Jun232009
INSTANT SURVIVAL TIP: FREE Food Storage Containers
My husband has been guzzling gallons of Diet Pepsi with my blessing. You see, I need 25 empty 2-liter soda bottles so I can store my 50 lbs. of dried milk! He’s such a gallant man!
Most of the dried food we buy in bulk at the grocery store doesn’t come in packaging suitable for long-term storage. I currently have about 30 lbs. of rice in flimsy plastic bags that would certainly pose no serious barrier to a few determined bugs.
You can purchase PETE containers, but you get a free 2-liter soda bottle every time you buy soda! You can also use juice and Gatorade bottles. 
The one purchase you’ll need to make is a package of oxygen absorbers. Keep in mind that once you open the package of absorbers, they immediately start to absorb…oxygen! Therefore, you need to use them all at one time and quickly!
Line up your PETE containers, set out your food to be stored, grab a funnel and then follow these instructions. I always need some help doing this. Setting out to store a one-month or six-month supply of food, or more, is an expensive venture. I appreciate FREE anything, especially if it helps with my food storage goals.
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Gamma Rori
After you open the pckg of oxygen absorbers, you can immediately place them all into a screw-on lidded jar. Then take them out as needed, resealing the jar each time you use it. Hope this helps.
Rori
Barbara
I seal up my O2 absorbers in a seal-a-meal canister. Use a few, and seal them again.
TheSurvivalMom
Barbara, that's an excellent idea! I buy those absorbers in packages of 25, and then just wait until I have 25 PETE containers and/or buckets to seal up. Your way is much smarter!
Lisa
Jakk
I went around on recycle day and picked several empty soda bottles out of the cans. I also put a small piece of plastic wrap around the top of the bottle before I put the cap back on. Helps to keep any air from getting in.
TheSurvivalMom
I have fallen in love with using those 2-liter soda bottles for rice storage. They hold a LOT of rice, and it's much easier to pour than the paper or plastic bags rice comes in. And of course, they're free, with the purchase of the soda.
)
melissa
Tupperware Modular mates are awesome storage nice ,clean ,tupper seal and will keep food a lot longer. plus if get wet keeps food from getting wet. i Do not trust any old bottle. look up a local consultant and ask how you can earn free Tupperware.
TheSurvivalMom
I love Tupperware! Thanks for the tip. The reason I use those 2-liter bottles so often is because I like the way they pour things like dried milk and rice. As I can afford it, I'll grab some Tupperware, too.
katzien
I'm in Austin, and our local grocery store HEB has a great free resource for food storage – 5 gallon white buckets with snap-on lids and handles. They're stackable too. These are icing buckets from the bakery department, and they don't recycle them (though they do recycle alot of other materials). The bakery will give these buckets away for free if you just ask. Bonus…they smell really good too.
Stargate
I would also suggest that everyone look at a product called "Gamma Seals" for lids for 5 and/or 6 Gallon Storage Buckets. It's a two (2) piece lid system. The lid is a "Screw-On" lid. that come in different colors so You can "Color Code" your Survival Supplies!
TheSurvivalMom
Kat, I keep meaning to ask for those buckets at the stores I frequent. I did find a place in town that sells 55 gallon drums for water storage for just $20. They were originally used to ship liquids like soy sauce, but they've been cleaned out, we clean them a second time, and then refill with fresh water. Isn't it great to find a bargain like that?
Jon
Help , where can I purchase O2 absorbers?
TheSurvivalMom
Walton Feed has them for less than $16 per 100. I have never ordered from Frontier Survival.net, but they also have them a bit cheaper.
LizLong
I buy mine on eBay. I've also bought them from the LDS Cannery / Bishop's Warehouse.
Shirley
I have some 5 gallon buckets on them but they don't say PETE on them they say HDPE. Can i still you them for food storage?
TheSurvivalMom
Shirley, there are more than one type of HDPE container, but to be completely on the safe side for long-term storage, why not buy mylar bags as liners? Pour your food in the bags, drop in an oxygen absorber, and then seal it shut. When we're thinking of storing food for years into the future, it's better to be safe than sorry. Here is a link for how to store using mylar bags,
Shirley
I already have a food sealer system i use to seperate food and freeze can i use these same bags for long term storage in the Buckets instead of the mylar bags you talk about above. Thank You.
Tam
A cautious word about using some juice containers, sterilize completely before using to store foods/water in. These have stored fruit sugars and if you don't adequately remove the sugars, they provide a good environment for bacterial growth if moisture seeps in/store water in.
JayJay
My husband has been guzzling gallons of Diet Pepsi with my blessing. You see, I need 25 empty 2-liter soda bottles so I can store my 50 lbs. of dried milk! He’s such a gallant man!
Lowe's has 5 gallon buckets for $3.50 compared to Walmart at $7.00—I learned the hard way!!!
I also use any juice, milk, drink container for my water storage.
JayJay
In my area, drywall contractors sell their cleaned 5 gallon buckets for $1–now where did I put that phone number??
Kidding!!
JayJay
10 drops of bleach is said to purify a gallon of water—I also had bottles of water that I moved to 5 gallon buckets –water was stored about 18 months and it was pristine clean. I was surprised it stayed clean.
natschultz
Whoa! Here is a SERIOUS WARNING – those buckets from Lowes, and those spackle buckets are NOT FOOD SAFE!!! There're great for storing gardening supplies, though!
Also, in my experience plastic is NOT the best storage material at all. Use glass if at all possible. The 5 gallon buckets with mylar bags are good before you open them, but then fill into smaller glass jars. We used to store our dog treats in a plastic container and it kept getting filled with maggot webs, no matter how much we washed it, fed the treats to the squirrels and bought new. Finally we converted to an antique glass flour jar with glass lid and metal clasp and (amazingly) no more maggot webs!
Liz Long
The spackle comment was a joke, but we've had whole threads just about 5 gallon buckets. I use my Lowe's buckets for wool socks, seed packets (as you mentioned), sleeping bags (PERFECT fit), and some vacuum sealed food. There are TONS of things that five gallon buckets are great for storing and keeping safe that aren't actually food, which is where Lowe's buckets are great. Also, putting the mylar bag inside an unused one makes it safe for food since it isn't actually touching the bucket. If you have something light-sensitive (like cooking oil or wine), you can put it inside the Lowe's buckets to keep the light out.
And glass isn't so great if you're a fumble fingers with concrete floors in your storage area.
Otherwise, on general principal, I hear what you're saying about glass being better.
KAY
The HDPE2 buckets are suppose to be safe for food. Those are the ones restaurants use with their foods- pickles, cheese, etc.
You mentioned your dog treats and the problem but I wonder if there was something in the dog treats that caused the problem?
I ''ve heard people here talking about Oxygen absorbers but you're suppose to be able to do the same thing with dry ice. You put it on a paper on your food and leave the lid slightly ajar until the smoking part stops and then seal the bucket. Don't know if anyone has tried it yet.
Terri
Lowes does carry food grade five gallon buckets. They are white and have the 2 in the triangle on the bottom. Do not use the gray ones for food storage
natschultz
Free glass jars are available – instead of drinking soda, eat Classico pasta sauce and you get FREE Mason CANNING jars (I don't like the sauce, but I force myself to eat it just for the free jars). You only need to purchase new canning lids. For dry storage I use any other type of glass jars – giant pickle jars for flour or wheat berries, small Smuckers jam jars for raisins and dried fruit, other sauce jars for dried beans etc. Just soak the jars in hot water to remove the labels and then sterilize in the dishwasher and you're good to go!
Also, you should add a bit of FOOD GRADE Diatomaceous Earth to the jars when you fill them because it will kill any larvae.
Liz Long
Good tip about classico jars. I never thought of that.
BlueSkiesSmilin
Hi There,
Does anyone know if I can use the Arizonia tea 1 Gal. bottles.
It doesn't say PETE…it says PP.
I called the company and they said PETE is Polyethylene, and PP is Polypropylene.
The Arizonia tea bottles seam to be heavier.
The plus for me is that I've been saving them for water or…whatever emergency.
Food storage sounds better for me now, because we just got a non-water distiller kit.
I sure hope someone knows about this.
Thanks! "Blue Skies smilin' at me…nothing but Blue Skies do I see!"
TheSurvivalMom
I don't have an answer specifically for Arizona Tea bottles, but I know that juice bottles are not recommended for food or water storage. It seems that fruit sugars don't wash out and can lead to bacterial growth. Dittos for plastic milk containers. Oddly, 2-liter soda bottles are okay, and I use them for rice, oats, water, and more.
BlueSkiesSmilin
Thankyou for responding, Survival Mom.
Most of all…I want to express my gratitude for this website.
I pray that we all just end up with a nice rainy day stash,
and that things turn around.
We just were'nt thankful enough.
Yes we were blind..but now we see!
LizLong
Do Gatorade bottles have the same problem with not washing out enough?
Americanmom
Can I recycle the big plastic cat litter bottles of heavy plastic to use for food storage after cleaning, or should we save for water storage?
TheSurvivalMom
I wouldn't use them for food storage, although if you used a mylar bag as a liner and then sealed it, the food would probably be safe. If you're in need of food-grade buckets, ask around at delis and pizza places or a grocery store's bakery. Often, they give them away for free. A cleaned out cat litter box might be better used to store non-edibles, such as soap and other toiletries.
LizLong
When I ask for food grade buckets from the grocery store baker, I tell them that they fit sleeping bags perfectly (true) and I'm using them to store things in the basement to keep mice out of them (also true). It does prevent mice from turning my nice new sleeping bags into mouse nests, which would make me very angry. So far, it seems like rather than considering me a bit odd for the request, all the bakery assistants started considering using them for their own basement storage needs. :-p
I wouldn't use cat litter containers for food either, but their are plenty of other things that need sturdy storage containers so it's not like they need to go to waste because of that. Here's a thought for you if you burn a wood fire: fill them up with ashes, then you can use the ashes to make your snowy driveway more passable in the winter. (I haven't done this but knew an older woman who did it for decades.)
annabell
If no electricity how will I grind the wheat I store? 2 stones? I am not being funny , really want to know. Or would it be better to store just flour in that case? Or one for long-term and one for short-term just in case food is scarce.
TheSurvivalMom
Annabell, it's a good thing to think ahead to possible power outages and have a plan for dealing with them. Some wheat mills have a manual option. Some can be powered by a bicycle (no kidding). Some Survival Moms have both an electric mill and a manual mill. As far as flour is concerned, it has a shelf life of about one year. Wheat, on the other hand, can last for 20-30 years. By all means, have plenty of flour on hand to use throughout the year in addition to your wheat.
Rita
You would need electricity if you have an electric grinder. There are grinders which require manpower. They are handcrank. There are several varieties. I have seen some at garage sales. Flour just does not store long. Wheat, if properly stored, can last centuries. In plastic buckets, properly prepared, wheat can be stored for 30 years. Flour doesn't taste very good after a couple years, even if well prepared for storage.
The two liter soda bottles are great for water storage!
Lynzee
Diet soda is so toxic to the body. Artificial sweeteres are basically poison in fancy packaging. I'd rather pay for food storage containers than get them for free at the expense of my husband drinking gallons of poison.
TheSurvivalMom
Lynzee, I hope you\’ll share with us your tips for re-training a 44 year old man who has a mind of his own.
Lorene
Try a 55 year old man!
Kay
You're right about the artificial sweetners, especially in the diet pop. It has aspartame and that stuff is used in rat poison.
Rob_Crawford
Honey has also been used in rat poison. Does that mean honey is poison?
Dave, RN
Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater. That is, drinking gallons of diet soda is a GREAT way to screw up your health. Get off that stuff and substitute carbonated water. You can add a sqeeze of lemon or lime and maybe a bit of stevia for sweetness…
WILL
i do know that HDPE – stands for High Density Poly ethylene used for flower pots, food containers, ect.. Poly
Styrene is a thinner material we used to make lids for fast food cups.. FYI
Kay
The ones used for food should show HDPE2 on the bottom.
kim
I do use canning jars with my foodsaver attachment for storing some things, but for long term storage of large quantities I use buckets with mylar bags. If it is worth storing for future use then it is certainly worth it to do it properly!
Kay
Can't find the post here about a question someone asked-"Where can they buy Oxygen Absorbers? You can order them from Emergency Essentials– phone number is 1 800 999 1863. Hope the person who asked sees this.
Donald J Koczur
I don’t see that anyone is storing beans’ is there a problem in keeping them long term.
thesurvivalmom
People are definitely storing beans! Depending on how they are stored and whether or not they are protected from heat, oxygen, light, pests, and humidity, they have a fairly long shelf life.
Sis
Quote: “…I know that juice bottles are not recommended for food or water storage. It seems that fruit sugars don’t wash out and can lead to bacterial growth. Dittos for plastic milk containers. Oddly, 2-liter soda bottles are okay, and I use them for rice, oats, water, and more.”
SM, do you have a source for that statement? I ask because I sure hate to empty my orange juice containers full of salt and sugar without knowing for certain that this is indeed a problem. Thanks for your work.
Sis
Also one more thing: We called LDS sources and were told that you can use Lowes 5 gallon buckets as long as you seal the food in foil lined mylar bags which are not permeable.
We also called the source where Lowes obtains their buckets and we’ve been told twice that they are food-safe, but we still use the foil lined mylar to be on the safe side.
You should never fill a non-food grade bucket with grains/beans/whatever and store because chemicals from the plastic leach into the food over time.
If anyone has heard differently from a credible source, please advise.