Decanting dry foods? Milk Bottles?

[jennyjj01]

Who decants bags of rice or pulses? Adding together small bags or splitting big bags or tubs.

Pulses, rice, TVP and similar foods often come in plastic bags or big tubs, possibly nitrogen packed. But those plastic bags sometimes aren't the best for storing or pouring or resealing. Seldom the right size.

What's the consensus on decanting the bags into more robust containers. In particular, I have in mind washed and dried 2 Litre plastic milk bottles, of which I have plenty. Almost rectangular, they stack well.

We'd lose the advantage of nitrogen packing, but I wonder if a 2L bottle with a silica gel pad would be a nice compact and solid bundle.

Cleaning and drying those bottles can be tricky, hence the silica gel.

I have tried it with rice. Am I being silly recycling for recycling's sake? Does anyone re-use plastic milk bottles and know any downside? E.g. do they degrade?

[pseudonym]

I have mine in Kilner jars, but any glass jar with lid would do.

I also have jars full of screws, washers, bolts etc all matching (ex sauerkraut jars)

The plastic bottles seem a good idea but I would worry about the degrading of plastic.

[Arzosah]

I go with glass as well - I have a lot of old dried milk containers from Waitrose dark brown, they're great. Otherwise, present day, jars with a net weight of 700g pickled beetroot, or 900g of olives in brine. I also save plastic, but that's for salad stuff on days out - I wouldn't trust for long term storage - but you're right, we need to decant.

[Forager]

I use plastic fizzy drink type bottles for storing rice. Has worked for me for years. Sterilise and dry the bottle well, and squeeze as much as you can inside, continuously tapping the bottle to make them settle as you go. Cramming as much rice as you can in means there's next to no air in the bottle, and it's good for years. I've used rice 10 years out of date with no problems whatsoever.

[Forager]

I don't really like this channel but it's a short video on how I do it.

https://youtu.be/SYH7Ue9WE1Q?si=nr1Yx7LnnwLSVM3l

[jennyjj01]

I don't really like this channel but it's a short video on how I do it.

https://youtu.be/SYH7Ue9WE1Q?si=nr1Yx7LnnwLSVM3l

Thanks. I'll go ahead with my plan and report back any failures. Biggest difference is that I plan to use soft polythene milk bottles not the pressure resistant. Pop bottles.
I don't bother freeze killing the supposed rice weevils.

[GillyBee]

Freezing to kill weevils seems to be a US thing. I have only had weevils once ever in stored UK food. We control for them much more carefully in the food industry.
Just taken delivery of a sack of gluten free oats. I didn't realise quite how big it would be. We will eat it all but I think I will need to decant it to make it manageable.
Milk bottles might be an option.

[jennyjj01]

I had little brown moths incubate in a bag of flaked barley. Was catching them for weeks till I found the source.

Going all in on the milk bottles for tvp rice pulses and oats.

Getting them bone dry, esp inside the handles is the next hurdle.

[ForgeCorvus]

Getting them bone dry, esp inside the handles is the next hurdle.

If you have an airing cupboard try that.... Avoid direct heat as the HDPE will warp at the drop of a hat.

[jennyjj01]

Getting them bone dry, esp inside the handles is the next hurdle.

If you have an airing cupboard try that.... Avoid direct heat as the HDPE will warp at the drop of a hat.

No airing cupboard. I wash them in warm water. Give a shake to inflate them to full shape, drain, then leave on their side with lid off for a day, then pop a gel bag in and lid on until ready to use them. That seems to work.