Bulk Food Storage Ideas - Help (long)

"linda" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We're on a fairly tight budget and I quite enjoy cooking so searched
around and found a place to buy in bulk from to get cheaper prices. So
far so good - so it's all arriving tomorrow and I went out yesterday and
bought some large 55 litre plastic storage containers to keep it all in -
but DH said they won't do, I should be keeping it all in air tight
containers.

So researching that, a guy from a plastics shop told me that anything over
10 litres isn't really water tight, but for my purposes the best solution
would be going to Bunnings and getting lots of 20 litre buckets for $8.99
I think he called them Honey Pots?

I also looked at getting a heat vaccuum sealer, but I'm not keen on the
whole idea of having to keep buying more plastic bags all the time. I
don't mind a capital expense to begin with as it will all work out cheaper
in the long run, but not if I have to keep buying plastic which gets
thrown away, plus they don't appear to be capable of doing very big bags
unless I get a commercial one worth thousands - once again, defeats the
purpose (although heat sealed packs would be a lot easier to store).

So then another idea we had was, well we're in the middle of painting our
house currently and the buckets the paint comes in are quite large and
have air tight sealing lids, so in theory over time we'll have a lot of
great buckets from that, but I don't know what the plastic would be like
really. I mean it's obviously not going to be heated or anything with food
in, but I'm not keen on the idea of toxins being released over time into
the food - anyone know if in general that would happen or not? For that
matter I don't know if the tubs from Bunnings would be any good either in
that regard, if it's not designed for food, maybe it's not safe.

So what do others do? There must be some sort of solution. Any
suggestions would be really helpful (I'm in Australia btw).

And it's mainly dry kind of foods that I'm storing, doesn't have to be
refrigerated or anything, like sultantas, oats, peanuts, different grains
etc etc - buying them in 25 kilo sacks. We want to keep them freshish,
but moreso keep ants and bugs etc out.

Thanks if you've got this far, and even more thanks if you can give me
ideas. 🙂

Try contacting Howards Storage World to see what they have. Also look in the
phone book for places that kit out restaurants, etc. They are sure to have
more info on bulk storage of stuff. Search under catering supplies?

Liz

"Staycalm" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"linda" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So then another idea we had was, well we're in the middle of painting our
house currently and the buckets the paint comes in are quite large and
have air tight sealing lids, so in theory over time we'll have a lot of
great buckets from that, but I don't know what the plastic would be like
really. I mean it's obviously not going to be heated or anything with
food in, but I'm not keen on the idea of toxins being released over time
into the food - anyone know if in general that would happen or not? For
that matter I don't know if the tubs from Bunnings would be any good
either in that regard, if it's not designed for food, maybe it's not
safe.

Quoted message said:

Try contacting Howards Storage World to see what they have. Also look in
the phone book for places that kit out restaurants, etc. They are sure to
have more info on bulk storage of stuff. Search under catering supplies?

Definitely look for a food supply store, or online source for restaurant
supplies. Forget the paint cans. Even within the cans, I have to think
you'll want a plastic bag because there will be air and that will dry out
your food. You aren't saving anything if you wind up tossing half the
food. Good luck.

nancy

Nancy Young said:

"Staycalm" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"linda" <[email hidden]> wrote

For

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that matter I don't know if the tubs from Bunnings would be any good
either in that regard, if it's not designed for food, maybe it's not
safe.

Quoted message said:

Try contacting Howards Storage World to see what they have. Also look in
the phone book for places that kit out restaurants, etc. They are sure to
have more info on bulk storage of stuff. Search under catering supplies?

Definitely look for a food supply store, or online source for restaurant
supplies. Forget the paint cans. Even within the cans, I have to think
you'll want a plastic bag because there will be air and that will dry out
your food. You aren't saving anything if you wind up tossing half the
food. Good luck.

nancy

Or it comes with weevil eggs and all goes buggy over time. It takes the
old fashioned view that sifting them out is enough, and not many modern
folks have that mindset.

If it is not rated for food, then no investigation has been done and no
one knows if it is good or will make your food stink of plastic.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

linda said:

And it's mainly dry kind of foods that I'm storing, doesn't have to be
refrigerated or anything, like sultantas, oats, peanuts, different grains
etc etc - buying them in 25 kilo sacks. We want to keep them freshish, but
moreso keep ants and bugs etc out.

I purchase dry foods (grains, cereals, etc.) from http://store.honeyvillegrain.com

Check out their storage supplies... I buy their food-safe 5 gallon
*air tight* plastic pails to store the bulk quantities and accumlate
large glass jars with screw lids for working quantities, and I use
their O2 absorber packets (they really work). It makes no sense
cleaning old paint pails, hardly worth the labor and mess, but more
importantly you'll never remove the paint odor from the plastic...
plus those "contractor" buckets will not reseal air tight.
Honeville's pails have a silicone lid gasket for filling and there is
a screw cap spout in the lid for pouring. They charge the same very
resonable $5 shipping no matter how large the order... unfortunately I
don't think they ship outside the lower 48 and Canada, perhaps Alaska
too.

Keep in mind, there is no saving in bulk shopping if you don't use it
all... I split the 50 pound sacks of grains with neighbors... some of
my neighbors have large families so they will take 40 pounds and I
take 10 pounds, 10 pounds is a years supply of steel cut oats for me.
I have one neighbor who has so many married children and grand
children that they take a full 50 pound sack of oats plus the 40
pounds from my share, they finish all theirs in like 3-4 months. But
I use a full 50 pound sack of buckwheat groats (kasha) and they take
none, they don't care for it and I love it.

Sheldon

linda said:

We're on a fairly tight budget and I quite enjoy cooking so searched around
and found a place to buy in bulk from to get cheaper prices. So far so
good - so it's all arriving tomorrow and I went out yesterday and bought
some large 55 litre plastic storage containers to keep it all in - but DH
said they won't do, I should be keeping it all in air tight containers.

I use the 2 liter (?) plastic juice bottles.

They have a wide mouth, they're see-thru,
they hold a goodly amount of dry-goods,
and they inhibit the spread of "little critters"..

I use them for rice, beans, barle, split-peas, etc.

Of course, they pour easy too.

BTW;
If anyone decides to use juice bottles,
I cut the top 4" off a 2 l. soda bottle.
Upside-down, it's a perfect filler funnel.
<rj>

In article <[email hidden]>,
Sheldon <[email hidden]> wrote:
(snippage)

Quoted message said:

Keep in mind, there is no saving in bulk shopping if you don't use it
all...

Amen! It's a false economy if you wind up pitching half of it.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://www.jamlady.eboard.com
http:/http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor/

Melba's Jammin said:

Amen! It's a false economy if you wind up pitching half of it.

.....and wondering where those flutter-bys flitting across your tv
screen came from.

nb

linda said:

Thanks if you've got this far, and even more thanks if you can give me
ideas. 🙂

Sounds like you're going to be spending a lot of money in the interest
of saving money. Are you survivalists?

--
See return address to reply by email

On Jun 21, 12:28 pm, Melba's Jammin' <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, Sheldon <[email hidden]> wrote:

(snippage)

Quoted message said:

Keep in mind, there is no saving in bulk shopping if you don't use it
all...

Amen! It's a false economy if you wind up pitching half of it.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJhttp://www.jamlady.eboard.com
http:/http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor/

Two sides:
Also it false economy if you fail to take into consideration the trip
and/or shipping charges involved in another purchase for what you
didn't buy. Of course, one can combine the next purchase with another
new purchase, which I do anyway, but I prefer to have what I need in
my cupboard instead of constantly being on the alert, making lists,
trying to get best shipping, etc. Having something shipped is spending
extra money on gas keeping all those big trucks on the road, blah blah
blah. What a PITA.

I go to pick up my milk (which by the way has increased again) once a
week and I combine all shopping that I can around that day.

I go to the "big city" to do shopping combined with major doctor's
appointments.
I keep track of things to buy.

DH makes trips to CT and picks up food stuffs on the way that can't be
bought price or otherwise, here.

IMO buying too much is only a part of false economy, albeit, it is a
part.
Dee Dee

Sheldon said:

I purchase dry foods (grains, cereals, etc.) fromhttp://store.honeyvillegrain.com

Check out their storage supplies... I buy their food-safe 5 gallon
*air tight* plastic pails to store the bulk quantities and accumlate
large glass jars with screw lids for working quantities, and I use
their O2 absorber packets (they really work).

Glad to know they work, I've been thinking about ordering them, and
will.

Quoted message said:

Honeville's pails have a silicone lid gasket for filling and there is
a screw cap spout in the lid for pouring.

I've been wondering about their pails. The 5 gallon ones I have from a
grain shipment about 15 years ago are still being used. I'm
wondering if you are speaking of a silicone lid gasket for them, as
one of these filled - or even half full - would be very heavy to
pour.

But

Quoted message said:

I use a full 50 pound sack of buckwheat groats (kasha) and they take
none, they don't care for it and I love it.

Now, this is a case where I did order buckwheat groats and found that
I didn't like them. But, maybe I didn't know how to prepare it
properly.

Quoted message said:

Sheldon

notbob said:

Melba's Jammin said:

Amen! It's a false economy if you wind up pitching half of it.

....and wondering where those flutter-bys flitting across your tv
screen came from.

nb

Hey, have you been sneaking into my TV room?

modom

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Staycalm" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"linda" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

So then another idea we had was, well we're in the middle of painting
our house currently and the buckets the paint comes in are quite large
and have air tight sealing lids, so in theory over time we'll have a lot
of great buckets from that, but I don't know what the plastic would be
like really. I mean it's obviously not going to be heated or anything
with food in, but I'm not keen on the idea of toxins being released over
time into the food - anyone know if in general that would happen or not?
For that matter I don't know if the tubs from Bunnings would be any good
either in that regard, if it's not designed for food, maybe it's not
safe.

Quoted message said:

Try contacting Howards Storage World to see what they have. Also look in
the phone book for places that kit out restaurants, etc. They are sure to
have more info on bulk storage of stuff. Search under catering supplies?

Definitely look for a food supply store, or online source for restaurant
supplies. Forget the paint cans. Even within the cans, I have to think
you'll want a plastic bag because there will be air and that will dry out
your food. You aren't saving anything if you wind up tossing half the
food. Good luck.

nancy

Hi thanks, yes I'll check out Howards, and I've emailed some commercial
supply places too. I think the paint buckets would be airtight, but I'm
just not comfortable storing food in them I don't think, not knowing how the
plastic was finished.
Thanks for the suggestions.

"Giusi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Nancy Young said:

"Staycalm" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

"linda" <[email hidden]> wrote

For

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> that matter I don't know if the tubs from Bunnings would be any good
> either in that regard, if it's not designed for food, maybe it's not
> safe.

Quoted message said:

Try contacting Howards Storage World to see what they have. Also look in
the phone book for places that kit out restaurants, etc. They are sure
to have more info on bulk storage of stuff. Search under catering
supplies?

Definitely look for a food supply store, or online source for restaurant
supplies. Forget the paint cans. Even within the cans, I have to think
you'll want a plastic bag because there will be air and that will dry out
your food. You aren't saving anything if you wind up tossing half the
food. Good luck.

nancy

Or it comes with weevil eggs and all goes buggy over time. It takes the
old fashioned view that sifting them out is enough, and not many modern
folks have that mindset.

Would you believe I have memories of doing just that growing up. And then
picking any stray weevils out of the flour before using it. Certainly not
keen on going down that path. I obviously survived, but I think dh would
throw it all out if he found bugs in it!

Quoted message said:

If it is not rated for food, then no investigation has been done and no
one knows if it is good or will make your food stink of plastic.

Yes thats what worries me.
Don't want to risk it.

Quoted message said:

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

linda said:

And it's mainly dry kind of foods that I'm storing, doesn't have to be
refrigerated or anything, like sultantas, oats, peanuts, different grains
etc etc - buying them in 25 kilo sacks. We want to keep them freshish,
but
moreso keep ants and bugs etc out.

I purchase dry foods (grains, cereals, etc.) from
http://store.honeyvillegrain.com

Check out their storage supplies... I buy their food-safe 5 gallon
*air tight* plastic pails to store the bulk quantities and accumlate
large glass jars with screw lids for working quantities, and I use
their O2 absorber packets (they really work). It makes no sense
cleaning old paint pails, hardly worth the labor and mess, but more
importantly you'll never remove the paint odor from the plastic...
plus those "contractor" buckets will not reseal air tight.
Honeville's pails have a silicone lid gasket for filling and there is
a screw cap spout in the lid for pouring. They charge the same very
resonable $5 shipping no matter how large the order... unfortunately I
don't think they ship outside the lower 48 and Canada, perhaps Alaska
too.

Keep in mind, there is no saving in bulk shopping if you don't use it
all... I split the 50 pound sacks of grains with neighbors... some of
my neighbors have large families so they will take 40 pounds and I
take 10 pounds, 10 pounds is a years supply of steel cut oats for me.
I have one neighbor who has so many married children and grand
children that they take a full 50 pound sack of oats plus the 40
pounds from my share, they finish all theirs in like 3-4 months. But
I use a full 50 pound sack of buckwheat groats (kasha) and they take
none, they don't care for it and I love it.

Sheldon

Hi Sheldon, thanks for the thought. It would be ideal, but you're right,
they don't ship to Australia 🙁
I estimate that the stuff I've got will last us up to about 6 months
(provided I can store it ok!!) and most of it has a useby date for 12 months
or longer so we should be ok.
The other thing is that I know if I've got it I'll make sure I use it, which
will force me to find different recipes anyway if we get sick of the same
ones - so it's all good.

Quoted message said:

"<RJ>" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

linda said:

We're on a fairly tight budget and I quite enjoy cooking so searched
around
and found a place to buy in bulk from to get cheaper prices. So far so
good - so it's all arriving tomorrow and I went out yesterday and bought
some large 55 litre plastic storage containers to keep it all in - but DH
said they won't do, I should be keeping it all in air tight containers.

I use the 2 liter (?) plastic juice bottles.

They have a wide mouth, they're see-thru,
they hold a goodly amount of dry-goods,
and they inhibit the spread of "little critters"..

I use them for rice, beans, barle, split-peas, etc.

Of course, they pour easy too.

BTW;
If anyone decides to use juice bottles,
I cut the top 4" off a 2 l. soda bottle.
Upside-down, it's a perfect filler funnel.
<rj>

Thats an interesting idea - we don't drink much juice, but we could probably
collect some from friends etc. I'll look into it. Thanks

<sf> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

linda said:

Thanks if you've got this far, and even more thanks if you can give me
ideas. 🙂

Sounds like you're going to be spending a lot of money in the interest
of saving money. Are you survivalists?

Hi, we're not doing anything special - just buying in bulk to get cheaper
prices - but only products I know we use a lot of (we have porridge every
morning, and go through 1 kilo a week. We snack on sultanas a lot, and go
through 1 - 2 kilos so those kind of things we know it's fine to get lots
of.)
We had just been buying them from the supermarket but are trying to save
money hence the buying in bulk. Sultanas for example we pay $4.60 for
normally, buying in bulk works out to $2.65. I figure even if it costs us
in storage containers what we saved in the food prices, it's no loss as we
would have paid that much anyway from the supermarket. Then of course next
time we don't have to worry about it and it's a saving. Only difference is
we wouldn't have the huge upfront cost of buying in bulk but it will all
even out, so thats ok too.

Quoted message said:

--
See return address to reply by email

linda said:

Hi Sheldon, thanks for the thought. It would be ideal, but you're right,
they don't ship to Australia 🙁
I estimate that the stuff I've got will last us up to about 6 months
(provided I can store it ok!!) and most of it has a useby date for 12 months
or longer so we should be ok.
The other thing is that I know if I've got it I'll make sure I use it, which
will force me to find different recipes anyway if we get sick of the same
ones - so it's all good.

Linda,
Do you have a bakery or bread shop in your neighbourhood? Our local
bakery used to sell off their big flour buckets every so often for a
few bucks each... it sounds like something like that would be just
what the doctor ordered.

"Karen AKA Kajikit" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

linda said:

Hi Sheldon, thanks for the thought. It would be ideal, but you're right,
they don't ship to Australia 🙁
I estimate that the stuff I've got will last us up to about 6 months
(provided I can store it ok!!) and most of it has a useby date for 12
months
or longer so we should be ok.
The other thing is that I know if I've got it I'll make sure I use it,
which
will force me to find different recipes anyway if we get sick of the same
ones - so it's all good.

Linda,
Do you have a bakery or bread shop in your neighbourhood? Our local
bakery used to sell off their big flour buckets every so often for a
few bucks each... it sounds like something like that would be just
what the doctor ordered.

Hey I'll check. We have plenty of small bakeries, not sure if they would
use the big buckets but I'll check for sure. Thanks