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Lockdowns have taught the world to take emergency food more seriously. You can simplify the entire process by using food storage kits to preserve food properly.
Food storage kits can store all sorts of foods ranging from grains to meats. Food storage kits are made to package food properly and place foods in the right environment to ensure the maximum amount of shelf-life. Using a food storage kit makes your entire food storage journey easier.
Virtually everything you need to watch out for in making the best food storage kit decision will be treated in this write-up. Not only that, but also how to best maximize your usage of your food storage kit. We will show you things to note to ensure your food storage kit does its job over its duration in the cabinet, refrigerator, or freezer. This means of food storage is very intuitive and does not need you to know how to use it.
To come up with the best food storage kit, we have looked at different types of kits, all of which are the best food storage kits in their rights, and we have come up with a few which all have the same means of usage. We hope to make things easier for you with our simple guide and how-to instructions.
What You Need To Get Started
To have the best food storage kit experience, some things need to be in place to facilitate this. You should pay attention to them because you would not want a scenario where the foods stored in your food storage kit get spoiled.
- A neat packaging surface
- Your food
- Something to scoop foods
- Paper tape
- Marker
- Cabinets (to keep the likes of grain)
- Freezer or refrigerator
How To Use The Best Food Storage Kit
Provided you have all of the above mentioned, and the following are instructions for use.
1. Choose The Right Size For Your Food
Food storage kits come in different sizes, and as such, it is best if you pick one that is perfect for what you are planning to save.
If you pick the right size for your food, not only will you save space around your kitchen, but you also make handling a lot easier.
After this has been done, you can move on to the next step.
2. Sorting The Food
To avoid a situation wherein there are mismatched foods, you should keep like foods together. Store similar foods in the same kit, so you eliminate the risk of early spoilage.
If it is dried food, if you keep other food items with them, they must also be dried. Likewise, if they are wet, do not mix them with something else. Do not make the mistake of mixing grains. Each food kit is unique to one type of food.
3. Place The Food In The Containers
Depending on the kind of food you intend to store, great care should be taken to ensure they find their way into the container. If you need to store liquids, extra care should be taken because you need an airtight seal to ensure no spillage around the lid.
4. Mark Each Kit As Appropriate
Marking your kit makes it a lot easier for you to identify your stored food without even opening them. Aside from writing what food is in the kit and the date it was stored, you can also add extra instructions to be followed if you are not the one handling the kit at any point in time.
Your paper tape can be labeled over the top or across the side, and it is all based on your preference. After which, you scribble whatever you want on the paper tape.
5. Cover The Food Kit
Once you are done placing your food and labeling, the next thing is to cover the kits with their lids and move them to storage.
The lids will fit in tightly to ensure no escape or entrance of moisture into the food. If that happens, it is going to cause the food to be contaminated or spoil much faster.
6. Be Mindful Of Space
One more thing to avoid is the cluttering of space, whether the kit will be sitting on a shelf or in a storage unit. Since the kits come in different sizes, an eye should be kept out for kits that complement each other in saving space.
Most kits are also now designed in ways that make them stackable. A smaller kit can easily fit into the top of a big one because of the designated spot on it.
7. Moving The Kit To Its Final Destination
While keeping space in mind, the packaged food kits are to be moved to where they are. This could either be the cooling system or a cabinet (for dried foods such as grains and the likes. After placing the food here, make sure to check that the lids are securely closed and ready to last long-term.
After these steps, the food can confidently be put away for long-term preservation.
8. Leftovers too
If the kit is to be used for leftover foods, that means the storage is short-term. The same tips that were listed above should be followed and the food refrigerated, after which it can be placed in the microwave when you want to consume it.
What Is A Food Storage Kit?
A food storage kit is a container used to keep food either at room temperature or at freezing temperatures. The kits come in different sizes, usually in glass or plastic.
The glass kits are to be handled with a lot more care given their ability to break, and they should not be stacked above themselves or heaped with others. You should keep some distance between it and the next kit and avoid stacking it around other glass kits that could cause more damage.
Food storage kits have a hollow space in them for holding food and also a lid for covering. It is best if they are transparent, so you are aware of the foods inside. This helps you better analyze the food inside to notice whether it is spoiled.
They can keep foods at an intended temperature for a given time because of their noninteraction with the environment, and the lid makes sure of this. The tops are usually plastic regardless of whether the kit is plastic or glass.
The best food storage kit will help you keep your freezer or refrigerator neat as there will be no need for food items to be lying about in them. By placing these items in containers, we can sort them and avoid cases of contamination. In the long run, the food storage kit keeps your cooling system as neat as possible.
What Foods Can You Put In A Food Storage Kit?
The best food storage kit should be able to take any type of food, be it dry or moist, processed or unprocessed, small or large, and a food storage kit will take it. The idea behind the kits is to avoid any interaction of the food with anything else. With cooked foods, extra caution should be taken.
For clarity, below are a few of the foods you can store in a food storage kit.
- Sugar
- Soups and stews
- Grains
- Fruits
- Legumes
- Vegetables
You should particularly note that the kit “holds'' all and any kind of food depending on the storage condition (cold or dry). Dry food products will fare well under dry conditions, while foods with moisture are best stored in a cooling system.
It should be noted that food storage kits do not add to the shelf life of food products. The storing capability of the kits should not be mistaken with the shelflife of the foods. Food kits ensure that food is preserved for some time at a specific temperature.
The individual shelf-life of these products still holds even in storage. A food designated to expire in two years is still going to become unfresh or unusable at the end of those two years.
How Long Will My Foods Last In A Food Storage Kit?
Foods generally should be stored in cool, dry spaces unless they are to be refrigerated. This makes sure that your foods last well within the range of life they are supposed to. Likewise, if your food is to be refrigerated, refrigeration by slowing down the rate of microbial activity elongates the shelf-life of your food.
Your food will last the time they are supposed to provided they are in the best storage kit and under a storage condition.
Generally, dried foods will last longer than foods with moisture in them. This is because foods with moisture have an active microbial load on them. Always try to store your foods with as little moisture as possible. This will help you elongate the shelf life of your food.
Best Food Storage Kits
There are several different types of food storage kits that other people also credit as their best food storage kits. They can be made of glass, metal, and plastic. It should be noted that the glass and plastic both have plastic lids.
We will go over their pros and cons to help you make your choice.
Glass Food Storage Kits
Pros
- A plastic lid that ensures airtightness
- They are transparent
- They can also be used to bake
- They can be used to microwave
- It does not stain
- They do not take the taste and smell of the food
- They come in different colors
Cons
- They are liable to breakage
- They are not easy to move about
- They can be heavy
- They are not easily stackable because of the chance of they failing and breaking
Plastic Food Storage Kits
Pros
- They are portable
- They are best for all food types, especially liquid
- They can also go in the refrigerator
- Some brands have been designed to stack neatly
- Breakage is not a problem
Cons
- There is a low chance of staining.
Best Survival Food Storage Kits
If you prefer to go directly to a supplier and buy a pre-made food storage survival kit, you can choose plenty of options. These kits come packaged securely in large buckets or sealed bags, and you can adjust the quantities based on your budget and preferences.
You can also make decisions based on the specific type of foods you want. For example, many top brands will sell breakfast-only kits if you are looking to increase your food storage area. The options are endless.
Mountain House
Mountain House is a 50-year-old company that makes food storage kits of all kinds. They make kits categorized by food type or activity type with both long and short-term options available. If you are interested in adding large buckets of food to your storage shelves, Mountain House is an excellent place to get started.
Augason Farms
Augason Farms is another brand with a long history of creating excellent food storage kits. They sell large buckets of many kinds with tons of food options available too. You can purchase short-term 72-hour kits or look for long-term options for up to one year.
Wise Company
Wise Company provides some of the best value in the food storage kit industry. They sell large quantity kits or short-term kits to give you a weekend of food during brutal storms or other situations. We recommend Wise if you need a single quick bucket of food for an affordable price.
What’s The Best Food Storage Kit?
The best food storage kit would be the one that best solves your problem between the glass kits and the plastic kits. Some situations and foods are better suited to each type of kit.
If you are not planning to move things about much, the glass kit might be the best food storage kit for you. If you plan on moving things about often, the plastic kit is the best food storage kit.
Overall, the plastic kit might be the best food storage kit as we are in an ever-changing world, and there is an ever-growing and endless need for mobility. However, if you like being classic and have no need for movement, the glass should do for you.