livinitup0 (May 22, 2013)

I like to have a good mix of food stored. Canned meats, veggies, freeze-dried foods, beans and rice, pasta...anything that will store for at least a year is good to go in my pantry. Obvious this doesnt count the big freezer or pressure canning stocks....which houses a lot of my meats. I always tend to eat what I store and store what I eat. Living off of a handful of food staples sounds like pure torture to me.


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## punch (Nov 6, 2012)

In addition to your food stores, don't forget water (you can never have enough) and have multiple ways to cook or prepare foods ready as well. I have can goods on hand as well just so I can just grab a spoon and dig in and eat cold. Army type can openers are cute but I also have an American made Swing-a-way can opener that will never fail me. I have also put away vitamins to supplement my food stores and I have a mess of MRE heaters just in case I need a tertiary heat source if other cooking methods are unavailable. Remember 2 is 1 and 1 is none...


punch


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