Storing Food in Storm Shelter

[JUSTIFIED]

Mother Earth News did a study on how to best store eggs. If I remember correctly, that was not one of the most successful methods. You might google it.

I watched Kellene Bishop (Preparedness Pro) do this with her store bought eggs. Among other foods, she served them 9 month old eggs and they tasted normal.

Having said that I read the same study MustangGal did and she's absolutely right. There were mixed results in the testing. I think one of the issues is making sure the eggs are completely coated and Kellene Bishop addressed that. She used rubber gloves and was very careful to generously coat each one.

Regarding storage, she left her eggs out at room temperature just like before refrigeration when folks had their own chickens, brought the eggs in and left them on the counter. Just to be safe I think I'd just raise chickens and do everything the old fashioned way. It would seem to be a much safer road to take.

[MustangGal]

Not to get off topic but have to ask. Coating a store bought egg with mineral oil will make it last almost a year? Is that refrigerated or just in a cool place?

Mother Earth News did a study on how to best store eggs. If I remember correctly, that was not one of the most successful methods. You might google it.

[NewHampshireLady]

Not to get off topic but have to ask. Coating a store bought egg with mineral oil will make it last almost a year? Is that refrigerated or just in a cool place?

[JUSTIFIED]

I tried the paraffin dip thing....dipped cans in melted paraffin, just the wax, no water. They coated nicely, but after a while (a year or two) in the root cellar the wax cracked from being jostled and the cans rusted beneath. Too bad, too, those were expensive preps. The mineral oil thing worked much better.

Mineral oil. Hadn't thought about that. If you can coat a storebought egg with it and make it last almost a year then why not cans?

[kappydell]

I tried the paraffin dip thing....dipped cans in melted paraffin, just the wax, no water. They coated nicely, but after a while (a year or two) in the root cellar the wax cracked from being jostled and the cans rusted beneath. Too bad, too, those were expensive preps. The mineral oil thing worked much better.

[Swampwood]

My vote is buckets yes, cans no

[Boyd]

Boyd, did they dip the cans in the boiling parafin?

sounded like they got some water boiling first then dropped in the parafin. Not sure how that exactly worked though? Maybe a double boiler setup? I don't know, they didn't have a range back then though :)

eta: but yes, the cans were coated in a thin layer of wax.

[JUSTIFIED]

My grandpa told me of using parafin wax in boiling water to coat tin cans back in the day to store them for a long time. Not sure if that would work with what we have 80 years later though..

Boyd, did they dip the cans in the boiling parafin?

[JUSTIFIED]

thats the best place to pack them. Buckets in mylar the moisture wouldnt effect them. unless you have a leak in your mylar????? Dark cool place is the best place to store food.

Yeah. That's what I figured too recon but thought I'd ask you guys with more experience. I'd rather have them down there for security and weather reasons. I live in tornado alley.

[Boyd]

Good thought about the mineral oil. I think, for now, we'll just keep the cans in the house. If a direct hit from a storm takes them?...we've got insurance. If things get squirrelly in the country?...We will have already moved them to the cellar (under lock and key).

My grandpa told me of using parafin wax in boiling water to coat tin cans back in the day to store them for a long time. Not sure if that would work with what we have 80 years later though..

[recon_prepper]

We've got a nice concrete storm shelter that stays dry.

Question: We've got some buckets of mylar packed food and 30 year canned goods from the cannery. Would it be ok to store it in the storm shelter or would there be danger of compromise since there is a bit more moisture in the air?

thats the best place to pack them. Buckets in mylar the moisture wouldnt effect them. unless you have a leak in your mylar????? Dark cool place is the best place to store food.

[JUSTIFIED]

wipe cans down with a light film of mineral oil to keep them from rusting due to moisture. Without it they will rust in 2-3 years, with it they last longer (haven't found out just how long because I just started doing it myself about 4 years ago).

I would also put the food up on plastic (no rust) shelves, keeping the bottom ones empty if your cellar floods. Add a hand operated bilge pump just in case you end up living there in soggy weather.

My idealized version would be an extra long fallout/storm shelter, with one end closed with a doorway for food storage. My husbands farm relatives did it with their storm cellar back in the cold war days - just built it slightly differently for radiation blocking. For all other folks knew, they had a root cellar like everyone else (thats what they called it).

Good thought about the mineral oil. I think, for now, we'll just keep the cans in the house. If a direct hit from a storm takes them?...we've got insurance. If things get squirrelly in the country?...We will have already moved them to the cellar (under lock and key).

[kappydell]

wipe cans down with a light film of mineral oil to keep them from rusting due to moisture. Without it they will rust in 2-3 years, with it they last longer (haven't found out just how long because I just started doing it myself about 4 years ago).

I would also put the food up on plastic (no rust) shelves, keeping the bottom ones empty if your cellar floods. Add a hand operated bilge pump just in case you end up living there in soggy weather.

My idealized version would be an extra long fallout/storm shelter, with one end closed with a doorway for food storage. My husbands farm relatives did it with their storm cellar back in the cold war days - just built it slightly differently for radiation blocking. For all other folks knew, they had a root cellar like everyone else (thats what they called it).

[JUSTIFIED]

Would it be to annoying to bury some conduit and power line? heck maybe even a phone line.

That's a good thought Irish but our shelter is surrounded by a wide expanse of concrete patio and pool. We'll keep plenty of candles, battery powered lanterns and radios down there. There's an outside plug about 10 ft. from the shelter. If we have time I can quickly run an extension to it and down the vent so we can have electric...unless the power is knocked out.

[Irish-Tech]

Would it be to annoying to bury some conduit and power line? heck maybe even a phone line.