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Being able to store food for long term use is highly important, no matter if one is faced with normal or not so normal situations. However, it would be of greater importance if one faces a situation where normal means of obtaining food on a regular basis (like grocery stores) are no longer an option.
My experience in storing dry beans, grains and pasta in my pantry has been a bit of a trial and error sequence for me. It is important to keep a good rotation on one’s stockpile to be sure that as little is wasted as possible and that the stockpile is as up to date as possible.
Through my trial and error sequence, I have learned not to rely on the plastic bags or cardboard boxes that food is packaged in as protection against infestation. It was a lesson that has cost me many boxes of pasta, a bag of flour, and a few bags of dry beans. I was able to get a small assortment of plastic storage bins of various sizes. With these plastic storage bins, including cleaned and re-purposed giant pretzel containers, I have used them to store my flour, sugar, salt, dry beans, pasta, corn meal, rice, and other similar items for long term storage and protection against weevils.
If you are fortunate enough to have never dealt with weevils, consider yourself lucky – they are terrible and they are almost like a game of whack-a-mole; another one pops up when you think you have removed them all.
In my experience, weevils will find a way into the plastic bags and cardboard boxes of products we get from the grocery store shelves. If you think that the plastic bags that dry rice and beans are stored in can deter the weevils, I have found they will somehow eat through the bag to get to the beans and grain item inside. So far as I have found, they haven’t been able to get into the plastic storage containers I have moved such items to, but I keep an eye out so I can determine if I need to find a new way to outsmart the dreaded weevil infestation of my grain stores.
Since I am at sea level, I have limitations on food preservation and storage. For example, I wouldn’t be able to easily utilize an underground cellar as a food storage option. So far as I can tell at present, my options are canning, dehydration and other dry storage methods that would be able to stand at least 60% humidity should a long term power outage be a concern and refrigeration and freezing not be an option.
I also try to find old cookbooks for instructions on cooking from scratch. They are fun and I also love the recipes that call for a cup of lard – it makes me smile and giggle a bit. Such recipes are usually able to yield more than I can eat quickly on my own, but I continue to try and learn. It took me three times to get the balance of hot water and yeast just right in making bread from scratch. But there are few other delights in this world that can match warm, fresh bread straight from the oven.
I know of some people who have used mylar bags. These bags come in various sizes, so I would recommend using the sizes of the typical portions one would need to use for the number of people you serve. As further protection against an infestation, These bags have usually been put into 5 gallon buckets with lids to allow for easier storage and mobility, of course with labeling on the items inside and date of the storage to maintain a good rotation.
What are your methods to defeat a weevil infestation for long term food storage?
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