Average Joe MREs

[frustratedearthmother]

The tubs I use have lids that snap on them. It would be really hard for anything to get in the tubs that you didn't want in there.

 

[MoonShadows]

If you are talking about long term storage, plastic bags are not the way to go. Plastic bags are thin (even the freezer thickness is relatively thin). They break easy, they are not air tight, and they are clear, which lets light in. Air, light, moisture and extreme temperatures are the things that do the most damage to you food storage. This is assuming of course that you do not have pests in your food storage.

You also should not store food in vacuum packed bags for long term storage. The problem with the vacuum bags is that they will eventually loose their seal over time.

Long term storage requires Mylar Bags. Mylar is a clear polyester resin attached to aluminum foil. So it's kind of like a flexible tin can. Mylar is the trade name for these foil bags. You seal them with a Mylar sealer or you can use a household iron to seal them. It is very difficult to use them with vacuum machines because they are so smooth, the machine does not get good suction. The easiest way to store food for long term storage in a Mylar Bag is to put an oxygen absorber in the bag, squeeze out as much air as possible and then seal. The oxygen absorber will take care of the rest of the air, and within a short time the Mylar bag will have that shrunken vacuumed look. I also use a Silica Gel Desiccant (those little moisture absorber packets you see in your pill bottles) for any moisture that might be in the bag. The size of the moisture absorber and desiccant depend on the size of the Mylar Bag.

If you shop around, you can find Mylar Bags, moisture absorbers and desiccants at reasonable prices....get ones made in the USA to assure quality. Is this a more expensive method than plastic bags or vacuum bags? Yes. If you are storing for a few weeks or a few months, go ahead and use plastic bags or the vacuum method. But, if you are storing long term, especially as a supply of disaster food, the extra cost of what I have described will assure your food is safe and stable when you need it most.

 

[Dani4Hedgies]

Tons of great ideas here want to start my own Er rations as well will be taking these ideas.. What about hitting up the asia stores and getting the dehydrated shrimps and tofu? These would allow more options and are loaded with protein as well.

 

[ChickenMomma91]

I convinced him to keep the ramen until we 'find a better option'. Now to go buy new MRE fixins cause ours 'expired' and DH wont let me practice with the original ones till we make new ones

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Sounds just like a husband, lol! But, let us know what you end up doing - we'd love to hear!

 

[baymule]

What are you going to make your new MRE's from?

 

[ChickenMomma91]

Same as the original but im going to find some long shelf life vitamin packs to toss in there. I know they might be a bit much for my son but its better than malnourishment plus ya never know WHEN you'll need them and he may well be of an age where the adult vitamins will be the right amount

 

[ChickenMomma91]

@tc556guy thank you for your input i appreciate it. I sadly don't have a vacuum sealer and know i cant afford to get one any time soon. We had to think ease of assembly when we started this part of our preps. I plan on adding sugar free candy as well as a moral booster that won't give us a sugar crash/craving, my stepson will have enough of an issue in that regard and so will i thanks to my soda addiction (its my one guilty pleasure). The heater packs are a very good idea and ill add it to the list of things to put in the new ones, we're waiting till we can afford to buy all the items at once without killin our grocery budget (this pay period I've got about $150 to play with for two weeks).

 

[tc556guy]

I wasn't thinking of vacuum sealing per se, although that would have a role. Your budget is certainly a determining issue, obviously. I think we are all feeling the pinch at the checkout line these days, regardless of what our salaries are.
I'm not sure that waiting to buy it all at once is a requirement, but if that's your plan than stick to it. I would think that buying items piecemeal, one or two things a week, and giving yourself a chance to play with the components and see which ones you actually like ( and might still like after repetitive eating) would still work towards achieving your final goal. regardless of which path you choose, I will stay tuned to see follow up reports on your progress.

 

[ChickenMomma91]

I'm also limited on space