Explanation please on how to store food properly

[maxilaura]

Hi

This may seem like a silly question to some of you, but I'm trying to understand the best way to store food.

If you buy some bags of rice/pasta etc from Tesco - do you store them as they are, in their tesco packaging, or do you vacuum seal the bags or do you open all the bags, combine the stuff together and store in a container/bucket?

There is some mention of buckets for storage on this site that I've come across, but I'm not sure which method is used.

Thanks
Maxilaura

[hobo]

For longest life, empty your rice, pasta etc into mylar bags with and oxygen absorbers and seal them. Put into plastic buckets with lids and keep at a constant cool temperature. That's about right isn't it gang?

Hobo

[itsybitsy]

Yeah. I'm not quite sure how many oxy absorbers you need for the bags though - I think you need different amounts depending on how big the mylar bag is.

[Brambles]

Yup, I'd say that about covers it, Hobo.

[itsybitsy]

Am mid mylar - the hair straightener method is working a treat. Thanks, B!

[Ogre]

This may seem like a silly question to some of you, but I'm trying to understand the best way to store food.

Not a silly question whatsoever, never be afraid to ask.

If you buy some bags of rice/pasta etc from Tesco - do you store them as they are, in their tesco packaging, or do you vacuum seal the bags or do you open all the bags, combine the stuff together and store in a container/bucket?

I tend to try and not store foodstuffs in their original packaging, for a few different reasons. The most important one (to me) is the fact that I don't want people recognising what I have stored. Also with larger bags I tend to break them down into portion sizes, re-bag them, vacuum seal the new bag, re bag that and vacuum seal the 2nd one as well. Makes for smaller, tougher less conspicuous preps. Not gone down the Mylar path yet. I've seen the prices of bags and oxy absorbers and I'm quite happy with double bagging but to each his own. I also think that a bag of 'something' with a hand scrawled note that it may be flour or rice is fairly unattractive.. unattractive is good

There is some mention of buckets for storage on this site that I've come across, but I'm not sure which method is used.

Not gone down the bucket route yet, with one exception which is a load of grain. May start when I build the new shelving system (Arkwrights II) was supposed to start tomorrow, but think I have to rip out the old bathroom sink cabinet and build a new one, whilst trying to find the time to work on my arrow making project, banish the mice from the extension, fix the wife's car door, fuel mine, read my course notes from last week, tidy the mess the winds made in the garden and if I get a chance BREATH



Thanks

Dim probs.

[Rosesandtea]

I don't really store food for beyond a year so I haven't been too concerned about haivng mylar and O2 absorbers. I've recently bought some though and will give them a try. We have a large family so stuff gets rotated (usually) at a decent rate and we can't afford to be storing for 10 years down the road (and have no space). However the security concerns that some have mentioned are valid.

My main concerns in my storing are vermin, humidity, light, and normal, general nosiness. Just having loads of buckets around (not cached - I don't have anywhere to do that at the moment) can bring some curiosity I don't want.

So I do store many things in the original packaging and simply put them in preferably opaque plastic tote bins which sit on shelves. If I could I'd have loads more shelves and mix a lot of camping things among them.

Some things are in buckets and all my wheat and other grains are in buckets.

I do have some buckets that have a variety of things in them either to grab and go, or to give away.

Not saying my system is great or at all perfect, but that is what I do, and why.

At some point this year I'll try to use the mylar bags and O2 absorbers that I bought.

It was a great question, btw.

[jean405]

For long term storage, I like buckets and mylar because of bulk. For short term storage, 3 - 6 months rotation, I have 5l Parfait jars, as mice can bite through most things, even buckets, if they are hungry.

I try not to have grains in their original packaging, and I freeze all my grains for a few days before storing them, to kill off any live bugs and eggs, and mix packages together if they have the same BB date. All the veg I have dehydrated myself is in glass jars, so it is easy to see what is in it.

There is a trick to vacuum sealing mylar bags

http://dehydrate2store.com/videos/?id=58

The lady at dehydrate2store is great at food storage, watch a few of her videos, you will get masses of inspiration from her

[diamond lil]

I dont use mylar bags because I don't store that much and anyway I cant be assed. There's only the two of us and it would be a faff sorting it all. I store in original packets clingfilmed and keep in a cool airy room, you need to avoid damp warm rooms.

[itsybitsy]

I have rice, pasta, cous-cous and rolled oats stored in mylar. I will continue to add to this as I increase my stocks of beans, pulses etc.

I just prick the store packaging (another top tip from Brambles ) a few times, then put the packet into the mylar bag, lob an oxygen absorber in then seal the bag with my hair straighteners. I've stuck a label on the mylar bag detailing the contents and the date I put it into storage. The whole process takes about two minutes at most. I've got the mylar bags stored in a plastic storage box, with a lid on.

Tins, etc are just stored in my kitchen cupboards, and rotated.