Calculating Food Storage Space Needed + Bulk Food Storage Tour ~ Azure Standard Haul

Come take a tour of my basement root cellar, where I will show you how I store all of the bulk food that I buy from Azure Standard, as well as how I plan to store produce and preserved foods in the coming season. I will also give you numbers and visuals to help you calculate how much storage space you need to store food bought in bulk.
As a homesteading family of 9, Azure is a big part of our plan to ditch the grocery store and instead source the grocery items we can't grow ourselves from other sources. This allows us more control over where our food comes from, and allows us to buy in bulk on a budget.
Make sure you subscribe so that you can follow along in our homesteading journey and learn along with us!
Shop Azure Standard: www.azurestand...
(this is an affiliate link, which means I may make a small commission if you choose to purchase)
Bulk Food Grocery Haul From Azure Standard: • BULK FOOD GROCERY HAUL...
Long-term meal planning video: • Create a Long-term Mea...
Pantry & fridge organization video: • 10 Tips for Cleaning O...
New here? About us: • Welcome to our channel...
You can also follow me on Instagram @thefromscratchfarmhouse
#azurestandard #groceryhaul #largefamily #homesteadingfamily

[@karavolkman6306]

Your charts for how many lbs of food would fit in how many gallons was so helpful, thank you!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I am so glad you found it helpful! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!

[@kamilastraker5511]

Excellent video. Thanks for all the detailed info. You must love math!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! I do, ha!

[@komorifarm9308]

this is one of the best informative videos ive seen in a long time

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Wow, thanks!

[@AllAboutTheHarvest]

Fellow Wisconsinite here! How far up north are you? Also, I loved the graphics showing how many gallons 1 bag of dried food takes up! Thank you!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Hi there neighbor! We are way up by Lake Superior. So glad you found it helpful!

[@sueholte451]

Thank you so much!! Your visuals were great!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@erickilpatrick9885]

You're doing a great job! Please keep sharing! God Bless You!

[@sarahmichaels2117]

If you have room in your garage, you could put your freezers there. If I had your root cellar I would build shelves all away around and that would give alot of storage.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Unfortunately in this house I don’t have a garage, but yes, I do plan to add more shelves! Thank you for your suggestions!

[@anne-marie5197]

Thanks for the great visual.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@MidwestGirl]

The visual showing how many containers it takes to store large bags of bulk items was extremely helpful.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m so glad you found it helpful!!

[@Esther_33]

this is super helpful! thank you for the pics of how much a 50# bag takes up! we are transitioning to a "fully stocked pantry" vs. shopping is small weekly quantities.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I'm so glad you found it helpful!

[@jackiedorman2188]

We have been canning getting ready for retirement and from bordom. I am now sick of food. Never thought id get tired of food. After 500 jars i need to get away.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Ha, I can see that!

[@beverlycothren1571]

I wish you were able to put in a chart how much if each item it took to fill buckets, jar, etc, and what needs oxgen killers or not, what can stay in original pkg, how long, etc . Such a chart would be so handy as a every day use. Blessings Beverly.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

What a great idea! I'm off to create this! 👌

[@davidwise542]

You may want to consider using Cambro containers for your dry storage. I use mainly the square containers, 2 and 4 quart capacities. They are perfect for keeping a usable amount in the kitchen for a bit. I also have a bunch of the 1 quart round that get used for everything from coconut oil to salts, to cocoa powders and dries berries. They are mainly used in restaurants for their dry storage, but are extremely durable and stackable to keep everything organized. plus, use blue masking tape to label and you know quickly what it all is. Not the cheapest for up front expense, but I love all that we have. And want more....

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Good to know, I’ll check them out. Thank you!

[@riahs.7578]

This is so helpful as someone whos starting to create a food storage

[@pengle]

This is a topic not often covered and your visuals were great. Very helpful.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it!

[@CcDecember-yq1nf]

I bought a great 5 shelf system heavy duty holds 600 lbs per shelf for only $59.00 at Costco. It was so great I went out and bought a second one! The shelves are solid

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

That’s awesome! Wish we had a Costco here!

[@guytech7310]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse You can buy commercial or industrial shelves from ULINE or Global Industries which will ship them to you. ULINE\Global Ind sells all sorts of products that are heavy duty, including drums, totes, cabinets, workbenches, packing materials, etc. If for some reason you cannot get local UPS\FedEx deliveries to your address, one option is to get a PO box at a nearby UPS\FedEx store. They can recieve them and hold them for you to pick up.

[@katie7748]

​@@guytech7310Oooooooo see THIS is why I read the c0mm3n+s!! Thank you!!!

[@DawnieRotten]

For long-term storage of flours, grains, beans.....one should put the whole package (that you bought it in), in the freezer for 2 weeks to kill off the Weevils (bugs). And THEN put them in your final storage containers. Keeping nuts/seeds in the freezer massively extends their shelf life. Keeping yeast in the freezer......it never 'goes bad'. As far as your root cellar shelving goes. Why BUY expensive metal shelves, when your husband can BUILD (wooden) you great shelving?! TIP: Keep the bottom shelf 'high' so that you can store your buckets (or plastic totes) underneath.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you, this is a good point about the weevils and other bugs. I have honestly never done this or had any issues, but I do know people who have. I'm not really sure how I would go about doing this though when buying several 50# bags at a time. Also, the reason we did not go with wood shelving was intentional. I wanted shelves that would be easily be wiped down, not at risk of being damaged by any moisture, and allow for better air flow. Thank you for your suggestions!

[@katie7748]

Ugh. Weevils. Besides papers they're the bane of my existence. All the old wives remedies failed (massively...they were in my spice cabinet ffs!) but freezing worked. Every dry good that comes into our house (flour, oats, cereal, pasta, rice, etc) gets frozen for a week, thawed, then put away. So far so good.

[@homesteadbythehighway8548]

Great visuals! Thank you

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@grammyspieface1]

Check rain country you tube, her hubby makes vacuum containers for use with the food saver lids, which she keeps nut for a very long time in vacuum sealed jars, it's so handy..and if you don't have the food saver machine, they have one to use with a brake bleeder to seal..

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Wow, that’s awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@sharrilswindle752]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse I just rewatch3d, I would suggest, not storing things in the paper bags from Azure, because the humidity of any amount, will cause alot of things to turn solid ,ask me how I know,lol

[@sharrilswindle752]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse hope you are all stocked up , 5hings are getting real these days

[@kathyjensen7804]

Just made my first Azure order. This is information I needed! Thank you!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

So glad you found it helpful Kathy!

[@corinbw]

For my bulk stuff I actually use 16 gallon blue barrels for things like rice, beans, corn, wheat, dried potato slices and dried zuchinni slices. Then everything else goes in 5 gallon buckets or cans. I was so glad I found the 16 gallon barrels.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@tainapomeroy3441]

I remember my Granmother kept flour in a metal barrel that had a wooden round lid on it. It sat in the kitchen by the counter. She sat me on it when i needed to be near her in the kitchen.lol

[@valeriepowell1736]

Boy I hope you're a stop coordinator.... Azure loves you and so does you're stop coordinator lol 🤪🙄😵

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

😂 No, I’m not.

[@rosswitte]

Thank you for doing this video and especially for showing the volume of 50 pounds of wheat berries. I wondered about that.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I'm so glad you found it helpful!

[@jenniferm6948]

thank you for this information. I have been looking for information on how much fits into the buckets. Very helpful!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I'm so glad you found it helpful Jennifer! Also, I just did an updated cellar and food storage tour today. Here is the link in case you want to check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXvOgmWLhJqSjJY

[@conichaney3875]

you can also buy gallon and half gallon jars come with lids and cheeper than asure from u-line products

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I think when I priced it out it was more expensive because of shipping.

[@guytech7310]

Food for long term storage should be stored in a mylar, glass or metal container. Those food grade plastic containers are air & moisture permeable. If you must store in plastic, don't place items that outgas like onions & garlic near the plastic containers because over time the oders will taint items stored in plastic containers. You can buy mylar 5 gal pail liners.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you, good to know! I definitely didn’t think about the onions and garlic tainting things. In all honesty, we live off of our “long-term” food storage so it will be used up in 6-12 months, which is why I have never had to bother with mylar or oxygen absorbers. Good to know though!

[@jessicahawki7043]

I'm in Wisconsin too! Hello neighbor!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Awesome! 👋

[@tainapomeroy3441]

Thank you so much for the information on storage. Have something to add about the comment you made about not being afraid to eat. GMO corn. I had watched a video, several years ago I think it was called Farm to Market, they had said that the GMO corn is designed to explode inside the insects stomach. If you think about it humans probably consume, on the scale, about as much as an insect. Think about what GMO corn does to peoples stomachs. This may be why a lot of people have digestive issues.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Hi there! I'm sorry there must be a misunderstanding. We do not consume GMO corn.

[@Homeschooling6]

Great information 🙌🏼 When I started buying in bulk I had no idea 🤷‍♀️ what would fit in what 🤦🏻‍♀️ it’s trial and error for sure 🥴 This will be very helpful to many 💖

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you!! Yes, I sure wish I could have known this info before as well!

[@ms.anonymousinformer242]

I found that stacking food on metal shelving , was MUCH less space used when using buckets. Only thing, is, stuff in tin or glass can only be outside a bucket due to potential pests.

[@MNTNSTARZ80.]

😅 when I 1st started buying in bulk I also ran into issues of how many buckets I needed for storage. I grossly underestimated the amount.

[@berrypatch5583]

This was so so helpful! Thank you.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m so glad you found it helpful!

[@n.a.garciafamily]

I also just purchased corn for the first time for storage. I have seen some videos on it exploding... It's a peculiar one to store. Oh and thank you for your information!!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Really?! Goodness... hope that doesn’t happen to me! 🤞

[@justbeinghonest5802]

Thank you, this was truly helpful!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m so glad it was helpful!

[@b.walker5955]

Brilliant visuals. Thank you for the effort you went to, it was most helpful!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you, I’m so glad it was helpful!

[@CarolsCreativeCooking]

How long do your potatoes last? How long does the squash last on the shelf I saw? When I was growing up my grandmother had a root cellar in the family homestead house. They had wooden shelving for things she canned and "put up" and they had barrels with sand for carrots, and root vegetables. They had sacks of onions stored in the root cellar too. It was a very interesting place to me as a child.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Different squash last different amounts of time. I’ve had spaghetti squash last almost a year! Potatoes are good for about 6 months.

[@jstratten5326]

Well done 🌼

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you 🤗

[@conichaney3875]

you might check into whyland shelves from costco about $80 very sturdy easy to clean and easy to put together

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Unfortunately there isn't a Costco here, but maybe they ship? Thank you for the suggestion!

[@RowesRising]

Great ideas! Thanks for sharing your storage solutions!

[@Amanda-zd7ei]

Thank you

[@compiticny1445]

The refrig/freezer will probably be a problem in the room with the doors closed. If possible extend the pipe of your air exchange over the units. If your units have a fan to dissipate the heat connect them to the exhaust pipe so when running they expel the heat.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you for the helpful advice! 🙏

[@aldocoin]

Nice job! Just getting started myself. I noticed no Mylar bags, which seem to be so popular. your thoughts?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! I personally haven't seen a need for them, but we also don't keep more than 2 years worth of most items. Grains and whatnot are easily stored long-term by just added oxygen absorbers to their buckets. In the future I might look into them though for making emergency "go bags."

[@gladysover5368]

I would put some critter screens on your air vents

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you, there are some on the outside, but you are right that it probably wouldn’t hurt anything to add some inside as well!

[@journeysofthezoo]

Thanks for providing the visual on how much your quantities use in storage space. Personally, I just buy rolled oats and then grind/chop them (with my hand mixer, a weeks worth at a time) to make coarse oat "flour" for pancakes, pizza dough, bread and baking. Less items for me to store (separately). How lovely to have a root cellar!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Your welcome! Yes, I’ve wondered if the quick oats are really necessary, but since we use them so often I decided for now to buy both. A root cellar is definitely new to me, but I’m very excited to have it!

[@MissSandraK]

I cut cardboard to line mine. It helps with weight. I have canning jars of food on those shelves

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Oh good to know! Thank you for the good idea!

[@MNTNSTARZ80.]

I have no idea where some people get their information. Last year I was cleaning my garage, found a huge 5 gallon Tupperware container of dried pinto beans that my mother gave me when I got married in 1980, that's 40 years!😲 I cooked some the exact same way I always do, no soaking, they turned out awesome, didn't take any longer to cook them than usual.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

😂 That’s so awesome!! Thanks for sharing! I agree... I think people might just not know how to cook beans. 🤷‍♀️

[@evamyrick9803]

As a prepper of 50 years you are absolutely correct. The only way the beans would of dried out so much that they wouldn't cook correctly is if the air got into the container.

[@GradeBmoviefan]

Hello MNTNSTARZ80. Do you know the channel : The Provident Prepper ? They have TONS of information on various storage; short term to long term. Jonathon and Kylene Jones would love to hear about the interestingly successful albeit accidental storage of those beans! ❤️ ~~Sharon

[@dalepres1]

I have a storage accident story, too. I've always been told that yeast should be kept in the freezer to extend its shelf life. I was cleaning the pantry one day and found, way in the back behind boxes of canned grains, a foil pack of yeast bought from Sam's Club. The expiration date on the yeast was 13 years previous so I assume it was 14 or 15 years old. Even though I didn't need to open it, I couldn't resist the temptation. I opened it and tested in a dish of warm water alongside another dish with an equal portion of our fresh yeast. There was no discernable difference between the activity of the two lots of yeast. Mylar and oxygen-elimination are amazing technological advantages to food storage. Then again, similar to your experience with the beans, we have many buckets of wheat from the days before Mylar and O2 absorbers became popular. We still use them and haven't noticed any deterioration. That the Egyptians stored their wheat in clay pots, though, doesn't mean we should do so or otherwise not do our best. Just what is your family worth to you? If you cut corners, saving a few pennies or dollars, and then your food storage has gone bad, been eaten by insects or rodents, or otherwise isn't available to you when you need it, was the cost savings worth it? You use a refrigerator; you use a freezer. You have air conditioning. These are technologies that improve our food safety and reliability. You should also use Mylar and O2 absorbers when appropriate and you want to do the very best you can to insure your family against food disasters. Those, too, are technologies that improve our food safety and reliability.

[@Hannahsunshine-]

This is SO helpful! I appreciate your info! 🌼💖

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m so glad it was helpful! Thanks for letting me know!

[@TrishaS2930]

I just came across your video, I have similar looking shelving units that will hold 600lbs each as long as you aren't used the wheeled casters. Sorry yours aren't strong enough, very frustrating when that happens.

[@suburbanfarms]

Nice, I'm glad I only got the 25 lb bag of oats, I had no idea how much space it'd take up

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Ha, yes, 50 lbs is a lot!

[@hollymarshall3367]

thank you for this wonderful information - super helpful!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Your welcome, glad it was a help!

[@dalepres1]

By the way, Sam's Club has similar shelves with 500 lb rating per shelf and includes the shelf liner for $129 as I write this.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Oh, good to know! Thank you!

[@barbarawarren9443]

Thank you!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@DustySplinters]

You probably realized that there is Cool Dry Storage, and Moist storage for things like Potatoes and some other Root crops. You can add a vent near the grow lights and the freezers to exhaust the heat and then create a cold air intake to allow air circulation and keep the room cooler, the best temp for a root cellar is a constant temp below 40 deg. Look up how to vent a root cellar naturally.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you. I think I discuss this more in another video, but we do have a ventilation system. We also have taken the growing setup and the freezers out.

[@DustySplinters]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse I just stumbled on the video. I'm planning to install the 2 vents this year in my cellar to get it down below the 50-55 it stays all winter. Potatoes I grow sprout way too soon. I have put some in the fridge which did not sprout at all. Sp 38-40 deg seems to work. Peace.

[@karenkelly2135]

Great videos with lots of helpful details. I’m now subscribed!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you!! I’m so glad it was helpful!

[@senoraguerin-eastmontschoo631]

Excellent information! Thank you for the details on storage volumes, very helpful.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! I’m so glad you found it helpful!

[@HelpatHomeJim]

You've done it again! Thanks for the great storage advice. My wife and I decided to turn our dining room into our extended/storage pantry so we went to Home Depot looking at shelves. Guess what? They still had your exact shelf and I almost bought it but I remembered what you showed at 3:37 and I went with a sturdier product. We're also working on getting our storage buckets and maybe some jars too. We really appreciate you sharing your experiences with all this. We also hope to make our first Azure Standard order in April. We're like kids in a (organic) candy store. 😀 P.S. Just curious what grain mill y'all use. I wanted one for my birthday in March, but all the Mockmill 100s were sold out till April.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m so glad to hear the video was helpful! And glad my advice on the shelf helped you make a better purchase. As for my grain mill, I use a NutriMill Plus. I think it is a great mid-grade mill. I will try to do a review on it soon.

[@copperhousefarm4794]

You can use your raw almonds to make almond extract. It’s pretty easy.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Great idea!

[@dalepres1]

By the way, Gamma lids are not for long-term storage. Put the products in your buckets into Mylar bags, use 2000 cc of O2 absorber, and seal the bag. Seal the bucket with a standard bucket lid. When you open a bucket, pop off the standard lid (there's a tool for that on Amazon and elsewhere) and replace with the Gamma lid while you're using the contents of that bucket.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! Your information is helpful for someone who is a prepper or looking for more “long-term” than we do for sure! We will go through our food storage in a year or less and have never needed to use mylar bags or oxygen absorbers. I know we have a unique family size, but I believe no food should be stored for more than 2 years, so I would encourage everyone to actually live off of it and replace as you use it up.

[@juanitabedingfield3821]

My husband and I were preparing for Y2K and bought many buckets of wheat berries and put the unopened berries in our shed, which was not a conditioned space. We were told the wheat berries would last many, many years and practically never degrade, as long as they stayed in the sealed buckets. Not true. The gluten in the berries has dissipated and does not make good bread. We now know that it’s necessary to put the berries in a mylar bag with oxygen absorbers. I read about a man that did this 14 years ago and when he opens the bag to retrieve the berries he said it is as fresh as when he first stored them. So grateful for youtube and all those that share their experiences.

[@dalepres1]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse But, in your video, at 8:20 into it, you suggested that grains stored in buckets with gamma lids will last many years or possibly even indefinitely. In reality, it may not last a year because you can get weevils in it in a matter of months - though, generally, I have been successful in keeping a bucket of wheat for a year or two. But remember that if you get weevils in your open bucket, and all you're other buckets are sealed only with the lids or, even worse, with Gamma lids, you will have weevils in all of your grain and will find yourself with no food storage at all, and perhaps a hungry family. Your idea that no food should be stored more than two years is your opinion and you're certainly able to manage your food storage with that in mind but it's not science and it's not fact. Wheat and whole grains can be stored, when stored properly, for decades. Cracked, flaked, or otherwise milled grains can easily be stored for 10 years when done properly. Storing all of your grains or dry food products in buckets with Gamma lids is taking a risk that you may be willing to take for your family but you shouldn't talk about long term storage in Gamma lids. I don't have any interest in what risks you choose to accept for your family but when you promote those poor choices as good advice for long-term storage you risk misleading others who, like you, don't have good experience or learning in food storage and that can cause harm to others. That is why I bothered to try to politely suggest you add disclaimers to your videos because what you choose for your family is not recommended practice by any expert in the field of home storage.

[@Msaltares91]

What a great informative video maybe do some follow ups like these in the future whenever you add more bulk to your cellar would be cool 😎

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I plan to!

[@cathyxox3999]

Thanks for the tips I can't wait to view some of your recipes

[@sherryschneider323]

Great video and information. Love your root cellar.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! And thank you for taking the time to let me know!

[@TS-nw3im]

Great video The charts are very helpful. I am planning my food storage area and this is very useful information. Thank you

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! I’m so glad this was helpful!

[@ElizabethBurkey]

Do you have a video on how you built your cellar?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Not exactly, but it's just a room in our basement that is in a corner. We super insulated the ceiling and interior walls. Then we put in airflow pipes to the outside for ventilation and to help control the temperature.

[@paularizzo5217]

Do u use mylar bags for long term storage? Seems like that could easily replace those paper bags.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m not currently using them, but might in the future if we decide to store more than we can eat in a 12-18 month period. At this point, our method of long-term food storage means that we are continually using what we have up and replacing it with new fairly quickly, so mylar bags and oxygen absorbers are unnecessary for me at this point. I do agree that those things would be great for keeping food that would be stored longer!

[@ccccclark2605]

Great info! 🇨🇱🇺🇸✝️🙏❤️

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you!

[@coldsteel2005]

What brand/model grinder do you suggest to grind your wheat berries?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Well I don’t love mine, so I might not be the best person to ask. 😅

[@nancycoy9510]

Great video!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you!

[@susantaylor8507]

Were you get the 2 gallon with gama lids

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

From Azure Standard! The link is in the description below the video.

[@evamyrick9803]

Hi, I am a 50 year long prepper. Please never put an oxygen absorber into popcorn when storing. The same with sugar.. You can store 30 one pound packages of spaghetti standing on end in a 5 gallon food grade bucket and about 10 pounds of the broken in half spaghetti stored in zip lock bags on top of the others. I wanted to say this. I checked out Azure's website for bulk foods mentioned in this video. Honestly you can get much more in pounds from stores in a number of smaller packages which is a lot easier to handle and store.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thanks for sharing!

[@evamyrick9803]

@Rover's Makeover Dog Grooming There is no such thing as organic food. All crops in America are planted and harvested by tractors and trucks. Once one of these vehicles pulls onto an organic claimed farm the entire crops has now been contaminated. All it takes is one car driving down a road running by a so called organic farm and that farm is contaminated. All it takes is one cow getting onto a organic claimed farm and the entire farm has became contaminated and by law the crops can not be sold as organic. A farmer spaying crops as far as 40 miles away can contaminate any farm within those 40 miles. I grew up on a very large farm and still live in a farming community so I know what I am talking about. Organic food claims are to get people to buy their products at a higher rate then those without that little claim glued to their products. So if you are buy food because it claims to be organic stop.

[@kimberlee2469]

@@evamyrick9803 I would think slight contamination is still much healthier than crops being heavily sprayed with pesticides and roundup? And livestock and dairy not being fed hormones and antibiotics would also be much better than conventional raising.

[@evamyrick9803]

@@kimberlee2469 What do you think organic farmers use on their chops to combat pest and weeds, chemicals. They are just a different type than other farmer use, however they are still chemicals. By the way no farmer uses Roundup on chops. There are very strict laws in the United States and Canada in place that ensures that no contaminated food products are allowed to enter ours and theirs food supply. The USDA test all of the United States meat, poultry, eggs and milk for unwanted compounds, including antibiotics and growth hormones. Check out the facts with the USDA. Every food production plant in the United States has a number of USDA certified personnel checking everything a number of times per day to ensure NO contaminated food is released to the American consumer..

[@kimberlee2469]

@@evamyrick9803 are you talking about crops? Or chops, meaning livestock. I am speaking about pesticides and roundup used on crops. And hormones and antibiotics used with livestock and milk production, and fish farms too for that matter. To be clear, I don't only buy organic produce, etc. But I do try to with certain items. It's a personal choice.

[@shortermama8099]

Do you do anything to clean the buckets prior to using? What do you do to it? What if you need to change what's in the bucket? I currently have sugar in a 2 gallon bucket, but want to move it to a five. How do you clean it out? It already has a gamma seal on it.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I do rinse them out with hot water, but don’t clean them beyond that. You can pry off the gamma lid if you need to though!

[@shortermama8099]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse good to know. Would you pry it off to clean it? It's sugar in the bucket that I'll be pouring out.

[@peggyrhew1028]

I am not sure which shelves you bought but I have numerous of the honey do shelving units I bought as complete shelving units and that are sturdy. I have hundreds of pounds of ammo on each shelf with zero sag.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

That’s what a few people have said... these were the only ones Menards had, but maybe they make different styles for different stores 🤷‍♀️

[@dalepres1]

We get them from Sam's Club. They hold 600 pounds per shelf or 3000 pounds per shelf unit, on the feet, not the wheels.

[@Sarah-qi1se]

What do you mean not pinterest worthy?? This is a finished out room!!! A lot more glamorous than most cellars!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Ha, well... it definitely wasn't what I had in mind yet, but I shouldn't complain. I will say that it is very clean and functional! Now we have it set up much more organized and filled with food.

[@Sarah-qi1se]

I started watching bc of your morning routine collab. 😄 Jessica from Three Rivers sent me.

[@JANDK2004]

Thank you so much for this.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[@grammyspieface1]

We had our freezer in a pantry, we had to build another pantry cause it was to hot in there, shouldn't the potatoes be in a crate or something for better air flow??

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Yes, I’m thinking the freezers might have to go. And yes, that’s why I said what my future storage plan for potatoes is, which is a crate. As for the potatoes you see in the video, we will use those up in a week or so, so it isn’t necessary to do anything special. One benefit of being a family of 9... we don’t really worry much about food lasting long enough to go bad! 😉

[@Finchersfarmstead]

Hi Stacy! Thank you for the great info! New sub

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Your welcome! Glad to have you here!

[@lindaburris1968]

For nuts - you can store for years if you put in jars and suck out the air.

[@elizabethbertsch3066]

Nuts will go rancid stored that way.

[@dalepres1]

@@elizabethbertsch3066 I buy bulk nuts and store them vacuum packed for a few years. Use this with caution, though; experience does not equal science; because they haven't killed me doesn't prove it's a safe practice. But the taste hasn't been such that I didn't enjoy the nuts. Temperature, oxygen, and light are the primary drivers for going rancid. If you reduce them you reduce the onset and rate at which polyunsaturated fatty acids go rancid. Eating rancid oil isn't immediately harmful and could save your life in an emergency. Eating them over time or in large quantities is considered carcinogenetic - especially if you live in California.

[@Mr762guy]

Great info! Thanks

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! Glad it was helpful!

[@MNTNSTARZ80.]

Go over to watch Heidi at Rain Country here on KZbin, she has tons of great advice on storing dried foods. She vacuum sealed her nuts into jars, they last years

[@essaboselin5252]

Nut oils go rancid fairly quickly, usually within a year. Vacuum sealing does nothing to prevent the rancidity. The only way to store nuts long-term is to freeze them.

[@fdabill1]

Considering building a cellar outside and I've been wondering about storing dry goods in it. Wondering if you can answer my questions I can't seem to find an answer. Do you have much humidity in your cellar? Do your dry goods get any moisture being stored in your cellar? I know there in the gamma buckets do those buckets keep humidity out? Thanks for the video. Very helpful.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Yes, my cellar is pretty humid. If you stored your dry goods in buckets, the humidity shouldn’t affect them. I would also recommend putting oxygen absorbers in the buckets that won’t be accessed for awhile. Hope this helps!

[@fdabill1]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse it does help. Thank you so much for the response. So nice to hear from someone with first-hand experience. Just found your channel & excited to watch your other videos.

[@adamandjennifermorris2737]

Thanks so much for the container sizes! Any idea how many buckets for a 50 lb bag of dry beans?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Based on my numbers it should be between 33-35 lbs of dried beans per 5 gallon bucket. However, if you are using a gamma lid, those sink down into the bucket a bit so that you won’t be able to fill it to the top. Hope that helps!

[@sheilabinkley5884]

Menards muscle racks are very good holds lots of weight and isnt hardly anymore then the Honey Do's

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Good to know!! Thank you!!

[@ginavillegas2226]

Hi there! I keep looking everywhere and haven't gotten a clear answer. hoping you can help. Is there a way to seal the Azure jars?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m assumed you mean the glass jars I show. There are metal lids sold by Azure, but they are not sealable or air tight. The opening is not a standard canning jar size, so those can’t be used. What are you trying to seal them for? If it’s for preserving food, I would suggest just using a standard canning jar. If it’s for commercial purposes, you could purchase a sealing machine and closures from a bottling company. Hope this helps!

[@purpletoo12]

So when do you need to use mylar bags and oxygen absorbers for food storage?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

If your intent is to store the food for more than 12 months then I would.

[@purpletoo12]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse Thanks! Helpful to know!

[@briananderson247]

Our HoneyCanDo bought from Amazon don't bend. Which weight rating shelf did you buy?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I'm not sure, but I think you are right that there are different ones. I will go with the Amazon ones in the future!

[@cherylbishop7657]

I love my vacuum sealer ,I vacuum all things dry,,, I have dark totes and 5gl bucket,,, I Wright down everything I put into them and number each tote & bucket. ie . Wright " 1 " on first tote ,, in my book I Wright the color of tote or bucket ,,, red tote and #1. An list what is going in & how many ,,,,,, red 1. Coffee beans- 1111. ( tally mark's) pink salt - 111. I started doing this for my awesome husband. Instead of honey will you find a coffee from our totes .I can say honey will you get a coffee out of red 1 , instead of him looking through all the totes . GOD BLESS

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

What a great idea! Thanks for sharing!

[@BostonBorn]

The only thing I don’t like about the jars from Azure is you can’t vacuum seal them like Ball jars.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

True. I don’t vac seal mine so it hasn’t been a problem.

[@jacksprat1556]

Is it ok to store can good on their sides? Do you use Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

The contents shouldn’t touch the top of the jar, so putting it on it’s side is not recommended. With that said, it would probably be fine. I do not use those things because we never store things longer than 6 mo, since we are continually using and renewing our food storage. If storing for longer than 6 months, it is recommended.

[@bonnieriecke5199]

Do you use absorbants in your jars

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

No, I do not, but if you were to store them for more than a year I would suggest it. We go through our food storage fairly quickly.

[@elizabethtunstall]

Where do you order your bucks from and your glass jars

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Azure Standard .... there is a link in the description below the video.

[@paintingtracey]

Can you use oxygen absorbers withe the large azure jars?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

That’s a good question, but I’m going to assume that no, they aren’t quite that air tight. It might help prolong the shelf life of things, but not for long-term storage.

[@gwenstone9685]

Thanks for the lbs/storage needed I was wondering that.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m glad you found it helpful.

[@joshleah2723]

Where did you get the shelf liners?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Menards

[@danmcleod1360]

Hi. What would be the target temperature for a pantry?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

It really depends on what you are keeping in there. I’m assuming you mean like a cellar where you would keep root veggies, canned food, etc. In that case, the ideal temp is considered to be between 32 and 40. Ours is never that cool, however, and is usually around 50-60. On the other hand, some things like squash should be kept above 50 (50-55 is ideal), so if you have a combination of things like me, I think 50 works great. Hope this helps!

[@guytech7310]

One option to consider is to install a mini-split in your pantry if it does remain cool. A Mini-split will have a small outdoor condenser unit and a wall or ceiling mount air handling unit. These can be installed yourself if you have some basic skills, & there are lots of YT videos on how to install them yourself.

[@bcmagnolia1170]

Oh my gosh yall I have just been doing a lot of research on which plastic buckets are safe to store food in and I found a website that tells you what all the numbers mean and which ones are safe. And guess what? LIES!! The blue plastic buckets and lids they sell for cheap at Lowe’s has the same numbers as the ones that are more expensive for food grade!😱😱😱😱. I’m gob smacked!. The white one is labeled for food grade and the blue one doesn’t say anything but it’s right there on the bucket! That’s three extra dollars per bucket a difference.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Yes!! I have noticed this recently too. I’m wondering if there is something more to it. 🤔

[@bcmagnolia1170]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse I’m still been investigating. Ha ha Lowe’s now has a commercial blue bucket that is food safe. Says so on the website. The two buckets look the same and cost the same

[@rachelstrahan2486]

👍

[@passionateherbs8183]

Azure Standard sent me 25 pounds of OLD Pinto Beans and would do nothing about it. These beans were darker than any pinto bean I'd ever seen in my life. I researched it and found out these beans were about 7 years old. I won't buy from them again. I know MANY have had great luck with them, but they won't be getting anymore of my money.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

How strange. Dries beans can last MANY years without changing.

[@passionateherbs8183]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse Yes, absolutely as long as they are stored properly.

[@dalepres1]

I watched a few more of your videos - it was the sourdough that got me here in the first place. You seem like a really nice lady with a really nice family and your intentions seem to be the best... but... as for preparedness, storage, etc., I'd suggest you get a few years, perhaps even 10 or 12 years, of experience and come back to make those videos. The problem is that people will follow your advice and will either find themselves with spoiled storage or no storage or even get sick from advice from someone with so little actual experience. Your production and delivery are excellent; your food storage content just shows lack of actual experience. One option could be to preface your videos with a statement that these are your ideas and may or may not be safe and reliable, suggesting viewers do additional research before following your advice.

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I have been gardening, preserving our food and experimenting with different food storage methods for 13 years. We are all still alive and well. 😉 With that said, I know many old-timers who still can in the oven or don’t follow tested recipes. I think most people understand that they are responsible for their own actions and should never just take someone’s advice off KZbin and not do any of their own research. Even from “experts.”

[@GoodThingsEtc]

None of your links work

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I'm sorry! When I redid my website some did not get fixed. I'll check through each of the links and update them tonight. Thank you for letting me know!

[@jamjar5716]

This was very helpful! Thanks!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

I’m so glad you found it helpful!

[@WildOnesHomestead]

Great video!!

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@briananderson247]

Our HoneyCanDo bought from Amazon don't bend. Which weight rating shelf did you buy?

[@TheFromScratchFarmhouse]

350 lb. It would be fine if I didn’t plan on putting very heavy stuff on it.

[@dalepres1]

@@TheFromScratchFarmhouse Are you planning on putting diesel truck engines on them? My 18" x 60" shelves, rated for 600 pounds per shelf, hold about 75 store bought cans or 60 quart canning jars or about 80 to 125 pounds; up to160 pounds if I leave more vertical space and stack cans. Wheat or grain in gallon buckets weigh about 50 pounds, 4 buckets per shelf, or 200 pounds. I also use storage tubs to hold smaller Mylar packages of pastas, rice, beans, etc. I can get 45 to 60 pounds per tub, two tubs on a shelf. A 350 pound rating, if reliable and accurate, is plenty for food storage. I've been using the Sam's Club shelves for 15 years and never found a sag. The most recent I bought were just months ago and the quality hasn't gone down but the size has... Similar to the one-pound pack of cheese is now 11.25 oz, the 18"x60" shelves are now 18"x48". They trick their customers by leaving the price the same but reducing the product size... I'd rather have paid more. Anyway, they're still good quality shelves.