storing bulk dry goods?

[dragons in the flower bed]

I'm tempted to buy rice in the large bulk-sized bags because we eat it almost every day. My only concern is storage. What do you keep such quantities in when you're digging into your store at least once a day? The only thing I can think of are those big Tupper boxes that are clear plastic and intended for Christmas ornaments or off-season clothing. Where would I even put those in a kitchen designed for Campbell's cans and Betty Crocker mixes?

[kokotg]

We keep stuff in those big, white food grade plastic buckets. And we don't have anywhere to keep them in our kitchen, so we store them in the basement and bring up a little at a time (usually in big yogurt containers).

[eternalknot]

We buy rice in bulk, and eat it 2-3 times a day. I keep "short term storage" separate from "long term storage" for my convenience.

 

Short term storage, I keep various sized glass jars or plastic containers (food-grade, that's important!) in the freezer and in my pantry - enough supply for a month or so, just spread around the kitchen. Mine is a small kitchen with poor storage. And the jars or containers are just ones I'm reusing and what I have on hand.

 

Long term storage, I use a (food grade!) plastic container found at restaurant supply stores - the kind you see at ice cream parlors, they come in a variety of sizes. When we had the restaurant we used these containers alone, as is. At home, I store rice in reuseable muslin bags (plastic would work, either ziploc or the kind from the produce section of your grocery) and then I store piles of those bags in our trash-can sized plastic container under the sink. It's a convenience thing for me, to be able to grab smaller quantities without worrying about constant exposure to air - it would certainly work to do what we did at the restaurant, and simply scoop regular supplies of rice straight from the plastic container.

 

Either way, when I buy in bulk .. I DO freeze foods before storing them long-term. Just for a few days, to kill any larvae.

[FO4UR]

Make sure any storage container is *food grade!*

 

Mason Jars are great! You can store those in your cupboards, and one jar is roughly what my family cooks at one time - for rice.

[Kim in Appalachia]

I have 3 large clear bins that are on wheels, and sit tall (meaning they are not short and wide). They seal air-tight. They hold 50 lbs of wheat berries, but less than 50 lbs of oatmeal. I bought them at Pet Smart a few years ago. They were around $20. I use one for dog food, one for wheat berries and one for oatmeal.

 

HTH

[Doran]

We bought a second hand chest freezer some years ago. This is where I store most of my extra dry goods as well as pasta sauces, bulk meat purchases, and frozen vegetables/fruits from summer's bounty. It has proven to be a very useful appliance for us.

 

Bins are fine, but be careful about long term storage in a warm environment as "pantry moths" are likely to hatch out if you've stored the stuff too long. I summer, more than a couple of months is too long in my world.

 

HTH

[CLHCO]

I do a lot of bulk buying. Here's what I recommend.

 

First, the food grade buckets are fantastic but you don't necessarily have to buy them. Most donut shops go through tons of them and just toss them away. If you ask nicely, I bet you could get some free buckets with good lids.

 

Second, if you're worried about bugs of any kind, which can ruin a large amount, freeze it first for a few days. You can put it in smaller containers temporarily to freeze if your freezer isn't big enough for a bucket, placing it in the main bucket only after it's been frozen.