Packaging Dry Food Storage
Five Things You Can Do Now
- Start saving PETE or PET containers for storing dry foods.
- Purchase several food-grade plastic buckets with airtight, gasket-style seals.
- Package 100 pounds of wheat in poly buckets.
- Purchase a 25- or 50-pound bag of grains, legumes, or oatmeal and repackage it using Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers.
- Make a “breakfast bucket” with packages of oatmeal, cream of wheat, powdered milk, dried apples, etc.
To store grain most successfully, start with a high-quality, clean grain and store it in clean containers.
Packaging your own food storage has several advantages. First, it’s more economical to purchase grains, beans, sugar, powdered milk, and other food items in bulk. Second, with so many packaging options, you get to choose the size and type of container that’s best for your situation. And third, you are assured of the quality of the product when you prepare it firsthand.
Commercially Packaged Products
While commercially packaged products are convenient, you should be aware that you are paying a lot for that convenience.
Buying basic commodities in #10 cans costs more than buying them packaged in five- or six-gallon food storage buckets, often called poly buckets. And both cost more than packaging them yourself in Mylar foil bags and five-gallon poly buckets. It’s worthwhile to compare prices before purchasing bulk foods as you’ll find wide price variations.
Packaging and Storing Food in Poly Buckets
Poly buckets are a good choice if you will be continually rotating the foods stored in them.
Poly buckets made of high-density polyethylene plastic are a quick way to package foods, like grains and beans, that have low-moisture and low-fat content. This is especially economical if you are continually using your grains and beans. Foods should be clean and free of insects for best long-term storage results. Buckets should be made of food-grade plastic, and lids should have an airtight, gasket-style seal.
Since light can penetrate these white buckets, they should be stored in a dark place. Air can also penetrate them over time, so eventually the container will deteriorate and food will become susceptible to oxidation. Determined rodents can chew through the buckets, and they’re not guaranteed protection against insect infestation.
Despite these concerns, poly food storage buckets are an inexpensive way to store grains and other dry goods. To successfully store dry bulk foods, simply place the food in a food-grade poly bucket, secure the lid, and store in a cool, dark, dry place.
Clean grain with a low moisture content will store for thirty years. Table 13.1 shows how many pounds of different foods you can put in a five-gallon bucket.
Packaging and Storing Food in Mylar Bags
Mylar bags are an affordable and effective storage option for do-it-yourself food packaging and are almost always used with absorbers. A Mylar storage bag should have a layer of aluminum between the polyester and plastic layers. The thickness of high-quality Mylar bags ranges from 3.4 mm to 7 mm. Avoid the inexpensive, lightweight single-ply products.
Purchase quality Mylar bags from a reputable source. USA Emergency Supply and Pack Fresh USA offer quality Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers. They come in one-pint to six-gallon sizes, but you can customize the size of the bags by cutting a larger bag into smaller pouches for items such as herbs and spices. Mylar bags are also available with resealable zip openings that can be used to close the bag once the heat seal is broken.
To get a good seal on thicker bags, you may need to use an impulse seal such as those offered by American International Electric Sealer Supply, Baytec Containers, and Sorbent Systems. The cost is around $100. Bags can be resealed by the same methods. If the bags
are small enough, you can use the heat source on a vacuum sealer, but be sure to turn the vacuum pump off. See table 13.2 for directions on how to use Mylar bags for packaging food storage. It works best with two or more people working in assembly-line fashion.
Using Mylar Bags With Food Storage Buckets
Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers used in combination with storage buckets are excellent for long-term storage as they prevent insect infestation and oxidation problems. The buckets give support and protection from puncture. Below are several options to consider:
- Place a twenty-by-thirty-inch bucket-sized bag in a storage bucket and fill with grain. Seal with O2 absorbers and store until needed.
- Place several smaller Mylar bags filled with grain and O2 absorbers in a storage bucket. Open one bag at a time to limit exposure to oxygen and moisture.
- Fill several bags of related items, such as breakfast foods. Seal with O2 absorbers and place in a bucket. This will help with rotation and using the food items evenly.
- Package all the ingredients for one meal in separate Mylar bags and store them together in one container.
Packaging Food in Plastic Containers, Cans, and Jars
PETE or PET Plastic Containers
First test the container to make sure it will hold a seal by placing the sealed, empty container underwater and squeezing to see if air bubbles rise from it.
Clean and dry containers thoroughly, then fill with low-moisture dry bulk foods. Placing an appropriate-sized oxygen absorber in them will help fumigate them and decrease oxidation. Screw the lid on tightly. You may want to seal the lid with tape to help protect the seal. Since these containers will allow air to penetrate over time, they’re best for foods you will rotate regularly. They need to be stored in the dark to prevent UVA deterioration.
Cans and Dry Packing
Cans are an excellent dry-pack storage container, and food storage is often sold in #10 cans. You will need a can sealer as well as cans and lids to do it yourself. A sealer is expensive but could pay off if the cost is shared. The All American Senior Flywheel Can Sealer (pictured) and the Ives-Way Manual Can Sealer are two options and cost between $500 and $2,000. (See page 276.) Look for used can sealers. Purchasing empty cans in small quantities is expensive. You may be able to find a local source to avoid shipping costs. House of Cans, Inc. and Wells Can Company sell cans in smaller lots.
Table 13.3
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Food Item |
Pounds per #10 Can |
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Grains |
5.25—5.5 |
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Cracked wheat |
4.0 |
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Cornmeal |
4.0 |
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Flour |
4.0 |
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Rolled oats |
2.4—2.8 |
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Pasta |
2.7—3.5 |
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Beans |
4.8—5.6 |
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Split peas, lentils |
5.5 |
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Sugar, granular |
5.6 |
Packing dry bulk foods in cans is simple. Just fill the cans to within a quarter inch of the top, then tap to settle the contents and add more to fill. If desired, weigh the contents for consistency. Add an appropriate-sized oxygen absorber (300–500 cc), seal the can, and then label each can immediately, especially if you are canning several varieties of food. Store in a dry, cool place. Table 13.3 shows how many pounds of foods you can put in a #10 can.
Jars
Dry bulk food can also be stored in Mason jars or other food jars. Fill the jar with a dry bulk food, then settle the jar and add more product, leaving a small space at the top. Place an oxygen absorber in the jar (50–100 cc for a quart), then place the lid and ring on the jar and label it. Store the jars in a dark, cool place. The downside to jars is that they are expensive, small, and breakable.
Using Oxygen Absorbers, Vacuum Packing, and Dry Ice to Prevent Oxidation
Oxygen Absorbers
Oxygen absorbers have revolutionized home storage. They are an easy-to-use, inexpensive way to create an oxygen-free storage environment and increase the storage life of dehydrated and dried foods.
Oxygen absorbers contain iron powder, which quickly reacts with oxygen to create harmless iron oxide (rust), and are typically found in small packets or sachets. When placed in a sealed environment, the oxygen in the air (21 percent) combines with the iron in the packet, leaving the remaining nitrogen (78 percent) and trace gases found in the air. If used properly, oxygen absorbers will reduce the oxygen level to 0.01 percent.
Oxygen absorbers range in size from 20 cc to 3,000 cc and come sealed in packages of twenty to one hundred individual absorbers. (Those pictured are OxyFree 60 Oxygen Absorbers with OxyEye.)
Once the package seal is broken, the absorbers in it immediately begin to absorb oxygen from the air. Quickly place unused oxygen absorbers in a small airtight glass jar or airtight PETE container, where they can be stored for up to three months, or use a vacuum sealer to repackage the remaining absorbers into smaller, more convenient packages.
Using Oxygen Absorbers Safely
As oxygen absorbers remove oxygen from the storage environment, they improve food quality by reducing oxidation, preventing insect growth, and inhibiting the growth of mold and most bacteria.
To prevent botulism, use only dry, low-moisture food products.
There is one exception. The bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism, thrives in a moist, oxygen-reduced environment. For this reason, it is important to use oxygen absorbers only with dry, shelf-stable foods that have a low moisture and oil content. These include whole grains, oatmeal, beans, split peas and lentils, pasta, powdered milk, and dehydrated fruits and vegetables.
How Many Oxygen Absorbers to Use
Table 13.4
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Food Storage Item |
Container Size |
Amount of Oxygen Absorber |
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Wheat, rice, oats, small grains |
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1,000—2,000 cc |
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Pasta, noodles, beans |
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2,000—2,500 cc |
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Assorted food items |
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300-500 cc |
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Assorted food items |
|
50-100 cc |
Oxygen absorbers can be used with a variety of storage containers. The cc measurement stated on an oxygen absorber indicates how many cubic centimeters of oxygen it will absorb. Table 13.4 gives you an idea of how many oxygen absorbers you’ll need for various size containers, though it’s not harmful to use more than recommended. Use several oxygen absorbers to equal the total amount needed. For example, use ten 200 cc absorbers or four 500 cc absorbers to total 2,000 cc.
Pasta or beans require more oxygen absorbers because there is more air volume in the container. Recommendations vary from source to source, but as a rough guide, use about 100 cc per gallon of dense food and 200 cc for less-dense food. Oxygen absorbers should not be used with sugar or salt because they will cause them to clump.
Vacuum Packing to Prevent Oxidation
Vacuum packing removes the air and thereby the oxygen from containers and is ideal for packaging small quantities of dry goods, such as nuts, as well as dehydrated foods, such as herbs and dried fruits, for short-term storage. It’s also ideal for repackaging meats purchased in bulk into smaller quantities to be frozen. Vacuum packing helps prevent freezer burn.
However, vacuum packing is not recommended for long-term storage because the seal produced by typical home-vacuum packers is not reliable. It is also somewhat time and cost prohibitive to vacuum pack large quantities of storage products, such as grains, legumes, and powdered milk.
Also, some precautions and common sense are necessary. Vacuum packaging is not a substitution for the heat processing of home-canned foods. Perishable foods still need to be refrigerated or frozen.
Dry Ice with Poly Buckets
Dry ice is carbon dioxide in its solid form, and when placed in a bucket, it sublimates and the carbon dioxide replaces the air. This method of reducing oxidation is safe, inexpensive, and easy to use. You can expect about 90 percent of the air to be replaced, leaving about 2 percent oxygen—effectively suffocating adult insects and their larvae.
Dry ice is sold in some grocery stores, usually in five-pound chunks. You will need about three ounces of dry ice per five-gallon container. One pound (450 grams) will treat six five-gallon buckets. Although nontoxic, dry ice is very cold (-109.3° F [-78.5° C]) and should be handled with tongs or heavy gloves to avoid cryogenic burns. Transport it in an open or loosely closed container in a ventilated vehicle. Do not place it in a refrigerator, freezer, or closed ice chest because CO2 gas builds pressure as it sublimates.
Carbon dioxide is heavier than air and tends to remain in the container even after opening. Much of it will stay in the container if you scoop the food out rather than pour it.
Follow the directions in table 13.5 to use dry ice in storing food.
Table 13.5
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Step 1 |
Select a low-humidity day outside or a well-ventilated room. Brush off any water vapor that may have condensed from the atmosphere on the dry ice to prevent additional moisture from being added to the food. |
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Step 2 |
Use a hammer to break ice into smaller pieces. Prepare 3 ounces, or about 1/3 cup, of dry ice for a 4 to 6-gallon container (2 cubic centimeters per liter). |
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Step 3 |
Place the dry ice in the middle of the container as low as possible. If using plastic containers, first place 2 or 3 inches of grain in the bottom to prevent the intense cold from cracking the bottom of the container. |
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Step 4 |
Finish filling the container, then wait until any visible fumes have disappeared. Depending on the container size, this can take thirty minutes or longer. |
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Step 5 |
Place the lid on but do not seal until the dry ice is entirely vaporized, or the pressure may cause the container to burst. If any bulging occurs, quickly remove the cover, wait a few minutes to let excess gas escape, and then replace it. |
Using Desiccants to Remove Excess Moisture
Desiccants are the little packets commonly found in new shoes and pill bottles. Technically a desiccant adsorbs the moisture (different from absorb), which means water molecules stick to it. Governments and industries use desiccants to protect delicate electronic equipment, communication instruments, and fine guns.
Dehydrated foods, including grains, tend to attract moisture from the air, which can result in spoilage or insect infestation. If the food you are storing has the correct moisture content to begin with and is sealed in an airtight container, no desiccant should be needed. However, under humid conditions, or if there is doubt about the stored foods being dry enough, or if you will be opening the container regularly to use the contents, you may want to use a desiccant to help keep the food dry.
The easiest method is to use commercially prepared desiccants. Do not use desiccants with salt, sugar, or flour because removing their moisture will cause them to lump. If you use both an oxygen absorber and a desiccant, place the desiccant toward the bottom of the container and the oxygen absorber toward the top since the desiccant will inhibit the oxygen absorber.
Reducing Insect Contamination
The most effective way to prevent an insect infestation in your storage is to create a reduced-oxygen atmosphere by using oxygen absorbers, vacuum packing, or dry ice.
Although insect-infested food does not sound very appetizing, in a crisis, it may be important to salvage contaminated food.
The need for eliminating insects depends on your situation. If you live in a dry climate, you probably do not need to worry about insects if you start with properly cleaned, low-moisture grains and store them in suitable containers. If you live in high-humidity or have previously had an infestation, you’ll want to inspect regularly and take appropriate action if needed. Generally, legumes are not as susceptible to insect infestations as grains are.
Reduced-Oxygen Atmosphere
A reduced-oxygen environment will prevent the growth of insects and their larvae in grains, legumes, pasta, and dehydrated fruits and vegetables. As described in the previous section, the use of oxygen absorbers, vacuum packing, and dry ice are effective methods for reducing the oxygen atmosphere.
Freezing
Place the container of grain in the freezer. For containers weighing one to fifteen pounds, two or three days at or below 0° F (-18° C) will kill adult insects. A temperature of -10° F (-23° C) will destroy eggs and larvae. Upon removal, wait twenty-four hours and then dry any condensation prior to storing. Larger containers require more time to ensure the cold has penetrated the food.
Heating
Table 13.6
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Internal Temperature |
Minutes Required |
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150° F (66° C) |
4 minutes |
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140° F (60° C) |
10 minutes |
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120° F (49° C) |
20 minutes |
All forms of insect life can be killed with heat. Table 13.6 shows the lengths of time required at different temperatures. Higher temperatures or longer periods of time may affect the quality of flours milled from grains and may reduce germinating abilities.
Small packages may be heated directly. The contents of larger packages should be placed in a shallow pan to a depth no greater than three-fourths of an inch to assure complete penetration of heat. Leave the oven door slightly ajar to avoid overheating and stir the food occasionally at the higher temperatures to keep it from scorching.
To avoid reinfestation, place treated food in insect-proof containers before it cools. Heating can also be used to reduce the moisture content of foods.
Mechanical Removal
Infested grains can also be submerged in a container filled with cold water; the bugs will float to the top, where they can be skimmed off. Then either use the grain quickly or oven-dry it until it is again hard enough.