Okay - I have the food grade buckets and noodles, Now What?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

I was able to get free food grade buckets with lids at my local bakery. My buckets are all clean now. I washed them in hot soapy water - is that all that needs to be done to clean them?

Also, I bought large bags of egg noodles from Sam's club today. What do I do next to store them properly? Should I put the noodles in the freezer to kill any possible bugs? Can I just put the bags of noodles in the buckets and close the lids or do I need to use dry ice or something?

Thanks Mary

-- Mary Howe (doesnotmatter@thistime.com), October 26, 1998

Answers

If you want to do it right, freeze them to get rid of any critters. Then toss a couple of oxygen absorbers into the bucket along with the bags of noodles. Or, if you have access to dry ice, use it, putting the dry ice in first. If you use dry ice, place the lid on the bucket, but don't seal it....just let it lay on the top until the dry ice is all melted and the bottom of the bucket begins to warm up.

Actually, since the noodles are packaged (plastic, right?) you can omit the oxygen absorbers or dry ice.

-- buck (bucket@brigade.com), October 26, 1998.


Um, I wouldn't omit the oxy absorbers and dry ice; flour moths can get through a pin hole. Oxy absorbers are great for prolonging freshness, in any case. Just my 2 cents...

E.

-- E. Coli (nunayo@beeswax.com), October 26, 1998.


I would not recommend using the oxygen absorbers in the buckets. The pull is sometimes to strong and will deform the buckets, and will sometimes pop the lid enough to defeat what you are trying to accomplish. Use the dry ice method. It is very effective for what you are trying to do, and will not deform the buckets.

Food Storage Solutions

-- Sven (permapak@iname.com), October 26, 1998.


Those flour moths have moxie. At one time I had 200 lbs of bagged wheat in a heavy cardboard barrel with a tight top. Thought I had 'em stopped. Not so -- they got thru the cardboard (about 1/8" thick) and goodbye wheat.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), October 27, 1998.

You should also consider a Clorox rinse of the buckets and tops just before you fill them (must allow to dry of course).

This is probably best done with about a 3oz to gallon dilution, though I, being crazy and somewhat paraniod on disinfection use 5 or 6 oz to a gal. The really critical thing is the contact time which should be 2 minutes or more (eg it gotta stay wet for that time).

CR

-- Chuck a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), October 27, 1998.



Moderation questions? read the FAQ