Commercial labels are amazing. They are colorful, they have nutritional values, salt contents.... They name the contents.... But what happens if too much, or too little moisture starts playing with the glues that hold those labels on?
What about a flood? Something simple like a broken pipe or washing machine hose? To much rain in a given season, a naturally humid environment?
By the same token, to little moisture can create the loss of labels too. Dry, hot climates can change the reliability of labels. Maybe not as fast, but still the potential is there.
Anyway, the point is, even if it takes a few extra minutes to do, take out that famous "magic marker", and start writing. Alright, :) this decade they probably are recognized only as "Sharpie markers", but still find that permanent marker.
Your labels should include the contents and date purchased. Not the use by date.... Write it RIGHT ON THE CAN or BOTTLE or BUCKET and LID! We use the month and year. Mostly because we're not purchasing items often enough to have to worry about the day. We do this with everything! The reason? The date makes clear the oldest items in storage. This is essential for storage rotation. (Always use the oldest items first. This is the most important part to maintaining a healthy storage.)
Don't store items purchased in paper goods containers or thin plastic or plastic wrapping, in their original packaging!!! Or at least not only in their original packaging. It's too easy for vermin, insects and odors to get through that thin plastic or paper barrier. Look at it this way, if it's easily ripped or torn, it is easily chewed through. Transfer items, like that, to plastic or glass containers. Buckets are best. They're made with thicker plastic, and not fragile like glass. (We have a combination of both) Glass being less permeable makes it and ideal storage container for things like herbs, and spices. Buckets can be purchased in a variety of sizes, shapes, and opaqueness. They can be clear to semi-clear to impermeable to light.
Re-using buckets is another option but BE AWARE, using buckets that have had any kind of chemical in them can ruin food stores. These buckets, laundry, paint, ink, or even stronger chemicals, are best used for their original purpose, ie; laundry soap buckets should be used for that, or other cleaners. They work especially well if you change from commercial laundry soap to home made. Or you can use them for non-edible items. Fire starting kits, charcoal, rags, dryer lint, or any other of a number of things that the chemicals original to that bucket will not bother. And again, LABEL EVERYTHING!
NEVER store chemicals in your food storage area. No matter how "gentle" or "green" they may be, it is a bad idea. Soaps and other chemicals can have strong perfumes or odors to them. When they're stored with food those "smells" can leach into food items. For example: We had a bucket of commercial laundry detergent on a bottom shelf well away from the food items, but still in the same room. (Our food storage at the time was fairly minimal, and only took up a portion of the room it was being housed in.) Within a week the soda, and Tylenol that we were storing in the same room became flavored with the laundry detergent. Not only did it smell, strongly, of the detergent, it also had a horrid soapy taste.
Lesson learned!!! Now our cleaners are stored separately from food. Just in case, we took the extra step to store all bathroom, and personal hygiene supplies separately too.
:) Now the only permeating smell in the food storage is the sweet smell of homemade apple and pear vinegar!
Labeling is a convenience, a safety measure, a tool. Labeling makes it possible to itemize and customize your storage....
Your labels can be as complex as you like. You can include just the bare essentials, or be as meticulous as nutritional facts and figures.
Labels can include recipes. You can hand write all of them, or use digital labels or even cut outs as labels. (When we make kits, we tape the recipes right to the buckets, ie; cornbread and cake.) You can also include serving sizes and amounts per package. (We did this recently with packets of taco and chili seasoning. This allowed us to pour the contents of each package into containers, which removed the bulk of what was originally being stored.)Labeling makes consolidation a breeze!
