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Letter Re: Question About Humidity and Food Grade Plastic Food Storage Buckets
Hi,
If food for long term storage is put in a plastic five gallon bucket
with silica gel and a mylar bag, how much does it matter how humid
the
outside air is after it is completely packed? For instance, if the
only place to store the food is in a shed outside will humidity in
the air get into the bucket? How important is dry storage air to
the time the food can be successfully stored.
Thanks, - C.N. in North Carolina
JWR Replies: Food grade plastic food storage buckets
are designed to be air and moisture tight when properly sealed. Once
sealed, they should not gain any moisture over time. As previously
noted, in damp climates, it is best to do your food storage packaging
during
a dry month of the year. Be sure to enclose several oxygen absorbing
packet and a silica gel desiccant packet. Inspect each lid's rubber
gasket for softness and for any foreign matter before seating the
lids.
Use a rubber or leather mallet to seat them firmly. BTW, you will probably
find that you'll need a "lid lifter" tool for when you eventually
open your buckets. (These are sometimes called "bucket opening
wrenches" by
some vendors.) They are available from Ready
Made Resources,
Mountain
Brook Foods,
Nitro-Pak,
and a variety of other Internet food storage vendors.
