Our bakery now sells buckets!..

[Noahs ARK]

Ok - pretend I know nothing about how to use buckets, cuz I don't. :l0 (61):

I bought 5 buckets @ $2 each. They had buttercream frosting in them and they were washed, but they're still a little greasy. I cleaned them with a vinegar/water solution and they're sparkling clean & drying.

So...my plan is to fill all 5 of them with pasta.

1. Mylar bags
2. Oxygen absorbers
3. Pasta

Is that it? Fill the mylar bags with pasta, throw in oxygen absorbers, seal up the mylar bag & put the lid on? Anything else I need to know before I start this project?

Cuz one of my friends doesn't do all that - she just puts her pasta straight into the bucket. Pours it right out of the box into the bucket. No liner, no mylar, no oxygen absorbers. It seems easier but I doubt the shelf-life is very long.

Thanks in advance! :a0 (29):

[faif2d]

You have it correct. The only caution is that sometimes pasta can puncture the mylar. I always leave the pasta in the original package with a few small holes punched in the side of the bag near the middle. It is also a good idea to remove as much air from the Mylar bag as practical prior to sealing. Good luck.

[Noahs ARK]

You have it correct. The only caution is that sometimes pasta can puncture the mylar. I always leave the pasta in the original package with a few small holes punched in the side of the bag near the middle. It is also a good idea to remove as much air from the Mylar bag as practical prior to sealing. Good luck.

Ahhhhhhhhhh - I never would've thought of that!

Thanks. I'm excited to get started. I usually buy the 5 & 6 gallon buckets pre-filled, but can't find them with pasta. Decided it was time to make my own.

[threepercent]

just do a gas flush. take all the pasta out of bags, put a small cube of dry ice in the bottom, fill with pasta, PLACE lid on top (do not tighten!!!!) wait for the dry ice to sublime, then fasten lid. bingo, about a 30 year storage.

[phylm]

Righto, threepercent! You can also just pour the pasta into the bucket, add 5 of the cannery oxy-pacs on top, seal and it's good to go. You might want to turn the buckets over on their tops after you seal them--the cannery is canning their #10 cans upside down now so the oxygen pac is on the bottom. We've used dry ice on the food grade 62 gallon plastic barrels, and it is quite a saving.

[prairiemom]

Yeah, I would do it Threepercent or Phylm's way. The Mylar bag just seems like overkill.

Call your local dairy that processes or produces ice cream. They buy lots of those fruit and pie fillings for flavored ice cream. I get my buckets from them at 50¢ a bucket. I wash them out with soap and bleach to remove any germs.

[JuneGem]

I'd love to do something similar. I have the buckets (4 gal.), but don't know where to get the mylar liners. The only bags I can find are "flat." They don't expand to the area of the bucket. Hope you understand what I mean by that.

Any suggestions?

[Noahs ARK]

I'd love to do something similar. I have the buckets (4 gal.), but don't know where to get the mylar liners. The only bags I can find are "flat." They don't expand to the area of the bucket. Hope you understand what I mean by that.

Any suggestions?

I know exactly what you're talking about and it's one of the reasons I'd rather not use them. I don't want to waste any space in the buckets.

[Noahs ARK]

Righto, threepercent! You can also just pour the pasta into the bucket, add 5 of the cannery oxy-pacs on top, seal and it's good to go.

So I'm going to forget about using the mylar bags.

Bucket
Pasta
Oxy-Pacs
Seal

Is that right?

Be patient with me, I'm new to this do-it-yourself bucket thing. :blush5:

[phylm]

I'd love to do something similar. I have the buckets (4 gal.), but don't know where to get the mylar liners. The only bags I can find are "flat." They don't expand to the area of the bucket. Hope you understand what I mean by that.

Any suggestions?

We have never used the mylar bags in buckets. Have "canned" in the smaller ones that we buy at the cannery. The flours, rice, wheat and legumes we use from several-year-old buckets are all just as fresh as the day we sealed them.

By the way, I give bakery workers at supermarket delis a big smile and ask them if they have any empty buckets and covers. Usually they have at least one--usually needing washing-- and they give them to me. I give them another big grin and say "Bless your heart! Thank you so much!" Some of them are getting used to seeing me. I think they may think I'm a bit dotty. They may be right! :tongue_smilie:

[phylm]

So I'm going to forget about using the mylar bags.

Bucket
Pasta
Oxy-Pacs
Seal

Is that right?

Be patient with me, I'm new to this do-it-yourself bucket thing. :blush5:

You are one quick study, Noah's! Happy bucket sealling! :coool:

[Noahs ARK]

You are one quick study, Noah's! Happy bucket sealling! :coool:

Why thank you, Sis phylm!! :lol (2):

I was picking some of our blackberries the other day & thought of you and your hubby. Hope all is well.

[JuneGem]

So now I have to ask what is the real name of Oxy-Pacs? Can't seem to find it with a google search with that abbreviated(?) name.

[phylm]

So now I have to ask what is the real name of Oxy-Pacs? Can't seem to find it with a google search with that abbreviated(?) name.

If you are within driving distance to a church storage facility (member cannery), their oxygen pacs are sold at cost. The last ones I bought were $8.00 a hundred, plus a clip to keep the bag closed so that the pacs aren't exposed to air. The workers at the cannery would also be glad to show you how to use them and answer any other questions you might have. Of course, if you can resist the urge to load up on a bunch of bulk foods at the same time, you're a better man than I am, Gungha Din! :001_smile:

[Noahs ARK]

So now I have to ask what is the real name of Oxy-Pacs? Can't seem to find it with a google search with that abbreviated(?) name.

I bought my oxygen absorbers from MREDepot - it's $12.95 for 100. I don't live close enough to the church cannery, so it was easier for me to just order them.