# Storing rice



## masterspark (Sep 2, 2012)

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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Those homer buckets aren't food grade. I would check with local deli's for food grade buckets or just buy some, and use mylar bags/oxygen absorbers, personally.


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## Tribal Warlord Thug (Jan 27, 2009)

we store our rice and beans mostly in glass wine jugs.....moisture and rodent proof........


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

I've stored most of my rice in the Lowe's food-grade buckets, with mylar bags & O2 absorbers (altho that may be overkill, who knows). But I have also used washed-out 2 liter soda bottles (PETE grade).


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

I have lots of different dry goods in Lowe's buckets, deli buckets, Sam's buckets; no mylars or absorbers.
I also have lots of rice in 2 liter bottles.
And I oven canned lots of flour, pancake mix, and cornmeal in canning quart jars.
I don't have children, am old, and not storing for 25 yrs.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

its a system for maximum long term food storage - FOOD GRADE bucket with gasketed lid/mylar bag/02 absorbers ...... you eliminate or alter the system you lose longevity or possibly your entire food storage ....

you need FOOD GRADE containers whether you are using a mylar bag or not .... there's physics involved .... more than just the physical contact of food against a contaminated surface .... you create a vacuum within the bucket from the use of the 02 absorbers .... re-infiltration of air back into the food storage begins immediately .... it's just nature re-balancing the unbalanced vacuum .... that re-infiltrating air will carry any contaminates it contacts .... a non food grade bucket contains contaminates from it's non FDA manufacture .... additional contaminates can be from the outside atmosphere that the bucket is stored .... petro chems, veggie/pest killers, diesel/gas/kero fuels ect ect all can create a toxic atmosphere

the topic of food grade plastics are a constant discussion .... the best info site is at ....

www.virtualweberbullet.com/plastics.html


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

masterspark said:


> OK, so if I'm storing in bags in the buckets, why do I need food grade? I have good access to homer buckets, food grade-not so much.


There are a lot of folks who are very comfortable with using non-food grade buckets as long as the food is in mylar bags. My take is this: once the poop hits, we'll be going through the food in the buckets, emptying them out. At that point, as we're building up new stores of food (from the garden, or getting food from bartering, or whatever), I'm not going to have access to mylar bags anymore, but I'm still going to want to use the buckets. I don't want to be stuck using non-food grade buckets without mylar bags, and potentially causing harm to my family. Not using food grade buckets now limits me later on - I'd rather go to the effort now. Just my two cents. 

Tractor Supply Co. buckets are also food grade. They're just under $4 in my area.

But I also highly recommend going to the bakery section of your grocery store - they have lots of food grade buckets for icing and other bakery supplies. They're always more than happy to give me their empties - saves them room in the dumpster. They're not clean, but that's easy enough to take care of. They might not be the standard 5 gal. size, but the smaller ones can be nice, too.


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## katen (Aug 25, 2012)

Personally I use Mylar bags and o2 pack, smaller sized bags that way I'm not opening 50 pounds of rice at a time when I go to use it. Then put the bags into a plastic tote with a lock down lid. I find the totes are easier for me to stack/organize and keeps people from asking questions about what I'm storing...they just think its kids clothes or toys.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

katen, I think there's a great deal of practicality to that method, too - although if someone's in a rodent-prone area the buckets might be a safer way to go. Not that anything is totally rodent proof. Sadly.


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## VUnder (Sep 1, 2011)

I keep rice in two liter bottles. Put the rice in, put it in the freezer for a while, and put it in a cool, dark place.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

goshengirl said:


> katen, I think there's a great deal of practicality to that method, too - although if someone's in a rodent-prone area the buckets might be a safer way to go. Not that anything is totally rodent proof. Sadly.


Glass jars??


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

JayJay said:


> Glass jars??


Good point. 
I tend not to think of glass, probably because I have three boys (bulls in a china shop), and even stuff in storage isn't safe from them. But my canning jars have survived so far, so I should consider glass.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

Probably 15 years ago we put white rice up in food grade buckets (with the rubber o ring in the lid) mixed with a little diatomatious earth, just a while back wife opend one to see if still usable, just as good as the day it was put up.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

talob said:


> Probably 15 years ago we put white rice up in food grade buckets (with the rubber o ring in the lid) mixed with a little diatomatious earth, just a while back wife opend one to see if still usable, just as good as the day it was put up.


Nice to know--I put DE and bay leaf in mine.
Thanks.


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## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

IlliniWarrior said:


> its a system for maximum long term food storage - FOOD GRADE bucket with gasketed lid/mylar bag/02 absorbers ...... you eliminate or alter the system you lose longevity or possibly your entire food storage ....
> 
> you need FOOD GRADE containers whether you are using a mylar bag or not .... there's physics involved .... more than just the physical contact of food against a contaminated surface ....* you create a vacuum within the bucket from the use of the 02 absorbers *.... re-infiltration of air back into the food storage begins immediately .... it's just nature re-balancing the unbalanced vacuum .... that re-infiltrating air will carry any contaminates it contacts .... a non food grade bucket contains contaminates from it's non FDA manufacture .... additional contaminates can be from the outside atmosphere that the bucket is stored .... petro chems, veggie/pest killers, diesel/gas/kero fuels ect ect all can create a toxic atmosphere
> 
> ...


Is this possible??? How big of an o2 absorber are you talking about to create a VACUUM in a 5 gallon bucket?


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## tugboats (Feb 15, 2009)

goshengirl said:


> katen, I think there's a great deal of practicality to that method, too - although if someone's in a rodent-prone area the buckets might be a safer way to go. Not that anything is totally rodent proof. Sadly.


I am afraid of the rodent that gets into my storage. I use a thirty gallon galvinized trash can. I set up a 5 gallon bucket (using a mylar bag and 02 absorber) in the bottom. Fill in the voids with canning jars and then pack with non-food stuffs in vac. bags then put in the next 5 gallon bucket and repeat. Each of my 5 gallon buckets is a combination of foods. Each item is vac. sealed before being sealed in the mylar. The garbage can lid is ratchet stapped to the can. One can never have enough ratchet straps, not now and when the poop contacts the rotating air movement device.

If we had to take off in a hurry and could only grab a couple of buckets I do not want to have only rice. Only beans or only wheat. There is a good assortment in each bucket. The down side to this is that the volume of product is reduced. Our buckets only average 20-23 pounds.

This is how we store in the basement or at the cottage. Upstairs we store under the beds in 5 gallon buckets (with mylar). We also vac. pack in glass jars for the pantry and camper and boats. I am not happy about having glass on the boat but have not found a vermin proof package that is any better.


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## smaj100 (Oct 17, 2012)

If you are using mylar, and o2 absorbers for everything do you really have to use food grade buckets?


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## neldarez (Apr 10, 2011)

goshengirl said:


> There are a lot of folks who are very comfortable with using non-food grade buckets as long as the food is in mylar bags. My take is this: once the poop hits, we'll be going through the food in the buckets, emptying them out. At that point, as we're building up new stores of food (from the garden, or getting food from bartering, or whatever), I'm not going to have access to mylar bags anymore, but I'm still going to want to use the buckets. I don't want to be stuck using non-food grade buckets without mylar bags, and potentially causing harm to my family. Not using food grade buckets now limits me later on - I'd rather go to the effort now. Just my two cents.
> 
> Tractor Supply Co. buckets are also food grade. They're just under $4 in my area.
> 
> But I also highly recommend going to the bakery section of your grocery store - they have lots of food grade buckets for icing and other bakery supplies. They're always more than happy to give me their empties - saves them room in the dumpster. They're not clean, but that's easy enough to take care of. They might not be the standard 5 gal. size, but the smaller ones can be nice, too.


Our local walmart is happy to sell me their buckets for dollar apiece. This is all 3 sizes, 2 of which have gasketed lids and 1 size does not, but I like the shape of that one...I buy them all. Not everything needs a lid with a seal....I bought small mylar bags and these smaller buckets are so much more convenient cuz you don't have to open and expose so much product . It's doable, ya know??


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

neldarez said:


> Not everything needs a lid with a seal...


Totally agree. I get buckets from Krogers (bakery dept.) and they have this one size that's more square - I love when they have empties of those available. They stack and store so well.


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## Immolatus (Feb 20, 2011)

I have these buckets, and they tell me at the store that you do not need mylar or anything in them. Dump in rice, add O2 'sorber and your good to go. This store is close to my work, and very close to the LDS Washington Temple. They tell me that their members are their biggest (probably almost all) customers. The last bit is alluding to me assuming they know what theyre talking about. Its also much simpler, and requires almost no effort on my part.
Nice to know about the DE! Will start doing that.


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