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View Full Version : Put up 50 pounds of rice for President's day



dscrick
02-15-2010, 06:11 PM
Found 25 lb. bags of rice at Sam's Club for $9.95, so I bought two and dry pack canned them for long term storage. Here is the process (part one) in the order of the photos:

1. #2.5 (28 oz) cans filled with long grain white rice, 3.5 cups or 1.5 lbs.

2. 100cc oxygen absorber placed in can. This will create a vacumn in the can

3. Can lids placed on top of cans

4. Can set on seamer turntable

5. Chuck closed on can

dscrick
02-15-2010, 06:16 PM
Continued:

6. Cranking the seamer handle to seal the can. The seamer uses two sets of seaming rollers to form a double crimp seal of the can to the lid

7. Finished product. 50 lbs. of rice in 33 #2.5 cans

8. Labled for the shelf. Rodent and insect proof long term storage, good for at least 25 years

crashdive123
02-15-2010, 06:24 PM
Nice job. You may have posted this before - if so - I missed it. Where did/do you get your sealer, cans and lids.

Sourdough
02-15-2010, 06:52 PM
Thank you for the post, well done. Good for one greenie'thingie.

nell67
02-15-2010, 06:54 PM
Very nice dscrick,I'm with Crash,where do you get your supplies?

Rick
02-15-2010, 06:55 PM
Very nice. I guess you need my address now to know where to send them.

Rick
02-15-2010, 06:56 PM
Here's a Canadian site.

http://www.wellscan.ca/us-site/index_usa.htm

welderguy
02-15-2010, 07:41 PM
That is awsome, thanks for the link Rick

Rick
02-15-2010, 09:16 PM
I couldn't find anything on Ives-Way canners. I did send an email to Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry. They also make can sealers but I can't seem to find them on their web site. They also make the All American Canner, which I have and many of you are no doubt familiar with. I'll see what they say.

It looks like the Ives-Way canners are less expensive and allow you to can more sizes than the All American. But I'll let you know what the All American folks say.

dscrick
02-16-2010, 12:56 AM
Thanks for all the comments everyone.

I started dry pack canning because I was looking for a really good method to store food long term. I have a dehydrator and dry quite a bit of produce. I have a top of the line vacuum sealer, but it had problems with some of the "Sharp" dehydrated vegetables poking holes in the bags and compromising the seal, etc. Plus the bags aren't light resistant and certainly not rodent proof.

I did some research on the LDS canneries thanks to links here on the forum, and that led me to the equipment and methods I use now.

I have an Ives-Way model 900 can sealer. I purchased it on Ebay for $85.00. It was complete and had never been used. The previous owner even threw in a box of 24 brand new #2.5 cans and lids. I got lucky with that bargain. A quick check of Ebay tonight found an Ives-way currently at $19.99 and a couple of Victory can sealers, which I'm not familiar with. A new Ives-Way 900 will set you back $238 from House of Cans or $245 from Wellscan (US dollars). If you want to spend more you can move up to machines with electric motors that can handle #10 cans, etc. I didn't want the bulk of the bigger cans personally. My 900 will do up to a #3 (32 oz) can. It's low-tech and manual all the way.

As Rick mentioned, the Canadian outfit WellsCan sells a lot of gear.

Here are some links:

Ives-Way (No website, but here is the address/phone):

Ives-Way Products, 2030 North Nicole, Round Lake Beach, IL 60073, USA; phone 847-740-0658.

New cans, lids, etc. Also sells sealers at good prices. Chicago area outfit and easy to deal with:

http://www.houseofcans.com/

Cans and equipment:

http://www.ehcan.com/FoodCans.html

Oxygen absorbers:

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/oxygenabsorbers100cc.aspx

Other resources:

http://home.earthlink.net/~walterx9/Prep/CanningSources.html

crashdive123
02-16-2010, 08:46 AM
Thanks for all of the resources.

Rick
02-16-2010, 08:54 AM
That's a great post!! Lot's of information. Thanks.

rebel
02-16-2010, 08:59 AM
That has definitely perked my interest. Thank you dscrick.

Ken
02-16-2010, 09:00 AM
Thank you very much! That's outstanding information. Rep coming your way! :)

Rick
02-16-2010, 09:18 AM
I just read a blog that said adding an oxygen absorber to white sugar will make it hard.

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-to-can-your-own-food-in-10-cans.html

Scratch
02-16-2010, 09:50 AM
very nice! Thanks for sharing.

dscrick
02-16-2010, 10:52 AM
I just read a blog that said adding an oxygen absorber to white sugar will make it hard.

http://safelygatheredin.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-to-can-your-own-food-in-10-cans.html

That is true. I should have mentioned that. The LDS canneries instructions say that as well. I don't put them in when canning sugar or salt, but I do put in a dessicant pack, which you can buy in bulk here:

http://www.silicagelpackets.com/

Rick
02-16-2010, 03:48 PM
I heard back from All American. They said they are in the process of adding the can sealers to their web site. Mercy, but they are proud of them. The cheapest is $660 MSRP. If anyone is interested PM me and I'll forward their email to you.

Stargazer
02-16-2010, 04:00 PM
Great post. My aniversary is coming up soon.I wonder if my wife would like a can sealer.:innocent:

dscrick
02-16-2010, 04:10 PM
$660 for the lowest end model All American? What are the capabilities? If it is a flywheel or electric model and capable of doing all can sizes up to #10 I guess it's justified. if not, it must be made of titanium!

dscrick
02-16-2010, 04:13 PM
Great post. My aniversary is coming up soon.I wonder if my wife would like a can sealer.:innocent:

Tell her she can use it to "Can" all kinds of cute little gifts and stuff, like "Beanie babies in a can" or "Canned potpourri" etc.

Of course you'll be using it a lot more to put up hard red winter wheat, but if she OKs the buy you're golden!

dscrick
02-16-2010, 04:22 PM
Seriously,

Besides putting up food reserves, I've done a few other things in cans:

- Ammunition for long term storage - a number 2.5 can holds quite a few 9mm rounds, or a whole bunch of .22LR. Nice and safe and dry.

- "Survival kit in a can" - We've all seen them and wondered what kind of junk they held. I make my own. Esbit emergency stove and fuel tabs, fire starters, high energy food bars, space blanket, first aid gear, knife, etc. etc. You can really stuff a lot of gear in a #2.5 can, throw it in the trunk and you'll always be able to heat up a cup o joe, right in the can.

Late addition: Hot glue a P38 to the top of the can so you can open it any time

- Great for storing anything you want safe and dry, the possibilities are endless. First aid supplies, copies of important papers, photographs, etc.

welderguy
02-16-2010, 04:39 PM
I dont know about that price tag of 660.00, for that kind of money I could get a WHOLE LOT of food preps and keep storing them the way I am, but thats just my 2 cents.

Rick
02-16-2010, 05:09 PM
Well, DSRICKS point, I think, is you can find them a lot cheaper. Then it becomes cost competitive to do it.

I really like the idea of canning other items. You've actually given me some great ideas. Now all I have to do is find that inexpensive can sealer........

dscrick
02-16-2010, 05:48 PM
I think for the kind of uses most of us on the forum would have the lower end manual hand crank models are best. I would be perfectly willing to shell out $250 for one if I hadn't stumbled on the bargain, knowing how useful it is now.

I think several of our forum members are part of some low key groups, might be a wise idea to pool resources and purchase a "Group sealer". Might be able to afford one with a motor and increase production. Then buy dried goods in bulk at savings and can them

Winnie
02-17-2010, 01:52 PM
The liklihood of me finding one of these is nil. But I do have a a couple of questions for those who do their own storing. How do you store any unused oxygen absorbers? Do you think canning jars wrapped in brown paper would do a sufficient job instead of sealed metal cans?

dscrick
02-17-2010, 04:22 PM
The liklihood of me finding one of these is nil. But I do have a a couple of questions for those who do their own storing. How do you store any unused oxygen absorbers? Do you think canning jars wrapped in brown paper would do a sufficient job instead of sealed metal cans?

I store the unused Oxygen absorbers in vacuum sealed bags. Airtight and no oxygen for them to absorb. It is necessary to protect them from light as well

I suppose you could use canning jars for dry storage just as easily as metal cans. After all, we can wet stuff in them right? They were the precursor to metal cans in the first place. There is the potential breakage hazard though.

I would fill them with dry goods (Grain, dried veggies, pasta, what have you), drop in an oxygen absorber, and seal. Definitely protect from light. A good dark root or fruit cellar would be ideal, but you could just put the jars in a cardboard box on the shelf too.

Trabitha
02-17-2010, 04:29 PM
Oh...wow...guess that was some important information for me to know...

*runs into the other room to try and salvage what's left of her oxygen absorbers* Erg...

dscrick
02-17-2010, 04:31 PM
Oh...wow...guess that was some important information for me to know...

*runs into the other room to try and salvage what's left of her oxygen absorbers* Erg...

Unless they were in direct sunlight they'll probably be OK

Rick
02-19-2010, 11:58 PM
Well, I just picked up a can sealer off eBay. It's an Ives-Way #200. It will seal #1, 2, 2 1/2 and #3 sized cans. So I guess I'm going to be in the dry canning business pretty soon.

dscrick
02-20-2010, 08:31 AM
Well, I just picked up a can sealer off eBay. It's an Ives-Way #200. It will seal #1, 2, 2 1/2 and #3 sized cans. So I guess I'm going to be in the dry canning business pretty soon.

Allright! I saw that one go on Ebay, you did pretty good. Remember if it didn't come with a manual I can email the .pdf to you