Putting up dry goods in canning jars

[k15n1]

I'm starting to think a food-grade 55-gal metal barrel and mylar bags might be the cheapest rodent-proof storage solution.

 

[Veggie PAK]

I'm starting to think a food-grade 55-gal metal barrel and mylar bags might be the cheapest rodent-proof storage solution.

In case you ever needed to move it or take it with you, a 55 gallom drum will be a monster to move around. I plan to use 15 gallon smaller steel barrels. At least if something came up that you HAD to move out to safety, you could more readily take it with you. The food inside would still be in the Mylar bags.

 

[Boogity]

I'm starting to think a food-grade 55-gal metal barrel and mylar bags might be the cheapest rodent-proof storage solution.

In case you ever needed to move it or take it with you, a 55 gallom drum will be a monster to move around. I plan to use 15 gallon smaller steel barrels. At least if something came up that you HAD to move out to safety, you could more readily take it with you. The food inside would still be in the Mylar bags.

Where do you get the 15 gal drums with lids? Do you have to buy them? Cost? Thanks.

 

[k15n1]

I'm starting to think a food-grade 55-gal metal barrel and mylar bags might be the cheapest rodent-proof storage solution.

In case you ever needed to move it or take it with you, a 55 gallom drum will be a monster to move around. I plan to use 15 gallon smaller steel barrels. At least if something came up that you HAD to move out to safety, you could more readily take it with you. The food inside would still be in the Mylar bags.

Good point. I'll have to get a plan together, then, in case I have to bug out.

One of the other disadvantages is that it's rather on the tall side, which leads to stacking, which is annoying. But being water and rodent-proof is important to me, so I'll just deal with it.

I suppose I should get the barrels off the ground, then, to keep them from rusting. And it's a garage, where there could be salt water, so I'll have to get a protective coating on the outside.

BTW, I do put flour and other stuff in jars for storage. But I want to keep 100-200 lb of wheat on hand, which is going to be expensive if I have to buy jars to store it in. The cost of jars is killing me this year. I think I've bought 15 cases so far. Now I'm running out of places to put them....

 

[k15n1]

Issues mentioned in the thread (linked below)

1. Weight makes transport difficult and is a constraint on where you can store the drum
2. Single or multiple bags within, to suit individual use.
3. Avoiding rust by storing drum on a pallet


http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=130615

 

[Veggie PAK]

Issues mentioned in the thread (linked below)

1. Weight makes transport difficult and is a constraint on where you can store the drum
2. Single or multiple bags within, to suit individual use.
3. Avoiding rust by storing drum on a pallet


http://www.survivalistboards.com/showthread.php?t=130615

If I'm storing my food in a 15 or 30 gallon metal drum, I would store various items in each drum. Kind of like not putting all your eggs in one basket. If you had to leave, and not necessarily in a rush, you could take a drum or even two with you. But if each drum only had one product in it, you better really like that product! I think a variety of food stored in Mylar bags in each drum is the way to go, but you should have the contents listed on the top of the barrel. In extreme situations, imagine what you could barter for a small barrel of food if the need arose. It would be more than worth it's weight in gold.

I plan to keep my drums off the floor by using boards of a suitable size. I don't have that much room, so I would be tripping over a pallet sticking out. Or else have enough barrels to fill the pallet.

Even if the barrels are off the floor surface, have cracks between the boards for air circulation so condensation won't become an issue on the underside of the barrel where it is out of sight. Pallets would be great for that, and their height would promote air circulation better.

Now I'm looking for these barrels and they aren't cheap, but I expected that. Grainger's has them online for $125 apiece for new ones. For what I want it for, I don't object to paying that.

Thanks for the link to that survival site. It's a great source for information.

 

[moolie]

Depending on size and number required, you might get a better price on steel drums from ULine http://www.uline.ca/Grp_146/Drums-And-Pails (5, 30, and 55 gallon).

 

[Veggie PAK]

I found these at a lower price ($87) probably because they aren't "recovery" drums like the ones from Grainger's. At least we can see that there are multiple sources for them out there. If someone wanted an extra measure of protection for the Mylar bags, they could put a heavy-duty drum liner plastic bag in there first, then fill it up.

http://www.globalindustrial.com/p/m...el/drums-pails/30-gallon-steel-drum-open-head

 

[Veggie PAK]

I completed the filling of my quart-sized canning jars with rice and various types of beans. Here's a short video about it just before I put the lids on. Putting the oxygen absorbers in the jars and screwing down the lids went remarkably well and quick. All the lids had the buttons sucked down within less than an hour, so the absorbers do work pretty quickly.

Here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt4liLmV4OE

 

[Britesea]

isn't it a great feeling to see all that food packed up and ready to store!