John writes:
How come the food manufacturers don’t sell #10 cans of drinking water? This would be perfect for those of us that are having trouble finding the storage space for normal preps. I say this assuming that the water is heated and sterilized after canning, so it should be more heat and cold resistant than the average #10 can food product. With these, I could store them between attic rafters where it is too hot to store food. I could also stack them up on a basement wall that was too hot for food storage as well. The loose cans could be stacked pretty much anywhere there was room and you did not need to worry about temperature extremes.
Am I missing something here? Why can’t we buy a #10 can of water just like a # 10 can of milk?
The Survival Mom:
I haven’t asked any of the food storage companies about this, but I would imagine that the cost of canned water would be prohibitive. Why would you want to pay even a couple of dollars for a can of water when you can use other systems of water storage for virtually free?
The #10 cans of milk you mention are not liquid milk. They are dehydrated milk powders that must be reconstituted with water or used dry in various recipes. If you like the idea of milk that can be stored at room temperature, check out “shelf stable” milk.
As far as storage, you can store water outdoors, in a garage, or elsewhere. If you’re concerned about possible algae growth, add a drop of water to gallon containers and a teaspoon for large barrels. If you do store water where it will be subject to outdoor temperatures, make very sure you leave plenty of head room for expansion in case the water freezes.