Many emergency preparedness companies will sell grains, beans, etc. in 5 or 6 gallon buckets. And while there’s nothing necessarily wrong with having your food straight in the bucket I’ve found a more optimal approach to bucket food storage. Before I give you my method, I’d like to share my reasons:
- Cheaper (just do a little shopping for the food)
- Resealable (both bucket and bag)
- Double Protection
- Lengthens Shelf Life
So firstly, the typical food storage buckets will be a 5 to 6 gallon bucket with no inner layer. Just the bucket with the food. The lid most likely will be either a peel-back or tear-off opening style. This means once you either peel it back or tear off the base, it will no longer be resealable. To be fair, as long as you don’t plan on touching your food storage until a SHTF moment, this will probably keep your food lasting as long as it needs. However, if you do plan to rotate through your storage I suggest a better option.
What You’ll Need
- Food (duh)
- 5 or 6 Gallon Buckets – I use 5 Gallon buckets because I found that filling up the 6 Gallon buckets became very strenuous to move around for a smallish person like myself.
- Large Mylar Bags – You can find these at almost every preparation store, on Amazon.com and even in some local supermarkets.
- Oxygen Absorbers – 2000 CC per Bucket
- Gamma Lids – Keep an eye out for sales. I see these lids ranging in price by $4 a piece depending on where you go.
- Iron
Step One: Buy your Food in Bulk and Bags
Do some shopping online and in your local area for large quantity bags of the food storage you’d like to keep in buckets. I keep most of my high quantity items in buckets. This includes grains, rice, beans, sugar, salt, etc.
Step Two: Filling Your Bucket
You’re going to grab your empty bucket and place your mylar bag inside of it. There will be a considerable amount of bag sticking out of the top of your bucket, don’t trim it! Fill the bag with your food up to a couple inches from the top. Shake the bucket so your food is level. Put your oxygen absorber at the top.
Step Three: Sealing Your Bucket
The first thing we’re going to seal is our mylar bag. Simply line the edge of the bag together and iron across the top about an inch thick. LEAVE AN INCH OR SO UN-SEALED. After you have everything but that last inch sealed, press the bag so that you squeeze as much air out as possible. Then iron the remaining un-sealed inch. All that’s left now is to pound on your Gamma Lid and make sure the lid is screwed on tight.
TIP: I use a metal ruler as a surface to iron my mylar bag closed. Just lay it across the rim of the bucket and fold the bag over to iron-seal.
Ta-dah! Many buckets let a certain amount of light through which reduces the shelf life of your food. Using the mylar bag on the inside deflects the light before it gets to the food. The oxygen absorber also extends the life of your food. It’s going to suck that bag in close to the food to keep it fresh.
It’s also nice to have double the protection surrounding your food. Here in Utah, I live just a mile or so away from a major fault line. If one of my buckets falls and cracks, the food won’t spill out because it’ll still be safe in the mylar bag. And food storage kept solely in mylar bags, doesn’t have the puncture resistance of the external bucket. This also is double protection against water damage. Earthquakes are often accompanied with broken water lines, so once again if the bucket breaks the bag keeps the food safe.
Gamma Lids and mylar bags are also an added benefit because they are resealable. The Gamma Lids feature an inner lid that screws back on to an external ring attached to the bucket. And the mylar bag can be resealed with ironing as you use the contents inside.
What tips do you have for storing food in buckets? Leave your happy prepping secrets in the comments below!
Something I have wondered about, but have not heard anyone talking about is that using the five gallon bucket with a single bag means that you have to open things five gallons at a time.
Something I have been looking at doing is to use some of the smaller bags (say the one gallon) and filling and sealing them individually to store a number of them in a five gallon bucket (I can get 4 or sometimes 5 in a bucket.
I have never seen this method used or spoken of and I am wondering if there is some problem with this method of which I am unaware.
Could you comment on this please?
Thank You!
-Bubba Man (one of the Bubba’s of the Apocalypse)
Bubba – I’ve heard this concern from others as well and that is why I only store my staples in 5 gallon buckets. Things that I go through relatively quickly like wheat, beans, sugar and rice. There shouldn’t be an issue with storing your food in the 1 gallon mylar bags then storing those in the 5 gallon buckets. The only thing to keep in mind is that there will be a little wasted space in the bucket and once you open a bag you’d have to seal it somehow in order to keep the contents from spilling. Other than that there won’t be any problems with that method. Many companies sell 1 month kits like this – with different foods stored in small bags all stuffed inside one easy to carry bucket. So the short answer – If the two problems I mentioned before aren’t a big deal to you, go for it!
Evening Jessica
Would it be possible to store dry goods In a ziplock bag? I
Like the 5 gallon bucket for some items, sugar flour beans and rice.. But what if you want to have multiple divided quantities?
Hello Meliza – I wouldn’t recommend storing food in Ziploc™ bags. Even though they advertise being 100% sealable they aren’t 100% airtight. That and the thin plastic isn’t very durable, it tends to wear over long periods of time and it still lets light in. Instead you can purchase mylar bags in smaller sizes. They make them in as little as 2″x4″ pockets. Then just purchase oxygen absorbers with only about 200cc’s. Store your food in the smaller mylar bags with the oxygen absorber on top then seal them with the iron.
I have a vacuum storage system. Would that be an option for making smaller sizes of items and then storing them in a larger bucket?
Yes definitely! Just vacuum them in reflective mylar bags to minimize light exposure and throw a bunch in a large bucket.
Hi, is it necessary to use a gamma lid if you will be using the mylar bag with an oxygen absorber?
I prefer the gamma lids simply because once you open the bucket and bag for use, you can easily seal it shut by screwing back on the lid. To re-seal without the gamma lid you’d just have to re-seal the mylar bag (which is just more time consuming). It all comes down to personal preference.
A good compromise (especially if you have a LOT of buckets) is to buy standard bucket lids (with o-rings) which are less expensive than the gamma’s, then when you go to use the product in the bucket, exchange the standard lid with a gamma. This way you can buy fewer gamma lids and still have the versatility and ease of use that they offer. I have done this for years now… just have to inspect the seal on the gamma before you use it–checking for nicks, kinks or other permanent deformation of the ring.
Love it!! I will add this tip to the blog body copy for other readers to see. Thank you so much for sharing!
I use the gallon bags.I prepere 6 bags 2 each beans,paste,rice(8cups per bag)I place 3 sealed bags(all but enough for sealer hose to fit.)on bottom of bucket,remove air using fingers to create seal and complete seal with hair straightener.(cheaper then commercial sealers and can reach inside of bucket)Add second layer and seal bucket.This gives me a variety each time I open bucket.
I am new to prepping and I’m wondering about storing things like beans and rice in 2 liter soda bottles any recommendations on that?
Hi Gena! It isn’t recommended to store food in these, but it isn’t necessarily a terrible alternative. Especially if you have a money crunch and are looking for resourceful methods of storage. The down sides of plastic bottles are that they aren’t completely air tight and they let in a considerable (if not all) amount of light. You also risk contaminating your food if they aren’t properly cleaned and dried. BUT they will keep the food safe from critters, are easily stackable and make an excellent recycling project. So it’s really a “Good, Better, Best” type of conundrum. Hope that helps! Jess
Hi Jessica,
Do you have any recommendations as to where to get mylar bags, gamma lids, O2 absorbers cheapest? I am a little overwhelmed and need some guidance here. I don’t mind buying in bulk, but I want a deal, LOL.
Gamma lids fluctuate in pricing all the time. Keep an eye out for sales on them at places that carry them (pretty much ever emergency preparedness store, online and some big box stores). Many places list them at upwards of $8.99 each. I got mine on sale for $3.99 each. Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers are pretty close in price no matter where you go. I always recommend shopping around before writing the check because people change their pricing all the time but heres a good bulk distributor of both: http://www.sorbentsystems.com
Jessica
From my experience, the plastic buckets won’t stop determined rats. Are the mylar bags rat proof?
I did not know this Jim! I have rat poison all over my basement just in case. I will look into this for you
Hi Jessica
First of thanks for all your answers and knowledge. New to prepping and was wondering if the buckets and lids you get at home depot stored in a dark room will work and by passing the bags. These containers when sealed are air tight and leak proof. Was thinking to help budgeting issue of using hand warmers to get rid of the oxygen inside. Is this plausible or a lost cause?
Hey Joe! If you are on a money crunch, bypassing the bags is a great way to cut costs. You do eliminate a barrier between your food and the elements. And for other reasons that I have mentioned in the post, I highly recommend them. But if you can’t afford it – you can’t afford it. I wouldn’t however look for an alternative for standard oxygen absorbers. The number one consideration you need to make in preserving food is eliminating its exposure to oxygen. Hope that helps!