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Post by ColcordMama on May 18, 2012 9:28:28 GMT -7
What do you use, shelves? Bins? Just your regular pantry? Do you stack boxes in your garage? How do you guard against vermin and insects getting into stuff that's not in cans or glass? Do you stockpile food in a place with regular light, or in a dark place? Does it make a difference in the keeping quality of food in long-term storage?
What about water? Case after case of bottled water? Jugs of water? How long does a plastic jug of water last before the plastic gives and it leaks? Is bottled or jug water sterile? My grandsons left half-full bottles of water in my van and I didn't notice until a week later, and when I grabbed the bottles to throw them out, I saw clumps of slime growing inside, bacterial colonies that grew from the initial contamination the day the boys drank out of them. Sure makes you think.
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Post by oldcoothillbilly on May 18, 2012 16:37:13 GMT -7
Well, we keep dehydrated foods in vac sealed mason jars on a shelf what I covered with black plastic ta keep the light out. I've read where they should last 30-35 years er more stored this way.
Sugar, flour an salt I vac seal in bags what go on a similar shelf as be above.
Noodles, boxed taters an goods like that get vac bagged an stored in totes on a raised platform. I generally vac seal these in mylar bags. Seasonins, instant coffee an creamer be the same.
Keep crisco in vac sealed bags.
Canned goods, just go on a shelf but be labeled fer rotation. Canned meats (home can), vegitables, butter an cheese we keep on covered shelves to.
Water, I got some botteled water on hand what we rotate out, but gonna start cannin water cause it'll last lots longer that way. Also keep a good filterin system on hand fer filterin water what we have available round here. Also gear ta boil water with an purifie with chlroine.
Everthin goes in the basement, we got a dehumidifier down there an it be dark, cool an dry.
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Post by geron on May 18, 2012 16:56:30 GMT -7
I've built several "self rotating" can shelves/boxes for canned goods. Use Mylar/O2 absorber/5-6 gal bucket for Wheat, beans, rice, pasta. I rotate these buckets because we use/eat out of them and keep the bucket in current use sealed with a gamma lid. Some freeze dried/dehydrated are stored in the box/cans they came in. Home canned goods (quarts/pints) preserves/beans/tomatoes/soup mix/pickles/relish/meats/etc. are stored on shelves with doors to keep the light out.
Will use the root cellar for some goods when completed. I expect the humidity to be too high (90% +-) for lots of stuff . . . good for root veges but bad for other things.
Oh, some of the 5-6 gal buckets are CO2 packed. Since there's no mylar I keep them in the dark as well. Will most likely repack with Mylar and O2 absorbers. For some reason I just don't trust the CO2 pack.
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Post by missasip on May 19, 2012 14:04:41 GMT -7
Well right now with my change of location going on, my storage is a cluster.... But most is ok. Can and canned goods are the biggest PITA right now. All "soft" contained food is fine. I started with nitrogen purging many years ago. Before O2 absorbers were the rage. Water is in heavy duty jugs for genric storage and bottled for drinking. I have been actually trying out some water I recieved right after Katrina. Tastes just fine. It's been kept out of the sun and the tempature keep down as much as possible. I lost my 3 275 gal storage tanks in the big D.... But I lost her too... ;D The small apt next to my new place is getting a couple of new heavy duty shelves built right now. 4x4s for legs. 2x4 for braces and 3/4 ply with 1/4 hardboard for the actually shelves. My food storage has been going on for 20+ years. So far I've very little go bad. I haven't submited myself to some of the lastest storage equipment just yet. Mine is still working. Jimmy
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Post by mud on May 20, 2012 23:22:58 GMT -7
I use shelves, bins and 5 gal buckets.
All canned foods are shelved either in cabinet or war pantry(outside of kitchen storage) All pasta types are stored in plastic bins, they are all frozen for at least 48 hours to kill any bugs before storage. Dried pasta meals and rice meals often have bugs as well as pasta alone. All bags of beans and rice are stored in buckets in the original bags after freezing for 72 hrs with o2 absorbers.
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Post by cowgirlup on May 21, 2012 4:21:14 GMT -7
Well, My plan isn't as organized as I'd like due to limited storage space. You know you've got a storage problem when your friends child asks why you have boxes under the couch.
I don't have space for a rotation system so my current plan has canned goods stored in a variety by suggested exp date. Once a year I go through the pantry and take out any older food and replace it with what was in the reserve.
I did that thursday. Now we have a bin of canned goods which will kind of determine what's for dinner until it's gone. That way nothing gets wasted.
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Post by Cwi555 on May 21, 2012 15:10:15 GMT -7
I'm with mississip on the nitrogen purging. It's far better than O2 absorbers.
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