Reading posts about storing dry food items has me writing this post today. I hope my experience will help anyone who is considering this option.

I have used US Plastics 5 and 3 1/2 Gallon White Buckets as the protection for dry goods stored in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers. I have used the standard lid with these buckets and recommend getting two of the metal bucket lid openers because you can use them in tandem to get the lid back off without damaging it.

These are high quality buckets and US Plastics is a high quality company. You may pay some in shipping but they are fast to ship and are super easy to buy from. The best buckets out there. These have a quality rubber seal in the lid.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=31001&catid=752

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=43849

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24171&catid=685&clickid=searchresults

I have used Sorbent Systems for Oxygen Absorbers and Mylar. I have used the 8" X 16" Ultra High Barrier 7.5 Mil (P75C0816OD) mylars with one 1500 CC O2 absorber per pouch concept for any dry goods. You can put 5 of these pouches full of dry goods in a 5 or 3/12 gallon bucket. Put four pouches in a syuare with the fifth one shoved down the middle of the four. I have purchased but have yet to use the 7.5 mil mylar that are 20" X 30". (P75C2030) These are designed for filling a 5 gallon bucket with one product such as dry rice or beans. If you use the smaller pouches you can place several kinds of dry goods in one bucket. Say one pouch of black beans, one of sugar, one of rice, one of small elbow macaroni, and one of pinto beans.

Sorbent Systems has great info on their web site about food storage.

http://sorbentsystems.com/products.html

http://sorbentsystems.com/order_O2.html

http://sorbentsystems.com/mylar.html

I have gone overkill on the O2 absorbers by using one 1500CC per pouch but for the price and knowledge its cheap insurance. * I have been told that O2 absorbers are not necessary for Sugar and Salt storage. I was told that the O2 absorber actually may melt some of the sugar as they warm up once expose to air while you are packaging the food items.

Here is the storage process that works for me.

Get your buckets, Mylar, and O2 absorbers. Get a board such as a 2 foot section of a 2 X 4. Get an Iron. Get several clean mason jars for sealing up unused or temp store O2 absorbers. Get a rubber mallet for tapping down the bucket lid (a regular hammer will also work but be careful not to break the bucket). I have found that having a canning funnel helps to hold your 8" X 16" pouch open while your scooping your dry product and pooring it into the pouch.

Select the item that you want to store, say dry black beans.

1) DO NOT OPEN your O2 absorbers until right before you are going to use them. If you get say 50 in a pack you might want to have several mason canning jars ready to store any unused O2 absorbers in or to keep them in while you use some from the 50 pack so they are not absorbing alot of O2 while they are just sitting there. When I open a 50 pack I immediatly seal them in about 5 different mason jars. So Then I use about 10 at a time. I have read that O2 absorbers can be depleated in a few minuts so working with them needs to be orginized and fast.

On with the process.

I usually do this in the garage in case I spill dry product such as sugar or whatever I can clean up easier.

I put my buckets out. I fill say 10 of the mylar bags (8" X 16") with the beans. I use the buckets to hold about 4 of the filled pouches. I have my iron hot. I open my O2 absorbers and place them in canning jars so to slow their O2 absorbing while I am working with the first 10 (Out of a 50 pack).

I place one each 1500 CC O2 absorber in the pouch with the black beans. I take one bucket and place one pouch in it. I lay the 2" X 4" board across the top of the bucket. I fold the open end of the mylar across the board pushing out any excess air in the pouch. I then seal the pouch with the hot iron. I move onto the other pouches. I then place 5 of the sealed pouches in a bucket vertically. 4 in a square and shove the 5th into the middle of the 4. I then use a permenant marker to label each pouch. I then tap the lid down and use the marker to label it with the type of product stored and the date of storage. Store bucket in a cool dry place.

There are MANY videos on Youtube regarding "long term food storage".

I have obtained my dry good supplies from Sams and the local LDS food cannery. I am not a LDS member but I am friends with those associated with LDS members. The LDS in Oklahoma are good people and will help you greatly with long term food storage. The LDS will not push their beliefs on you at all. **Be aware though that many more people are getting into long term food storage and the LDS cannery is feeling this pressure. The local LDS was getting several more truck loads of goods this past year and were always low in supplies. There are many in Okahoma that are concerned about future food supplies and are taking action to ensure they have goods for their families.

I have no experience with storing and using the actual #10 cans for long term storage per the LDS cannery. I have only obtained bulk dry goods from them. The reason why I am not looking at using #10 cans for bulk dry goods is that I am worried about moisture and possible rusting cans due to my storage location. Quality plastic buckets eliminate this problem.

If you have an LDS cannery near you just call them and make an apointment for a tour or to set up a time to purchase and or can your own items. There are several videos on Youtube about this.

Here is the LDS link to the cost and process at their centers.

http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,8133-1-4352-1,00.html

Ideas on dry goods to store may be Salt, Sugar, Spices, various dry beans, white rice, elbow macaroni, dry onions, dry carrots, dry apples.

I hope this information helps anyone considering this storage option. I have used dry goods as old as about 4 years this way with no observed problems.

CP in Oklahoma

Great post, thanks for the detailed information!

Wow - thank for the info - very useful

Great post OP. Thanks.