# Food Cache



## Purkeypilot

Hey guys! Just wondering if any of you store food like rice and beans. I am wanting to get some 5 gallon food grade buckets and gamma lids from CTD and store rice, beans and other stuff. Just wanting to get some tips and advice on the best way to do this. Thanks in advance!


----------



## trainershawn

I know a lot of people use the mylar bags and 02 absorbers. Seal the mylar and it should last for years. Something I really haven't done because I leave the rice and beans in it's original packaging and rotate it out. Anything I store for long, long term is either freeze dried or in cans. I'm sure others on here with experience in storing in 5 gallon buckets will chime in shortly and give you some helpful advice.


----------



## Purkeypilot

Hey trainer, thanks for all the great responses on my threads so far! Im really enjoying this forum so far. I found out about this place from Glock.pro which is the best forum online in my opinion, and this one is looking to be pretty great too! 

Hopefully someone chimes in for us soon on the hand crank radios


----------



## trainershawn

Purkeypilot said:


> Hey trainer, thanks for all the great responses on my threads so far! Im really enjoying this forum so far. I found out about this place from Glock.pro which is the best forum online in my opinion, and this one is looking to be pretty great too!
> 
> Hopefully someone chimes in for us soon on the hand crank radios


No problem. I think because this forum is fairly new, all the crotchety old timers I deal with on another prepper forum thankfully haven't found their way here yet. Sometimes I would get flamed for asking a question apparently someone else had asked before. My philosophy is ask away, even if the question has been asked before. With so many new people to prepping forums, it's always nice to have a fresh perspective. Also, if you haven't been to be prepared.com, check it out. They have some vids on there and might be some about storing food long term. Though they do sell food so I'm not 100% sure. Also try Youtube. I bet there are dozens of vids on there.


----------



## HuntingHawk

Do not do the dry goods in excessively large mylar bags or freezer bags. Once opened those things need consumed fairly rapidly. Smaller bags like enough for two meals will serve your needs better once opened.
And remember that doing such dry goods, they need a good amount of water.

A variety of foods will help with morale & reduce stress. Generic cereal, powdered milk, & sugar in the same bucket. Other cheap dry goods include flour, bisquick, pancake mix, & powdered potatoes. But think of the entire meal. With some things you need butter. Some things oil to cook with. Pancake syrup for pancakes.


----------



## Desert Marine

In the beginning of my preps days (some many moon ago) I did the mylar deal. However, my prepping requirements and needs have changed tremendously. I don't live in a city environment in a suburban setting. I live in a rural setting on my own land raising my own vegetation and livestock. We do can and store some items that are high to come buy or things we really like and know will be hard press to get if/when TSHTF. 

However, as HuntingHawk mentioned it might be a very good idea to store items in a way that it is convenient to use them. There are even people who I heard store their preps like a MRE but in a meal fashion. Example: Rice & beans together. Enough to feed a person or family for that day's meal. Label and date it and store them accordingly. Just a thought.


----------



## WVprepper

Use one gallon mylars with o2 absorbers... also consider some freeze dried complete meals to add aswell.. Don't forget the water, you got to have water to cook with.


----------



## HuntingHawk

Early this year I got started on canning. Love it. Most just think of canning vegetables or jars of fruit or jelly or jams. Soups & stews are basically complete meals & you make them to your taste. I also like canning pork shoulder for pulled pork. You can also do your own chilli with or without beans. But my favorite is canned meatloaf. Meatloaf, use extra eggs & use oatmeal versus bread.

Another level is a jar adaptor for a vacseal. Dry goods into jars & then vacuum seal the jars. I even have some of the 64oz jars with dog kibble.

If you have mostly dry goods remember that you need extra water for them. Especially beans.


----------



## WVprepper

I never thought of canning pulled pork..How does it turn out? I have never canned meat before..


----------



## HuntingHawk

75 minutes for pints & 95 minutes for quarts at 10psi. Stuff the pork with the fat on as tight as reasonable in the jars. Less then five minutes to separate meat from fat & string out the pork. Add BBQ of your choice & its the best pulled pork you ever had. The reason the fat is left on when canning is the flavor it adds to the meat. I like putting the pork in a bowl & nuke it for two minutes. It liquifies the fat making it easier to handle. Anymore, I just do quart jars of pork. I don't flavor the pork except for the canning salt. Plenty of flavoring added with the BBQ sauce.


----------



## HuntingHawk

BTW, I do the same thing with chicken legs. Can only get five large legs in a jar. Makes great pulled chicken. Bones & fat can then be boiled for the liquid to make rice.


----------



## HuntingHawk

Bread goes with any meal but SHTF good chance you don't have an oven. Though Coleman makes a portable oven that goes ontop of any heat source.

But you only need a fry pan to make pan bread. I use freeze dried whole eggs & comes out fine.

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
shake garlic salt
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp powdered milk
1 tbsp powdered egg

Add water to make a sticky dough. Into fry pan on medium/high heat that the oil is already heated.

Cook it like you would a pancake. Make sure the pan & oil is hot before putting the dough in the pan.

I have even done the mix & put it vacsealed in jars. Just add the water & mix.


----------



## WVprepper

I will have to try that sometime soon.. It sounds like it would be good anytime.. What sauce do you use? We usually have SweetBaby Rays on hand..


----------



## Purkeypilot

Great responses guys! I really do appreciate it! Keem 'em coming!


----------



## HuntingHawk

I keep a host of different BBQ sauces on hand. Sometimes just pick the BBQ sauce first then pork or chicken to go with it.

Pan bread takes about 10 minutes to make. Skillet & oil on the burner. While the pan is getting hot mix the ingredients. Mine seems to turn out well whether I use a real egg or freeze dried whole egg. And tastiest when done in a cast iron pan.


----------



## HuntingHawk

I forgot to mention, I put a slice of pineapple in the bottle of the pork shoulder jars. "sweetens" the meat.


----------



## Desert Marine

One of the great natural preservatives is honey. Use your imagination and place things that you like to preserve in honey. It will prevent oxidation and honey has health benefits as well.


----------



## Gallo Pazzesco

I just ordered another 100 mylar bags. I've already loaded the fifty I got a couple of years ago.

We load ours in regular old Wally World or Lowes buckets with lids. We buy bulk sugar, beans, rice, pasta, oatmeal, wheat, etc., from Sam's and/or order it through our restaurant vendors, feed store, etc., depending upon who has the best deals at the time. The Mormons have some really good deals from time to time and they are worth getting to know at their LDS outlets. You can learn a lot from those people about storing chow.

We buy honey by the 5 gallon pale from our local bee keeper, plus I just started a hive this fall.

Invest in some good 3000-5000 CC O2 absorbers and make sure you seal them up really good - the ones you don't use.


----------



## HuntingHawk

I find long pasta too easily broken in soft packaging. So I use the 64oz mason jars to store them in. Elbow macaroni as well as shells are easily stored in pint or quart mason jars.


----------



## HuntingHawk

Butter & hard cheeses like cheddar can be put in a freezer. Six months is the longest I have experimented with. Unsalted butter should be used.

Butter, cheese, eggs, milk, etc are things that make foods better. You can buy powdered milk & cheese. You can buy canned butter. And you can buy freeze dried whole eggs. Milk, eggs, & sometimes butter are critical for baked goods. Also, a can of Crisco shortening is needed for certain baked goods as is olive oil.


----------



## HuntingHawk

Alittle off topic, but a LP gas grill with side burner & spare 20lb bottle will get you a long way. Anything needing boiled or fried in a pan can be done on that side burner.


----------



## HuntingHawk

Once you have basic stores put away think of things that are morale boosters. Good variety of food reduces stress. For this reason I have alot of canned fruit put up. Learn the basics of working with flour & you can make a pie out of about any canned fruit. And for kids, making any type of cookies helps them.

When planning & prepping, think of the whole meal. Pasta with sauce is a dish, not a meal. Some homemade bread or pan bread with garlic salt & butter added makes it more of a meal.

Also think of drinks. If nothing else, get koolade mixes for the kids. Coffee & tea for most adults.


----------



## ozo

Purkeypilot said:


> Hey guys! Just wondering if any of you store food like rice and beans. I am wanting to get some 5 gallon food grade buckets and gamma lids from CTD and store rice, beans and other stuff. Just wanting to get some tips and advice on the best way to do this. Thanks in advance!


Here is one method by LDS folks that works well....

Storing Beans and Rice in Mylar Bags and Five Gallon Buckets - American Preppers Network

Although, personally, I will not buy anything from CTD again,
after last week's back-peddling, there are plenty of places
to get the supplies you want.


----------



## ozo

We also use a Pump-N-Seal.......mainly for jars.

Pump and Seal food saver vacuum sealer is better than Tilia FoodSaver


----------

