Best way to store raw wheat, sugar, flour, corn, yeast, etc...
 

Planning a trip to the Farmer's Market soon. What's the best way to store (long-term) raw agri-products in large quantity?

Would plasic hold up well in a high-humidity climate? Perhaps some of those plastic 50 gallon drums?

Tupperware? Or should I stick to steel containers? But wouldn't steel rust in high-humidity?

Any input would be great!

Re: Best way to store raw wheat, sugar, flour, corn, yeast, etc...
 

Most plastics, even food grade, and especially your generic 5 gal bucket of LPDE are gas permeable, making them ill suited for long term storage, short term is ok to keep out insects etc. I use quite a few 3 gal food grade for my working supply. The gas permeable aspects allow odors and other issues to absorb into your food stock.

Plastic buckets can be ok, but you need to package your food in a sealed mylar bag inside the buckets. Add the appropriate oxygen absorber prior to sealing and you should be good to go. You can seal the mylar with a hot clothes iron or a special sealer.

A few other people on this board also use food grade diatomaceous earth to make sure insects are properly dealt with. (Do a search on this sub forum)

Personally, I use metal #10 cans with oxygen absorbers, sealed on a commercial canning machine. They are then sealed in cardboard boxes. They are good for 20-30 yrs. I like the cans because they stack and move easily, and when I need them I am not opening 5 gals of supplies, only a weeks worth or so.

Re: Best way to store raw wheat, sugar, flour, corn, yeast, etc...
 

Oh, and you have to be careful of what you are storing, dry goods are easy, stuff like yeast is best frozen.

Here is the LDS site for food storage. They are experts (and who I get almost all of my supplies from). Lots of LDS in my family, I do take advantage even though I am not LDS.

http://providentliving.org/content/d...4062-1,00.html

Re: Best way to store raw wheat, sugar, flour, corn, yeast, etc...
 

Excellent advice! Smaller containers certainly makes more sense.

Re: Best way to store raw wheat, sugar, flour, corn, yeast, etc...
 

http://www.usplastic.com

I buy small plastic food grade containers from them, they sell almost anything made of plastic.

I recently purchased 10 3 gal with gasketed lids and total delivered to my house was under $36 if I remember correctly.

Re: Best way to store raw wheat, sugar, flour, corn, yeast, etc...
 

This is where I got my diatomaceous earth for the best price for food grade.
https://www.earthworkshealth.com/products.php

This site has some good info on it.
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/defaq.html

Re: Best way to store raw wheat, sugar, flour, corn, yeast, etc...
 

I would support what Tech Guy has to say on this. Cans seem to me more friendly when it comes to logistics like storage and transportation, however, if you don't plan to go anywhere mylar bags with food grade 5 gallon buckets is pretty good too.

The key to all of this is minimizing both oxygen and moisture so I would probably throw some desiccant in with the oxygen absorbers. Since CO2 is heavier than oxygen, be sure to place he oxygen absorber at the top of your containers.

The LDS sites are great tools for food storage. They even have calculators you can use to estimate the amount of different food items you will need to store base on number of adults or children for a specified period of time. I will try and dig that link up and post it.

Dave

P.S> Tech Guy, your avatar KILLS me every time I see it! :D