First, let me explain the need for oxygen absorbers in these containers as the following post discusses
including them in your cans and/or buckets.
Oxygen Absorbers
Oxygen absorbers, sometimes called “oxygen packets” or “oxy
packs”, are the little plastic pouches you will often find in commercial foods
like beef jerky. They are used to remove
oxygen from the airtight container they are placed in.
It is very common for bags of grains and legumes to come
with eggs of insects lying dormant inside.
Paper bags are especially susceptible to harboring these insects and
allowing rodents access to their contents (thus the need for more stable
containers like cans and buckets).
Many people believe that the insects will “get inside” their
container. In actuality, you are
bringing in the eggs of these unwanted guests in the product you are storing.
The oxygen absorbers remove the oxygen from your container,
making it impossible for those eggs to hatch and begin eating and nesting in
your bucket. Essentially, without
oxygen, the eggs die.
As we continue this discussion, remember that the whole goal
is to remove all possible oxygen to increase the life of your long term storage
items.
*Note: The only exception to this rule is when
storing sugar:
NEVER put oxy packs in any
container with sugar. Without oxygen,
sugar molecules adhere to each other which cause your sugar to harden into a
block that is unusable.
Insects don’t nest in sugar (because
of its lack of nutrient content for their offspring…a lesson for us all!), so
there is no need for oxygen absorbers anyway.
How many oxy packs should you use in
a container?
According to Honeyville Farms, a distributor of grains and
other products for long term food storage, “With 100cc oxygen absorbers, you
use about 2 per gallon when storing grains, flours or rice. You use about 4 per gallon when storing pasta
and beans. Why, you ask? Well, grains, flours and rice are more dense
so there is less oxygen to absorb…while pasta and beans are less dense which
means there is more oxygen to absorb.”
Where can you obtain oxygen
absorbers?
Oxygen absorbers are available at any Church cannery. They come in a large, sealed plastic bag to
keep them from being “used up” by absorbing outside oxygen.
They cost $.10/oxy pack at the cannery.
You can also order them from Honeyville Farms with different
sizes for different costs. Click here to
access their oxy packs ordering page.
How do you store oxygen absorbers?
They can be stored in the bag they originally came in, if
going to be used in a reasonable period of time. When taking out the oxy packs to include in
your can or bucket, seal their storage bag back up immediately so they don’t absorb
any oxygen but the oxygen in your container!
They can also be stored in a glass jar or other airtight
container.
Plastic Buckets
Plastic, food grade buckets are a common way to store large
amounts of product at one time. They can
be obtained at most local grocery stores during case lot sales, during seasonal
sales at Wal-Mart, or anytime at Emergency Essentials in
Orem. Prices vary widely, but you can
expect to pay between $5-$7 for one bucket.
However, sales have brought those prices down to $4 at times.
These buckets usually hold about 5 gallons of product so
they are referred to as “five gallon buckets”.
They have a handle and come with a lid that, once secured, is very
difficult to take off. You’ll need a bucket wrench or lid lifter
to be able to lift the lid once it is secured, which
costs approximately $2.
I have two of these bucket openers, one with my food storage
and one in my kitchen. It’s always
better to have more than one….just in case.
Plastic is a breathable material, therefore you will need to
line your bucket with a mylar (or “metallized”)
bag, also available at Emergency Essentials for about $1.75.
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You must also include oxy packs in your bucket. Refer above to know how many to include,
depending on what product you are storing.
Though buckets can easily be stacked and do not require
shelving, do not place plastic buckets directly on a cement floor as chemicals
can leech into the bucket over time.
Placing cardboard or wood underneath creates an efficient barrier.
Note: There are other
options to obtaining buckets. One such is
Payson Fruit Growers who get rid of buckets every year for very little to no
cost. They are, however, much smaller at
3-4 gallons.
Approximate Cost breakdown for
5-gallon buckets
- Bucket itself: $6 (available for less)
- Mylar bag: $1.75
- Bucket wrench/lid lifter: $2
- Oxygen packets approximately $1.00
- Total approximate cost for storing 5 gallons of food: $10.75
Pros and cons of five gallon buckets
Pros:
- Large amounts of product can be stored in a single container.
- Useful when buying in bulk…dump and you’re done
- Gamma lids can be attached for easy access to food while keeping it airtight
- Don’t require a canner device to seal it shut, can be sealed with a mallet by hand
- Can use the bucket to store your product while you are using it
- Great for large families who need to store AND use large amounts at the same time
- Reusable: Buckets can be reused once opened, though a new lid will need to be obtained or a Gamma lid attached.
- Because the lids are formed to allow it, stacking of buckets is very easy so shelves are not necessary. However, buckets should never be put directly on concrete, so make sure to put wood or cardboard between the bucket and a cement floor.
- Great for storing large amounts of food, rodent and moisture free, for very long periods of time.
Cons:
- HEAVY! No matter what you store in the buckets, because they hold so much product they are very heavy and difficult to move around.
- Difficult to open, even with a bucket wrench.
- Because of the two above issues, elderly or physically challenged individuals will usually need help with these containers. This needs to be considered when deciding on a storage method.
- A mylar bag is needed which increases the cost of storing in a bucket.
#10 Cans
#10 cans are the cans you are used to seeing with food
storage products. They hold about a
gallon of product and do not require any additions to be food-storage-ready
except oxygen packets. See above to know
how many packets would be required for the food you are storing.
Plastic lids are available at the cannery to allow you to
keep your food airtight after opening the can.
Commercial cans (those filled with food that are sold in stores) come with
their own plastic lid.
Empty #10 cans are only available at the cannery and require
a canner for sealing. Here are the cost
breakdowns from the cannery price list for
each item needed:
- #10 dry pack can: $.75
- #10 metal lid for sealing can: $.15
- #10 plastic lid $.10 (when storing several #10 cans of the same product, you only need one plastic lid for the whole group since you will likely have only one can open at a time).
- $.10 per oxygen packet needed
- Labels for your cans are available upon request, no charge
Cost breakdown for #10 cans
So, depending on the number of oxygen packets needed, the
cost of storing one gallon of food in a #10 can is approximately $1.20, minus
the cost of the food you are storing.
In comparison, then, a bucket (if obtained at $6) would require about $2.15/gallon
and a can requires $1.20/gallon. This cost
comparison could vary greatly depending on the cost of your bucket, so look for
sales!
Pros and Cons of #10 cans
Pros
- Small, lightweight and easy to carry in an evacuation.
- Completely rodent-proof
- Air and water tight
- Easily opened with a can opener
- Good for small families who don’t go through a lot of food at one time
Cons
- Not reusable
- Not as efficient for storing large amounts of food
- Do not stack well by themselves
- Shelves and boxes are needed to store many cans, increasing the eventual cost
- A special canner is needed to seal the cans, so it must be done at the cannery or at our Genola satellite cannery at the home of the Garners.
- Larger families will go through the cans much faster than buckets
How to choose a method
Depending on your personal needs and situation, it may be
easy to choose a storage method. If you
are living alone, there would rarely be a need to deal with the large, heavy
buckets when you don’t need to store as much as a large family.
But, if you see that there are benefits to each storage
container and have a lot of food to store, you can do what we did…do both.
I think in terms of how to prepare for as many scenarios as
possible. It’s important to me to be
able to take food in an evacuation so I have grains and beans in cans because I
can carry them easily. However, because we
have such a large family, we have lots and lots of buckets, too…and teenage
boys to carry them around! J
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