Dear Tess,
There is a donut shop here in our town, they are selling [5 gallon buckets] for $3 a piece… so I thought I could buy new lids for them, and see if I could find a way to keep the food fresh.
Thank you so much for your time Tess.
Carla
Answer:
Carla,
If the buckets previously held food or are considered food grade containers, then I would jump at the opportunity to buy these at such a low cost. A typical food grade container retails for $6. You are getting a great deal when purchasing them at a 50% discount.
I would shy away from purchasing containers that previously held brined food in it such as olives and pickles as the smell and flavor are very hard to wash out of .
Ensure that you wash the container thoroughly and follow proper food storage guidelines. Typically, a food grade container has a #2 by the recycle symbol or the acronymn ”HDPE” stamp on the bottom (HPDE stands for “high density polyethylene”). Before any food is to be stored, clean the containers with soapy water, rinse and dry thoroughly. When I store my food, I use a multi-barrier approach to protect the food for the long term.
Thanks again for your question.
Tess