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20K views 43 replies 21 participants last post by  MikeK 
#1 ·
Hi all, been lurking here for awhile and finally set up an account. I'm going full steam ahead trying to get my family to a place where I feel comfortable. I've done numerous searches, but either find partial, conflicting, or non-relevant info when looking for some answers to basic long term food prepping questions that I have. Hope ya'll don't mind, but I'm going to ask my questions directly here.

1) How many pounds of flour fit in a 5 gallon bucket?
2) Which type of flour is best for long term storage, hard white or hard red flour?
3) What type of beans are best for storage in a 5 gallon bucket (with mylar bag)?
4) How many pounds of beans fit in a 5 gallon bucket?
5) Is Jasmine rice considered a white rice when it comes to long term storage (will it last as long as white rice)?
6) What are the top #5 bulk foods for long term storage?
7) Can seeds be stored in the freezer or is a mylar bag w/ oxygen absorber the best technique?
8) What is the best way to store oils and other fatty foods long term? Or is it primarily rotation technique only for these items?
9) What is the best thing to utilize my semi-small free standing freezer with, meat, cheese, seeds, flour, etc. -- what's in your freezer?
10) Any other helpful info you want to share regarding long term storage of food in mylar bags/buckets.
 
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#4 ·
I'll answer your questions with my opinion.

1. I store wheat, not flour. About 30 lbs per bucket
2. Both are good
3. Pinto or any other hard bean
4. About 30
5. Yes
6. Wheat, rice, popcorn, beans, and milk
7. I like freezer
8. I can butter
9. Meats, bulk sale items
10. Hair straighteners work great. I like all my buckets to match. I use gamma lids for the buckets I am digging into.
 
#6 ·
I was wondering about sealing the mylar bags -- the hair straightener makes sense. Thanks for the heads up. Um, please excuse my ignorance, but is your wheat ground? I will be storing either 100% whole ground red or white hard wheat. Maybe flour isn't the best word to describe this? Also, could you please elaborate a little more on your milk storage, is it dehydrated milk, dried buttermilk, or some other type of milk, and is it stored in the freezer or mylar and how often do you rotate it (if at all)?
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the info PG! This site is chalk full of information, grateful to have it.

Canned goods are definitely part of my overall food prep. I have a basement that is primarily underground, so temp stays around 50 year round. I've got to get some shelving to make the rotation easier, but have about 50 cans so far. I stocked up on pink salmon today with a printed expiration of 2016, so 5 years +, not bad at all!
 
#7 ·
I just came across a thread which talked about quinoa. Not sure what the best way to store this is, mylar, freezer, rotation, etc. but came across a good deal, so got 25 pounds of it. It has all 8 essential amino acids and is already a big part of my families diet, so if it doesn't store well, I know it won't go to waste. If anyone has any storage info for this, I'm all ears! =)

good deal
 
#9 ·
I just came across a thread which talked about quinoa. Not sure what the best way to store this is, mylar, freezer, rotation, etc. but came across a good deal, so got 25 pounds of it. It has all 8 essential amino acids and is already a big part of my families diet, so if it doesn't store well, I know it won't go to waste. If anyone has any storage info for this, I'm all ears! =)

good deal
Quinoa stores well, like most grains. But I don't know the exact figures. I'd say you could count on a minimum of 10-15 years, properly stored. Perhaps far longer. Poke around google a bit for more specifics.

One of the few whole grains that doesn't store well is brown rice. The oils go rancid in short order. Even packed in mylar with an O2 absorber, it's probably about 2 years max for storage. That's why most of us store some version of white rice instead. Personally, I like variety and store short grain, long grain, sushi rice, basmati and jasmine rice, mahagony and black rice, etc. They are all different forms of white rice.
 
#10 ·
Glad I waited on picking up the flour. Any ideas on where to get ahold of whole grain hard wheat that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? I've googled a bit but haven't come up with anything. Amazon has a 35 pound bucket for a reasonable price, but the shipping tips it over the edge (cost wise).

Thanks MikeK for the heads up!
 
#11 ·
I've learned here that it is best to store wheat "berries" and not flour. The berries can store 25-30 years in mylar with oxyegn absorbers due to the protective nature of the kernel. You have to grind the berries into flour. Flour storage in mylar ranges from 2 to 5 or more years (depends on who's telling you). I've read 10 years max from a new study. I think Gypsy covered all your other questions. Good luck!
 
#14 ·
It's important to me, but it doesn't have to be. I'm getting my rice at Walmart, so will keep my eyes out for the wheat berries too. Thanks for the heads up.

To whomever moderates these boards, feel free to move this thread to the appropriate sticky on this board or delete it. I read through the stickies earlier but missed the last one and couldn't get satisfactory answers through the search feature, so started this thread. I've since been redirected to the stickies. Thanks.
 
#15 ·
If you have any Asian Markets in your area, check them out for your rice. We buy 50 pound bags of Jasmine Rice and while the price has gone up to $26.00 per 50 pound bag, that's still better than anywhere else. Other types of rice are even cheaper, but we do like the Jasmine rice.

As far as finding wheat berries, check out the grain silos if there are any in your area. You can usually buy your own there in 50 pound sacks but sometimes you can go ahead and load up your own 5 gallon buckets. The price of wheat is really up because of the drought conditions in the wheat belt this year, so stock up now before that harvest tries to come in. Also, sometimes you can buy 50 pound sacks of wheat berries, rolled oats, corn and other grains at feed stores. One thing to remember for grain bought from silos and feed stores, it is NOT cleaned, so you need to go through it to remove small rocks, bugs, parts of animals (yes, it happens) that got mixed in during harvesting, but the price is cheaper than you'll find almost anywhere else.

One thing to check for is the moisture content. If the grain is too moist, it can start to mold on you. You may need to spread the grain out on screens and allow them to dry for a while to lower this moisture to a good level. I haven't tried it, but I would imagine that you could also place the grain in a dehydrator to speed that process.

Any grain should also be frozen for at least 3 days to a week to kill any bug larva or eggs. We put our grain inside clean 2-liter bottles and freeze them. Then, we keep them in the same bottles for storage and stack them in a set of shevles like wine bottles. This works great for us. Empty milk crates also work well to store 2-liter bottles.

BTW, about 4 pounds of sugar, salt or any other grainy thing like that will fit in a 2-liter bottle. We mark the month and year (example right now it is 05/2011) on the bottle or any other food storage item so we know when we bought it or put it up for storage. This helps with proper food rotation so the first in gets used up first.

I hope that helps.

Medic73
 
#22 ·
Thanks for the in-depth reply. I get 25 pound bags of Jasmine rice at WM for about $15. I'm going to start off with that, but I think MikeK is right on with storing different types of white rice. I'll probably go for Basmati next.

As far as moisture goes, maybe using some desiccant packets to dry up any moisture? I worry about over drying though. I wish I had a dehydrator, but don't for now.

I ordered my hard wheat berries online yesterday but will keep the silos in mind for next time. And I'll be keeping my eyes out when I visit WM next to see if they carry it.
 
#16 ·
My top five LTS is Sugar, Salt, white long grain rice, beans, powdered milk. I also have 5gal buckets of baking soda, cornstarch, cream of tartar.

How much will fit in 5 gal bucket
Corn 37.5
White, Rice Long Grain 36.5
Oats, Rolled 20.8
Black Eye Pea 31.5
Great Northern Bean 35.0
Lentils 35.8
Mung Bean 37.5
Pinto Bean 34.0
Navy Bean 37.5


http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/2011/03/10/10-cans-and-5-gallon-buckets-how-much-can-they-hold/

Hope this helps and welcome to the board. :thumb:
 
#17 ·
Not all Walmarts have the wheat berries. I wish they did. I have checked mine several times since first hearing that they sell them.

Also, don't sweat freezing the grain. I have yet to see any evidence that it does anything. Afterall, the bugs survive just fine through the winter in some of the coldest states in the country. The O2 absorbers will keep any infestations under control.

If you're extra paranoid like I am, you might invest in some food grade diatomaceous earth. They use it in grain silos to keep bugs out, and the packaged food industry uses it in such things as Bisquick, pancake mixes, and the like, for the same reason. It's totally safe, nontoxic (MUST be food grade) and actually contributes some trace nutrients. Also has about a bazillion uses around the home and farm, so it's a good prep to have on hand just the same.
 
#18 ·
Not all Walmarts have the wheat berries. I wish they did. I have checked mine several times since first hearing that they sell them.
Check the Walmart site before trekking in to check. You can set it to search the nearest store's inventory. And Mike, search yours! Someone on another thread was talking about the data collection capabilities of Walmart, how they monitor searches. If you search it, they will come - or maybe something like that.
 
#26 · (Edited)
Here It Is

Hi all, been lurking here for awhile and finally set up an account. I'm going full steam ahead trying to get my family to a place where I feel comfortable. I've done numerous searches, but either find partial, conflicting, or non-relevant info when looking for some answers to basic long term food prepping questions that I have. Hope ya'll don't mind, but I'm going to ask my questions directly here.

1) How many pounds of flour fit in a 5 gallon bucket?
2) Which type of flour is best for long term storage, hard white or hard red flour?
>> Neither, only unground wheat is best for LTS, flour is a perishable product. The type of wheat you store would depend on the type of flour you wish to make, whether pastry or bread flour.

3) What type of beans are best for storage in a 5 gallon bucket (with mylar bag)? >> Dried beans; any type are fine, if you use a mylar bag and O2 absorber, get several for variety.
4) How many pounds of beans fit in a 5 gallon bucket? >> 30 to 35 lbs
5) Is Jasmine rice considered a white rice when it comes to long term storage (will it last as long as white rice)? >> Yes, but it's more expensive than bulk rice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZwOwpIzctA&feature=relmfu

6) What are the top #5 bulk foods for long term storage?
>> Rice, beans, pasta, wheat canned meat, and sugar or honey.
I recently obtained 150 lbs of food for $138. 120 - 150 day ration for 4.
7) Can seeds be stored in the freezer or is a mylar bag w/ oxygen absorber the best technique? >> Neither, stored dry with low moisture and constant temp, they do not have to be frozen, nor should they be in some cases.
8) What is the best way to store oils and other fatty foods long term? Or is it primarily rotation technique only for these items? >> Problematic, nearly all healthy fats are volatile (degrade), the exception being shortening which isn't healthy but is shelf stable. Some fats that degrade more slowly are canned butter, ghee and olive oil stored in metal tins (to protect from light).
9) What is the best thing to utilize my semi-small free standing freezer with, meat, cheese, seeds, flour, etc. -- what's in your freezer? >> What you eat, what does it matter if the power goes out? Did you really expect electricity? You could use it to build a large smoker or dehydragtor if you lose grid power and don't see utility restoration taking place. Your inedible produce contained within that you don't manage to cook can be used for animal food or bait to secure game to eat.

10) Any other helpful info you want to share regarding long term storage of food in mylar bags/buckets.
>> Oxygen absorbers help, in the absence of absorber, you can improvise with hand warmers.

Secrets on absorbers


Hope this helps

Thanks to Jerry D Young, member of this forum, check out his posts.
Kudos to dsarti1 on Youtube
 
#37 ·
That last video is great. Oxy absorbers can be made. I test welders all the time. Part of that test is what is known as a bend strap. Cut a sample out of the weld, bend it at a known radius and see if it breaks. Those bends tossed in with some powdered clay and salt work great. The best part is, they pay me to do it and for the materials.

Nearly any form of scrap steel / iron will work. Keep that in mind before you throw out that old bed frame, or childs swing set etc. Of course if you just don't want to mess with it the hot hands work great.
>> Oxygen absorbers help, in the absence of absorber, you can improvise with hand warmers.
Sealing Mylar bags with Oxygen absorbers in 5gal buckets for long term food storage - YouTube
Secrets on absorbers
Oxygen absorbers, There dirty little secret exposed - YouTube

Hope this helps

Thanks to Jerry D Young, member of this forum, check out his posts.
Kudos to dsarti1 on Youtube
 
#30 ·
I like your storage ideas....I like glass jars...I've got some 1/2 gallon canning jars, plus some other large jars, that I wash, and then place whatever I want in there...I too freeze my oatmeal,rice,pasta,etc for 2 weeks, then package them with an oxygen absorber.....

I'm not doing 5 gallon buckets except I do use them for sugar and flour...

but me, I want my food to be able to last maybe 5 yrs and I'll rotate in..
 
#32 ·
You must not live in earthquake prone areas like ca. Anything glass is subject to breaking. Buckets are much easier to grab throw in truck stacked and relocate if needed. Glad jars will be broken to bits during certain types of crises. I suggest some of each.
 
#33 ·
Hi all, been lurking here for awhile and finally set up an account. I'm going full steam ahead trying to get my family to a place where I feel comfortable. I've done numerous searches, but either find partial, conflicting, or non-relevant info when looking for some answers to basic long term food prepping questions that I have. Hope ya'll don't mind, but I'm going to ask my questions directly here.

1) How many pounds of flour fit in a 5 gallon bucket? about 35-40#'s max2) Which type of flour is best for long term storage, hard white or hard red flour? you want whole wheat, not flour as it lasts longer. the white is lighter in taste, so that's all we store. they both are identical in terms of shelf life. 30 years.
3) What type of beans are best for storage in a 5 gallon bucket (with mylar bag)? It doesn't matter. Stored properly, most all beans last the same. Store your family's prefrence4) How many pounds of beans fit in a 5 gallon bucket? count on 35# in most cases
5) Is Jasmine rice considered a white rice when it comes to long term storage (will it last as long as white rice)?ALL rice, except for BROWN area "forever food" that has no shelf life when packed properly.
6) What are the top #5 bulk foods for long term storage?sugar, salt,wheat, rice and beans
7) Can seeds be stored in the freezer or is a mylar bag w/ oxygen absorber the best technique?seeds are living, put them in an oxygen free environment and they won't sprout. they do fine in the freezer
8) What is the best way to store oils and other fatty foods long term? Or is it primarily rotation technique only for these items?rotation, most last no longer than 5 years max
9) What is the best thing to utilize my semi-small free standing freezer with, meat, cheese, seeds, flour, etc. -- what's in your freezer?cheeses, butter/margerine, meat until you can can it. jmo
10) Any other helpful info you want to share regarding long term storage of food in mylar bags/buckets.
just do it! lol
 
#42 ·
Something else for you to be thinking about if you wish to get particular about o2 content. There is a difference between gaseous o2 and dissolved o2.
Go get a needle type O2 sensor and try your 10 plus year stored wheat.
Your going to find some disturbing results due to that dissolved o2 and that is with your standard o2 absorbers.

http://www.presens.de/products/products/category/sensor-probes/element/implantable-oxygen-microsensor.html

For the record, all of my methods are lab tested. A given since I own the lab.
 
#44 ·
Some beans seem bad at that and others don't. I've had trouble with older pinto beans and split peas. Even stored in mylar with O2 absorbers, they get hard after a few years. I haven't had trouble with any of the others I've stored, that I've tested. There are some I haven't tried out yet that I've had stored for more than a decade. But most of the reports here of hard beans have been pinto beans too. And the hard split peas will cook soft with enough time, unlike the pintos.

If they won't soften, you can always grind them and use them. They still work fine that way. In fact that's a quick, energy efficient way to use all types of beans, and to sneak them into recipes. I've even had a cake made of pinto beans and you couldn't tell they were in there. One of the moistest and most flavorful cakes I've tasted.
 
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