[jcodyr19]

Hello survival guys and gals,

I am writing this post in regards to the actual value of the #10 can in comparison to canning at home. I write this in that I have seen 6 #10 cans of rice for sale for a little over $80, when canning seems much cheaper. Besides the long shelf life of the sealed cans, is there any really outstanding reason to get them? I know I have canned some foods that have lasted over 2 years before I ate them, and I am sure they would have been great much longer after. I look forward to hearing your inputs! Thanks!

 

[DRUCED]

Properly canned home food will last as long as food in a #10 can, maybe longer. Home canned food may be cheaper OR more expensive than store bought #10 cans for a variety of reasons. The supplies required to can your own food present a significant upfront cost that will later pay for themselves if a person gardens and/or takes advantage of sales. If someone doesn't already have canners (water bath & pressure) as well jars and lids, it will initially be cheaper to purchase the #10 cans.

In true prepper fashion my recommendation: do both!

 

[Bullets~n~Beans]

Once a #10 is used up it's gone and the can is only good for storing things in.

With a canning jar you can use it over and over. If you use tattler lids they can be reused also. With gardening, foraging, hunting and fishing you can resupply your food stores.

We have a few number 10 cans of things around but our primary source of food storage is home canning and whole grains. If it can be canned, we'll do it and we have well over 75 cases filled at this point. We have another 20 or so cases waiting for something to put in them. Lets just say that we see it as an investment in much the same way that PM's are.

 

[jedimindtrick]

And rice would be one of the last things I'd ever get in #10 cans. Bulk rice put in mylar bags w/02 absorbers in buckets is way cheaper.

 

[techo]

You can get a case of six #10 cans of rice (32lbs.) delivered for $30.75 from LDS.
http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category3_715839595_10557_21158_-1_N_image_0
They have deals on other LTS foods as well.
A good alternative if you don't feel like doing buckets & O2's.

 

[9MMare]

When it comes to storage options, budget shouldnt be your only concern.

--Do you/your food supply need to be mobile? Glass is heavy and breakable.
--Are those big cans waterproof? If not, then consider that in flood, hurricane areas (etc).
--What is your storage space like, what fits best, the most? Can you stack high? Heavy?
--Are you in an earthquake or hurricane area where glass is vulnerable?
--and so on.

Making the wrong decisions can end up costing even more.

 

[W.Lynn]

I have both, and buckets. Grain is cheap and buckets are large, canning/processing food in jars takes time, but can be used to preserve smaller amounts, and things that are best with their liquids intact. The #10 cans give me supplies I may go through more than a quart, but less than a 5 gallon bucket of, especially if the family and friends can make it to my place.

 

[hanzy4200]

In my opinion, home canning beats #10 cans hands down. As long as you shop smart, you can fill your canning jars for a fraction of what you would pay commercially. I just canned 13 lbs of top round beef roast last night. Total cost, including new jars and lids, $45. The other big plus is that you can flavor your foods however you please, the options are endless. Try a few ways and see what you like. Meat is what got me into canning. The cost of commercial meats, along with that less then desirable flavor led me to finding a better way. Did you know you can can your own bacon, ham and even butter! The shelf life of most of these foods is beyond what most believe. Knew a guy who found a stash of carrots and green beans at his late grandmothers that were canned in 1972. Said they tased like they were canned that year! Do yourself a favor, don't waste another dime on #10 cans, buy a pressure canner!

 

[9MMare]

The OP didnt mention regular canned goods but most things that you can at home come in cans too. Buying them on sale is a good $$ saver and they last longer than their expiration dates. I always look every time I shop for those deals, buy a few at a time.

The only thing that doesnt work well for is really acidic stuff, like tomatoes, tomato sauce.

 

[millenniumfly]

Like others have said, find a nearby LDS Home Storage Center and get the basics (rice, beans, wheat) for as inexpensively as you can.

 

[Mels thinkingitover]

I am amazed really at the number of people who think there are LDS Home Storage Centers on every corner. I've looked several different ways and the nearest one to us is a 4 & 1/2 hour drive. The nearest cannery is 7 & 1/2 hours. Once you cross the Mississippi River there are a lot fewer of the LDS facilities than there are in the western part of the country.

As far as the OP's question - the more work you do yourself, the less the expense will be. #10 cans of rice is probably the most expensive way you could purchase it for storage. Bagged grains that you then put in mylar, O2 absorbers, and buckets yourself will always be much less than buying the grains already packaged in buckets. You are paying for someone else's labor plus overhead plus profit on those items.

Canning dried products is not needed or useful really. Even if you don't want to put food in buckets for some reason, 1 gallon mylar bags and O2 absorbers are less expensive, lighter weight, less likely to break, etc. Unless you are gifted with a lot of canning jars, canning jars are more expensive than mylar for long term storage. If you are putting up "wet" food - anything you would normally buy in a can or jar, canning is much less expensive once you have invested in the jars and equipment to can with. They are heavy, bulky and breakable. I have some bought canned goods and some home-canned, depending on the product. Unless it is a product you can grow yourself or get for an extremely low price, you do not usually save any money canning. There may be other trade offs - experience in canning, food sensitivities, that sort of thing, but if you are paying grocery store or premium farmer's market prices for food to can, you need to look at the volume of food for the yield of jars and how much each one will cost - at least for the food.

 

[jedimindtrick]

I have both, and buckets. Grain is cheap and buckets are large, canning/processing food in jars takes time, but can be used to preserve smaller amounts, and things that are best with their liquids intact. The #10 cans give me supplies I may go through more than a quart, but less than a 5 gallon bucket of, especially if the family and friends can make it to my place.

I use gallon size bags in the 5 gal buckets. A 5 gal bag would take me awhile to go though with most thing. Even after it's opened, a 5 gal bag of rice, beans or grain still won't go bad in a year.

 

[rabiddog9]

Don't limit yourself to one or the other. I can things that I cannot find in #10 cans or that are ridiculously expensive in that mode. Meats, butter, potatoes, hamburg meatloaf mushrooms, soups stews beans etc etc etc. all can be canned at home.
We have freeze dried, in #10, mylar buckets, home canned, commercially canned, If a true shft occurs and it looks to be long term we can go into rationing mode and easily feed our 6-8 for 2 years. Thats without any hunting or trapping or gardening which will allow sustainability.

 

[hanzy4200]

Don't hesitate to buy up on store bought cans of fruits and veggies that are on sale. They last a heck of a lot longer than the expiration date. I grew up eating cans from the local bent and dent, many of these far past thier date. You could never tell a differance. The US military did a really interesing study on expired canned goods. The results were amazing. Long story short, all cans tested were perfectly edible (though lacking some nutrients) and over 50 years old! I know its a no brainer, but never eat bulged or badly rusted cans, and always give them the sniff test. Believe me you WILL know if the food is spoiled.

 

[MikeK]

When I first got into storage foods, it was actually cheaper to buy dehydrated veggies in #10 cans in bulk than regular canned veggies from the store. Not much but some. Enough to afford to really seriously learn to cook with them, which is one of the most important issues.

There are some things that are better home canned, and others where the #10 can is the better choice. Home canned meat vs overpriced freeze dried for example. I use some of both, along with dried foods I've packed away myself.

 

[Mechman]

Long term storage

All the suggestions above are good ones. One thing I'd like to bring up is the #10 discussion. On the can lid sealer, you can get smaller one's with the #10 lid adapter for 200 to 400 dollars. I have a Gering and Sons can sealer that is electric and cost $1000. Also the sealer can be adapted to manual hand crank. . I know that's expensive but I get the #10 cans, lid , o2 absorbers ,and plastic lid for around a dollar. If close to LDS site they might let you use their equipment if you purchase supplies from them. I have friends that are LDS and they will give you ideas and with things going the way they are, doing it for the good of all, at least where I'm at they do. I can all sort of goods,D car emergency can (with needed items) mini survival stashes. I have made my investment back already by canning friends food and such for others. With this I have short term preps (reg food and such, home canned whatever)) my 10's plus commercial. 4 to 6 Gallon longterm buckets of single items and buckets set up with multiple items for if I got to rub.:thumb:

 

[yelruh]

I'm working on doing a mix of things. No. 10 cans from LDS, pantry shopping at the grocery store and some bulk grains in Mylar bags. I'm trying to cherry pick, trying to get the best bang for my buck.

I'm using the LDS and dry pack cans for things that I want in smaller amounts open at once... and stuff that I really only want to invest in once for the next 20-30 years. So really dead storage and last resort foods. The LDS prices for nonfat dry milk (8.60) and apple slices (5.70), are the best I can find. They also seem to have really good prices on 1 gallon 7 mil mylar bags (.30) and the correct oxygen absorber (.10). They buy in tremendous bulk, but have a limited selection.

You can not can anything there you haven't bought from them. You can buy in bulk from them without canning. They don't always have everything, so calling ahead is a good idea. As a couple we are able to sneak in with bigger groups. We usually end up working together on everything, instead of us just doing our own.

When I first looked at the list of LDS home storage locations I was annoyed that there weren't any in my State. Looking at the list more closely, I realized that there were several in States around me. I've gone to one that is about a 45 minute drive from me. They really are as nice as people have said and there are some videos out that really mirror my experience. Always call to make sure of their hours and if they allow non-Mormons and payment arrangements. If there is a church group there at the same time, they might start the session off with a prayer. Just be respectful and it's fine.

List of centers:
https://providentliving.org/self-reliance/food-storage/home-storage-center-locations?lang=eng

Fairly accurate video: