Food safety in T.T. or van when not being used

[Txjaybird]

I want/need to start getting the Aliner and Safari stocked with some basics so I don't wear myself down hurrying when I can finally go somewhere.

The Aliner is stored in a 15x25 3 sided spot with a roof tall enough to store very big 5th wheels and boats. 

 When raised/set up I can open a small window on each side and open 2 roof vents for good cross ventilation.  I have some canned meats, fruits, veggies and soups.  Also things like boxed dry dinners....rice-a-roni, mac & cheese, noodly dinners,  gravy mixes etc. that are staples for me so I'd like to start loading now. Bottled water and dry dog food too.   I've been doing way too much lifting and tote-ing and I hurt more than usual every day.  For this reason I do not want to empty the Aliner after each use.  

Yes I know weight is a consideration for loading and towing. I'll factor than in as I go along.

I always stay well stocked.  My son has said I'm the only Mama he knows that sez " I've got to rotate my stock instead of saying clean out the cabinets"  For now I need info on "remote storage" of food stuffs.

Thanks in advance

Jewellann & Q

 

[Queen]

Jewellann - be sure to keep your stored food in tightly sealed containers, critters will go to town on it otherwise, and by extension, your walls as they try to get in to the food.

 

[GotSmart]

All my dry goods were stored in square cat litter buckets.  The canned in milk crates.  That worked for me.

 

[Txjaybird]

Jewellann - be sure to keep your stored food in tightly sealed containers, critters will go to town on it otherwise, and by extension, your walls as they try to get in to the food.
*********************************************************************************
LITTLE CREEPY Crawly critters or big I'M GONNA EAT YOU critters?  Like bears and coyotes and such?  In TX something probably a field mouse or larger rodent chewed threw the back of a large plastic storage container that was up on a high shelf.   Good to have you back and Thanks.

Jewellann

All my dry goods were stored in square cat litter buckets.  The canned in milk crates.  That worked for me.

*********************************************************************************
I have maybe 20 food grade buckets of all sizes & all have lids.  I figure unopened dry things in there. It is hard for me to open them now.  So I'm thinking once a pkg. is opened and not all used it can go in a zip lock bag and then in the largee Rubber made food containers.  I also have some large metal cans with lids however it's hard for me to open them now.  I also have not so strong Wally milk crates and old vintage real ones.

I am concerned about temperature fluctuations  What average temp can the various food stuffs stand as far as hot weather coming up?  Any ideas?

Except for late afternoon there is shade on the trailer, then the sun hits the front of it.  I will put reflectix in the front "bubbles".  I also have 4 or 5 lg new shade cloth window roller shades that the rollers don't work.  Ain't it amazing what some folks kick to the curb     I'm wondering if I made a shade cloth for the front of the trailer it will help?  Eventually the shade cloth will become part of a awning system I hope to make.
Thanks for getting back to me on the food storage

Jewellann

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I leave boxed and canned stuff in my trailer year round. Canned goods are protected against rodents, but they'll tear right into anything with cardboard as a wrapper. I use a few 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids for storage of those items. My microwave is also a storage cabinet.

Some of my food has def gone through temperature extremes and i've yet to encounter any problems with it.

I too like to keep a good base stock of food, usually have a minimum of about 4 weeks worth. Not so much because i'm paranoid but because I like to just buy a bunch all at once and not have to think about it again for awhile. And it's good to know if there is any disruption in the supply line and stores can't restock for a week then i'm more than covered.

 

[Txjaybird]

Hey You ERLH do gamma lids come in different sizes?   I can't move a 5gal. bucket full o crap without dragging it.  I do have some smaller round buckets with lids also 5gal ones too.

 I wuz lucky about 3 yrs ago when a local grocery chain closed their store.   The folks in the bakery/deli were giving away food grade buckets/lids.   I also made a deal with the meat mkt mgn that I would buy any mixed cases of any kinda meat & out of date was O.K.   So for about 2mos I paid $5 to $20 for cases of meat...it was shared out to friends and family...sometimes we shared the cost and sometimes we didn't.  I know the meat went to 6 different households.  Everything from bolony to sirloin steaks.  Filled a lot of bellies and freezers we did.  Of all the things I can do feeding folks is my favorite, sadly I can't handle the big pans full of food any longer     Well at least I remember how to cook.....some days I don't know what day it is 'til I ask someone!

Jewellann

 

[DuneElliot]

I've had dried and sealed food in my fifth wheel all winter without issue. I don't store canned goods or anything with water due to sub-freezing temperatures in Wyoming in the winter. I have not had an issue with mice, but then I do have a cat that is a good mouser who prowls a lot outside when the mice are active.

I am also a prepper to a small degree and have also kept my #10 Mountain House cans out there all winter too. I try to avoid extremes of heat with them for longevity, but cold isn't bad.

I wouldn't recommend leaving water bottles where they can get too warm...I'm not generally paranoid but I know some of those cheaper plastic bottles can leach into the water in the heat.

 

[decodancer]

Second the sealed containers. Haven't had any issues with rodents but have found tiny little black bugs in pasta and corn muffin mix.

 

[Cammalu]

Second the sealed containers. Haven't had any issues with rodents but have found tiny little black bugs in pasta and corn muffin mix.

Just pretend it's pepper. We can use the extra protein [emoji15]

 

[Queen]

Just pretend it's pepper.  We can use the extra protein [emoji15]

Made me laugh!! Said something similar to my honey when we found specks in the rice... she replied "pepper doesn't move, so that a big NO".

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

This says it will fit a 3.5 gallon bucket.
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...gclid=CMzesLrN9NMCFVFXDQodygMCUA&gclsrc=aw.ds

You could also use some good locking type rubbermaid containers. The square shapes will probably pack better.

 

[Queen]

This says it will fit a 3.5 gallon bucket.
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detai...gclid=CMzesLrN9NMCFVFXDQodygMCUA&gclsrc=aw.ds

You could also use some good locking type rubbermaid containers.  The square shapes will probably pack better.

Thanks for that link, I can't get the lid off a 5 gallon bucket anymore, had to use a claw hammer and channel locks the last time I tried.

EDIT - Kinda like this idea too, color coding works really well for me since I forget almost everything these days.  https://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Seal-V...TF8&qid=1494944721&sr=8-3&keywords=gamma+lids

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I feel your pain, my lyme has rendered my opening 5 gallon buckets into a very interesting spectator sport.

 

[highdesertranger]

they make a tool to open the buckets, https://www.amazon.com/Bucket-Lid-Wrench-Plastic-Buckets/dp/B006RXPV4Y

I don't use the tool, I just put my knee in the center of the lid and push down. then pop the locks off one at a time. works great for me.

for dried food that you get at the store in cardboard boxes or plastic bags(beans, split peas, potato flacks, flour, rice, oatmeal, etc.) I repackage it in mason jars. then suck the air out. keeps great and is vermin proof.

highdesertranger

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Some of my food has def gone through temperature extremes and i've yet to encounter any problems with it.  

my understanding is that at higher temps (above 85ºF) canned goods loose their nutritional value faster.  I would not use a can that has bulged.

I wuz lucky about 3 yrs ago when a local grocery chain closed their store.   The folks in the bakery/deli were giving away food grade buckets/lids.

I have been able to get buckets from bakeries for free just by asking; they just throw them out.  3-1/2, 5, and 6 gallon.

Thanks for that link, I can't get the lid off a 5 gallon bucket anymore, had to use a claw hammer and channel locks the last time I tried.

Home Depot has a tool to get the lids off of 5 gallon buckets (in the paint department?).

If you can sew, go to a junkyard and ask for some deployed air bags (they will usually give them out for free).  Make bags to put your boxes of foodstuffs in.  Rodents cannot chew through the material.

 -- Spiff

 

[eDJ_]

Some Ideas I'd suggest.

On each item canned, boxed, or bagged......use an ink marker and write the date on it that you purchased it.

With cans turn them top to bottom 4 times a year.

With dried items like beans, rice, or grains,  put a bay laurel leaf in them and it will keep the bugs away.
This works in Corn Meal & Flour too as the insect eggs are in the grain that's milled.  Cake Mixes too.

Use as much Canned, or sealed in plastic fruits and vegetables as you can so you don't have to risk
spoilage.  Refrigerating any salads, ground meats, sliced vegetables is risky in hot weather.  Potatoes in
salads (Potato Salad in any form)  can be dangerous it if spoils. 

Cooked rice should not be saved if there are left overs.  This grain is quit susceptible to spoilage.
Leafy Greens and Sprouts can be susceptible to E. Coli.  Washing them in clean water before eating them
(as they are often eaten raw)  may help bring down the risk.  You may find special vegetable wash at the
grocery store for this purpose. 

Deli Meets that are sliced can be more vulnerable to bacteria.  Each time a knife goes through it it may spread bacteria.  So it should be used quickly.  Listeria may build in this food product. 

Eggs & Milk should be consumed quickly before Salmonella could develop in it. 
There are UHT Pasteurized containers of Milk which are often single serving.  They don't require refrigeration but may be a bit more expensive.

But that's what I'd do/use to stay safe.   If I were traveling I'd get these items at stores or restaurants fresh each day.  Boondocking or long week end camping I'd be careful and monitor my refrigeration frequently. 

This is where I'd like to experiment with the CO2 Fire Extinguisher as a cooling source. (to supplement the ice)

 

[gargoyle]

If you go with buckets, Home Depot has screw-on replacement lids with a rubber seal. I bought two a year ago and they work well. The lid is sturdy and the extra seating (with a pad) is nice.
Link is for a six pack, but they sell as singles in the store. $5 IIRC
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Leaktite..._8903vry57826_pcrid_73529847528335_pkw__pmt__

 

[LilNomad]

I store a few things in a hardsided cooler with a lid in my shower. I think it protects it from the heat. When im out I put the cooler outside with a tablecloth and use as a happy hour/coffee table.
LilNomad

 

[karl]

I re use coffee cans with snap on lids for dry storage. Prefer the 3# with a molded in handle.
Labels help the memory.
I made a removable drawer/bin deep enough for cans, label cans on end with a marker to save rummaging .
It can be taken outside or into the cabin easier than a loaded milk crate.

 

[Queen]

I re use coffee cans with snap on lids for dry storage. Prefer the 3# with a molded in handle.
Labels help the memory.
I made a removable drawer/bin deep enough for cans, label cans on end with a marker to save rummaging .
It can be taken outside or into the cabin easier than a loaded milk crate.

My dad did something similar with the extra cab-over bunk in their class c, pitched the foam mattress and sectioned out the space, they used it for a pantry.