This post is by Bernie Carr, apartmentprepper.com
Our oldest food storage buckets were packed back to 2010. The last time I opened a bucket was back in 2014 when I opened a rice bucket and replaced it.
Today I am opening the pasta bucket, to see if the long term storage packaging method worked.
How the Food was Stored
We stored various bulk foods such as rice, beans, pasta, flour, spices etc. using mylar bags, oxygen absorbers and food grade 5-gallon buckets. We got some of the buckets from Emergency Essentials. Others were obtained free from a local restaurant that used them for mayonnaise and other condiments. The buckets were stored in a hall closet, temperatures kept around 73-75 degrees, all year long. We also kept the area clean and pest free, to avoid food storage problems.
Here’s what I found
I had four separate mylar bags, around one and half to two lbs. of pasta per bag.
The mylar bag was still deflated, which means the oxygen absorbers did their job. As soon as the bag was opened, I heard a “whooshing” sound as air entered the tight bag.
How can you tell if pasta is old?
- Old noodles will crumble quickly as you touch them.
- May have a musty odor
- If moisture gets into the noodles, you may find mold on the surface.
- When you cook the noodles, they may take a long time to soften, or may stick together.
Result
The pasta still looked as fresh as the day I packed it. I gave it the sniff test and it still smelled like newly bought pasta. I had no trouble cooking a batch, and it tasted great. There were no pests of any kind inside the bucket or the mylar bags.
I cooked the pasta as normal – add to boiling water and allow to boil for 10-12 minutes, depending on how firm you like your noodles. The pasta took the same amount of time a new box of pasta would normally take: 10-12 minutes. I mixed with an alfredo sauce with chicken and broccoli. It tasted great!
All in all, after seven years, the food storage has held up well. I will replace what I just opened and use the same method of storage.