As a follow-up to my blog post about which foods you shouldn’t plan on storing long-term, here’s a list of foods typically found at grocery stores that can be stored but must be repackaged.
Keep in mind, that by repackaging these foods you will also be protecting them from oxygen, pests, and humidity, three of the five enemies of food storage. (The other 2 are heat and light.)
- Raisins and other dried fruit
- Oatmeal
- Breakfast cereals
- Any type of cookie or cracker
- Beans
- Rice
- Pasta
- Bread crumbs
- Cornmeal
- Candy
- Pancake mix (Sometimes these are packaged directly inside the cardboard box without any type of inner plastic bag.)
- Pasta, rice, and potato convenience mixes, such as Rice-a-Roni, Pasta-Roni, instant potatoes, scalloped potato mixes, etc. (These may either have microscopic insect eggs inside the package already and/or be invaded by insects and rodents from the outside.)
- Tea bags (Repackage for best flavor and longest possible shelf life.)
- Dried, instant milk (If not already in a sealed can.)
- Spices and herbs packaged in plastic bags
- Shortening
- Chocolate chips, baking chips of any flavor
- Nuts
- Popcorn
- Pretzels
- Sugar, brown sugar and powdered sugar
- Any type of mix to make bread, cornbread, pizza dough, etc.
- Most anything else that is packaged in flimsy plastic bags and/or cardboard. This type of packaging is not intended for long-term storage, but that doesn’t mean the food inside can’t have a longer shelf life if repackaged correctly.
Repackaging instructions
Most everything on this list will do very well packaged by any of these procedures:1. A vacuum packing machine, such as the Food Saver. These can be found on eBay and Craigslist at very affordable prices. Walmart, Target, and Cabela’s carry them as well.
Pour the food into one of the plastic bags suitable for your machine and follow the machine’s instructions for vacuum sealing the bag. Use a Sharpie to mark the date sealed on the outside as well as the name of the food. (“Golden raisins, June 21, 2013″)
If a food can be easily crushed, such as cookies or crackers, place them in a large canning jar and seal it with your machine and a jar lid attachment. This is very convenient and gives long term results. If you want to store shortening, pack it into a canning jar, place the lid on top, cover with the jar sealer and seal it.
This video shows how to seal foods in canning jars.
Some foods with sharp edges, such as pasta, can wear through the plastic storage bag. To avoid this you can seal the food and then place it in a second sealing bag and seal a second time or place it first in a zip-loc bag (do not seal) and then into the food storage bag. The machine will suck the air out of both bags, sealing them shut at the same time.
2. Use oxygen absorbers. Pour your food into a canning jar, mylar bag (available on Amazon) or a food-safe bucket of an appropriate size. Just before sealing with the lid, drop in oxygen absorbers according to this chart:
100 cc absorber 32-ounce canning jarFor more detailed instructions, read this.
300 cc #10 can
300 cc 1 gallon container
1500 cc 5 gallon container
I also use empty and sanitized 2-liter soda bottles for things like rice and oats and add a 100 cc absorber just before capping the bottle.
Keep mind that as you open the package of absorbers, they start absorbing oxygen. You’ll know this is happening because they get hot. Quickly place the required number of absorbers in each container with the food and then store the remaining absorbers in a canning jar. (The lid of a canning jar gives a much tighter seal than other jars.)
3. Dry pack canning. This is simpler than water bath or pressure canning and since you’ll be canning dry foods only, it’s just a matter of filling canning jars, heating them in a low-temperature oven (200 degrees), and then sealing with a jar lid and ring. The heat kills vermin eggs and the tight lid will keep out any extra oxygen. However, adding an oxygen absorber will help food from oxidizing over time, thus extending the shelf life.
By the way, if you place filled canning jars and vacuum sealed bags in a plastic bin or bucket and then cover with a lid, you’ll be protecting the food from light as well as oxygen, pests, and humidity.
Taking these extra steps is worth it because of the money you’re spending on food and the fact that you’re storing this for long-term. When you actually really need to start using it, you want it to taste fresh and be as nutritious as possible.
© 2013, The Survival Mom. All rights reserved.
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