# Storage Guidlines



## Domeguy (Sep 9, 2011)

*Low cost food storage Guidlines*

Here is a site i found that has great info and guidlines on low cost, long term storage. Helped me save alot of $. Has great links to other information and supplies.

Bulk Food Storage Guidelines.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Great guidelines! A very basic years supply for $225.*

When I took a food storage class a couple decades ago at an LDS church, they focused on step one: Wheat, Powdered Milk, Oil, Salt, Honey or Sugar, Water. You really could survive on this, but most would not want to and some with gluten intolerance would not be able to. The gluten issue exists in my family, so I have to think outside that box.

When I took that class, there was a multiple page handout that told all the different things you could make with just these basics in step one. There are some LDS women who have written interesting cook books, based on these and a few more basics.

I have considered entering some of that information here so that others can understand how simple this is when starting out. After you get each step in place, you have broadened your possibilities and can move to the next step. This is a great way of looking at food storage, in basic steps.

I wonder how many people could say they have step one accomplished for their families for one year.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Ok, this may be in the wrong thread, but my local store had a sale on white flour. .88 for a 5lb bag. I know that flour of any sort does not have much of a shelf life and so storing whole grain and using a grinder is optimal, but I'm having a hard time finding bags of whole grain locally and buying a 50lb bag of anything over the net kills me in shipping costs. And as of right now, I don't have the money for a grinder anyway. SO, any way to lengthen the storage life of a bag of flour?


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

lazydaisy67 said:


> Ok, this may be in the wrong thread, but my local store had a sale on white flour. .88 for a 5lb bag. I know that flour of any sort does not have much of a shelf life and so storing whole grain and using a grinder is optimal, but I'm having a hard time finding bags of whole grain locally and buying a 50lb bag of anything over the net kills me in shipping costs. And as of right now, I don't have the money for a grinder anyway. SO, any way to lengthen the storage life of a bag of flour?


At this time of year when baked goods are such a good deal, I try to buy some extras. I agree that they do not have much of a shelf life, but I have flour that I keep in my freezer and refrigerator that is a couple years old and it tastes just fine. I think it is the thing that when you can get such a good deal on it, why not buy 50 lbs., put it in 5 gallon buckets with oxygen removal packets, put a lid on (maybe a gamma seal lid) and keep it in a cool, dry place.

Sugar is always a better price this time of year. If kept dry, sugar has an indefinite shelf life. This is the time to stock up.


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Ok, well I'm going to try it because I gotta buy when the price is cheap, but was afraid of the shelf life issue. I don't want to put a whole lot of money into buying 'cheap' flour and then have it get worms or just plain go rancid. Speaking of which...my mom used a 'four bin' cause she baked a lot and she used to put a stick of doublemint gum in the bin to keep out the worms. Don't have any idea how/why that worked, but it did.


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## Domeguy (Sep 9, 2011)

Yummm Worms . . . . .protein!


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## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

Lol, I know. Do you happen to know if the whole oats talked about for prepping are like steamed, rolled oats or what? Is that the same oats you buy in big 40lb bags for horses at the feed store. I hope that doesn't make me sound TOO stupid. I swear, I grew up on a farm in the heartland, fields of corn, soybeans and wheat for miles in every direction and I have absolutely NO idea how to use whole grains, or even where the heck to buy them. How pathetic is that?


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## Domeguy (Sep 9, 2011)

Hey Lazydaisy, 
What you're looking for is oat grouts, grains with the husk removed. Most feed still has the husks included. I haven't really tried to source any yet. I do have sources for wheat berries, pure whole wheat flour, and pre-cooked wheat bulger forified with soy meal. Look up bulger, it's used all over the world, not so much here. One of the oldest forms of wheat for food, 1000's of years old. It's a great storage food, 18-20% protein, in an emergency no cooking, just soak it. All sorts of uses.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Lazydaisy, your questions are definitely NOT pathetic! I'm glad you're asking them - saves me from having to do it.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

I wasn't feeling very secure about my buckets of flour and cornmeal, even with bay leaf and DE in them...so I read about a granny who taught a nieghbor how to seal with the oven method and they will last for years.

Fill your canning jars
Without lids, put in the oven on cookie sheets for 1 hour @ 200 degrees
Remove, clean rims, seal with ring/lid
You're done and they should ping/seal in a few minutes.

I have 60 quarts of cornmeal, flour, and pancake mix.


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