5 gallon buckets

[sugarcrane]

When I was growing up my parents just dumped everything in 5 gallon buckets.  Is this okay to do? I just purchased a whole bunch of black beans and put them in the buckets I know they won't last forever but they will be okay without sealing them and putting in the O2 thingys in right?  Also I got the Instant potatoes aka potatoes pearls and they expire in August.  I thought those things lasted more than 4 months unopened.  Did we just get some old ones?

[Guest]

Do you have any lids? I store shorter term stuff (like to use within 3 or 4 years) in 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids. 

[sugarcrane]

Just the lids that came with the buckets.  I didn't buy new buckets I just got the free ones from the bakery.  Should I do dry ice at least?

[Iggy]

Contact your Ward/Stake Preparedness person(s), and/or your County Extension Office.  I was given two 5 gallon buckets of white flour from a sister in the Ward. She and her husband were reducing their storage - since they had been empty nesters for the past 15 years, they decided they didn't need 20 buckets of flour. When I opened one of the buckets, the top 5 inches was living, thriving weevils. I promptly put the lid back and opened the next one. Same thing! I contacted our county extension office and was told that the weevils needed to be scooped out of the buckets and killed. The easiest way he said was to do this outside on a calm day- scoop them into a brown paper bag (grocery bag) and then burned in a burning barrel. The lid needed to be thoroughly cleaned, and the entire bucket placed in a deep freezer for 2 months. Every week removing the bucket and rolling and flipping it end to end then put back in the freezer. THAT would kill off the weevil eggs. Maybe. Then when I used the flour, make sure that the mixture is thoroughly baked/cooked. No eating the raw cookie dough, etc. Didn't have a deep freezer that big, or have access to one. 

 

When I told this couple about the weevils, they checked out the rest of the buckets - weevils in each and every one of them. Rather than scoop and bag the weevils, he took them aboard a deep sea fishing vessel owned by another church member and they opened each bucket while at sea and dumped the contents in the ocean. When they got home, the couple and myself cleaned the buckets with bleach and TSP -  

 

When they processed these buckets many years ago, they followed the directions from the church and packed them with dry ice. Before I quit using processed flour I purchased the 3 pound bags when they were under a $1.50 a bag, vacuumed sealed each one. Weevils and other bugs can't get into them from your cupboards and before I put them in my cupboard for storage they sat in my upright freezer for two months, then got put into my cupboard. I no longer use store bought flour. I want my flour to be UN-enriched, UN-bleached and UN-GMO.  I buy wheat grain from Emergency Essentials. I repackage it from the 40-45 pound buckets into 3.5 pound vacuum seal packages. 3.5 pounds, ground is 6 loaves of bread. 

 

I have yet to purchase dry beans in quantities large enough to store in 5 gallon buckets. But pretty much every food item I buy for storage is then vacuumed sealed by me for storage. I buy my dry beans from an organic food co-op in bulk. I sprout them prior to cooking and often eat them as sprouts. The store packaged dry beans I had, were vacuumed sealed by me. I also vacuumed sealed the boxes of Rice A Roni, boxes of pasta, and the Hamburger/tuna helper. Even though the pasta in the latter was sealed in cellophane -  I still vacuumed sealed it. 

 

Gamma lids are the way to go for the buckets. Go to: http://beprepared.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=gamma+lids . The co-op I go to sells these, but emergency essentials prices are better, even including shipping. Unless I bought the buckets new I would purchase Mylar bag liners from the same place, just to insure that there is no cross contamination. 

 

We have been waiting for our investment interest check to come, then we are going to buy more organic sprouting seeds, dry beans and vegetable seeds for storage. The co-op we prefer will order and sell to us in bulk at reduced prices. BUT they want to do the order all at once. We would prefer that too. I have been buying the vacuum seal bags when they go on sale - so I won't run out after we get our bulk foods. 

 

I had to rethink how to store the items I vacuumed sealed. Obviously they won't store individually on a shelf - but they do go into plastic totes/tubs. These totes/tubs then can be lidded and stacked in closets, corner of the bedrooms, etc. Do not place any tote or container directly on a cement floor. Don't know how they do it, but they absorb moisture. If I am storing plastic lidded totes in my outdoor shed, I duct tape around the lids. Haven't found even one brand where the lids are air and bug tight. When I replace the food in the plastic totes, I will line with Mylar bag liners. Even though everything is vacuumed sealed individually - I still want to double protect from bugs. There is nothing creepier than opening a plastic tote to find a clan of spiders living in it!! {{{shudder}}} 

[sugarcrane]

will a food savor work or does it have to be the mylar bags?

[Iggy]

will a food savor work or does it have to be the mylar bags?

I only use the mylar bags as liners, not to seal the food in. I have a FoodSaver brand vacuum sealer. Have used two other brands - but they konked out on me after 90 days. This food saver is 8 years old!! When you vacuum seal boxed pasta - DO NOT let the auto vacuum go to the end. Stop it as soon as the bag is deflated but BEFORE the box gets crushed. Allow the heat seal to finish though. I vacuumed sealed lasagna in the box too long. Ended up with lasagna DUST! I put it through my blender and now I use that to thicken soup and gravy's. 

 

I also don't buy mac & cheese mixes. Can't stand the kind with the powdered cheese and Velveeta Shells and Cheese doesn't last on the shelf for more than a year. The cheese turns into rubber even though it is packaged in a foil pouch. I buy the pasta shells or spirals when they are sale and use 1/2 jar of Wal-Mart brand of cheese spread to 2 cups pasta. I have opened jars 18 months after the Use By date and they are still good. It is easy to see if they aren't - the jars are clear. When the cheese goes bad, it pulls away from the jars and turn an ugly, dried brownish orange color. Also from experience it only takes 4 cups of water to cook 2 cups of pasta. If you are going to have canned vegetables with it, then drain off the liquid from your canned vegetable and add water to make the 4 cups liquid to cook the pasta. When you microwave your canned vegetables you do not need more than 2 tablespoons of the liquid. I love to to spinach water to the pasta water. Or canned beets. 

[Iggy]

will a food savor work or does it have to be the mylar bags?

I only use the mylar bags as liners, not to seal the food in. I have a FoodSaver brand vacuum sealer. Have used two other brands - but they konked out on me after 90 days. This food saver is 8 years old!! When you vacuum seal boxed pasta - DO NOT let the auto vacuum go to the end. Stop it as soon as the bag is deflated but BEFORE the box gets crushed. Allow the heat seal to finish though. I vacuumed sealed lasagna in the box too long. Ended up with lasagna DUST! I put it through my blender and now I use that to thicken soup and gravy's. 

 

I also don't buy mac & cheese mixes. Can't stand the kind with the powdered cheese and Velveeta Shells and Cheese doesn't last on the shelf for more than a year. The cheese turns into rubber even though it is packaged in a foil pouch. I buy the pasta shells or spirals when they are sale and use 1/2 jar of Wal-Mart brand of cheese spread to 2 cups pasta. I have opened jars 18 months after the Use By date and they are still good. It is easy to see if they aren't - the jars are clear. When the cheese goes bad, it pulls away from the jars and turn an ugly, dried brownish orange color. Also from experience it only takes 4 cups of water to cook 2 cups of pasta. If you are going to have canned vegetables with it, then drain off the liquid from your canned vegetable and add water to make the 4 cups liquid to cook the pasta. When you microwave your canned vegetables you do not need more than 2 tablespoons of the liquid. I love to to spinach water to the pasta water. Or canned beets. 

[mirkwood]

^{Oxygen absorbers should not be placed directly into plastic buckets.  There is an oxidization process that occurs and ruins the food.  Use the absorbers in #10 cans or mylar bags.}

[NightSG]

Another trick I use, since I prefer to be set up for "slow bug out," (effectively, meaning that I have time to pack a bag or two and head for mom's place or the ridge at the other end of her property) is to use new metal paint cans for non-food and well sealed food items.  The lid seal is much better than a #10 with a snap on plastic lid, (rodent proofing is important in this area) and they can be repurposed as they're emptied as boiling/storage containers for water, cooking pots, or charcoal cookers.

 

The gallon size (and proper labeling) also makes it easier to pick and choose at go-time, rather than having to either take a whole five gallon bucket for a short-term event or stop to repackage the contents.  Since the most likely trouble here is a tornado, a less-than-a-day bug out to get out of the path, or a 3-5 day bug out or hunker down to wait for utilities to be restored are the main things I try to prepare for.  Beyond that, it's just old habits from my Methodist grandmother that make me keep some extra food around; for most of her life, a hard rain could mean not being able to get into town for weeks.

[Iggy]

I also don't buy mac & cheese mixes. Can't stand the kind with the powdered cheese and Velveeta Shells and Cheese doesn't last on the shelf for more than a year. The cheese turns into rubber even though it is packaged in a foil pouch. I buy the pasta shells or spirals when they are sale and use 1/2 jar of Wal-Mart brand of cheese spread to 2 cups pasta. I have opened jars 18 months after the Use By date and they are still good. 

BUMP: Discovered Prego Creamy Cheddar Sauce. Got it on sale along with a coupon for $1.50 off two jars. So paid $0.99 each. Printed out two coupons, then had two of my neighbors print off two each. When I use the Great Value cheese in a jar, I add some whole milk and a dallop of real butter - makes it go a bit farther. 

 

Also I cook the pasta in canned beet juice and canned green bean juice plus enough water to make 4 cups. 

 

A few Saturdays ago I fed the missionaries. Roasted the Turducken my BIL sent us for Christmas. Served instant mashed potatoes [three packets of Idahoan potatoes] using 1part half n half and 2 parts water including the remaining broccoli water from making the gravy, steamed fresh broccoli. Saved the water from the broccoli and used that to make the gravy with. Gravy was two envelopes of McCormick Turkey Gravy mix and two cans of Safeway brand turkey gravy.  There was 5 cups of gravy. 5 people were eating and NO gravy or potatoes were left over! 

 

One of our dinner guests was our kitty-corner neighbor - a great cook in her own rights. She raved about the gravy. I am not stingy with recipes - so I told her I cheated and used pre-mixed gravy. 

[JimmiGerman]

Do you have any lids? I store shorter term stuff (like to use within 3 or 4 years) in 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids. 

 

"Gamma lids"... sounds like "gamma ray". That would certainly preserve it for a while. Except there were gamma ray resistent bacteria in the food.

Edited January 31, 2015 by JimmiGerman