Long Term Food Storage Containers - Icing Buckets

Ever since I read about how to store food to keep bugs and critters out (I think it was on http://www.survivalblog.com/), I've been searching for icing buckets at bakeries, Wal-Mart, and anywhere else that makes cakes. It's been months and either they sell them or aren't allowed to just give them to customers.

However.... we finally found some at King Sooper's (Krogers to some people). I was in the bakery section ordering a cake when I had a thought. I asked the lady behind the counter what they did with the empty icing buckets. "Oh, we give them to whoever asks". Free.

YIPPEE!!

We found our source. They only had three (one 2 gallon, one 2 1/2 gallon, and one 3 gallon) but she said depending on how many cakes they do during the day, they usually have at least one. So I've made a mental note to check every time I'm there, and have told Hubby to do the same.

Since we have a little mouse problem, this is perfect for us. We should be able to get enough for beans, pasta, flour, sugar, etc. etc.

Now we just have to wash the icing out of them. That's the hardest part because the icing is slick - the oil/butter. Then pack, include a few bay leaves and dessicant packages, tightly seal, clearly label (especially with expiration dates of contents), and stack away.

We are packing with bottles of honey, big containers of spices, corn meal, flour, etc. I think we'll pack an extra bucket with our stored seeds to plant next Spring, maybe another with sewing supplies (to prevent rust), and then the ones with ... who knows!

Just look around at your local bakeries. If you strike out at one, go to the next. Some might charge a dollar or so, but we're getting ours for free. You probably can too.

3 comments:

foodstr2 said...

Sorry to have to tell you this, but a plastic bucket will NOT solve your rodent problem. They'll chew right through it. You've gotta use metal. (Even Mylar bags in the plastic buckets may not help.)

Use rat/mouse killer bait.

We know this from experience.

Bruce
http://www.internet-grocer.net

Anonymous said...

That's true, but it's also why we stock up on mouse traps. Hmmm.. fresh protein!

ThrtnWmsFam said...

Actually Bruce... the plastic food-grade buckets work quite well against rodents. We've never had one "infiltrated", and, as Jackie Clay wrote in the latest issue of "Backwoods Home Magazine" (which we received yesterday!), she too uses them quite successfully. Jackie is amazing, and has been self-reliant for quite a while. Vikki