Getting Organised with your food storage

Everyone has a different way of viewing their food storage. I do it firstly because I think it would be really stupid not to have a supply of food stored away in case of emergency. Everything is going along so well right now, hubby has a great job, we're in reasonably good health and we are in a position to be able to do something about food storage. Don't leave it until you actually need it!

First things first. You need to take a look at what room you have to be able to store your food. It's no good going nuts and buying heaps of food if you have no-where to store it.

Do you have containers to store your food? You don't want to be attracting mice and cockroaches, and it can cost a little bit of money to get the containers/mylar bags/oxygen absorbers before you can start storing your food away.

If you have a supply of food already, take stock of what you have. How long until the use by date? How much more would you need? Are there any bugs/rodents/moisture getting into what you already have? Have you been rotating it? Are you storing what you would normally eat?

So I already have a about 3 months worth of food. 52 kilos of rice, about 20 kilos of wheat, cans of spaghetti and baked beans, 10 kilos of honey and a few other bits and pieces.

Next big item to buy on my list before I get started on my own food storage (I had a little bit of help last time) is a food sealing machine (a pouch sealer), oxygen absorbers and mylar bags. This will let me seal up what I buy, because I'm planning on buying dry goods first, which can be sealed up for long periods of time in mylar bags.

The pouch sealer I'm going to buy is $586.85 AUD which I know seems alot, but I do have RSI, and I have trouble using my hands for long periods. This particular pouch sealer has a foot pedal, less work for my poor hands to do.

Oxygen absorbers are $19.50 for a pack of 100.

Mylar bags are $152.50 for a pack of 250 (which will last me quite a while).

While I'm saving up for those, I'm going to have a look around and see if I can get any cheapish storage containers that are suitable for storing my mylar bags in. Mylar bags can be chewed through by rodents. You will need to store then in something like those big clear plastic tubs with handles for easy transporation, in case you have to move them somewhere. If you have heavier grains in your mylar bags, store them in a slightly smaller container for ease of lifting.

Happy Storing!