Beginner - long term staple storage
Posted by MonkeyButtonPusher@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 6 comments
Hello! Just recently started into prepping. I've got some basic long term stuff, beans/rice/powders/etc. My house is very small with no real spare cabinet/closet space. I do have a storm cellar. I know it's not ideal with potential hot and cold weather. Plus humidity is pretty high in my area. Tornados are a real threat, especially around this time of year so I'm leery of storing much above ground.
Anyone that's been prepping for a while have advice? Thanks!
MonkeyButtonPusher@reddit (OP)
Thanks everyone for the advice!
TexFarmer@reddit
I highly recommend vacuum-sealing mason jars or cans, anything in plastic is vulnerable to pests.
Virtual-Feature-9747@reddit
The five enemies of long term food storage are: light, heat, moisture, oxygen and pests. Properly packaged, you can manage all of these except the heat. Still workable but this will reduce your shelf life. Plan and rotate accordingly.
I would suggest mylar bags with oxygen absorbers stored in hard plastic buckets or totes. I've heard that rats can and will still eat through the plastic. (But why they would bother is beyond me...)
ToughPillToSwallow@reddit
This is why I use steel buckets. They’re not even that expensive, and rats can’t chew through them.
Many-Health-1673@reddit
If you have a metal door for your storm cellar, insulating the metal door from the inside will help keep temperatures inside the cellar more stable.
If you have electric nearby you can run a dehumidifier inside if you choose. Food stored inside mylar with oxygen absorbers inside a protective food grade bucket should not have any issues.
smsff2@reddit
The storm cellar is great. Humidity isn't a concern if supplies are properly packaged. I store canned goods in garbage bins placed directly on the ground—nothing has ever happened to them. No one has ever tried to steal my bins. They've stood for many years through rain and snow. For extra protection against moisture, you can spray the cans with WD-40 Specialist Gel.
Staple and bulk foods can be stored in Mylar bags placed inside sealed bins with airtight lids.