How do you store your cans?

Jonnie PekelnyContributor - December 13, 2020

My house is reasonably sized but has limited storage space. I’ve been accumulating canned food because of the pandemic, which I’m now also using as a backup food prep — I also have a bucket of freeze-dried food. The cans have mostly been stored in various cubbyholes: e.g. in the space under the couch, under the bottom shelf of my walk-in closet, etc. This works fine for a supply of cans I seldom use, but since I’m trying to rotate the canned food and use it regularly it’s becoming a pain in the butt to crouch on the floor of my closet trying to sort out which cans are which and trying to see the dates. I need a better system. What do you use to store your canned food?

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I used to live in an apartment and stored food and preps like you, in pretty much any nook and cranny I could find. And yes, it was difficult to know what you had, what was expiring, and what you needed more of.

It finally took us moving to a slightly bigger apartment to be able to dedicate a cupboard to food storage. Still not ideal, but better than what we had.

Try and prioritize a space for food storage, even if that means moving the Halloween decorations to all over the house and under the couch. 

Maybe just buy a separate shelf for food storage. If you don’t have room for it anywhere, you might just have to deal with it being an eye sore, but at least you would have things together and a bit more organized.

 

FWIW, if applicable and practical,… providing a couple of comments not knowing the quantity involved.

–  When I get something at grocery, whether an individual can or box of 12, a 3 x 5 yellow stick-on is pasted on top with date of expiration. The stick-on has “overhang” beyond the can so I can glance at my dated label without lifting a case of cans or even an individual can.

–  Again, if applicable and practical, budget permitting, purchase 2 office tables, 6 ft or 8 ft long.  One goes on top of the other for a library style of shelf; access via either side … again if applicable and practical. 

Above arrangement is not for the entertainment crowd; it does work for preppers. Plus, it’s safer than wood shelf arrangements and less costly than big box stores’ poly shelves.

 

 I used to write the expiration date on the box with a large sharpie so I would see it easier, but it would often rub off of plastic packaging. Putting a large sticky note with the expiration date on it is a smart idea.