It’s funny you mentioned this cause when I saw this pic in the other thread I thought you had combined the plain brown lentils and put the green split peas on top! Wow what a difference in color.
Enemies of food storage...Light
I was going through our oft used staples that are air "tight" and gone through fairly fast. Usually within 6 months and up to a year. These are all stable ingredients that are meant for the short term but, are good to a year or much more as they are. I topped off the split peas and noticed something glaring...
![Food Spice Ingredient Seasoning Wood]()
We know that oxygen is a prime enemy of dried food storage. It accelerates aging and the rancidity of fats. Nutrition degrades and it facilitates the breakdown of well, everything.
We also know that heat accelerates all breakdowns, structure, nutrition, texture and on and on.
It is also clear that light also has the same effect. We know this and yet, many fail to protect from all three at the same time. It is darn near impossible in actuality in our day to day goods.
This is about the light part...
It is true that light is not of major consequence when we are eating a balanced diet and can make up for any shortfalls elsewhere. But, it does degrade food, even in the short term part of the pantry.
![Food Ingredient Cuisine Plant Food storage containers]()
I added split peas to this container about a month ago and put on top of split peas that are no older than 4 months. The change is obvious. Taste and texture are the same but, we all know that any vitamin that reacts to light is toast. This is from about 3 hours of sunlight a day in the Summer.
So, watch your food.
If you want to store it long term, do it right the first time. Because, even the short term ingredients are wrecked in short order due to one or all three of food storage enemies.
Yes, we are eating them. There is no reason not to. But, what if we were in a position to need those missing vitamins...?
Now, I have all these things, stored in bulk in mylar with O2 absorbers, stored @ 50 degrees F in the Summer and 45ish in Winter. I have this all covered but, I wanted to demonstrate a glaring difference between supermarket fresh and a few months that get sunlight.
Yours,
Shawn.
We know that oxygen is a prime enemy of dried food storage. It accelerates aging and the rancidity of fats. Nutrition degrades and it facilitates the breakdown of well, everything.
We also know that heat accelerates all breakdowns, structure, nutrition, texture and on and on.
It is also clear that light also has the same effect. We know this and yet, many fail to protect from all three at the same time. It is darn near impossible in actuality in our day to day goods.
This is about the light part...
It is true that light is not of major consequence when we are eating a balanced diet and can make up for any shortfalls elsewhere. But, it does degrade food, even in the short term part of the pantry.
I added split peas to this container about a month ago and put on top of split peas that are no older than 4 months. The change is obvious. Taste and texture are the same but, we all know that any vitamin that reacts to light is toast. This is from about 3 hours of sunlight a day in the Summer.
So, watch your food.
If you want to store it long term, do it right the first time. Because, even the short term ingredients are wrecked in short order due to one or all three of food storage enemies.
Yes, we are eating them. There is no reason not to. But, what if we were in a position to need those missing vitamins...?
Now, I have all these things, stored in bulk in mylar with O2 absorbers, stored @ 50 degrees F in the Summer and 45ish in Winter. I have this all covered but, I wanted to demonstrate a glaring difference between supermarket fresh and a few months that get sunlight.
Yours,
Shawn.
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Yea I am the same way, there is no food on countertops at all, all of my foods like Grits, flour, rice, quinoa, oats, dried peas are all in either a turned off mini fridge or in those Huge Coffee cans. As I mentioned I live in Queens, NY and well, rodents can be an issue here, so anything that a rodent would want to eat are sealed away from both them, and the light of day.
With regard to bread, lol I have them hanging in thick plastic bags, from the ceiling in my kitchen using carabiners attached to a flower pot holding Hook
I do love what you have done there Shawn, I just don't have the counterspace to do that. My Counterspace is filled with a huge variety of small Appliances 360° around my kitchen.![Food Spice Ingredient Seasoning Wood]()
Of course my storage food is packed away in a climate controlled, oxygen free, light proof environment. I mean zero light unless I am getting something or stocking something.
These are pantry staples that are used all the time. Not much different from getting a cup of flour or a glass of milk from the fridge.
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