Storing dry goods in #10 tin cans

[TanksHill]

Not sure I'd I have a specific site. I know most of the emergency sites sell them. Food grade buckets are easily found. Sometimes for even for free. You can use YouTube to watch how they are sealed.

I buy my buckets from Home Depot and my mylar from Emergency Essentials. In combination with gamma seal lids the buckets are easy access for things you use often.

Just keep reading. There's a ton of info out there.

G

 

[k15n1]

Here's a ca-making factory video:

http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/EKHMz0ZSlaw/

I think the most impressive part is the cutting of stock and stamping of lids. That's some serious machinery.

BTW, tin cans are allegedly about 0.010" [0.25 mm] thick mild steel, so large forces are needed for seaming the cans. I think that's one of the primary drivers of price.

 

[k15n1]

Here's a document that describes possible defects in can seams:

http://www.uaf.edu/files/ces/publications-db/catalog/hec/FNH-00023.pdf

 

[k15n1]

Talked with an engineer at EHCAN [1] about sealing metal cans. After giving me a piece of his mind about various political issues regarding food saftey and regulations, he told me that any non-automatic canner is a bad idea. This is because the seam of the can is gradually formed over the course of several rotations of the can, and the manual canners require the operator to do this by hand by pulling on a lever, which leads to certain kinds of defects when done incorrectly.

He also said that, out of the box, All American can sealers don't perform well and require a lot of tuning. At EHCAN, they tune it and double the price of the sealer. They also provide on-going support and make you do some homework to make sure your food will be safe.

After talking to this guy, I am much less interested in manual sealers and most of my DIY inclinations are reduced.

I don't know if it's possible to do this cheaply. For now, I'll just save my pennies.


1. http://www.ehcan.com/CanningEquipment.html

 

[k15n1]

This'll give you an idea of the kind of precision the industry is interested in:

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



An animation of the formation of a double seam:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aq6PpA-P-k8&NR=1

 

[raro]

I have a bunch of dry goods in #10 cans. Technically, they can't be reused, but I use the plastic lids that came with them, so they can sort of be reused. I love them because they're just the right size for my family and they stack really nice. Even though I live in a very humid area, I haven't had a problem with rust or anything. No mice, bugs, etc. I canned mine at the local LDS cannery. You can buy stuff in bulk there or you can bring your own, but call in advance and they'll be happy to set aside time for you. You don't have to be Mormon to use it.

I would be far more concerned about failed seals in wet-pack canning. I've never had a problem with any seal issues with my #10 cans. And some of them I've had for a decade or more.

 

[k15n1]

An important distinction: manual vs. automatic. Manual means you have to move the seaming rollers (1 & 2) with your hand. This requires some operator skill. An automatic model drives each roller into place, as the can rotates, using cams.

Ives Way manufactures an automatic sealer for #1, 2, and 3 cans for only 250 $. Unfortunately, I live far from any salmon run, so I don't have much use for these small cans. All of the #10 can sealers that I've found are 600-1,200 $, which is just depressing.

I'm back in DIY mode again. I ordered some textbooks and dug out my junk box to assess the motors and gears I have on hand. Looked for chucks and rollers on the interwebs and found that even those parts are really expensive. 100 $ for a round piece of metal with a shaft? I think the price is high because there's just not very large of a market and competition is not keeping market prices anywhere near production costs.

 

[R2D2]

Aother thing the LDS offer are heavy duty maylor bags that are equal to a #10 can.I have been all over the internet, no one has stronger mylar bags at such a lower price.They only sell the one size, and they are nice and strong.I have bought many for storing beans, rice and grains.In addition to the maylr bags you'll need a heat sealer for the bags.Some use clothing irons, but i would recommend it. You can put an oxygen obsorber in each bag, then store the filled, sealed mylar bags in covered buckets or big metal garbage cans to protect from rodents.Store in a dry,dark, cool place(basement?) This method is much cheaper than #10 cans and needed equip. to seal them.Mylar bags are reusable, but get a little smaller each time... Doing it this way will give you more money to store dry goods and if done properly the grains will last for many years, imo...If you are lucky enough to have a LDS canning network near you, by all mean check it out, then decide.We don't have any LDS canneries where i live, so i did the next best affordable thing...good luck..!

 

[TanksHill]

R2D2, what size are the bags the LDS carry and if you don't mind how much did they cost?

G

 

[R2D2]

Gina...the mylar bags the LDS sell are 1 gal. 11"x 13" they come in a box of 250 and cost $94.00. They are heavy 7 mil mayar bags,most survival sites sell 3-5mil bags at much higher prices.The LDS saints call them Dry Pack Pouches. The item number is 81381000, the toll free number is 1-800-537-5971...i think the web adress is Store.lds.org Look under Home & Family, they also have oxygen absorbers. I can almost promise you with 99.9% certainy that you will not find a tougher mylar bag for the money, anywhere.I've bought mylar bags from the survival sites, they are more expensive, and weaker...! Hope this helps.. Ken