White Food Storage Pails (or buckets)

There was a time when I put all of my long-term storage in No. 10 cans, and I still use them when I have time to go to the cannery.  I also like the metal bags because the sealer machine is portable and I can set it up on my kitchen table.  But if I'm actively using a product that I have stored, like wheat or flour or whatever it is that you have on your shelf and use a lot, I go for the big white plastic pails that will take the "Gamma Seal" lid.  You can look up Gamma Seal online and you'll see what they look like. Not all pails will take the Gamma Seal so make sure you check out what you purchase first.  It gets expensive purchasing cans and bags that you will just turn around and open up within a month or two, so if you have a product you like and use a lot, think about the pails or buckets.  The reason I like the Gamma Seal is that it gives you a twist-off lid that opens and closes very easily.  I hate having to pry off a sealed lid with my fingers.  I have a tool I now use for lid removal, but that's even hard sometimes.  You can get a lid remover from a hardware store, a paint store, or online.

You can purchase 4.5, 5 and 6-gallon buckets from most preparedness stores or companies.  I think Wheat Montana, Emergency Essentials (Utah), Montana Wheat (not the same as Wheat Montana), maybe Dutch Valley in Pennsylvania, and other stores.  (Let me know if you have a favorite store I can add to my list.)  The older I get, the more I select the smaller buckets. You can also look online these days and purchase buckets on Ebay or direct from the factory.  If you need a bucket in a hurry, go to your local pastry shop or your grocery store where they have a bakery.  If you chose this route, you'll most likely have to clean your bucket out.  I would not get buckets that were used for icing or oily products.  Go for the ones with jellies or fruits and give them a good cleaning - even set them out in the sunshine for a bit.  I sometimes wash it down with a little baking soda to help remove odor.  Remember that whatever scent is in the bucket when you store your goods will permeate through the food item over time.  Trust me, you won't like it.

If you are not sure if your bucket is food safe, look on the bottom and get the company name and the number on the bucket.  Call the company or check online.  I had some small buckets that I checked out today online.  I simply wrote the question, "Is the ______ bucket food safe.  Right away, I found three sites that told me they were not food safe containers and quoted their reliable sources.  You never want to store your food in containers that are not designated food safe. It's not about the seal or bugs getting in, it's about what the plastic contains that might be harmful if it leaches into your stored food. It is possible to purchase plastic liners made especially for putting inside buckets for dry goods.  That is an alternative or even an added protection to help keep rodents and bugs out of your stored foods.