C....is for CONTAINERS

I've had a lot of people ask me about containers the last couple of weeks and as you already know...there's a lot I don't know! So, I've done a little researching and exploring and come up with a few things. These containers and hints are all for dry food storage.

#10 TIN CANS- We all have those big #10 cans in our food storage. Most of the time, the food we store can be purchased already in them so it is cheap and easy! They are also relatively inexpensive to purchase if we want to do bulk canning at home. A couple of the drawbacks could be that there is some wasted space when you are storing because of the shape. Another drawback could be that you have pick up the cans from the cannery and make arrangements to borrow the canner if you are going to can at home. The price of the cans is about $1.01 including the lid.

WHITE PLASTIC FOOD GRADE BUCKETS- I have 100's of pounds of food storage in these big old buckets! Some of you may have heard me say that I bought it in those buckets and it's still in there because I can't get the darn lids off! And then if I do get it off, I can't get it back on. But lo and behold, (I don't know where I've been) this week I heard about GAMMA LIDS! What a brilliant idea! Now I don't feel like I have to repackage all the wheat and oats and rice and split peas, etc. that I have stored in these buckets. All I have to do is get the lid off once and purchase a GAMMA LID. Some of the advantages of the plastic bucket...it stores 25-50 lbs. Another pro is that it is easy to move...one bucket as opposed to 5+ cans. One disadvantage that I can think of is that the plastic can eventually crack. We lost about 400 lbs. of grains when we moved 10 years ago because the plastic was cracked...so just keep an eye on it if that is how you are storing. The cost of a new plastic bucket is about $6-10. The GAMMA LIDS range from $5-8.

If you have a good source for any of the items that we are talking about, please post it in comments or email me and I will make a post.

DRY PACK POUCH also known as MYLAR BAGS-Now the bags sound kind of fun to me. I haven't done anything with them before, but it seems like it would be easy to stack them so they wouldn't take as much room as the #10 cans. They are less expensive than the cans. You can purchase them from the cannery. You can fill them at home. They last 20 years. The disadvantages are that you need to borrow the sealer from the cannery; You can't use a seal-a-meal sealer on them. According to some of the info I read, they are not rodent proof. The mylar bags cost $.35 each and are available from the cannery.

PETE OR PET CONTAINERS-PETE containers are kind of a new wave food storage method and I love them! I think what I love is being able to see what is in a container. A PETE container does not have to be brand new to store food products.
PETE refers to a type of clear plastic bottle commonly used for many foods sold in grocery stores. The bottles are identified on the bottom, next to the recycle emblem, with the letters PETE. This type of container has good oxygen barrier qualities and can be used with oxygen absorbers to store bulk dry foods. The low oxygen content of the sealed containers protects the stored food from insect infestation and helps preserve product quality. These containers are well suited for products that are rotated on a regular basis, while still providing several years of storage capability. If you purchase PETE containers new...they range from $2.68 to $4 each for a gallon. The advantage is they pretty much last forever so you only have to buy it once.

If you are using pre-used PETE Containers, please follow these instructions:
1. Use only PETE bottles that have been previously commercially packaged with food.
Bottles need to have screw-on lids with plastic, not paper, lid seals.
2. Wash and rinse bottles to remove any residue. Drain and dry bottles.
3. Place an oxygen absorber packet into each bottle.
4. Fill bottles with bulk dry products that are low in moisture and oil content.
5. Wipe top sealing edge clean.
6. Screw lids on tightly. Tape the lid edge to prevent loosening.
7. Store the products in a cool, dry location, away from sunlight.
8. Use a new oxygen absorber packet each time a bottle is refilled for storage.

There are lots of other containers, too! GLASS CANNING JARS, GLASS CONTAINERS WITH VACUUM SEAL LIDS...

One last note: OXYGEN ABSORBERS
Welfare Services absorbers packets are packaged 100 per bag.
This size of absorber can be used for containers of up to 1-gallon capacity.
When packaging products, take out of the bag the number of absorbers you plan to use in 30 minutes and store the remainder in glass canning jars with new lids. 1 pint will hold 25 absorbers.

Containers that work well for long-term storage using oxygen absorbers include:
#10 cans
Foil pouches
Glass canning jars with screw-on lids
PETE plastic containers with screw-on lids

Containers that do not work well for this type of storage include:
Translucent plastic containers such as milk bottles
Snap-on lid containers
Containers that have contained non-food products should not be used for food storage

If you have a container or an idea that works well for you, please post it in the comments so we can share in your experience.

If you would like to get a group together and borrow the stake canner or the bag sealer, please just let me know!