Long-term food storage is especially critical when you live in an area that is prone to natural disasters, but having food storage can really help all of us during any type of emergency!
Most beginner preppers are left wondering what is truly the best way to store food long-term. When following a DIY long term food storage plan, figuring out the right material to store food can be essential to the success of your long-term food storage.
There are different reasons why people create a long-term food storage supply.
- Some want to store food and forget it for the next 25 years.
- Some rotate their food gradually over time.
- Some don’t store a large amount of food due to budget restrictions and hence perform faster rotation.
In any case, you need to find a storage option that best fits your needs and goals. In this blog post, we will tell you five long-term food storage options, and help you determine which might be the best for you.
Now, when you buy food from the supermarket, it will come in some sort of plastic or cardboard packaging. For example, chips, boxed dinners, crackers, and more. You can store these foods in their original product packaging.
However, you need to remember a few things. First off, make sure you note the expiry dates of these packages. This way you can rotate them before they go bad.
If you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes or other natural disasters, storing food in the original packaging might not be a good option for you. And rodents will gnaw through these packages easily.
Although original packaging is an easier method, it might not be the best for long-term food storage.
Another option that you can explore is plastic containers, such as soda bottles. You can directly pour dried goods into these bottles, put a plastic cap on top, and screw the cap to make it airtight.
However, there are a few risks associated with using plastic containers. First off, they are not as airtight as you might think. Also, they allow sunlight and moisture to enter the food items. Secondly, plastics can leach into your food over time which might be not healthy. And lastly, rodents can also gnaw through plastic containers.
This method is more affordable, but it is not the most sustainable for long-term food storage. However, if you are storing food for short-term or you have faster rotation cycles, plastic packaging might be best for you.
If you want to avoid the risks associated with original food packaging and plastic containers, you can always rely on glass jars. You can fill a glass jar with food items, put in an oxygen absorber, and seal the jar tightly.
It is worth noting that glass jars do come with their own set of issues. One of the biggest issues with glass jars is their potential to break on falling. As a result of this, we advise those who live in earthquake-prone areas to avoid using this method. For others, you need to make sure that you have reinforced the shelves to prevent them from falling.
One of the prepper community’s favorite food preservation methods is using a Mylar bag with oxygen absorbers, and we can see why! Mylar bags are made of metallic material with a seal that makes the bag airtight. Mylar bags can prevent the entry of light, moisture, insects, and oxygen, which is why they are a great option for long-term food storage.
However, the major drawback of Mylar bags is that their seal can break easily depending on where you buy them. You need to reseal them again to ensure that the food is dry and safe for a long time. Also, rodents can chew through Mylar bags, especially if the bags aren’t the best quality. Hence, make sure that you keep these bags in a safe space.
This is definitely the best method to store food long-term. Using a food-grade bucket lined with Mylar bags gives double reinforcement to food storage.
On one hand, Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers prevent food from going bad over long periods. On the other, food-grade buckets reduce the risk of breakage or rodents gnawing through them.
With this method, you just need to make sure that you store food items that you don’t want to rotate too frequently.
Bottom Line
There are different long-term food storage options for you. However, based on your living conditions, budget, and food storage goals, you should choose the option or options that work best for you.
If you feel that using Mylar food storage bags with oxygen absorbers is the best way for you to go, you can visit Wallaby’s online store. We provide high-quality Mylar bags along with oxygen absorbers for our fellow preppers.
We are proud to bring you durable, puncture resistant, 5 Mil thick Mylar bags, along with our premium oxygen absorbers!
Visit our online store to place your order now.
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