# Food storage question



## mack0369 (Jul 22, 2014)

I have a large amount of Auguson Farms food but don't have a great place to store it. Right now I have it in a closet in my home, but the temperature varies during the summer. The temp in that room can get close to 85 degrees. During the winter it won't be a problem as its heated, but I'm afraid of lessening the shelf life of the food by having it somewhere that gets over 70 degrees. I don't have a basement (only a crawlspace) under the house. Any ideas on how badly this will affect the food? I could put an air conditioner in there, but don't want to have to pay for the electric bill. Thanks


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## HuntingHawk (Dec 16, 2012)

Space under beds?


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Long term food storage must be an investment to maintain. Otherwise, you could very well waste all your efforts.
If you can't find a climate controlled section of your current living quarters to keep it in, I would recommend the AC option.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Can you not cool that room in your home or is the closet outside?


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## mack0369 (Jul 22, 2014)

I can cool it, will have to buy an A/C unit. Anyone have an idea how the higher temp will effect the duration of freshness, any type of reference.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Call Augoson Farms


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## tango (Apr 12, 2013)

Ask Auguson about that.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

I, too, have a crawlspace instead of the basement i'd prefer, but I use it anyway. Preserved food inside a sealed plastic bucket doesn't care what the scenery is, just that the temp is lowish and exposure to ambient air is eliminated, if possible. Once inside a plastic bucket, you can ignore pretty much all bugs and most rodents. I suppose it's a good idea to check the buckets once a year, but beyond that, it should be gold. If you're paranoid about unwanted things taking up residence in there, put each sealed package of food inside a ziplock, fill the bucket, then put some mothballs in there too. That should be unappetizing enough to rodents *and* bugs.


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## jimb1972 (Nov 12, 2012)

thepeartree said:


> I, too, have a crawlspace instead of the basement i'd prefer, but I use it anyway. Preserved food inside a sealed plastic bucket doesn't care what the scenery is, just that the temp is lowish and exposure to ambient air is eliminated, if possible. Once inside a plastic bucket, you can ignore pretty much all bugs and most rodents. I suppose it's a good idea to check the buckets once a year, but beyond that, it should be gold. If you're paranoid about unwanted things taking up residence in there, put each sealed package of food inside a ziplock, fill the bucket, then put some mothballs in there too. That should be unappetizing enough to rodents *and* bugs.


Even plastic allows some air transfer, I would imagine anything packed in plastic would taste moth bally pretty quick.


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## BagLady (Feb 3, 2014)

I think the closed buckets under the crawlspace is a good idea. Mothballs could be placed around the buckets on the ground. I've been under a lot of houses in the summer, and its usually 15 degrees cooler if your running AC in the house.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

Can you make a root cellar? I have one in the side of a hill. You need 2 vents one low in the side by the door and the other out up through the roof/ground for air circulation. Depending on the fruit/ vegetable, they stay edible for a few months to half a year without bags, buckets and so on. If packed and sealed it should keep things pretty well.


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## mack0369 (Jul 22, 2014)

BagLady said:


> I think the closed buckets under the crawlspace is a good idea. Mothballs could be placed around the buckets on the ground. I've been under a lot of houses in the summer, and its usually 15 degrees cooler if your running AC in the house.


Everything I have is in #10 cans, if it was in buckets I'd be more comfortable in the crawlspace, I could always do cheap totes from Walmart and duct tape them shut with the cans inside.


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## Ragnarök (Aug 4, 2014)

Dig deep enough for a simple root cellar. Only will cost u sweat and a little for wood and nails.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

In #10 cans! You didn't mention that! As long as you keep them in the crawlspace in the totes (to keep any moisture away) you should have a shelf life of at least 5 years. This I can tell you from experience.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

Oh, yeah... be sure to seal those totes. There are usually small air holes in the handles, somewhere.


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## mack0369 (Jul 22, 2014)

I can't dig down as I live right on the shoreline of a lake (why I don't have a basement as well). So digging down isn't an option, it gets very very wet very quick. I prices out decent totes, moth balls, and desiccant packs. By the time I bought enough, it would cost as much as an A/C unit and a year of running it. That being said, I bought a cheap 5,000btu unit and put it in the room. I really didn't wat to as all of the windows in that room are on the front of the house, or towards the water so the wife wasn't exactly enthused, but I don't want to waste my investment on roughly 200 #10 cans.


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## Lifer Prepper (Jun 1, 2014)

Aguson? #10 cans? If it's freeze dried, you're looking at 25 years. (If they did it right. Wise Foods got HAMMERED in their claims...)

FD foods can survive a lot more abuse than dehydrated. Have you actually run a thermometer in that closet? We have a couple closets that never get very warm at all. Each is different. You could cover the stored food in heavy moving blankets as insulation. I'll bet they stay cool.

We keep some emergency food in our travel trailer, which can get toasty. But down in the cupboard where it's kept, the temps are always mild. So, check the immediate area and see what the real temps are. Also, temps are lower the closer you get to the floor. Check it all out.


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## mack0369 (Jul 22, 2014)

Usually that closet in the summer is between 70-80 degrees even on very hot days, but sometimes when it is very hot outside it can get up to 85 or so. I did put a thermometer in there when we had a 96 degree day and it was low 80's at the floor and almost 90 at the ceiling, it is a second floor bedroom, the way my house is setup I have no room for the stuff on the first floor. Heated in the winter so I'm not worried about that, will just keep that room at around 60 all winter, its on its own zone in the house, all that is in that room is my gymand my military and prep gear so I can keep it cooler to keep heating costs down. I do worry about losing power and it getting too cold in there, but I will worry about that down the road. 

I went with Auguson based on reviews, and on taste as I've used it before in the field on my small camp stove. Never stored more than a few months though. The food is freeze dried, claim of 25 years on most of it, some of them are only 10 years though depending on the type of food. I've invested a lot into the food, so I just want to ensure that it doesn't go bad. Now up to 2,000 calories a day for two people for approx. 9 months. 

Also invested in anti-biotics and a lot of seeds too. 
Meds: Amoxicillin, Penicilin, and doxycycline, 200ea, claimed shelf life of 7-10 years. 
Seeds: 110 types, all non-hybrid with some colder weather seeds. 200-500 of each seed type. 
Any suggestions on storing them? Right now in same place in an airtight stainless container with desiccant packs in it.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

I saw a guy on pinterest gutted out an old refrigerator and buried it for potatoes ? Just a thought


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## FrostKitten (Aug 22, 2014)

Why the hell would he use that for potatoes when he could have made a dehydrator out of it?


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

*Food preservation*



mack0369 said:


> Usually that closet in the summer is between 70-80 degrees even on very hot days, but sometimes when it is very hot outside it can get up to 85 or so. I did put a thermometer in there when we had a 96 degree day and it was low 80's at the floor and almost 90 at the ceiling, it is a second floor bedroom, the way my house is setup I have no room for the stuff on the first floor. Heated in the winter so I'm not worried about that, will just keep that room at around 60 all winter, its on its own zone in the house, all that is in that room is my gymand my military and prep gear so I can keep it cooler to keep heating costs down. I do worry about losing power and it getting too cold in there, but I will worry about that down the road.
> 
> I went with Auguson based on reviews, and on taste as I've used it before in the field on my small camp stove. Never stored more than a few months though. The food is freeze dried, claim of 25 years on most of it, some of them are only 10 years though depending on the type of food. I've invested a lot into the food, so I just want to ensure that it doesn't go bad. Now up to 2,000 calories a day for two people for approx. 9 months.
> 
> ...


As for nonfood stuff, I lean towards a vacuum sealer (i.e. Food Saver). They've now added the ability to use Ziplock vacuum bags, which saves some money... Anyway, it would save you money on dessicant.


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## Alpha Mike Foxtrot (Sep 2, 2014)

Our toll-free number is 1-800-878-0099 or you can call us locally at 801-263-6667.

So I called them....they want to see 50-70 degrees for those cans. 85 will be ok, but will cut shelf life by half. That's what they said.


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## Witchygirl3 (Sep 2, 2014)

Garden produced foods can be lifted and stored in the garden. dig a potato pit line it with straw like our grandparents did. more straw on to then throw a good layer of soil on the top. for turnips just cold and dark storage like a shed. and carrots are put in sharp sand apparently. perhaps at top of your garden.


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