Question about buckets

Rocktown Gal · #1 08/15/11, 03:36 PM

I usually keep oatmeal and such in the freezer. But I have buckets now. So do I take the oatmeal, flour, rice, etc directly out of freezer and put in the buckets? What about the moisture? anything I need to do before putting the food in the buckets.

TIA

Wrong place Angie, could you please move to S & P...forgot I was in Current Events.

shawnlee · #2 08/15/11, 03:51 PM

Most people line then with a mylar bag.......then use a damp rid type of oxygen absorber that is food safe.

I think it is better to use multiple bags as 5 gallons of anything is more than one portion.....maybe cut the stuff into 1 week portions.

SquashNut · #3 08/15/11, 04:00 PM

I thought you were supposed to put the food in a bucket and then put the bucket in the freezer.

Rocktown Gal · #4 08/15/11, 04:04 PM

I have in the freezer because I didn't have the buckets yet.

I have rice, oatmeal and flour that I need to deal with right now...that are in freezer bags.

ErinP · #5 08/15/11, 06:13 PM

If I'm not mistaken, isn't the freezer's purpose to keep bug eggs from hatching? But again, if I'm thinking right, putting them into the freezer for a certain amount of time is what kills the eggs anyway.
That is, pulling them out of the freezer after that certain amount of time is fine because any eggs are dead.
I'm not entirely sure, though! I don't keep grains of this kind of quantity on hand anyway.

Ohio dreamer · #6 08/15/11, 06:45 PM

If your buckets are food grade you can open the bag and pour it directly in. Moisture from the freezer shouldn't be a problem. If you want to, you can add an O2 Absorber. It is usually done to deny any bugs O2 - therefore they die. But freezing does the same thing, so it's not really needed.

If you buckets are not food grade you will need to have something that is food grade between the bucket and the food. Mylar bags are one option, the bag they are currently in is another (If it will fit in a bucket - 25# bags don't....but 5#'ers usually do), Ziplocs are a third. The "thing" with mylar is it doesn't deteriorate over time like ziplocs do. If you are storing this grain for only 1-2 years, ziplocs will likely be fine. If this is food that is going in the bucket to feed you if SHTF (and even with rotation you won't get to this bucket for YEARS)....mylar might be a better bet.

I use food grade buckets and mylar for anything that I may not open for 12 months. Our basement goes through very damp cycles in the summer and winter snow melt....so I use mylar to ensure the moisture is not getting to my food.

Rocktown Gal · #7 08/15/11, 06:53 PM

Thank you. Yes food grade buckets from the grocery bakery. Lids have seals in them.

The food is already is ziplock bags so I will just start filling buckets. I have approximately a years worth of rice, flour, sugar and oatmeal. All are in ziplock except the sugar.

mightybooboo · #8 08/15/11, 06:55 PM

A little OT but I just started using the new buckets and Gama Lids we got at Winco and they are a mighty fine setup.

Weve decided to add some to each trip now,think of it as buying Giant Tupperware and the cost is very reasonable.

Rocktown Gal · #9 08/15/11, 06:59 PM

Mighty we do not have a Winco

PATRICE IN IL · #10 08/15/11, 07:51 PM

I'd let it all come to room temp before sealing the buckets just make sure there isn't any moisture trapped. I'd definitely NOT dump the sugar into the bucket. Keep it in packages for easier removal. If sugar gets damp you'll have yourself a solid bucketful of sugar........been there done that.

BooBoo, I heard someplace that the Gamma Lids aren't as air tight as the regular gasketed lids. They said to only use them for the buckets you are currently rotating the stock from and keep the rest sealed with the regular lids to preserve freshness as long as possible.

If you are storing grains you can candle them to remove the extra oxygen.

mightybooboo · #11 08/15/11, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PATRICE IN IL

BooBoo, I heard someplace that the Gamma Lids aren't as air tight as the regular gasketed lids. They said to only use them for the buckets you are currently rotating the stock from and keep the rest sealed with the regular lids to preserve freshness as long as possible.

Just what we are doing,thanks for clarifying!

GlenArden · #12 08/15/11, 11:27 PM

I've been wondering the same thing! I have several boxes of oats, etc. and was wondering if I should dump it into the buckets and throw in the oxygen absorbers or divide into packages and then place the absorbers into the buckets. I too freeze practically everything first but don't have a chest freezer so I need to store in the larger. long term storage buckets.

RonPaulRooster · #13 08/16/11, 06:11 AM

First off make sure you have Food Grade buckets .

This is very important as it has to do with the type of plastic used in making the buckets .

Buckets that are not Food Grade , deteriorate , giving off a chemical release that will permeate into your food product .

Food Grade buckets have the number 2 inside the recycling Logo on the bottom of the bucket .

Next thing to understand is that the buckets and lid seals will eventually allow air to re-enter , so they are not great for long term storage ( many years ) without the use of the Mylar liners .

Another note , DO NOT put oxygen absorbers in the ones you make up with SUGER , if you do you will need a hammer and chisel to retrieve any Sugar .
And it really isn't needed for Sugar anyways .

Mylar bags can be found easily by doing a search .

Amazon.com has them , and the prices seem to go up and down frequently .

Seems the videos did not embed .

texican · #14 08/17/11, 12:57 PM

I've never froze sugar, or had pre-existing insect egg problems in it. I just put them in either buckets (still in the bags.... easier to pull out four pound bags instead of breaking up clumps to put in the kitchen container) or trash cans.

side note: getting nervous... haven't got a 'bucket fix' in almost a month now... I 'need' my bucket fix.... {poor me, with my bucket addictions... most folks with addictions have to meet seedy folks in dark allies, to get their black tar, meth, or weed... I go in well lit allies, checking to see if 'my' buckets are out back

}

#15 08/17/11, 02:02 PM

Sugar does not need to be frozen first and I do not recommend it. Nor should it be packed with oxygen absorbers. Much like salt so long as you keep it dry it's about as inert as it gets.

The East Coast in August, particularly if your home is not air conditioned, I would certainly want to pre-package my food BEFORE I froze it. This time of year the humidity is high enough that condensation is a problem when you take it out of the freezer. I'm typing this in an air-conditioned environment right now and the glass of ice water in front of me is covered in condensation.

As for the buckets, bags, oxygen absorbers, desiccants, and all of that I suggest reading the Food Storage FAQ. It's free to read and should answer most all the questions one might have about their best use. It can be accessed via the link in my signature below.

Rocktown Gal · #16 08/17/11, 02:20 PM

I didn't freeze the sugar. I did freeze, the rice, oatmeal and flour. I did prepackage the bags before I froze them. The condensation is what I was worried about. I will go read your link A. T.

I do have AC but I just cut it off a week ago because my bill went up $100 from the month before...ugh!

#17 08/17/11, 02:27 PM

Wipe the packages off and let them air dry as they come back up to room temperature. Once dry you can them put them in the buckets.

Whether you should use oxygen absorbers or anything else would depend on how long you want it to keep. The more years of storage life the more you have to do.

Rocktown Gal · #18 08/17/11, 02:36 PM

Thanks. So glad I haven't went ahead and packed them in buckets yet. I will wipe and bring to room temperature.