Question about long term food storage??

[lovin' life]

I've been reading this forum for a while but this is my first post. I just had a question about storing dry foods in the 5 gallon buckets with the mylar bags. If I'm going to store something like flour or sugar, would it be better to just pack the individual bags into the bucket and open a bag as needed, or pour everything into a mylar bag in the bucket? If you have something stored in a mylar bag and you open it, how long is the food good for? For instance if I were to open a 5 gallon bucket of rice? I'm pretty new to this whole concept and feel really behind Thanks in advance!

 

[TanksHill]

You shouldn't feel bad for just getting started. Every little bit helps.

I use the bucket, bags and lids. I buy in bulk so I open and fill the Mylar. Then when I take from the bucket I roll the Mylar bag back up and squeeze out the air. Surprisingly it stays. I can't imagine anything would go that bad. Most of the things I access on a regular basis don't have a chance to get that old.

I do have my wheat, rice beans etc they have been around longer. I am sure someone around here has a shelf life link. I imagine it must be at least a couple years if not longer.

good luck,

gina

 

[Mackay]

Plain white rice is listed on my bucket for 8 years, so I am going to assume 16. Beans keep forever!

 

[SKR8PN]

The only thing we opened up for storage in the 5 gallon containers, was the rice. I used a mylar storage bag and added a handful of oxygen eaters when I filled it up. Still going strong!! The beans we left in the individual packages(1 lb I think) Salt and sugar we also left in the original containers. Flour was put into 2 gallon freezer bags and twice frozen before they were put into the buckets.

 

[TanksHill]

Good to know.

 

[lovin' life]

Thank you all so much! I'm very new to the whole food storage thing so anything and everything is really helpful! I've gotten started with a few canned goods and am working on getting a larger, more long term supply.

 

[Old Sew'n'Sew]

LL

I am also a food storage newbie. I have made attempts in the past to store for storms etc. but now more recently I have become more pro-active and I learned something here, thanks.

 

[lovin' life]

So if I leave things like beans in the bags they come in (as SKR8PN mentioned), would I just put the individual bags in a bucket with a lid and leave them like that?

 

[Mackay]

I would and I have. None of my beans have oxygen eaters or any professional sealing. As long as your bucket lid can keep bugs out you will be fine. I use the gamma seal lids. They are cheapest at walmart.

 

[xpc]

Five gallon buckets are no good, I keep all of mine in the visceral donelop.