Preventing stored grains, masalas, papads etc. from getting spoilt by pests, insects, caterpillar worms and fungii!

nRiTeCh

nRiTeCh

Oracle
We have a huge drum where we store masalas, papads, grains etc. in bulk and remove them in small daily use containers as and when required.
The challenge is, due to change in climate, all of a sudden they go bad like the usual kidas/insects, fungus etc. irr4spective of the drums lid been tightly locked.

So, have to mostly throw them even if keeping them in sunlight isn't helping.

Some grains we heat on the gas, let it cool and then store but its not possible everything like masalas, papads etc.

I know boric powder helps mixing in rice but not in other grains like pulses etc nor papads.

Want to know what home remedies you guys/your mother/wife/sisters use in kitchen to prevent spoiling of stored food.
 
Aren't neem leaves supposed to be helpful with this?

Plus, I think keeping everything in one place might be a bad idea. If one thing goes bad, it will spread and spoil other items too. Better keep these in separate dabbas.
 
Instead of one big container, store them in multiple smaller airtight containers. Everytime you open the drum, you introduce moisture and insect eggs/fungi spores, which thrive in dark, damp places.

You can spray vinegar on the exterior surface of the container to deter insects.
 
Actually, over the time caterpillars infest in a few grains. I dont know whats causing this phenomena even on air-tight lid storage incl. fungus.
Mr.J said:
Aren't neem leaves supposed to be helpful with this?
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Yes, gonna try that.
Mr.J said:
Plus, I think keeping everything in one place might be a bad idea. If one thing goes bad, it will spread and spoil other items too. Better keep these in separate dabbas.
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You are not getting it. A single storage for wholesale storing drum and then removing it from the storage into regular usable dabbas as required. I cannot have a 1kg/2kg masala dabba or a suggar dabba all time outside as it will take months for it to be consumed.
 
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keep in refrigerator (not in ice compartment), we too have same issue and ladies in family start keeping all kind of masalas etc. everything in refrigerator and issue solved.
Also, if no space in refrigerator try to buy in less quantity, as buying large may save money but no use if insect/fungus etc. destroy major part of ......
 
nRiTeCh said:
You are not getting it. A single storage for wholesale storing drum and then removing it from the storage into regular usable dabbas as required. I cannot have a 1kg/2kg masala dabba or a suggar dabba all time outside as it will take months for it to be consumed.
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Of course not. But you can spread these items across multiple smaller drums like these: https://www.amazon.in/Bartan-Drum-Container-10kg-15kg/dp/B07XDKS3MY

So even if items in one drum get spoiled, it doesn't affect items in other drums.
 
Same major problem here.
Just about week or two back
Threw 1.5 kg of Daal and 1/2 kg rice and rajma.


Here is what my relative said to do.

Rub some mustard oil in your hand....very little. then use that hand to put those big Haldi sticks and Dry mirch inside the daal and rice etc.

That is what they have been doing for years and works for them.

Haven't tried it yet but bought those items and will be trying soon.
 
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Something related, we have issues with big ant colonies, the red little ones.. first they started outside, now they are inside and made bunker inside gaps between the window-walls and such.. they que up all over anything they can inside kitchen.. even jars of hard grains, Help!
 
We store masala powders, chilli powder, and other such dry stuff in airtight containers inside the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. It stores well, and keeps stuff fresh. Have stored for close to 6 months without any issue. Space is the only constraint here.
 
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logistopath said:
We store masala powders, chilli powder, and other such dry stuff in airtight containers inside the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. It stores well, and keeps stuff fresh. Have stored for close to 6 months without any issue. Space is the only constraint here.
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yup this works
tr27 said:
Something related, we have issues with big ant colonies, the red little ones.. first they started outside, now they are inside and made bunker inside gaps between the window-walls and such.. they que up all over anything they can inside kitchen.. even jars of hard grains, Help!
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we got termite control 2 yrs ago and now there is not even a single ant [ earlier the kitchen was filled with ant colonies]
 
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anmolbhard004 said:
we got termite control 2 yrs ago and now there is not even a single ant [ earlier the kitchen was filled with ant colonies]
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The pest control agents here have lame claims.. what they say is..only the existing inside the house residing pests/ants/rodents etc. will be killed during the pest spraying activity and anything coming from outside thereafter may or may not have any effect on them be it ant or any insect! So we cannot guarantee anything.
Hence I have never resorted to such useless services!
 
nRiTeCh said:
We have a huge drum where we store masalas, papads, grains etc. in bulk and remove them in small daily use containers as and when required.
The challenge is, due to change in climate, all of a sudden they go bad like the usual kidas/insects, fungus etc. irr4spective of the drums lid been tightly locked.

So, have to mostly throw them even if keeping them in sunlight isn't helping.

Some grains we heat on the gas, let it cool and then store but its not possible everything like masalas, papads etc.

I know boric powder helps mixing in rice but not in other grains like pulses etc nor papads.

Want to know what home remedies you guys/your mother/wife/sisters use in kitchen to prevent spoiling of stored food.
Click to expand...
I never had this problem but you can't try silica bags which absorb humidity.
 
It's a big problem, and I'm also looking for solutions. But one thing that helped us is that we noticed stuff bought from a particular store had a tendency to develop these insects. They had their own store brand. These insects then spread to neighbouring boxes too, they are very smart.

We stopped buying from that store, and it helped contain that particular bout of infestation.
 
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kiran6680 said:
It's a big problem, and I'm also looking for solutions. But one thing that helped us is that we noticed stuff bought from a particular store had a tendency to develop these insects. They had their own store brand. These insects then spread to neighbouring boxes too, they are very smart.

We stopped buying from that store, and it helped contain that particular bout of infestation.
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I have also noticed this trend. Buying from some shop causes this problem more often.

But these insects/ pest /keeda )makhura ..whatever you call have super intelligence level.
They really can spread to other grains without even leaving a trace behind.
 
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The way this problem is solved abroad is by vacuum sealing.


You can explore this option. Better quality sealers cost more than people are willing to spend so we get cheaper products here.

Grains stored properly this way can last ten years if not longer and still be fresh. Popular with preppers.
 
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6pack said:
Can we use these Amazon basics vacuum bags too to store large quantities of grain in them?
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You will have to enquire.I don't know. My guess is those bigger bags are for more compactly storing blankets. They might tear with food grains or not be strong enough.

Those bags you linked might not be food grade
 
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