storing

[sewandsew]

I've canned and froze a lot over the years. Other than making jerky, I'm new to dehydrating. I'm trying to store my food so that it will last longer. I no longer want to depend on freezer just in case things go south and we loose power.

 

Here goes with the questions. ALL help is VERY appreciated!

 

Dry beans like limas, northern etc... Do they need to be in freezer first and then put in mylar bags and do I need ot put oxygen absorber in it?

RIce and pasta? I'm sure it needs freezing first to kill any unwanted bugs or is just sealing it in mylar bags with oxygen absorber ok?

 

Flour and cornmeal. Definitly freeze first. Is self rising alright to store long term? Do I need oxygen absorbers in it? Can I leave it in the bags and seal it that way, or do I need to pour out of bags? How long will it keep?

 

I know I have alot more questions but brain isn't working to good right now. lol I love coming to this site and seeing what everyone else is doing. Happy canning!

[kappydell]

I always freeze anything I am storing long term. You never know what conditions they were kept under before you got them.

Then I take them out, allow to warm to room temperature, and into mylar with oxygen absorbers. Oxy absorbers will help with any residual bugs. I have put store bags of flour and cornmeal into the freezer, then out and into mylar. I did not pour them out, as they are easier to handle when you use them if they are in manageable size packages. The other idea I liked was mixing types of beans - 1 pound packages of, say, 6 kinds of beans put into a single mylar package. Easier to use them in rotation that way. Another idea I saw that was cool was to put a 2-liter pop bottle of dry beans into a mylar lined pail, then fill the remainder with rice. That way you have to only open one pail for beans & rice.

I also put multiple kinds of dried potatoes in a single pail - flakes for mashed, slices for scalloped and hash browns. I put them in zip-lock gallon containers, then into the mylar-pail combination it goes, along with the ever-present oxy absorber. Again, it makes it easier to rotate when you need to open only 1 pail at a time.

[sewandsew]

Thanks Kappy. I am using the 1 gallon size mylar bags. Was thinking of using food saver bags inside the mylar or is that over kill? Can I just store them on a shelf or will they still need to be put in buckets?