Storing sugar

[John Galt 1]

We just toss the 10 and 25 lb bags in a large air tight barrel along with bags of salt.      I do keep a few large Dessicant packs in the barrel with the desiccant packs in a open plastic bag sitting on top..      The plastic bag is just for safety to put a layer of protection between the sugar and the desiccant.

Sugar and salt have stayed 90% soft for years.

[coastiemike]

We just toss the 10 and 25 lb bags in a large air tight barrel along with bags of salt.      I do keep a few large Dessicant packs in the barrel with the desiccant packs in a open plastic bag sitting on top..      The plastic bag is just for safety to put a layer of protection between the sugar and the desiccant.

Sugar and salt have stayed 90% soft for years.

Thank you

[RWS]

Today was grocery shopping day for us this week.  We stopped at Walmart to get me some white under wear shirts as I had run out before the white wash was done for the week.  Also we were going to pick up a couple ten Lb bags of sugar.  We store 2ea 10 lb bags and a 4 lb bag in a 5 gallon can.  The 25 lb bags are too hard to handle and too much to have open at a time for us.  Well,    when we walked in they had sale items stacked up in the main isle going in.  They had cans of corn and cans of English peas for 50cents each.  We could not resist and loaded the cart.  Then we came to the chilli beans and red kidney beans and finished filling the cart.   We still had 2 more grocery stores to stop at.
When we got home it took forever to date and stack the cans in their proper location.  Some will be going to Region 2 later this Summer.  Oh,  we found cabbage in one store 38cents a Lb. so it looks like the Spring cabbage has started to arrive.

[Abigayle]

R.W.S. How were the expiration dates?

[RWS]

The corn is Oct 24 and the peas are Dec 25.  You shamed me into canning some meat so the chilli beans and kidney beans are going into a double batch of chilli that we will can in a few days.  The corn and peas are going into Brunswick Stew that we will can this week.  The wife got out a big Pork roast/shoulder from the freezer.  She is going to cook it in the crock pot tomorrow if it is thawed out enough.  That will be made into Brunswick Stew that we will can.  You see you talked me into going by Tractor Supply and picking up a couple of extra cases of quart canning jars.  Now I need to fill them.
Once the chilli and Brunswick Stew are done, I will look for some boneless/skinless chicken thighs and see if I can can some Asian Chicken.  I will probably do some in pint jars as there is just the two of us.  Pints will be the right size for the BOL.

Then it will be garden planting time and no more time to can.

[Abigayle]

R.W.S If only I could shame my children and grandchildren into springing into action.  I had no idea that I could be so motivational.  Thanks for letting me know.
If you have any of those pint and a half canning jars, the tall narrow ones; they work well for the Asian Chicken Thighs as well.
I like to find frozen corn and peas on sale to make chicken pot pie filling.  Today, I did cabbage roll filling, using canned beef, seasons ground pork, onion, garlic, tomato sauce, tom juice and chopped fresh tomatoes and carrots.  I don't make rolls, but cook up some chopped cabbage a little, put it in a pan and cover with a quart of the mixture.  A little cheese on top toward the end of cooking is good.  I use the frozen corn for chicken corn chowder.  Thor would like your stew; I have a recipe but have not done it yet.  Tomorrow is beef brisket, cabbage, carrots and potatoes.  Happy St. Patricks Day everyone!  Surveyor got me moving again with beef prices.
Next will be some asparagus soup in reg canning jars.

[RWS]

The canned chili is done and the pork roast is in the crock pot.  A double batch of chili yields 6 quarts. 

[Abigayle]

R.W.S. Our Walmart did not have those prices on peas and corn, but creamed corn was .58 with an expiration date of '25 .  I hate the mess of canning cream corn, so this was good.  Of course you don't know what you are eating, like organic gardening.  When T.S.H.T.F. we won't care so much....
Special today on Vitacost.  Code FOOD10 will get you 20% off on food items.
I love their flour, Artisan and pastry.  They store well and I have used them when they were a year and a half old, from the original bags....still great.  Their raw walnuts are good, as is their arrowroot.  I buy their organic muffin liners, as the size is generous and they are not dyed.  This is only good today.  They have free shipping on 50.00 or more purchase.
Thor corrected me and said they were both .58.  He stopped at Walmart yesterday, while running errands and found them.  Thor does not shop for groceries.  One day, he will hurt himself, falling over something in the aisle, while trying to escape the store.
So, he did self checkout yesterday, threw all the cans into a bag and came home.  One third of the cans were badly dented in places that screamed "use me quickly.This is his insurance policy to keep him out of grocery stores in the future.!  L.O.L.

[RWS]

I was in town this morning so I went by Walmart and they still had some of the 50 cent sale left.  I got some more while the wife was home making Brunswick Stew.  When I got home she had it ready to go into the pressure cooker (caner).  We now have 6 quarts of Brunswick Stew canned.
Now I just have to find some boneless, skinless chicken thighs.   We are planning to go to the big grocery store next week.  I need a hair cut and quick clips is right next door.

[Surveyor1]

Abs thanks for the heads up on Vitacost!  I ordered a bunch of vitamins and supplements and with the 20% off for giving them a number to text to😳…..  I saved a lot because I ordered a pretty good supply of what we use!  Thanks!

[Abigayle]

Surveyor 1 You and others have given me some good ideas on here and I think we all get a good feeling if we can help.
When they have sales, I, along with other preppers I know, take advantage of the flour sale.  It keeps a long time, even in the original bag I usually do the mylar thing but before that, I just lined the bags up.  They are are double wrapped with a bag liner.  I have used it when it was older than the expiration date, but over a year.  It stays very fresh.  The bread flours in the blue bag, along with the pastry flour in the pink bag, in my opinion, are hard to beat.  I love their raw organic walnuts and often use them with their muffin mix, which is one of the few mixes in our house.  Fresh blueberries don't hurt them one bit and they are gluten free.
People might want to check ahead to see if anyone has trouble with gluten, they better be bringing that prep with them!  Since bread seems to be on a lot of lists for possible shortages,  Might be good to grab your flour and yeast while you still can.  Check your recipes for oils, powdered milk, butter, etc. I store lots of dried herbs, since that is something I throw in my bread more often than not.