Food Storage Containers

Finding the right food storage containers to store your emergency food supply can sometimes be a challenge.

You may be able to find a bulk quantity of food safe containers at a local store. But typically, most types of food storage containers are easier to find online from wholesale companies, and they generally are not too expensive.

Here we explain the different types of food containers, what emergency and survival foods they are best used for, and where you can purchase them.

To see the different types of emergency foods, and garden food choices that you can use for your emergency food supply, visit the survival food choices page.

You should always use food grade containers for storing anything you intend to eat. A food grade container is one that will NOT transfer non-food chemicals into the food, and contains NO chemicals which would be hazardous to human health.

(If you are uncertain whether a container is food-grade or not then contact the manufacturer and ask if a particular container is approved for food use).

Plastic Storage Containers

• Plastic storage containers, particularly 5 or 6 gallon buckets, are the most popular types of containers used for bulk and large amounts of dry food storage.

  Buckets work great when used for storing bulk, dry, emergency foods. Examples:
  

  Wheat
  Rice
  Beans
  Oatmeal
  Flour
  Sugar

• If storing in plastic buckets: look for food-grade, high density polyethylene buckets, they may have HDPE stamped on them, or a recycle symbol with a "2" in the middle.
  Food Storage Buckets can be purchased at these retailers:
  Nitro-Pak® - 6 gallon buckets - 4 pack
  PrepareCo® - 1, 2, 3.5, 5, 6.5 gallon buckets - 4 packs

  You will find an excellent selection of Pre-packaged Long Term Emergency Survival Foods at these stores:
  

  The Ready Store® - Buckets & #10 cans
  PrepareCo® - Bulk Nitrogen Flushed Buckets, Dehydrated and Freeze Dried #10 cans.

• Smaller sizes of air-tight, plastic food storage containers can also be used to store dehydrated and dry goods that usually will be stored in smaller quantities. Smaller containers work well for foods like:
  
  Pasta & Noodles
  Cereals & Granola
  Dehydrated Fruits & Vegetables
  Dried Meats (Jerky)
  Herbs used for seasoning, teas, and health benefits.

• Look for edible grade plastic food containers made from polycarbonate, polyester or polyethylene.

Sealing Foods In Plastic Storage Containers

• Neither plastic buckets, or smaller plastic storage containers, are a true oxygen barrier by themselves (un-like glass containers or #10 metal cans). There is a slow transmission of oxygen through the polyethylene walls of the container over time.

  Another common problem with plastic food storage containers is insect infestation.

• There are a few remedies to these 2 issues:

  You can greatly increase the shelf Life and stability of your dry food products, by using/adding one or more of the following items to your plastic buckets or food storage containers before sealing:

• Oxygen Barrier Bags, plastic or metal.
  Metalized are best, for light and insect control See NEW ITEM below
• Oxygen Absorber Packets,
• and/or Desiccant Packets
• Kitchen Vacuum Sealers work well to seal and lengthen the shelf life of dry foods before placing in containers.
• Oxygen Absorber Packets,
• and/or Desiccant Packets

(Oxygen and Desiccant packets are described below)

TIP: Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (fossil-shell-four) can be used for organic insect infestation prevention. It is completely organic, and edible. When applied to grains or beans for bulk food storage: Apply 1 Cup (2 1/2 ounces by weight) to each 25 pounds of grain to be treated.

NEW ITEM! - Finally a simple and easy-to-use metalized liner for your large plastic bulk food buckets.

These are just as easy to use as the food zip-lock type plastic bags in your kitchen but much larger and thicker with a layer of metalized material. They can be reused over and over again.

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Metal Cans

• Most commercial food storage producers (such as Mountain House), use metal #10 cans for their freeze dried foods, they have the longest shelf life available and work best for extended emergency food storage.
  Mountain House freeze dried foods are packed in airtight NITROGEN PACKED #10 cans. Up to 98% of the residual oxygen has been removed allowing a shelf life of up to 30 years.

• These #10 cans are coated with a protective enamel inside and out for double protection, including the lid. The freeze dried foods are protected until you are ready to open and use them.

• After opening, use the freeze dried foods within 1 to 2 weeks for best results and taste; using the convenient re-sealable plastic lid between uses. Treat any leftover freeze dried foods as you would fresh food.

• A Bulk supply of Metal cans for "home use" is harder to find for food storage purposes. Some people do use empty coffee cans to store foods in, and they work fine for dried or dehydrated foods.

  As with plastic buckets, It is recommended if you store bulk dried foods in metal cans, you should line the cans with Oxygen Barrier Bags prior to storing and sealing.

Mountain House foods in these #10 cans may be purchased at the following recommended stores: Nitro-Pak®, PrepareCo® or The Ready Store®

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Metalized Foil & Clear Vacuum Sealed Bags

• Commercial Dehydrated foods sealed in Metalized or Mylar-foil pouches have a shelf life of 5 to 10 years, (such as used for MRE's). These pouches are usually a little more cost effective to purchase than the #10 canned freeze dried foods, but the foods do not taste as good, and they only store for a 1/3 of the time.

• Home food vacuum sealers, using clear sealer bags, work well for dry food storage. They are popular because most of the moisture carrying air is removed from the food and therefore prolongs the shelf life.

TIP: Kitchen food sealers can also be used to extend the shelf life of home dehydrated foods, before storing them.

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Glass Containers and Canning Jars

• Glass containers and jars are a good personal food storage container, but they must be handled with care, they don't handle hard bumps or being dropped.

• One great advantage of glass canning jars is the ability to be reused over and over again. Canning jars do require specialized canning equipment when using a steam or boiling-process to "bottle" the food for storage.

  Glass canning jars can usually be purchased at warehouse or department stores, like Costco, WalMart, and some grocery stores carry them also.

  Storing Dry Foods in Glass Containers or Jars

• When storing dry foods in glass jars or containers, it isn't necessary to use oxygen barrier bags, oxygen cannot permeate through glass the same as plastic.

• You may however, use oxygen absorbers and/or desiccant packets with dry foods in glass containers. It will help to keep foods fresh and give a longer shelf life.

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The key to storing food for long periods of time is to keep it dry. Filling food storage containers with grain or other bulk dry foods, and then immediately sealing it will not prevent moisture from accumulating. There is enough moisture in the air and between food particles to cause problems over time.

Oxygen Absorbers

Oxygen absorbers are made of a chemical compound, the active ingredient of which is a powdered iron oxide. While they are not edible, they are not toxic and the oxygen does NOT remove the fresh smell and taste of the product.

When used with proper packaging and sealing, the oxygen in the packaging is greatly reduced therefore extending the shelf-life of the food.

Oxygen absorbers utilize rapid activation. The oxygen absorbers start working within minutes of the package being opened. When packaging food for long-term storage, you should use the entire contents of the sealed bag of oxygen packets within 30 to 60 minutes.

Benefits:

• Extends shelf life
• Prevents growth of aerobic pathogens and spoilage organisms, including molds
• Eliminates the need for additives such as BHA, BHT, sulfur dioxide, sorbates, benzoates, etc.

Typical Applications:

• Breads, cookies, cakes, pastries
• Nuts and snacks
• Candies and confectioneries
• Coffee and tea
• Whole fat dry foods
• Processed, smoked and cured meats Cheeses and dairy products
• Dried fruits and vegetable
• Spices and seasonings
• Flour and grain items
• Fresh and precooked pasta and noodles
• Pharmaceuticals and vitamins
• Birdseed and pet food

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Desiccant Packets

You can dramatically reduce the moisture content in your food storage containers by adding a desiccant.

A desiccant is a substance, such as calcium oxide or silica gel, it comes in a small sealed packet that absorbs water and is used as a drying agent. You can usually find desiccants at WalMart, Craft stores or you can purchase online.

Be sure you purchase a desiccant that is designed for food storage it will usually be prepackaged for use. If the desiccant accidentally opens and mixes with your food - throw it all away.

The best usage of a desiccant is to store your food during the driest time of the year and immediately before sealing the food add the desiccant.

Desiccants are NOT edible, so make sure you have them properly packaged before using them with food.

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• One of the best ways to be emergency prepared (and to save money) is to buy bulk food. Most people in the U.S. live within 30 minutes of a store that sells large bags of rice, flour, sugar, beans, etc.

  Buying these products in bulk can be a huge savings and can quickly add to your emergency food storage supply. Use the plastic bucket, glass, and metal food storage containers described above to store these bulk foods.

• Another great method of food preparedness (which we cover on the survival garden page) is to grow and preserve your own food. Either option requires the right food storage containers and knowledge of storing the food properly.

  

• Start a survival food system by estimating how many food storage containers you will need for each food type, and how many you will need of any given size.

• For those with limited storage space keep in mind, round containers take up more storage space , try and stick to square or rectangular shapes.

  Get a matched set. If your budget and space permit, consider getting containers that are all the same type, with multiples of commonly used sizes. A matched set will stack more compactly and more easily than assorted, unmatched containers.

• When stacking on shelves place the lighter and smaller items towards the top, and the larger and heavier items (especially buckets) towards the bottom. This makes for easier lifting up high, also in an emergency event such as a earthquake, there is less chance of the heavier items falling from the top and hitting someone.

Recommended Emergency Food and Supply Stores

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The Ready Store:
Our goal is to offer the finest emergency preparedness and survival supplies available anywhere. Our purchasing power allows us to provide great products at the best prices.

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Nitro-Pak®:
Offers one of the MOST COMPLETE and AFFORDABLE selections of Emergency Preparedness Gear and Food Storage products on the planet!

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