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View Full Version : Long term food storage...is this good?



ButterflyBreath
6-2-14, 2:20am
Hi guys. Looking at food storage and found this at Costco.

http://www.costco.com/380-Total-Servings-White-Rice-42-lb.-Bucket-Emergency-Food-Storage-By-Shelf-Reliance®-THRIVE™.product.11748485.html

For all you survival experts...can you see anything wrong with this type of rice or method of storage? I am just learning about this.

Thanks

ButterflyBreath
6-2-14, 2:25am
Even better... Brown rice!
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/augason-farms-long-grain-brown-rice-pail-43-lbs/prod6230881.ip

awakenedsoul
6-2-14, 10:30am
It sounds expensive to me. You can get those types of buckets at feed stores. I buy rice in bulk and freeze it. It says the one you listed has a seven year shelf life, unopened. It might go bad if you are using it. (I think you mentioned you live alone.)
Rice is cheap. I think this is really overpriced.

happystuff
6-2-14, 4:18pm
I agree about it being expensive. 43 lbs brown rice for approx. $53.00 plus shipping? That's over $1. a pound. Couldn't open the link in the 1st post.

Blackdog Lin
6-2-14, 8:44pm
I agree with awakenedsoul: overpriced for what you can do yourself.

Now brown rice, while much more healthy, does not keep anywhere nearly as well/long as a white rice. So if you really need to store brown, you may want to pay extra for professional processing, and no matter how you put it up be very very good at rotating your stocks.

But white rice: it keeps a very long time. In March of '09 I put away many pounds of both regular long-grain and basmati rices. We sealed up 2-lb. packages in our seal-a-meal and popped an oxygen absorber into each. Stored in a plastic tote in a closet.

Come this year I decide to start using the stuff up. We can't tell the difference in this "old" rice from rice purchased yesterday at the grocery store. There is truly no difference at all. Our cheapo method of long-term storage is working exceedingly well.

We had the same results with all our dried beans, and most of the pasta I put up - all done the same way, and all tastes and cooks up fresh as ever here 5 years later. The only minor problem I had was with some of the pasta that "lost its seal" during the storage period. It still cooked up and tastes fine, but I know I lost my oxygen barrier on some of the packages (the packages had gone soft, rather than rock-hard like all the other packages). I figure these few "failures" were due to sharp edges on some of the dried pasta.

ButterflyBreath
6-3-14, 11:59pm
I think I was just overwhelmed with all the food storage info on the Internet. I am blessed with a 3rd shift job where I have a lot of free time and can use my iPad, so I've been researching and am starting to do price comparisons for DIY food storage with Mylar bags and O2 absorbers. Maybe if I get really motivated I can post my price comparisons so others can take a look at it.

happystuff
6-8-14, 10:00am
That would be great! Thanks.

iris lilies
6-8-14, 11:21am
I agree with awakenedsoul: overpriced for what you can do yourself.

Now brown rice, while much more healthy, does not keep anywhere nearly as well/long as a white rice...

I had no idea. That's interesting. I would think that the hull on a grain would protect it from breaking down. I wonder what the science is behind this.

Blackdog Lin
6-9-14, 8:37pm
"•Brown rice is a whole natural grain with only the hull removed, thus the fats between the remaining layers cause it to spoil more easily than white, which has been milled and stripped of all it’s layers and nutrients. Enriched rice has some of the nutrients chemically returned, but brown rice naturally retains almost all of the nutrients. Brown rice is also chewier and nuttier in flavor because of these natural layers.
•Due to its low moisture content, white rice can keep almost indefinitely. This extended shelf life is a huge benefit to underdeveloped countries."

iris lilies: you got me to wondering too, so I googled it. This quote I found was the easiest for me to understand. I've just always known, since the days I started "prepping", that white rice was the way to go for long-term storage. I had never researched the why.

awakenedsoul
6-9-14, 11:51pm
I glanced at the white rice at Costco the other day. You can get a big bag for around $5.00. I have a bucket like that from our feed store. It had dog food in it, but I washed it out. They gave it to me for free. I just paid for the dog food.

Good to know about the white rice. I have a big bag of it in my freezer. I use brown rice most of the time.

ButterflyBreath
6-10-14, 2:05am
Ok guys, here's my very unscientific findings about the Mylar bags. Unscientific because I could have easily missed a product that a company has if their website was not organized well. So please do your own research.


discountmylarbags.com had a good array of sizes and their prices were ok, website was not cluttered and easy to navigate. Their bags were either 3.5 mil or 5 mil. For comparison I will list pricing on 1 gallon bags 300 cc absorbers, and here they are .55 for 5 mil. 300 cc O2 absorbers are .16 each.


Usaemergencysupplies.com has an attractive website but I didn't like how they listed their products and pricing. All their bags are 5.4 mil so if you're wanting to save money on smaller bags by getting thinner, this is not the company for you. Oh also, they don't have smaller than 1/2 gallon, but they do have one size smaller that is ziplock, not sure if it can be heat sealed. Their bag prices are good though. 1gallon bags here are .34 each for 5.4 mil. 300 cc O2 absorbers are .17 each. This company has a good selection of absorbers. Shipping for my order came to 4.99 so far, but I'm not done filling my cart yet.


mylarbagsdirect.com has a good website, and this company does have smaller bags. Their 1 gallon 3.5 mil bags are .34 each and 7 mil is .49 each. I didn't see 5 mil in 1 gallon size. 300 cc O2 absorbers are .17 each. They don't have many options for absorbers. Did a shipping estimate and to TN it was 6.99.


optimumpreparedness.com was the last one I looked at. Their website was a bit cluttered and harder to navigate. Their 1 gallon bags run 1.16 each for 5 mil. 300 cc O2 absorbers are .28 each. I didn't spend much time on them because I was getting tired of the subject. However one good thing about them is that they offer lots of other preparedness products, so something to consider for "getting it done".


Overall it didn't seem to be cheaper to get kits of the bag and O2 absorber, probably because the O2 absorber would be individually wrapped.


One thing I didn't evaluate is shipping cost. This would also factor in.

overall I think USAemergencysupplies.com has the best selection at the lowest prices. I will probably order from them.

i have a few pages of notes that I made about this method of preserving food, so when I get back to my laptop I will type them up for you guys.


Hope this helps!

ButterflyBreath
6-10-14, 7:53am
Ok here's the info I found when I was learning about long term food storage. I can email a nice printable PDF file of this if you email me at letgo@email.com

-----------------------



Long Term Food Storage with Mylar Bags




The four main enemies of long term food storage: Oxygen, moisture, light, and contamination by bacteria

MYLAR BAGS

· Long term food storage bags are never transparent!
· Do not store food loose in buckets with O2 absorbers, as the plastic is porous and over time O2 will seep in. You need the Mylar bags
· Mylar is good against electrical disturbances
· Most common sizes are 1 gallon and 5 gallon.
· Best thickness for 1 gallon is 3.5-4+mil, and for 5 gallon 4.5+ mil (because of weight)
· Do not overfill the bags
· Mylar bags combat all 4 of the main enemies of long term storage IF sealed correctly.

O2 ABSORBERS:

· For very packed food such as rice, wheat, or lentils less O2 absorbers will be needed compared to something like pasta, which has more air and doesn’t pack as tightly.
· Bag sizes and O2 absorber needs:
5 gallon bags need 1500-2000ccs (stores about 33 lbs of beans)
1 gallon bags need 300cc (about #10 can of food, approx 7.5 lbs grain or beans)
1 quart or 1 pint bags need 50-100ccs
· When deciding which O2 absorbers to use, keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if 2000cc is one absorber or four 500cc absorbers. What matters is the total.
· Adding extra absorbers if you are not sure if you need them won’t hurt. Better too many than not enough.

SEALING MYLAR BAGS

· It is recommended to use an old clothing iron or thrift store iron because if the heat is too high the bag will stick to it and could ruin it. However the bags need high heat to seal, so start off lower and work up. The amount of heat should provide a smooth even secure seal. And DO NOT USE STEAM!
· To seal, move the iron back and forth on the edge to be sealed. Keep it moving or you might melt the bag (and mess up your iron)
· Only seal the top 1” so if you have to get into the bag you can reseal it
· Clean the edges of top of bag if you are using a powdery substance such as flour to make tight seal.
· Check newly sealed bags after O2 has absorbed. Some will be visibly compressed, but not always. A common misconception is that the O2 absorber will vacuum the bag, but this is not true. O2 absorbers only remove O2 from the air, not the air itself so you may still have wiggle room. And it may take at least a day for it to absorbe a very dry product.
· It is more difficult to get a good seal on the heavier mil bags, but it’s possible

DESSICANTS
· Dessicants are good for storing salt and sugar so they don’t turn into a hard brick. · Don’t use dessicants and O2 absorbers in the same bag because the O2 absorber might not work.

WHAT FOOD TO STORE
· As a general rule the more a food item is processed, the shorter its storage life will be. For example whole wheat will store 2-3 times as long as whole wheat flour. Herbs and spices will last longer if not ground.
· Food items with oils and fats will go rancid. For instance white rice which is lower in oil/fats will store almost indefinitely compared to brown rice which still has its original nutrients and fats, and only stores for 2-3 years at most. Salt will last indefinitely if it does not get moisture (that’s why a dessicant is used)
· For long term storage soy protein and beans, etc are a better source of protein than meat due to possibility of spoilage.

GENERAL
· Use permanent marker to label bag, then cover with clear tape to protect.
· Measure the food you are bagging, and write the amount on bag.
· Use buckets to store so your food is rodent proof. Mylar bags will preserve, but they are not rodent proof! The bags can also be stored in food-grade steel drums or containers. It has been reported that rodents can eat through the plastic buckets. (I’m sure this is pretty rare though)
· Freeze products for at least 48 hours first to get rid of/kill bugs.
· Food should be removed from the manufacturer’s packaging before placed in Mylar bag. Only use manufacturers packaging if you need to protect bag from sharp edges, of food (like pasta), and make sure to puncture packaging so O2 absorber can absorb the oxygen.
· Store long term food in cool dry area and keep above freezing. Fluctuating temps will degrade food quicker. If food is stored at room tem it will likely last 3-4 times the expiration date on manufacturer’s packaging. If stored properly rice and beans can last 20 years.

_________________
This information has been compiled based on information I found on numerous websites about long term food storage

happystuff
6-13-14, 5:23pm
Thanks for the posts, ButterflyBreath. Hmmm... I'm wondering what the mil measurement is on maylar balloons and if they could be used as well. (not ones filled with helium, but new unused ones. lol).

Packy
6-17-14, 2:23am
Just the other day, I used a can of Kidney beans that had a "Best By" date in 2010. They were fine. Hope that offers some reassurance.

Lainey
8-19-14, 8:09pm
Has anyone seen this post on the Classy Clutter website that advises how to build your emergency food storage for $5/week? I thought it was actually pretty clever.

http://www.classyclutter.net/2012/05/build-your-food-storage-for-as-little-as-5-a-week-plus-a-free-printable-list.html

ButterflyBreath
8-24-14, 3:50am
Lainey it's a great idea, however have our prices gone up that much? It seems like $5 won't cover the cost. This list must have been made awhile ago. Thanks for the idea!