COURSE 302: SECURING YOUR FOOD FOR

THE LONG TERM

OVERVIEW

Time is a dangerous thing when you combine it with improperly stored bulk food.

If you want to ensure your long-term food stores are around 10, 20 or even 30+ years down the

road (especially during that time when you and your family need it most) then you must learn

how to PROPERLY store away that food.

This course will teach you that.

Theヴe’s ﾐothiﾐg ┘oヴse thaﾐ opeﾐiﾐg up ┞ouヴ loﾐg-term wheat and finding a bucket full of moldy

grain or weevils (suヴe, it’s pヴoteiﾐ, Hut I’mon, I’ﾏ Hettiﾐg ┞ou’d pヴefeヴ the ┘heat).

If ┞ou ┘aﾐt to eﾐsuヴe that a sIeﾐaヴio like this doesﾐ’t happeﾐ to ┞ou, then this is the course

┞ou’ll ┘aﾐt to pa┞ atteﾐtioﾐ to.

Ensuring your long-term stores will be there when you need them…

After completing this course you will know how to properly package and store your bulk

foods foヴ the loﾐg teヴﾏ. You ┘ill…

Avoid the common pitfalls involved with storing your long-term supplies

Learn which containers you MUST and MUST NOT use

Discover the PROPER techniques for bulk-food storage to ensure that it will

still be there when you need it.

UﾐIo┗eヴ the さalteヴﾐati┗eざ teIhﾐiケues of Hulk-food storage that are just as

effective as but MUCH easier than using the common bucket, Mylar and O2

absorbers.

Leaヴﾐ the RARELY discussed techﾐiケues of さiﾐteヴiﾏ food stoヴageざ to eﾐsuヴe your current-use stock does not perish.

aﾐd ﾏoヴe…!

Most of ┘hat ┞ou’ll He leaヴﾐiﾐg iﾐ this Iouヴse ┘ill He thヴough ┗ideo deﾏoﾐstヴatioﾐ. I ┘aﾐted to ensure that you have an exact understanding how to do each of the various techniques –

soﾏethiﾐg that’s done easier through video instruction.

PREPARING YOUR STORAGE SPACE

In Course 201 you learned how and where to properly store your 3-month supply. If you are

ヴegulaヴl┞ ヴotatiﾐg that food ふas I ヴeIoﾏﾏeﾐdぶ, theヴe’s aItuall┞ a lot of latitude ┞ou Iaﾐ take with

where and how you store it.

In other words, the mistakes you may be making will not have drastic consequences since it will

only be stored for around 3 months.

However, given how long your long-term food could be stored for (up to 30 years or moreぶ, it’s ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL that you have the proper storage parameters in place.

THE FIVE ENEMIES OF FOOD STORAGE For the sake of ヴeduﾐdaﾐI┞ aﾐd ヴepetitioﾐ ふhopefull┞ to ヴeall┞ dヴi┗e it hoﾏe this tiﾏeぶ, let’s take a deeper look into the FIVE ENEMIES of food storage and why ignoring them is at your own

peril:

LIGHT

Light may be good for preventing molds but with

regards to your long-teヴﾏ food stoヴes, theヴe’s really

nothing positive about it.

Both artificial and sunlight -- with the main culprit

being ultraviolet light -- causes a bunch of problems

including bleaching out the color of foods, killing off

important vitamins, changing the taste and texture of

food and speeding up rancidity.

Storage Takeaway: If part of your long-term food is stored in glass or other clear

containers, be sure to keep it in a dark location, away from direct lighting (particularly

suﾐlightぶ. Otheヴ┘ise, youヴ Hest Het is to use aﾐ opaケue Ioﾐtaiﾐeヴ ふ┘e’ll Io┗eヴ ┘hat types of containers in detail later on in this course).

HEAT

Those of you familiar with chemistry know that

simple chemical reactions will roughly double with

each 18°F (10°C) rise in temperature. However,

because of the biochemical and enzymatic nature

of food, these reactions will increase at a far

greater rate.

As stored food is exposed to an increase in heat, the reactions spurred on by the heat affect the

color, texture, flavor and nutritional content of the food.

Heat will also increase the rate of growth of both microbes and insects; it will also dry out some

foods and increase the moisture inside certain containers (which further increases microbial

activity).

CRITTERS

Critters such as rodents and insects destroy millions of

pounds of food per year.

Ensuring your food is stored properly will prevent vermin

from destroying your long-term supply.

Storage Takeaway: You want your storage area to be ideally around 40°F (5°C) but

50°F - 70°F (10-21°C) is acceptable. If possible, avoid extreme fluctuations in

temperature.

Keep your food away from heat-generating appliances (furnaces, dishwashers, ovens,

stoves etc), heat ducts, heaters, vents, steam and hot-water pipes.

The deeper you can go in the ground (ie basements) or the more insulation you can

put around your stores (without preventing good ventilation) will help to keep it cool

and prevent major temperature fluctuations.

Storage Takeaway: Proper packaging of your long-term food supply is essential to keep

critters at bay. We will cover in detail what types of containers and methods of storage

will prevent critters from ever becoming an issue.

OXYGEN

Oxygen is required for the growth of certain bacteria and fungi (molds and yeasts). Even a small

amount of it will oxidize the fat contained in nearly all foods which leads to rancidity, off-

flavors, change of color and destruction of vitamins.

MOISTURE

A small amount of moisture is important to maintain quality in most foods but having too much

moisture (above 10%) promotes the growth of molds, yeast, bacteria and insects. In addition it

contributes to an increase in chemical reactions and can corrode certain containers.

SETTING UP YOUR STORAGE AREA The area you choose for your food storage should be orderly and easily accessible to allow for

rotation and inventory control.

It’s also a VERY GOOD IDEA ふ*wink *wink) to spread your storage among a number of different

locations rather than having it all in one place. This will decrease the risk of loss due to mishap,

flood, or theft. It also allows for easier hiding for OPSEC (operational security) reasons – which

will be covered in detail in Module 400.

FINDING SPACE

The amount of space you need is dependent upon how many people you are storing for, how

long you plan on storing it, as well as the types of food.

Storage Takeaway: The effects of oxygen can be greatly reduced by using air-tight

containers in combination with either oxygen absorbers, the creation of a vacuum (as

with canning), or replacing the oxygen with an inert gas.

Each of these methods will be covered in detail in the accompanying videos.

Storage Takeaway: If your long-term storage consists of metal cans, be sure to store in

a dヴy eﾐ┗iヴoﾐﾏeﾐt to pヴe┗eﾐt Ioヴヴosioﾐ. Otheヴ┘ise, you’ll ┘aﾐt to use plastiI oヴ glass containers (keep in mind that a metal lid will also corrode) to keep the moisture out.

The more dry-bulk foods you store in contrast to moist foods (like canned goods), the less space

you need. Again, keep in mind you still need to store water to replace/cook the dried foods,

however, stored water is a lot more lenient with its storage parameters than food is. This gives

you more options if you lack space.

Much of what you learned from Course 201 with regards to finding storage space applies to

long-term stores as well.

Remember, a little creativity and ingenuity will go a long way!

CHOOSING YOUR STORAGE CONTAINERS

In addition to locating your long-teヴﾏ stoヴage iﾐ the pヴopeヴ eﾐ┗iヴoﾐﾏeﾐt, it’s equally as

important to store it in the correct type of container.

Not all storage containers are made equal. In general, you’ll want to ensure that the container

you choose has these requirements:

1. It is food grade

2. It is clean

3. It is water tight

4. It is air tight

5. It keeps out light (or at a minimum, you store it in a place devoid of light)

6. It can keep out critters

WhiIh Ioﾐtaiﾐeヴ ┞ou ultiﾏatel┞ Ihoose doesﾐ’t ﾏatteヴ so loﾐg as ┞ou’ヴe ﾏeetiﾐg eaIh of the 6

rules above. Here are a few options I recommend that you may want to consider:

RECOMMENDED CONTAINERS

METAL

There are a variety of metal containers out there that

you can use to store your food. The most common

metal containers used by Preppers for long-term

storage is #10 cans. They are excellent barriers to air,

moisture, light and rodents and provide a great

protection against the effects of earthquakes.

The downside to these cans is they require an

expensive sealer which runs about $800 for the cheaper manual ones to over $3000 for the

electric ones.

The only real economical solution to using #10 cans is to either purchase pre-packed bulk food

sold in #10 cans or to can them yourself at a local cannery such as the LDS canneries (you can

fiﾐd ﾏoヴe iﾐfoヴﾏatioﾐ oﾐ the LD“ Iaﾐﾐeヴies aﾐd Bishop’s stoヴehouses oﾐ Couヴse ンヰヱぶ.

Some of the LDS canneries have a walk-in facility with no appointment necessary. Other

facilities do require an appointment, so be sure to call first. Each facility has everything you

need to dry pack: bulk products, cans, lids, oxygen packets, labels, and boxes.

Corrosion is another issue you need to be aware of when using metal containers. The more

humid an area you live in the more susceptible your containers will be.

Although most of my food storage is in plastic buckets (discussed below), I still have a decent

amount of bulk food stored in #10 cans for future barter if need be.

RUST PREVENTION

If you really want to use metal containers but live in an area with a lot of humidity, there are

some steps you can take to mitigate rust and corrosion.

1. Automobile wax or polish rubbed on the outside of the cans will help minimize

corrosion.

2. You can also lacquer the outside of your metal cans with lead-free oil based paint or

varnish.

3. Keep your cans in cardboard boxes and stored above ground (in other words, not

touching the ground).

GLASS JARS

Glass jars (ie canning jars) are a great storage options since

they are easily cleaned, doﾐ’t Iorrode (with the exception of

the lid), keep out air and water, aﾐd ヴodeﾐts Iaﾐ’t Ihe┘ through.

On the down side, glass is more expensive than other

containers. It’s also heavy, lets light in and breaks easy. The

last two of these negatives can be mitigated by packing

them in boxes stuffed with newspaper or other similar

cushiony material and storing them in a dark area.

I use glass jars primarily to store my self-canned meats, fruits

and vegetables as well as my dehydrated foods.

MYLAR BAGS

Mylar bags are bags made out of polyester film that are laminated onto aluminum foil. This

combination allows for a superior air/water/light barrier that, in addition to these properties,

can be highly puncture resistant (if 4 mils thick or greater) -- a perfect combination for storing

food.

Gi┗eﾐ that M┞laヴ Iaﾐ He Ihe┘ed thヴough H┞ ヴodeﾐts, it’s Hest to plaIe ┞ouヴ M┞laヴ Hags ┘ithiﾐ sturdier containers like any of the others mentioned here.

You can purchase Mylar bags in many different sizes. The ones most beneficial to Preppers are

the 1-gallon size for intermediary storage (discussed later in this course) and 5-6 gallon size for

bucket liners.

HOW TO SEAL MYLAR BAGS

Sealing Mylar bags is a very simple process that only requires a heat source like an iron. Or you

can purchase an impact sealer or other heat sealer.

Purchasing a sealer by yourself may not be the most economical thing to do but if you have

some Prepper buddies that are all willing to pitch in and share, it might not be a bad idea.

I got my impact sealer from work (it was used to seal marketing material). They were throwing

it away and luckily enough for me there were no other Preppers there who knew what the heck

the thing was good for.

You can also rent a sealer from Ready Made Resources at the following link (you just pay

shipping both ways):

Ready Made Resources Sealer Rental

PLASTIC BUCKETS

Plastic food-grade buckets (particularly the 5-gallon ones) are the most common storage

container used by Preppers to store their long term bulk foods -- and for good reason, they

meet all the requirements you need, the┞’ヴe easy to get, inexpensive, durable and reusable.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

Keep in mind that not all 5-gallon buckets are food grade. To eﾐsuヴe that ┞ou’ヴe Hu┞iﾐg a food gヴade HuIket, it ┘ill eitheヴ He sold as さfood gヴadeざ oヴ laHeled oﾐ the HuIket. If ┞ou’ヴe uﾐsuヴe, be sure to contact the manufacturer.

*Note: If you’ヴe liﾐiﾐg youヴ HuIkets ┘ith Mylaヴ, it is ﾐot ﾐeIessaヴy to Huy food-grade buckets.

WHERE TO GET THEM

Given all the buckets I have for my own personal storage, there are only a few that I’┗e aItuall┞ purchased. Free food-grade buckets are very easy to come by.

The best place to get free buckets is from restaurants and bakeries (or the bakery section in

your grocery stores). Most places are more than happy to get rid of their buckets and all it takes

is a ケuiIk Iall oヴ ┗isit to ask theﾏ to gi┗e ┞ou aﾐ┞ the┞’ヴe thヴo┘iﾐg out.

As you develop a relationship with them, they usually are more than willing to set them aside

until you need to pick them up.

The oﾐe thiﾐg ┞ou’ll ﾐeed to puヴIhase oヴ get separately is lids.

*Note: if you get used buckets that had pickles in them, know that the pickle smell is VERY

DIFFICULT to remove. In ﾏy opiﾐioﾐ, I doﾐ’t thiﾐk the effoヴt it takes to ヴeﾏo┗e the sﾏell is ┘oヴth the tiﾏe aﾐd eﾐeヴgy. It’s Hest to move on and find another bucket if you have a choice.

CONTAINERS TO AVOID As long as you follow the rules I indicated above for choosing a container, you should be good

to go. But in some cases there may be a gray area.

Just so there is no confusion, here are coﾐtaiﾐeヴs ┞ou’ll ┘aﾐt to a┗oid:

Any container — even if made of food grade plastic — that’s Heeﾐ used to store non-

food items like chemicals, paint, or detergent

5-gallon utility buckets from home-improvement stores (unless they CLEARLY state they

are food grade or you are lining the buckets with Mylar)

Garbage bags

Rubber, plastic or galvanized steel trash cans

Household storage containers

Dry pet food buckets

Laundry detergent or kitty litter buckets

Mop buckets

PROTECTING YOUR LONG-TERM FOOD STORAGE

Your long-term food storage will be one of the most important investments of your life. And

like aﾐ┞ otheヴ iﾐ┗estﾏeﾐt, ┞ou’ll ┘aﾐt to eﾐsuヴe that it’s pヴoteIted.

Again, the accompanying videos for this course will demonstrate how to correctly perform the

various methods ┞ou’ll fiﾐd in this section.

DIATOMACEOUS EARTH Diatomaceous earth is the fossilized remains of microscopic diatoms and is sold at many home garden centers as an effective insecticide. It is non-chemical and can be used to protect your bulk grains and legumes against insect infestation since the diatoms spiny skeletons are like deadly razorblades that kill insects and their offspring (not harmful to humans or your pets).

Here’s the basic method of its use:

1. Be sure you use food-grade diatomaceous earth. 2. For each 5-gallon bucket of food, you use 1 cup of diatomaceous earth. 3. Since the powder is irritating if inhaled, be sure to wear a mask. 4. Use a layered approach

a. Fill your bucket 1/4 way with product and add 1/4 cup earth b. repeat until finished

For a detailed instruction on how to use it, see the “Using Diatomaceous Earth” video.

Food-Grade Diatomaceous Earth

FUMIGATION (DRY ICE) Fumigation using dry ice is another effective method of protecting your stored bulk foods. Since

the carbon dioxide is heavier than the oxygen, the dry ice basically replaces the oxygen in your

buckets which prevents insects eggs from hatching.

WHERE TO GET IT

Dry ice can be purchased at many grocery stores. Otherwise you can do an internet search for

さdヴ┞ iIe [┞ouヴ to┘ﾐ or closest city aﾐd state]ざ aﾐd you should get a listing of various suppliers.

HOW TO USE IT

Foヴ detailed deﾏoﾐstヴatioﾐ oﾐ usiﾐg dヴy iIe, see the さHo┘ to Use Dヴy IIeざ ┗ideo.

For a textual recap, here are the steps:

1. Weaヴ glo┗es ふto eﾐsuヴe ┞ou doﾐ’t get fヴostHiteぶ!

2. Use around 4-8oz of dry ice per 5-gallon bucket.

3. Place on top of food product.

4. Place lid loosely on bucket.

5. Let the dry ice completely evaporate.

6. Once finished with evaporation, tightly press down the lid to seal the bucket.

OXYGEN ABSORBERS Oxygen absorbers are used to absorb oxygen in various containers and create a vacuum which prevents the growth of insects, rancidity and microorganisms.

If you are planning on using oxygen absorber packets in preserving your edible dry goods, you must be able to seal the container. The oxygen absorber packets absorb the oxygen, leaving a partial vacuum.

If your container isn’t air tight, the oxygen in the air being sucked into the container will eventually load the packets with oxygen, and introduce oxygen back into your product.

1. 2000cc per 5- or 6-gallon bucket (although I do have some of my buckets with O2 absorbers directly inside, I don’t recommend using oxygen absorbers in buckets since buckets may deform since they’re not designed to hold a strong vacuum. It’s better to use a combination of buckets and Mylar bags).

2. 300cc per 1-gallon Mylar bag or #10 can

300cc Oxygen Absorbers 2000cc Oxygen Absorbers

MYLAR, 5-GALLON BUCKETS AND O2 ABSORBERS This is my preferred method of storage.

The combination of Mylar, O2 absorbers and 5-gallon buckets is the ideal solution since there is

a double protection. The hard plastic bucket provides protection against puncture and the first

airtight seal and the Mylar lining further creates another airtight seal. Combined with the O2

aHsoヴHeヴs iﾐ the M┞laヴ, theヴe’s a stヴoﾐg ┗aIuuﾏ Iヴeated ┘ith ┗eヴ┞ little aiヴ e┝Ihaﾐge.

As loﾐg as ┞ouヴ pヴoduIt is stoヴed iﾐ aﾐ eﾐ┗iヴoﾐﾏeﾐt ┘ith ﾐo e┝tヴeﾏes iﾐ teﾏpeヴatuヴe, ┞ou’ll He able to store you food in this way for many years.

MOUSETRAPS AND POISON Although ﾐot e┝aItl┞ a pヴeseヴ┗atioﾐ teIhﾐiケue iﾐ itself, it’s still a good idea to ha┗e a ﾐuﾏHeヴ of mousetraps and poisons stored away to ensure that your food is protected against rodents.

INTERIM STORAGE

Since you should be using and rotating your long-teヴﾏ food stoヴage, ┞ou’ll He ヴegulaヴl┞ Hヴeakiﾐg into buckets of wheat and that could take you a month or more to get through.

This section will briefly give you a few pointers on how you can ensure that your food that you

are using stays fresh.

METHODS FOR INTERIM STORAGE The biggest obstacle you will deal with when it comes to keeping your bulk foods fresh is

oxygen. Here are some effective techniques you can use to keep the air out and your food

fresh:

MASON JARS

Mason (canning) jars are excellent for keeping your foods fresh, provided you can create a

vacuum seal to remove the air and keep it out.

FOODSAVER JAR SEALER

If you already have a FoodSaver device, these can be easily fitted with a FoodSaver Jar Sealer

that will pull the air out of your mason jars and create an airtight vacuum.

DIY JAR SEALER

If ┞ou doﾐ’t ha┗e a Food “a┗eヴ oヴ ┘ould like to eﾐsuヴe ┞ou ha┗e a ┘a┞ of still sealiﾐg up ┞ouヴ foods when power is not available, you can make your own DIY Jar Sealer from easily purchased

parts: a brake bleeder (hand vacuum pump) and a FoodSaver jar sealer.

Be sure to check out the DIY Jar Sealer video for instructions on how to do this.

Hand Vacuum Pump Food Saver Jar Sealer

GAMMA SEAL LIDS

Gamma Seal Lids are perfect for those who are making regular use of their food stored in 5 and

6-gallon pails and buckets. The┞ fit aﾐ┞ staﾐdaヴd ヱヲざ diaﾏeteヴ plastiI HuIket aﾐd aヴe completely resealable and reusable.

The lid base is easily installed with a rubber mallet and together with the screw on gasket/lid it

provides a reusable airtight seal.

Gamma Seal Lids

2-LITER SODA BOTTLES

In a pinch, your standard 2-liter soda bottles make for excellent temporary food storage

containers. Be sure to use a funnel when filling the bottles to prevent spillage.

ONE GALLON MYLAR BAGS One gallon Mylar bags are excellent for storing your bulk foods for both long and short term storage.

I use them specifically to store my “powdered” foods such as powdered milk, flour, potato flakes, salt and sugar. They make for a very convenient package that you don’t need to open up an entire bucket in order to use smaller portions.

Also, they are reusable and re-sealable.

See the accompanying video for more detailed instructions on their use.

One-Gallon Mylar Bags w/ 300cc Oxygen Absorbers