How to Store Food in Ropak Plastic Buckets

Dried beans store easily in buckets.

Some Ropak plastic pails and buckets are made from plastics approved by the Food and Drug Administration and are safe for food storage. Ropak pails have optional covers that let users pour from the bucket, making it easier to take out the amount of food needed. Storing food in plastic buckets keeps pests out of it and keeps it dry. It also keeps humidity away from the food, which prolongs its life. People who keep emergency food stocks can also use the buckets or pails to organize a variety of food inside each pail to ease access when preparing food.

Things You'll Need

• Permanent marker
• Clear tape

Instructions

Bulk Food Storage

1. Wash out the Ropak bucket using hot, soapy water to make sure that the bucket is as clean as possible before you put any food in it.

2. Dry the bucket before placing any food inside, whether it is wrapped in packaging or loose. Moisture degrades food in storage, so making sure the container is completely dry improves the food's shelf life.

3. Tighten the cover to the bucket completely so that no air can get inside and the food will not attract insects or animals.

4. Check the packaging of the food you are placing in the bucket and note the product expiration date. Using a small piece of paper and a strip of clear tape, write down the date and tape it to the pail.

5. Place the bucket of food in a cool, dark, dry location.

Emergency Food Storage

1. Divide the dried food that you keep in your emergency food storage into individual packages. You can place a serving size of the food in individual bags. Write the expiration date on the bag or use a piece of paper and tape to help you identify the food.

2. Place one bag each of the emergency food into the Ropak pail and tightly seal the container.

3. Note the date you packed the pail on the outside of the pail using a sticker or marking the date on the pail directly.

4. Put the pail in a dry, cool, dark place to enhance the shelf life of the stored food.

5. Use the food in emergency storage from time to time so it does not go to waste. You can always replace what you have used by adding fresher food to Ropak plastic pails as time goes by.

Tips & Warnings

• You can freeze flour or other grains for 48 hours in a freezer at or below 0 F to kill the eggs of any weevils or bugs in it, preserving its shelf life.

• Check the food periodically. Food high in oil like nuts become rancid if stored too long.

References

• National Center for Home Food Preservation: Packaging and Storing Dried Foods
• What's Cooking America: How to Buy and Store Flour
• Linpac Ropak Corporation: Ropak Packaging