Storage (Seeds, Nuts, Grains, Sprouts, etc)

[mtgrl788]

I'm redesigning my pantry. Anybody have any advise on what size, type, of Jar they used to store their seeds, nuts, grains, sprout seeds, etc. I'm going to be buying all my glass jars from a bulk website and want to do it in as few orders as possible.

Pictures if you have any would be awesome. I've been reading on panty ideas what to keep on hand at all times but they all mostly say it will depend on what I "uncook" the most.

Before I start anything I like to get everything first. So far I've got the dehydrator, books, and vitamix. I have a huge garden area that's organic and well started. (Always been organic just not raw)

Any tips, ideas on jars, labeling would be a big help. What you use most and just how to store eveything to stay fresh and ready. I've looked at rawmazings jar idea as well.

Any stoarge items that you guys have used and liked?

Thank you!!

[DebB]

Wow mtgrl - You are off to QUITE the start!


http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/DebB4007/RotationofDSCF0008.jpg
These are our dehydrated tomatoes (basement). I vacuum seal these, but it's not necessary to do that. They'll keep just fine on the shelf.

http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/DebB4007/ResizeofDSCF0009-1.jpg
Extra sprouting seeds and soaked, sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat, different sesame seeds, Brazil nuts... (basement)


http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/DebB4007/ResizeofDSCF0004.jpg
Our spices and sprouting seeds and such. (kitchen cupboard)


http://i932.photobucket.com/albums/ad169/DebB4007/ResizeofDSCF0005.jpg
Freezer door - these jars hold my "staple stash". The nuts & seeds in the jars have all been soaked, sprouted and dehydrated and are ready to go for recipes. I like to store all the nuts & seeds in the fridge or freezer. I don't keep any on the cupboard or pantry shelves (except Brazil nuts still in their shells) as I feel this keeps them the freshest for how we use them.

As you can see, the bulk of our jars are simple mason canning jars. Sometimes I vacuum seal them with the Food Saver, other times not. It just depends on how often I get into the jars.

[walnutty]

NICE, DebB!

[DebB]

NICE, DebB!

Thank you walnutty! I didn't show the large glass jars I have with things like sunflower seeds ready to grow, etc. Those are recycled from food items (the jars are). The majority of the jars I use I get at the thrift stores for arouind 25¢ each. And I love the plastic lids, I buy boxes of those.... :)

[Traceyraw]

Wow Deb, You are really motivating me. I cleaned and reorganized my kitchen last nigt. I want to make room for dehydrated goodies. I will have to look into the vacuum sealer. I live in Florida and it is pretty humid here. Thanks again I love reading your posts.

[DebB]

Wow Deb, You are really motivating me. I cleaned and reorganized my kitchen last nigt. I want to make room for dehydrated goodies. I will have to look into the vacuum sealer. I live in Florida and it is pretty humid here. Thanks again I love reading your posts.

Hi Tracey ~ I could talk all day about this stuff! Good for you getting your kitchen cleaned and reorganized, it's like a breath of Spring air, isn't it?

I love our Food Saver, although I don't use it as often now eating raw as I did eating SAD! If you happen to decide to get one, when we got ours, the vacuum attachment to seal mason jars is extra - it did not come with the unit. So you might want to double check on that. And then there's 2 jar sealers: one for regular mouth and one for wide mouth.

I get all wide mouth. I like those so much better than regular mouth because I can actually fit my hand down into the jar, can't do that with regular.

When you seal the jars, you simply buy the canning flats and that's what you seal down to the jar, it works so well. And if you're a careful girlie taking off the flat (I use the end of a spoon and gently twist the spoon between the jar threads and the flat) - you can then keep reusing that same flat. It's so neat :)

And if you go with a FS - I hope it does the trick keeping the humidity out of the jar. I don't see why it wouldn't. blah blah - listen to me, I told you I could yackity yack all day :/

[mtgrl788]

Thank you so much. That helps tons. I just cleaned and made a ton of space for items. Found a website that sells manson jars for .20-5.00 a piece depending on size. Time to get started!

[PunkRotten]

I got about 3 lbs of hemp seeds. What is a great way to store this?

[Davylp25]

Hey Punk.

That just sounds kinda wrong. smile.

When I have ordered bulk in hemp seeds, I believe Nutiva, they mentioned to take out 1 pound you will use daily in the fridge, the rest in the freezer keeps them fresh. Mine never froze in the fridge, but were kept very cool, but I go thru the stuff like magic. But that's what I usually do.

[PunkRotten]

Exactly what it says on my package too.

[T-Bird]

Hi Tracey ~ I could talk all day about this stuff! Good for you getting your kitchen cleaned and reorganized, it's like a breath of Spring air, isn't it?

I love our Food Saver, although I don't use it as often now eating raw as I did eating SAD! If you happen to decide to get one, when we got ours, the vacuum attachment to seal mason jars is extra - it did not come with the unit. So you might want to double check on that. And then there's 2 jar sealers: one for regular mouth and one for wide mouth.

I get all wide mouth. I like those so much better than regular mouth because I can actually fit my hand down into the jar, can't do that with regular.

When you seal the jars, you simply buy the canning flats and that's what you seal down to the jar, it works so well. And if you're a careful girlie taking off the flat (I use the end of a spoon and gently twist the spoon between the jar threads and the flat) - you can then keep reusing that same flat. It's so neat :)

And if you go with a FS - I hope it does the trick keeping the humidity out of the jar. I don't see why it wouldn't. blah blah - listen to me, I told you I could yackity yack all day :/

Good - keep talking!

You are by far one of the most inspiration posters on raw. You sure help me keep focused.

I've had an ongoing battle with the indian meal moth. I reuse the mason jars from like classico spaghetti sauce for seeds etc. And they get in there somehow! Then I got a bunch of containers with rubber sealers from ikea - again they infiltrated! They originally got into the house from some bulk seeds (rice?) I got from whole foods. Since I store so much grain, they love it here. I recently had to dispose of a large bunch of wheat grass berries - like 10 pounds of it. Heatbreaking! I keep thinking I've gotten rid of them, and then 4-6 months later - amazing they are back. I wonder if I do get rid of them, and then they are on the other seeds I buy? I'm not sure.

Anywhoo, this summer I'm going to redo my kitchen and mudroom to set up a much more convenient raw food kitchen, and put the dehydrator out in the mudroom so I can use it when trying to keep the rest of the house cool! Again Deb - your constant inspiration motivates me! My kids are HS/college and not too raw-interested, so I have to keep up a dual kitchen.

MTGRL - can you say where you are ordering these jars? I could use something better myself.