# Food Storage Buckets



## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

We are somewhere still in the beginning of prepping. I have a good stock of the usual food items (stuff we always use, so we'll eat it and it gets used). We are far from truly ready.

Our local grocery store, Winco, sells a lot of bulk items, and recently started selling buckets too. So, if I buy grains in bulk, wheat, etc..., and store it in these buckets, is that airtight enough to keep weevils from becoming a problem? How long will this last? What foods are best kept this way? Should we be using these buckets to store a lot? Once broken open, will the seal no longer be as good as the first time?

So if I put together these buckets with sets of food items, like a variety pack, seal and label it, is this a good way to store a couple days worth of food for the family? 

Right now we are using just our garage. However, that garage is not a full garage anymore, somewhere in this homes history someone divided it in half with a wall and made a laundry room and bedroom out of the other half. So the space is small, and I wondered if the buckets were a space saver, and also could be stored in places like a locked shed or our brick pumphouse (which is not critter tight and has the occassional mouse).

Is it better to buy smaller amounts of grains, package them (I have a FoodSaver) and then store it in the buckets? Should I be buying just grains in bulk? Or should our plan to be to continue getting packaged and canned foods and just sealing these up so they maintain freshness?

Sorry, lots of questions. I wondered about the practicallity of bulk goods. If I buy grains such as wheat then I would need a grinder for that, should it be used for flour. Then of course I come against my own concerns of it going bad and being wasted before anything comes to being used.

I have been finding, at my favorite salvage goods store, lots of baking mixes, and have this feeling that this seems most practical for us. I find it hard to imagine 100# of whole wheat is going to be as quickly consumed/utilized in the same way as those baking mixes.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Wheat in it's whole form will keep practically forever if you keep it dry. As for a grinder, if TSHTF before you get one, you can lay it on a flat, solid surface and grind a small handful at a time with a flat stone about twice the size of your hand, and flat enough to hold onto. It's work, but can be done. Corn is a lot easier to grind this way, since it's not as hard-shelled as wheat.

If weevils are already in the grains, an airtight bucket might not kill them unless you also toss in an oxygen absorber. Another way to kill them is to freeze the whole bucketful for a couple days, either in a freezer or outside if it's below 32 (F.). 

Any place you can set the buckets, out of the weather, is an acceptable place to store them. Even if you have a crawl space under your house, you can put buckets there. The garage you described should work great. The buckets are a great way to store things. 

Making buckets of an assortment of things is also a good idea. We do that. In fact, we have "BOB" buckets that each hold about 30-days' worth of foods with dense amounts of calories and fat (energy!) for one person, that we can grab as we go. There are things like peanut butter and coconut oil, plus lighter-weight things.

We also made what we call "Christmas buckets" that have treats in them. Our rule is that we can't open them until it's been long enough after TSHTF that the things inside the buckets will be hard to find at that point. There are dozens of things in there, such as white sugar, hot cocoa mix, instant coffee, hard candies, gum, lighters and matches, salt, pepper, a few black tea bags, bandaids, and I don't remember what all. We threw in all kinds of things. It'll be something to lift the spirits if we do end up in a long-term situation. They were fun to pack.

Buying grains in bulk is likely cheaper by the pound, so if you can swing it, that would be the way to go. You can re-package it in any amounts you want. You're in the part of the country where you could order from Azure Standard, and they have good bulk prices. They're headquartered over there, and they even deliver here in Montana once a month. I get 50-lb. bags of oatmeal for around $18, and pack it into 2-gallon buckets from the grocery store bakery. They have organic whole wheat for $19, 50-lb. bags. Plus all the other grains: Barley, triticale, spelt, buckwheat, etc. I buy beans in bulk from them too.

It's a good idea to keep buying those baking mixes and other things that are practical for your family, but it would be good to store about 100# of wheat because it keeps so long, it's easy to store, and you'll have something to fall back on after everything else is gone. You can sprout wheat for 'greens', you can boil it whole and add other foods and spices to it like a soup/stew, or eat it boiled as a cereal, in addition to the common use of grinding it for flour. 

The closest anecdote I can give for a reason to store some wheat is this: My husband used to keep a kit with emergency food in his car. But he would get munchy and eat the stuff from time to time. So he started keeping things he didn't like as well, but could eat in an emergency. Things like the hard, crunchy granola bars. He'd eat the soft ones like candy, but left the hard bars alone. He knew they'd be there if he needed them. Same thing with the wheat. If you and your family are like mine, we'd eat all those baking mixes and other foods before we'd ever break open a bucket of wheat. It's good to know that it's here, though.


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## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

gypsysue said:


> If weevils are already in the grains, an airtight bucket might not kill them unless you also toss in an oxygen absorber. Another way to kill them is to freeze the whole bucketful for a couple days, either in a freezer or outside if it's below 32 (F.)


You can also use *food grade* Diatomaceous Earth in your grains. 
I put a layer at the bottom of the bucket, add about 1/3 of the bucket with grain, another layer of DE, another 1/3 grain, etc. Cover the full bucket with DE and put the lid on. If any insect eggs hatch, they're toast. 
When you need to use a few lbs. for baking, you can remove the lid, take out what you need and replace the lid. No need to add more DE. What's in there has already taken care of any problems.

I keep some mixes around also but as GS said, whole grains keep a loooong time and even after many years of proper storage, your wheat can also be used for seed to grow more.


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

I have purchased the buckets and lids at Winco for a couple of years now. I store grain, pasta, beans and dry-goods directly in the bucket with gaseous CO2. I have been doing it this way in 5 gal.metal cans with food grade plastic liners bags since the 70's with no problems. I use the gamma-lids for every day food use, and replace the CO2 as necessary. I also have a bay laurel tree that I harvest the leaves from and place them in the buckets as a secondary precaution. 
By the way I ordered 4-25lbs bags of hard red wheat, or wheat berries, yesterday from my local Winco for p/u on Fri. The red wheat has a low mousture content great for long term storage.
Just finished my grist mill project to grind it with.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

BunkerBob, now THAT'S a grain mill! Wow! :congrat:

UncleJoe, how do you separate the diatomaceous earth from the grains when you go to use them?


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## elder (Oct 25, 2008)

If you know anyone in the construction trade you may be able to get 5 gallon drywall mud buckets for free. It's a little work to wash the dried drywall mud out of them but well worth the effort. Be sure to tell them you want the lids as most people just want the buckets.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

gypsysue said:


> BunkerBob, now THAT'S a grain mill! Wow! :congrat:
> 
> UncleJoe, how do you separate the diatomaceous earth from the grains when you go to use them?


I take DE every morning mixed in a small cup of apple juice...yep--it's in all my buckets of dry goods...along with bay leaf.
De has many benefits...with me, it totally stopped the acid reflux attacks.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

gypsysue said:


> BunkerBob, now THAT'S a grain mill! Wow! :congrat:


You took the words right out of my mouth.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

GypsySue, you don't separate. That's why you make sure it's food grade (and it's not the stuff people put in their pools). Jay Jay's right - there's a lot of benefits from using DE. You should check it out - it's good stuff!


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## Norse (Jan 30, 2010)

The key to long term grain storage.

1. SEALED CONTAINER with no oxygen. Most long term gurus will tell you to seal wheat and other grain in a polyethylene bag inside a Mylar bag, and first load the grain in a shallow pan, put it about 2 feet from some heat lamps, "Not too hot to destroy the husk integrity by excessive heat" and continually mix it to remove all surface moisture. Then seal it in both bags. As the temperature of the grain reduces, it will actually cause a self vacuum of the sealed bags.

Don't forget to put in a packet of food grade oxygen adsorbing material. 



2.STORE out of direct sunlight, preferably in total darkness, in a sealed food grade plastic bucket with a gamma lid. I like to put a thin film of petroleum jelly on the seal, it makes the lid screw on easier and aids opening it.


3.STORE as COOL as possible, and as DRY as possible. If you have a cellar, or store underground, keep the container from coming in contact with any moist surface that will condensate if the temperature drops below dew point.

This can possibly cause any remaining moisture inside your storage to frost and later, thaw, condensate, and cause problems.


I like the idea of the diatomaceous earth, but don't really like the idea of eating what is basically really dry clay. Could you take several coffee filters, sew them together face to face, fill it up with DE and finish sewing it together, making a large moisture adsorbing pillow?

I just can't get with the idea of eating anything inorganic unless I really have too. I'll leave the mineral supplements on the salt lick!


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## AlabamaGal (Dec 27, 2011)

I buy my grain in buckets that are already sealed with nitrogen and then don't open them until time to eat -- at which point I second the recommendation for gamma lids. Oh yeah -- get a *metal* bucket opener and be sure the "jaws" are wide enough for your bucket. Forget the plastic ones.

Norse -- DE mostly works by damaging the exoskeletons of insects, which then causes them to dehydrate. So they have to be able to come into contact with it. Of course eating a few weevils won't kill you. 

Drywall buckets, etc. are NOT food grade. They are okay to store things which are packed in mylar. Ditto kitty litter buckets, which also have the benefit of being square and stack together more snugly.

Hoppe, I suggest you actively eat from your food storage. It helps you understand what you really do eat and how much of it, and is a constant reminder to add to your storage.


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## Norse (Jan 30, 2010)

AlabamaGal said:


> Norse -- DE mostly works by damaging the exoskeletons of insects, which then causes them to dehydrate. So they have to be able to come into contact with it. Of course eating a few weevils won't kill you.


Yes I know, but it is also a highly effective moisture adsorbing material.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

Norse says: I like the idea of the diatomaceous earth, but don't really like the idea of eating what is basically really dry clay. Could you take several coffee filters, sew them together face to face, fill it up with DE and finish sewing it together, making a large moisture adsorbing pillow?

OOps..I must be showing my ignorance...I don't use dessicants, O2absorbers, or mylar bags...my DE is for parasite removal.
That's why pet owners use it --to rid their pets of parasites, not moisture.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8094094_uses-diatomaceous-earth.html

Diatomaceous earth is abrasive, therefore it is used in such things as polish for metal, face soaps and toothpaste. *People also eat food grade diatomaceous earth, putting it in food before consuming it*. They eat it to destroy internal parasites, also believing that this will improve their absorption of nutrients from food.

Diatomaceous earth works well as an absorbent. This property makes it viable for cleaning up spills and as cat litter. Diatomaceous earth's absorbency is such that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses it for toxic spills.


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## elder (Oct 25, 2008)

There are probably no real food grade plastic buckets if you consider phthalates. I would take a chance on drywall buckets for grain. One could use mylar or other bags but are they phthalate free? If concerned one can use buckets from restaurants or bakeries as suggested on another thread but there are no guarantees.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

elder said:


> If you know anyone in the construction trade you may be able to get 5 gallon drywall mud buckets for free. It's a little work to wash the dried drywall mud out of them but well worth the effort. Be sure to tell them you want the lids as most people just want the buckets.


I know that many on here already know about my plastic phobias but now I just have to step up and say that you have to be out of your mind to trust any types of food in a non food plastic bucket.!
You should never *ever ever ever *put foods in non food buckets. especially when food grade buckets are fairly cheap to free from local bakeries and even wally world at the deli.
If you are going to the trouble and expense to put stuff of worth by, for eating do you really want to risk dying by putting good food in poisonous buckets? REALLY?
That is like buying diamond and giving them to a toddler to wear.
Keep the drywall buckets, cleaned of course for sanitary things like night buckets or for hauling dirt or even firewood.. but not for FOOD!

ETA: teach me not to read the whole thread before ranting huh..


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

Love it all. I have dealt with DE for our chickens, mainly the gardeners variety for pest control, and it is good for the chickens when they would get it with their grit and shell, it helped keep parasite problems under control.

I like the idea of DE in with the grain, and know this is what it does for it, bugs cannot live within it. I could bet if you put your wheat on a fine screen you can shake most fo the DE off anyways, what would be left behind is not at all bad for you anyways.

JayJay, that's interesting....we have chronic heartburn in our family, and maybe this is the key to getting away from Tums and Zantac?...

My big bonus, my son works for a feed store..... I have access to all manner of stuff through them, including grinders, canning supplies, food grade DE, 50#bags of wheat and other grains (ok for human consumption). The buckets are not too expensive in my book, but just wondered about keeping stuff in them, something we have not tackled yet.

My father was a baker, and I remember getting buckets big and small, that had all sorts of baking supplies in them. I am wondering if I can sweet talk a local bakery to sell their buckets to me at a small cost of if they were tossing them anyways, just get them out of their shop? I know those buckets had tight lids, I almost never could open them. 

Same as Home Depot buckets, once the lid is on, it's on, I can't get it off, it takes my muscular receiving supervisor (husband) to get it off for me...

I have looked into Azure Standard, like their site, just up the river, about an hour and half drive from us, but I don't think they sell from their warehouse. I also like Honeyville. Got hold of some of their baking mix, made biscuits and was impressed, they were really good. I know the wheat will either come through Winco (I wonder if they get from Azure?) or feed store supplier. We'll see if the "cost" price through feed supplier is less than Wincos. 

I have also seen some wheat farmers up the river (The Dalles area) advertise bags of wheat on Craigslist here, so, it would give me a reason to get out of town to my favorite area. I also think it is time to hit up my favorite salvage good store, they had some of Bobs Red Mill, 25# bags of red wheat last time I was in, and knew I should have grabbed them, they were about $12.

The other bonus, I know to keeping lots of grains around should SHTF, chickens and other poultry. We would need something to feed them. Of course they can always have the daily starch and vegetable leftovers, always getting stale bread and cereals, so they will find themselves probably eating better than just on their current pellets.


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## HoppeEL4 (Dec 29, 2010)

One other question...I got the FoodSaver, love having it. I also have a dehydrator too, adding to my ability to do some DIY packets, especially jerky. If I make jerky, and then vaccum seal it, anyone have any notion how ling this would last? I priced those emergency bags sold on Honeyville (for example) and the price is really outrageous. I thought it would be smart to pack my own stuff of dried foods, jerky, and such in my own vaccum sealed pouches. 

Then it came to me, Winco ,the store I shop in bulk, carries all manner of dried foods, which could be made into soup mixes, pasta mixes, and then vaccum sealed...

There are also some of FoodSavers bags that are boil in bags...wow, more things come to mind, like how can you make a fresh meal shelf stable in one of those boil in bags, so it can be stored? Make a batch of stew, and then seal, but can it be just stored on the shelf or does it need to be refridgerated?

I am not trying to sound dumb, but honestly, I have never tackled this end of it. Do the food companies that sell these things, like Hormel, in those packs that are vaccum sealed, but the food is moist on the shelf, use preservatives for this process, or vaccum seal? I know canning would be a pressure canner, with heat and that does the trick so, vaccum sealing is not heat treating too, maybe not work for non refrigerated or frozen foods at home?


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## elder (Oct 25, 2008)

I am not worried, this from americanpreppersnetwork


> 5 gallon food grade buckets......FREE
> 
> Postby RebFootCav » Mon May 02, 2011 12:39 pm
> I'm not sure how many people realize this, so I thought I would share.
> ...


If in doubt check the mfgr I ran this down from info on a mud bucket


> Plastican (Plastican, Inc.) Email
> Product Overview
> Product
> Plastican
> ...


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