The Shelf Life of Long Term Food Storage Items
There are four main Variables that determine the shelf life of your long term food storage items. If you are looking to begin a food storage program for your loved ones, or you already have one, you might wish to know about these things to be able to have the maximum shelf life possible.
The four factors are as follows. Let us look at each of these variables.
1) Temperature of the Storage Area
Temperature has more to do with how long storable food will last than anything else. If you are planning on keeping your food in a warm environment, it is only going to last a fraction of the time it would continue in a cool, dry location. Some believe that the best temperature is 40 degrees F or less. However, not everybody will have the ability to achieve that. Another factor is that you have a location where the temperature is relatively constant. Frequent temperature changes may also shorten the life span of storable food.
Remember to choose a Cool, dry, dark place, where the temperature stays relatively constant, for keeping your meals.
2) Moisture Content of the Food
Foods with excess Moisture can spoil in their containers. Food selected for long term storage should have a moisture content of 10 percent or less. This is not easy to achieve because most individuals do not have access to technical equipment.
An alternative is to Get freeze-dried food that has been specially-prepared for this function. The moisture content of these foods has been cared for in the preparation procedure.
3) Atmosphere from the Storage Container
Oxygen oxidizes many Of the chemicals in food, so foods packaged in atmosphere in storage containers would not store in addition to Nitrogen, which is a favorite gas for preserving food, and one that works really well.
Some people use oxygen absorber packet. You just put one in the storage container and seal. When you use these, you have to have a storage container that is able to withstand a vacuum pressure. This is because the absorber packet will create a small vacuum since it absorbs the oxygen.
Most food units that Are packed and marketed for long term food storage are packaged with nitrogen at the 10 cans.
4) The Storage Container
Storage containers Should possess a hermetic seal so as to get the maximum life from your stored foods. #10 Cans and sealable food-grade storage buckets work really nicely for this.
You must make certain The storage containers you use are food grade containers. #10 cans which are used for food storage frequently have an enamel liner for this function. You can also get plastic food-grade 5 gallon buckets.