Buckets

[Lil Bear]

Folks, I found some buckets that I would like to share with you. I went to Lowe's and found that they have these grey #2 buckets for $1.98 (5 gal.) and the lids are $0.98 a piece. The thing with these lids are that they lock, but can easily be removed.

I also went to Home Depot and they have the orange #2 (5gal) buckets for $2.98 and lids for $0.98 a piece. However, these lids have to have a lid tool to remove and they have a rubber gasket for a better seal.

So, I am going to use the grey buckets for my current use storage and use the orange buckets for longer term storage. Hope this helps.

[Skyowl's Wife]

Good info, thx!

[herbalpagan]

Tractor Supply also has the buckets with lids that have the gaskets. I'm thinking the gasket lids will fit on the other buckets. Tractor Supply's are the same price as Home Depot's but are white. (I don't have a Lowes)

[Lil Bear]

Tractor Supply also has the buckets with lids that have the gaskets. I'm thinking the gasket lids will fit on the other buckets. Tractor Supply's are the same price as Home Depot's but are white. (I don't have a Lowes)

Yes the lids will interchange. I am doing it this way due to my mom-in-law. She has poor vision, but can still distinguish colors. I have each bucket labeled in large bold letters (made sure she could see them before I put them on the bucket).

[teach]

Lil Bear, I applaud your kindness and thoughtfulness towards your mother-in-law.

[Lil Bear]

Lil Bear, I applaud your kindness and thoughtfulness towards your mother-in-law.

Yeah, this is Monday. Ask me again on Friday! She is the one who watches my daughter during the day.

[Lostinoz]

Hey Bear, please be careful with the buckets you use for food storage. I don't mean to discourage, but there has been a lot of controversy over using any/all plastic buckets. Please do more research on it to make sure you want to go with the colored buckets..

Here is a link to help start you out..

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-That-White-Bucket-Safe-For-Storing-Your-Food?-What-You-Need-to-Know&id=2285210

[Oscar Wilde]

[Here is a link to help start you out..

http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-That-Wh...now&id=2285210[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the info Oz .... years ago in my early prep stages I was informed of "food grade" plastic storage containers / buckets created specifically for food storage as other containers leached petroleum compounds used in their production into the contents. As always you are an invaluable, resourceful contributer to the forum.
O.W.

[Lil Bear]

Thanks Oz. That is the opposite from what I have been told by other preparers. Would they be ok to use if they were store out of the sunlight and have mylar bags as liners? I have mine in the house in a corner out of the sun.

[Lostinoz]

Hi Bear, yes, you should be fine in using Mylar bags inside the containers. Phew, I was worried about ya for a minute. ;)

[Lil Bear]

Thanks for the info Oz. See, this is what I like about this site- we are all in this together, but not afraid to express concerns or give ideas.

[cbprice797]

Using Plastic Buckets in Food Storage


There is a lot of misinformation out there about plastic buckets. Most of the controversy rages over whether a bucket is food grade or not. Most plastic containers, usually on the bottom, will have a number inside a small triangle. All the buckets I have ever seen have a #2. This number doesn't mean that it's food grade as many people suppose. But rather it tells what kind of plastic the bucket is made of. The #2 means it is made from HDPE plastic. Most of these buckets are food grade but there are times when they are not.

Sometimes the bucket has a dye added to the plastic that is not food grade This alone will prevent the FDA from approving it as food grade. And sometimes the bucket manufacturer uses recycled HDPE. These buckets also are not food grade. And lastly, when something is put in the bucket that is a nonfood type product such as paint, chemicals, and such things, this also makes them so they are no longer food grade. HDPE plastic is slightly porous and will absorb these chemicals which will gradually leach back into any food you place in the bucket later.

So, how do you find buckets that are safe for you to use for the foods you want to pack yourself? If you are going to buy them new, ask the company who is selling them. If you get used buckets, only use buckets you know have already been used to store food and haven't been used for anything else. You can find these at bakeries, ice cream manufacturers and parlors, large restaurants or kitchens, or food processing plants.

Lots of times the people who get these buckets, hack up the lids and make them unusable. If this is the case, you can get lids from us for a small fee if you can't locate used ones. You want to get lids that will seal air tight. This is especially important if you are not planning on using mylar bags. If the lid won't make an airtight seal, you can go to a lot of trouble removing the oxygen from your goods just to have the air circulate back in through the faulty lid.

Sealing Lids. I used to pound them down with my hands but I didn't always get the lids all the way down doing it this way, not to mention what it was doing to the palms of my hands. Using a 2X4 and a hammer makes this job a snap. Lay the 2X4 across the top of the lid. Give the 2X4 a firm blow with the hammer. This part of the lid should pop down. Rotate the 2X4 4 or 5 inches and strike the 2X4 again, pushing this part of the lid down. Continue this operation until you have sealed the lid all the way around the bucket.

[cbprice797]

I would also like to know what ya'll think of the ziplock 5 gallon mylar bags as opposed to the heat seled ones??

[homesteader]

We pick up buckets for $1 ea. at the local day old bread store and you can also get them from grocery store bakeries. We then add a gamma lid from Northern Hydraulics cataloge, they have the best price we've found.:D

[cbprice797]

Buckets fer me!!!

Wne t to Food Lion and can get free buckets. THanks for the heads up guys.