Long Term Food Storage Method to Save Money and Avoid Waste

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If you can get bulk dry food like white rice, oats, wheat berries, uncooked beans, and white sugar, you can package it into containers that will last a surprisingly long time. I made this short-and-sweet video to help me remember the steps I take next time I do this, and I thought it might help others, too.

Today I am preparing dry food for long term storage and food security here on Maker Farm. This is also how I save money by buying bulk food on sale and enjoying it for many years when stored properly in a dry, dark, and cool place. I use this method with uncooked, oatmeal, beans, wheat, and white sugar — it helps preserve any dry food that is not moist or oily. This method is sometimes called “dry canning” though it isn’t true canning.

I start with glass canning jars because I can make them airtight — these are quart size, but you can use other sizes, too. I wash them well with soap and water. Then I place the jars in my canning pot, fill it with water, and heat it until boiling for 10 minutes to kill off any bad stuff. This may or may not be necessary, but it gives me peace of mind. I then carefully remove the jars and let them air dry. Once the jars are bone dry, I use a funnel and add my dry ingredient to the jar, keeping at least one inch of free space at the top.

Next, I add a food-safe absorber to the jar to protect the food inside. If I am storing things like rice, oats, wheat, or beans that can go bad with exposure to air, I use an oxygen absorber. If I am storing things like sugar that can clump, I use a moisture absorber. In either case, they start working as soon as they are exposed to air, so you want to get them in the jars as soon as possible. These are oats, so I will add an oxygen absorber. If you are not sure which type of absorber to use for your food, check this video’s description for a list.

Now I just put the lid on a jar, but I do not add the ring yet. Instead, I use a handheld vacuum sealer to remove the air, which will help keep the food inside fresh for longer. It slips on over the jar and removes the air in about a minute or so. Once the air is removed, you can screw on the ring for security. Label it with the type of food and the date you packaged it.

If you would like a copy of these labels, check the video description. For good measure, I also like to put my vacuum sealed food in the freezer for a few days, to kill off any bugs that could be lurking in there. As long as your container is vacuum sealed, you should not have to worry about condensation. And freezing will not harm any food that you may wish to use as seed later.

If you have a lot of food to store, you can also package them into thick mylar bags. Use the oxygen or moisture absorbers in them as well, depending on which food you’re storing, then heat seal them. I recommend you store mylar bags in plastic buckets or totes so critters cannot get into them.

When packaged and stored properly like this in a dry, dark, and cool environment, dry food like this can last for 10, 20, or even 30 years. Chances are, though, you’ll eat this food long before then. Just remember to eat the oldest food first and replace it, and you’ll have excellent food security and peace of mind.

I made this short video because it’s easy to forget the steps when it’s only done once in a while, and I thought they might help someone else, too!

Here are links to everything:

Containers/Absorbers (contains my affiliate links):