Help with a dilemma, please.
1. Stockpiling food is great and I’m up to 30 days for two people. I’m preparing for GOOD, not defending the castle. I’m reading a lot about #10 can size foods and here’s the dilemma - how do you store what’s left in a large can?
2. Storing dry stuff (beans, rice, pasta, etc.) in mylar bags is a great idea. Dilemma - where can I find the mylar bags?
3. I want to stock up on Spam, Vienna sausage and DAK hams. Dilemma - wife won’t until last minute because we don’t normally eat that and/or it’s not healthy.
BTW, don’t overlook anchovies and sardines. Lots of Omega-3 and small packages. Buy the flat anchovies, not the rolled ones. Easier to use. Save the oil for cooking.
The food in #10 cans comes with a plastic lid to seal the can once its open and with just basic precautions the food should remain good for six months to a year after its open.
Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers can be purchased from any number of one line Preparedness Suppliers. I get mine from USA Emergency Supply:
https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/
But as I said you can get them from any number of places even E-Bay and I’ve recently seen a few goods buys on Amazon. You can always Google the using the Google Shopping.
Another way I and other store is by buying a vacuum sealer and a mason jar attachment. You place what you want to store (I dehydrate some of what I store myself)in the jar and then vacuum seal them the glass and the metal lid allow no oxygen or moisture to get in and are reusable. I also store my spices this way. With the powdery foods I place a paper coffee filter inside the jar after I fill it to keep what I am sealing inside and out of my sealer.
All of this and more is in my Preparedness Manual the link download it is in post #27.
Most foods (dry/freeze dried) in #10 cans will last at least 5 to 10 yrs. Most of these will remain unopened until you actually need them in an emergency. In that case, make sure you have the plastic lids that match the #10 cans. Aluminum foil and saran wrap can be used to reseal the cans or ziplock bags and tupperware in place of the open can. Freeze dried meats and meals will last 30 days or more once the cans have been opened and resealed with lids. Freeze dried vegetables and other items last as much as a year longer. You're likely to finish off a can in a few days if your food storage becomes your only source of food.
where can I find the mylar bags?
Mylar bags can be bought online at a number of sites that cater to survivalists. You're going to need to vacuum them or purge the air out using CO2 or Nitrogen. I prefer using vacuum food savers and bags available online or at your local big box store. When using these vacuum bags for storing rice, put the rice in a ziplock bag with one corner left open first. This will prevent the rice grains from puncturing the vacuum bag.
I want to stock up on Spam, Vienna sausage and DAK hams. Dilemma - wife won’t until last minute because we don’t normally eat that and/or it’s not healthy.
These are mostly guy foods. :) However, they can be used as substitutes for fresh meat in prepared foods. They also have long shelf lives and are relatively inexpensive. You might try experimenting with recipes you can find online. Seek your wife's input on dishes that sound inviting to her. Also, I'd recommend storing canned foods that she likes, like soups, pastas, stews and etc. These don't last as long but can be used daily/weekly and rotated out with new stock.
There are other canned meat options available at local groceries such as roast beef, corned beef, tuna, chicken, salmon and sardines as you mentioned. With a little imagination, these can be used to prepare meals that appeal to the finicky eater.
Don't worry too much about it. Hunger will make almost everything you have mouthwatering eventually.