FOOD Check your Food storage, especially stuff in cardboard boxes & bags

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Double_A

TB Fanatic
Time to remind everyone. In many parts of the country temps are warming and that means those pesky moths that get into package of food.

Cans, Jars are fine.

But check,

Bags (paper & plastic) of bulk foods especially.

The time to discover a 25lb sack of something is full of moths/maggots or rat nibbled is >NOW< when food is still available and not priced four times the price you originally paid for it.
 
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Double_A

TB Fanatic
You can sink ALL your money in food because your a "Can't eat Silver/Gold" type of person, but if your food has all spoiled because it wasn't stored properly your gonna be hungry.

Moisture absorbers
Oxygen absorbers
Food Sealers / Vacumm packers
Glass Jars
Food Grade Plastic pails & Drums (as Johnnymac said)

You have to store it properly to not waste your money.
 
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dogmanan

Inactive
I hope everybody keeps an eye on their stuff, that is part of prepping making sure to check the stuff and rotation.
I'm a plus at that as i'm to poor to let any thing go to waste because I did not keep up with rotating every thing.
Good reminder for thoses that don't do a a plus job of checking.

later
 
Dex

Dex

Constitutional Patriot
What is it with pineapple cans wanting to blow up?

I stopped using cardboard after the last mouse invasion.

Plastic bins is the best way. They breath, are water and rodent proof, the only way to go.
 
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Double_A

TB Fanatic
Dex said:
What is it with pineapple cans wanting to blow up?

I stopped using cardboard after the last mouse invasion.

Plastic bins is the best way. They breath, are water and rodent proof, the only way to go.
Click to expand...

Yea that's what I thought. Until the moths found a 25lb bag of dried pinto beans, marked as purchased May 2010. (those are Bay Leaves in the bin with all the moths) They got into the sack of beans, there were nice little maggots inside the sack also.

So you better check Dex
 

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dogmanan

Inactive
Double_A That is free pro'teen will be needed when the shift.
I've found over the years if you don't put stuff in air tight containers those dame months get in to every thing.
I make sure all new stuff gets frozen and that takes care of those months and their eggs.
This last winter I left three thirty five gallon barrals of various beans out side all winter so they could freeze and kill any months or eggs that might have been in the beans.
I love those tubs but they are not air tight and this is whats happens.
Beans, rice and grains of any kind I always put in air tight barrals or buckets.
I though the bay leaves were suspose to keep bugs out of your stuff.

later
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
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The tubs are NOT rodent PROOF, either. They certainly are more rodent resistant than cardboard packaging, but given enough time, rats will rather easily chew through Rubbermaid type containers, and even mice CAN if they're hungry enough.

Also, as pointed out above, if you didn't make certain your food was completely pest-free BEFORE putting it into the tubs, they make a lovely dark place for them to emerge and multiply.

The ONLY preps I don't open completely and check are those in mylar bags with 02 absorbers... and I even open the buckets they are in (the only exception being those I purchased in "super pails") and check to be sure the mylar is still holding a vacuum. Actually, I only do this once- in the first "yearly check" after I packaged something in mylar and stashed it in a bucket. If it held fine for a year, it's good to go for long term.

Oh, and bay leaves are sort of a mild deterrent, but no more than that. I'd never count on them to do anything if there was an actual infestation- they MIGHT possibly deter a single moth or two from laying eggs in a container which had them, but there is no guarantee. Same with peppermint oil and rodents- they hate it, there's no question about it. But given a choice of starving and freezing outside, or coming into a warm place which smells like peppermint... guess which they'll choose?

After long experience, I don't store ANYthing in it's original packaging. I strongly suspect that most of the time, the bugs actually are in the packaging- in the glue or seams. I've never had an infestation in anything I brought home and immediately (within a week or so) dumped out into a storage container. But I DID bring pantry moths home in some whole wheat flour that was left in the paper bags it came in... and learned my lesson. (the same flour I had dumped into a large sealed jar didn't have any sign of bugs. I call that a clue)

I do the same with pet food- I bring it home and immediately dump it into rubbermaid bins. I've taped over the air holes in those (they're usually hidden under the handles) and I've never had a problem with moths or weevils in it. It stays fresh for at least a year that way, in our fairly cool climate. If I was storing it for longer than that, I'd probably go the Mylar bag and O2 absorber route for that as well.

Summerthyme
 
packyderms_wife

packyderms_wife

Neither here nor there.
Dex said:
What is it with pineapple cans wanting to blow up?

I stopped using cardboard after the last mouse invasion.

Plastic bins is the best way. They breath, are water and rodent proof, the only way to go.
Click to expand...

It's the acid in the pineapple. I go through periodically checking for moths, damaged cans etc. I average about one can of fruit a year and maybe one or two cans of tomatoes, this year it was a can of cranberry sauce and a can of green beans go figure.
 
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CarolynA

Veteran Member
I often take boxed meals, like mac & cheese, & transfer the contents to a mason jar. I just cut out the instructions & put it in the jar along with the pasta & cheese packet. The stuff stays fresh a whole lot longer in glass than in the box. Rice dishes like Rice-A-roni get a few days in the freezer before I transfer them to mason jars. Rice, pasta, dried beans, popcorn, etc all go in jars too.
 
shinerbock

shinerbock

Innocent Bystander
packyderms_wife said:
It's the acid in the pineapple. I go through periodically checking for moths, damaged cans etc. I average about one can of fruit a year and maybe one or two cans of tomatoes, this year it was a can of cranberry sauce and a can of green beans go figure.
Click to expand...



With me it's always peaches -
 
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