Long Term Mac N Cheese Storage??

[DarkBlue]

So a local grocery store had a sale on Annies Mac N Cheese (organic stuff) for .50cents a box. So I stocked up.
All of it doesn't go out of date until august of next year
Howeever I would still like to store it in food pails.
My dilema is, how do I store it?? The only real problem is the cheese power.
I was thinking of pouring a packet of powder, with a oxy absorber, onto a vacuum sealer bag and sealing it down. Than do the same for the noodles. Then place it all in a Mylar than dumping it a bunket.

Suggestions???

[messiah]

I'd think that would work just fine. It's probably good for 5 to 10 years as is though, depending on storage of course. Those are just "best by" dates, not expiration dates.

[neosurvivalist]

Won't work. I've tried it. After two years the cheese powder breaks down and tastes terrible. Try getting Provident Pantry's Cheese Blend for long term storage together with elbow macaroni.

http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_...Cheese%20Blend

[OkieRob]

Originally Posted by neosurvivalist

Won't work. I've tried it. After two years the cheese powder breaks down and tastes terrible.

Your not saying cheese powder actually tasted good at some point are you

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by DarkBlue

So a local grocery store had a sale on Annies Mac N Cheese (organic stuff) for .50cents a box. So I stocked up.
All of it doesn't go out of date until august of next year
Howeever I would still like to store it in food pails.
My dilema is, how do I store it?? The only real problem is the cheese power.
I was thinking of pouring a packet of powder, with a oxy absorber, onto a vacuum sealer bag and sealing it down. Than do the same for the noodles. Then place it all in a Mylar than dumping it a bunket.

Suggestions???

That'll work just fine. The cheese powder that they use is exactly the same cheese powder that the food storage companies sell packaged with O2 absorbers. It lasts for years. I bought macaroni in bulk and packed it away, and also have some #10 cans of the cheese powder. I've made mac and cheese with that combination many times and it's identical to the store bought packages of it.

The down side is the vacuum sealer bags you mentioned. Those will not hold an air tight seal for more than a couple years. Longer term will require mylar bags.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by neosurvivalist

Won't work. I've tried it. After two years the cheese powder breaks down and tastes terrible. Try getting Provident Pantry's Cheese Blend for long term storage together with elbow macaroni.

http://beprepared.com/product.asp_Q_...Cheese%20Blend

How did you repackage the cheese powder?

[gallon]

There is a wide variety in the apparent taste and quality of mac and cheese. Our taste is calibrated to the good quality from the blue box. Plenty of the other off brands have poorer quality. For my taste, there is one other as good or even better than Kraft. That would be the red box of the Costco house brand. Good noodles and good intense cheddar flavor.

[Farnorthdan]

I still blame my mom with my love affair with mac-n-cheese, i don't care how old it is i'm eatin it......



DS

[Nvncibl]

Originally Posted by Farnorthdan

I still blame my mom with my love affair with mac-n-cheese, i don't care how old it is i'm eatin it......



DS

Hahaha !!! You hit that one dead center. I'd sell my wife to cannibals for a years supply (not really.... but maybe for a lifetime supply)

[Slovak]

Annies is pretty good. But if it isn't Velveeta, it isn't mac 'n cheese

[Tyrenz]

Unfortunately, the organic stuff will not last as long as the fake/processed stuff. I always ask my wife to buy the cheap stuff for preps, but she insists on buying organic

[webfarmer]

Makes me wonder if "Kraft Velveeta shells & cheese" could be stored long term in mylar. The question of course being the cheese in the metallic pouch. I wonder if they would answer that question if posed to them? I can see packing that for preps!

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by webfarmer

Makes me wonder if "Kraft Velveeta shells & cheese" could be stored long term in mylar. The question of course being the cheese in the metallic pouch. I wonder if they would answer that question if posed to them? I can see packing that for preps!

The Velveeta only lasts a short while past expiration. Then it turns into a dark glob and begins to sort of dry out. They do well in rotation, but are not going to be a good long term storage food.

[Omega Man]

Originally Posted by DarkBlue

I was thinking of pouring a packet of powder, with a oxy absorber, onto a vacuum sealer bag and sealing it down.

If you pour the packet of powder into a a vacuum sealer bag...won't the vacuum suck out the fine powder, since the cheese isn't a solid block or anything? Or am I missing something here?

[NorIDhunter]

Worst case scenario, use it for trade goods or work barter.

[Survivalguy72]

Store macaroni. Store canned cheese. Make your own. It's better for you.

[liebrecht]

<grabbing chest in heart attack motions>.....Tell me it ain't so! My kids have NEVER even tasted the mac n cheese (- ish orange powder). 5yo asks for * adult * mac n cheese....that is what he calls fettucine alfredo. Made from scratch. Velveeta makes all 3 children cry. And on THAT note, I am off to make mozzarella while the Teeny Tiny Tyrants are napping<smile>.

Liebrecht

[neosurvivalist]

Originally Posted by MikeK

How did you repackage the cheese powder?

Didn't repack it. Just open the can of cheese blend when we need a new one. We can't get Mac and Cheese here in Sweden and you can't buy Velveeta, so you have to be creative. The cheese blend tastes the same as the powder mix that comes in boxes of mac and cheese. We find the can lasts about 6 months after opening if it is kept in a dry dark place.

[Kingfish]

What we did was take the elbows and cheese packets out of the boxes and out them two boxes to the bag in quart zip loc bags and removed the air from them. Then we placed them in a sealed bucket with oxygen absorbers in the buckets. This should keep them for years with no bugs or mold . We also packed a large ziplock of powdered milk in each bucket. (to add to the mac and cheese sauce). Kingfish

[Doc Simonson]

Originally Posted by Slovak

Annies is pretty good. But if it isn't Velveeta, it isn't mac 'n cheese