# How best to store items in pantry



## Knewmocker (Dec 14, 2016)

Hi guys, I am new to all this prepping and I want to find the best way to build my pantry up. I'm just starting out and want to know how I should repackage my dry items such as pasta and rice. These items will be in our normal rotation and not long term storage for years, so I don't want to use Mylar bags with o2 absorbers. I'm was wondering if I could just put them in mason jars and screw the lids and nothing else. If I did how long would pasta and rice last for? Any other ideas or tricks would be appreciated thanks.


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## Targetshooter (Dec 4, 2015)

I just keep them in the package I buy them in and rotate them . I you buy pasta and rice in the bags or plastic packages you will be fine . the rotation plan works great if you keep up with it . Welcome to PF , please tell us more about yourself , the state you live in , what your prepping for , how much you know already . There are past post that can help you with just about everything you need to know , if you can't find something use the search box at the top of the page , or ask us we are here to help . The main things you will need are , water , food , medical " first aide and any RX you need " , shelter , protection , hand tools , a way to make fire , ect .


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

Knewmocker said:


> Hi guys, I am new to all this prepping and I want to find the best way to build my pantry up. I'm just starting out and want to know how I should repackage my dry items such as pasta and rice. These items will be in our normal rotation and not long term storage for years, so I don't want to use Mylar bags with o2 absorbers. I'm was wondering if I could just put them in mason jars and screw the lids and nothing else. If I did how long would pasta and rice last for? Any other ideas or tricks would be appreciated thanks.


with your mentioned method you're just trapping air within the jars along with the food .... what you are basically talking about with the jars is "dry canning" .... after you sterilize the jars & lids and load the food .... air can be absorbed using 100cc 02 absorbers or using the jar attachment on your Foodsaver type machine ....

not sure what your problem is with bucket preserving - actually cheaper and overall eazier .... you can get 32lbs of spaghetti strands in a 5 gallon bucket - that's as compact as it comes .... it's 40lbs for rice and 45lbs for salt & sugar ....


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

Pasta.... stop buying it and get a $30 pasta maker and buy flour and salt

if you are not doing it for long term.. keep it in the same container it cam in


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## Sonya (Oct 20, 2016)

Store packaging is usually good for a year or so, most folks just use that for short term.

Putting it in jars isn't going to do much. If the air is still inside the jar and it isn't heat treated or previously frozen bugs could still hatch etc... Would be a waste of effort and jars. For a year or less just use the store packaging and make sure to rotate so an old forgotten box/bag doesn't end up full of bugs and infest everything near it.

If you are just starting to store food and don't have a lot put up for long term then putting some of it in mylar is a good idea. The main reason being you may be tempted to use up all your pantry storage on some items simply because you haven't gone to the store, but if some is already wrapped in mylar it is out of sight and out of mind, and you won't want to open them. That helps you preserve a stash.


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## Knewmocker (Dec 14, 2016)

Thank for your replies, I have nothing against bucket storage in Mylar bags at all it's just that I'm not at that step yet. Because of my political views which I don't want to get into I'm just worried about the global food chain. 

I want to work in stages tho. First get my pantry stocked full and start a rotation of first in first out. After I feel that I have a few months supply and things are worked no out I will definitely start to store food in buckets for longer storage. I just don't want to go to fast as money is a concern.

I just figured that since the items in pantry won't last longer than a year that placing them in mason jars would be better that keeping no them in the original boxes. Both for making it easy to find the item your looking for and making it easier to stack but just wondering what everyone else in she's so f there was a better way. I just don't want to keep opening and closing Mylar bags and using o2 absorbers for every day needs.


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## Sonya (Oct 20, 2016)

Also realize it isn't pantry storage OR long term 10+ year storage, there is also mid term storage.

I haven't put anything into plastic buckets for 30 year storage yet but I have put a fair amount of stuff into mylar bags for mid term (i.e. 2-5 year) storage. I take a gallon mylar bag and put two boxes of pasta in it then seal it up (with an absorber) and store it in a box in the pantry. The bags alone take up very little space and you can get a lot in a box. I also dehydrate vegetables and meats and store those in half gallon bags in a box too, that provides a backup if we lost power/refrigeration for a while. 

All of it is in boxes in the pantry but since it is in mylar I wouldn't open it unless I had too, so I know I have some of all of the basics stored away specifically for an emergency, kwim? Also I don't want that stuff stored in 5 gallon bucket amounts, but smaller user friendly packages. No real need for buckets since there aren't any mice in the pantry.

New preppers that only have pantry storage tend to use up all of their supplies without restocking (like they originally planned). The mylar is a way of ensuring you do have food set aside only for emergencies.

You are sale shopping and coupon clipping, right? That right there will save you a lot of money. Once your pantry has the basics you will really only be buying stuff when it is on sale at a great price to restock. If you haven't really focused on sales/coupons then just google "your store coupon matchup" and it will list all of the sale items and available online coupons for your local store/s.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Knewmocker said:


> Any other ideas or tricks would be appreciated thanks.


I keep telling everyone, there ain't no tricks. You just do it.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Well we had a nice lady who used to hang out on here who survived the last collapse of the USSR. She say stock up on toilet paper..Marlborros and Vodka. You can trade that to preppers for what you need. She said they called cats roof rabbits and her Mama made soap out of dog fat. Sure wished the jack booted thugs had not run her off from here. She seemed mighty nice and purty.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Knewmocker said:


> Thank for your replies, I have nothing against bucket storage in Mylar bags at all it's just that I'm not at that step yet. Because of my political views which I don't want to get into *I'm just worried about the global food chain*.
> 
> I want to work in stages tho. First get my pantry stocked full and start a rotation of first in first out. After I feel that I have a few months supply and things are worked no out I will definitely start to store food in buckets for longer storage. I just don't want to go to fast as money is a concern.
> 
> I just figured that since the items in pantry won't last longer than a year that placing them in mason jars would be better that keeping no them in the original boxes. Both for making it easy to find the item your looking for and making it easier to stack but just wondering what everyone else in she's so f there was a better way. I just don't want to keep opening and closing Mylar bags and using o2 absorbers for every day needs.


You sound like a gal who makes up excuses for anything and everything that is the least bit hard. Well guess what missy? Worthwhile things are mostly difficult. So like @A Watchman says, you just do it. You experiment, you rotate, you learn and look for options that fit your life.

Now on to your worries about the global food chain. I don't give two craps about your political views nor do I understand how they relate to you being worried about the global food chain, BUT I think the forum would like to know what your worries are, what they are based upon and various scientific findings etc to back your claims.

Thanks

Slippy:vs_wave:


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

Knewmocker said:


> Thank for your replies, I have nothing against bucket storage in Mylar bags at all it's just that I'm not at that step yet. Because of my political views which I don't want to get into I'm just worried about the global food chain.
> 
> I want to work in stages tho. First get my pantry stocked full and start a rotation of first in first out. After I feel that I have a few months supply and things are worked no out I will definitely start to store food in buckets for longer storage. I just don't want to go to fast as money is a concern.
> 
> I just figured that since the items in pantry won't last longer than a year that placing them in mason jars would be better that keeping no them in the original boxes. Both for making it easy to find the item your looking for and making it easier to stack but just wondering what everyone else in she's so f there was a better way. I just don't want to keep opening and closing Mylar bags and using o2 absorbers for every day needs.


actually long term food storage kicks off after like 3-5 years ... almost all the dry goods food is OK to go if you store it in the original retail packaging - just protect it from bugs & rodents ....

for storing and protecting - a 5 gallon bucket with a Gamma lid makes eazy everyday access - the center of the lid screws out .... won't stop the very determined mice but it'll give them trouble ....


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## Knewmocker (Dec 14, 2016)

Slippy said:


> Knewmocker said:
> 
> 
> > Thank for your replies, I have nothing against bucket storage in Mylar bags at all it's just that I'm not at that step yet. Because of my political views which I don't want to get into *I'm just worried about the global food chain*.
> ...


Ouch. Didnt expect a back lashing. Anyways I'm not a girl but a family man looking for just the best way to start out. Figure if I start correctly it will save me time down the road. Although it does seem that repackaging my pantry is not a top priority so long as it's rotated. Good news for me.

About two years ago I started looking into food prepping and almost started, but I just didn't feel any urgency to it and it all kinda fell away from me. Now with the fact that trump will soon make his way into office and seeing alot of what's been going on so far, I have not facts but more of a feeling, and now an urgency to stock up on food Incase of a collapse of economy, war, and God know what else that could come in the future.

I know I will never be as hardcore as some as it comes to prepping but I won't let that stop me. Just knowing that I did everything that I could helps to set my mind at ease. And there is no way I could prepare for every contingency out there. I have done alot of research already on types of items to get and stock up on, and look forward to learning a whole lot more from the community here.

Thanks again to everyone with there replies, I have an idea of how I want to organize my pantry and soon go further beyond that.


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## Sonya (Oct 20, 2016)

Knewmocker said:


> Anyways I'm not a girl but a family man looking for just the best way to start out. Figure if I start correctly it will save me time down the road. Although it does seem that repackaging my pantry is not a top priority so long as it's rotated. Good news for me.


Do you do most of the cooking in your household? If not, pantry storage as the primary food stock will be a problem. It needs to be managed by the person that uses it.

Prepping _*because*_ of Trump's win is funny. Some have asked of Trump killed prepping because 99.9% of preppers breathed a huge sigh of relief and many felt the sense of urgency go way way down.

One question, if there is a big food shortage and folks go hungry/starve how do you plan to protect your stash? Or are you okay with storing up food so it can be taken by the meanest thug on the block?

Suddenly I am reminded of the Bill Burr skit -- Zombies, Shotties and a good spread


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## spork (Jan 8, 2013)

Don't be discouraged, instead use the search function of this website. Most of your questions can be answered that way until you have some very specific questions. Stuff like pasta has stored well for me in original packages as stated. If mice are a problem, those gamma lids on buckets as mentioned above really do work pretty well. We keep 5 gal of rice in one and use out of it when we cook and have never had any problems with mice or bugs that way. Stock up your pantry, but start putting other items away for longer term storage in mylar as well. Rice is cheap 25lbs for $9 at Sams Club. Add it to a 5 gal bucket inside of mylar, and its a quick and cheap way to start putting stuff back at the same time of just upping your short term stash. 40lbs in the bucket the last part of it goes in the pantry. Next month do spaghetti. Make sure you have water stored. Do a search and there is a mountain of information on how to store and how not to store water. Without water, you can't cook, clean, or even just die. It's easy to be overwhelmed. Take a steady approach, but be reminded, none of us know what day the S will HTF. Don't be caught sleeping.

Political views are what they are, many may not agree with why you prep, but most here will agree that you should prep and that's the important part. Good luck and welcome to the forums.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

... and remember backlash around here is like a handshake ... or a backslap, I cant seem to remember. :vs_lol:


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Oxygen and sunlight are the two biggest enemies of food. The nutritional value is damaged by both. Get rid of the oxygen and the sunlight and food will keep for years. this is why they can food, they get rid of the oxygen. A lot of foods say to store away from direct sunlight or something like that. Dry foods stored properly in a Mylar bag with a oxygen absorber or a nitrogen purge or both (used by Mountain House, etc.) will store for years. Even then, they will still retain a good share of their nutritional value. That's the whole reason preppers use the Mylar bag technique. 
Food in cans are vacuum sealed and are impervious to light, but not heat. Food canned in glass can be damaged by the light. 
My mother last canned (in glass) when she was 72-73. When we closed up the homestead to sell (11 years later), I took dozens of jars of stuff home, plus small jars of jams sealed with paraffin. I only had to dump a few jars. My wife couldn't believe how well they lasted. Being in dark storage place must have helped.


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