# 5 gallon bucket storage



## Solarmom (Jun 17, 2010)

Hi,
can anyone give me approx. amounts on weight of foods that can be stored in food grade 5 gallon buckets? i.e. how many pounds of rice,sugar,salt etc will fit in a bucket. I would like to have a general idea so I don't over buy when stocking them.

Oh, by the way, I'm a fairly new prepper, I have been doing home canning for years, but this forum has been invaluable to me!!

Thanks!

Kris


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## unregistered65598 (Oct 4, 2010)

I believe I put 25lbs of flour into each bucket. I haven't done the suger yet and don't have enough of any thing else yet to see.


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## Lilbitof4 (Mar 2, 2011)

I can get about 30lbs. of sugar in a 5 gallon with a mylar bag. If I remember right, it seems like I get about that on rice too. Beans are about 25lb. to a bucket. Hope this helps.


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## stamphappy (Jul 29, 2010)

I don't know if this will work, but here you go...
How Much Food Fits in a Container
Estimated Lbs. Per Gallon	1.25 Gallons	1.5 Gallons	5-Gallon Bucket	6-Gallon Bucket
WHOLE GRAINS: 
Cracked Red Wheat 5.83	7.29	8.75	29.17	35.00
Hard Red Wheat 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
Hard White Wheat 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
Pearled Barley 7.33	9.17	11.00	36.67	44.00
Whole Corn 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
Hulled Buckwheat 7.00	8.75	10.50	35.00	42.00
Flax 6.33	7.92	9.50	31.67	38.00
Long Grain White Rice 7.33	9.17	11.00	36.67	44.00
Long Grain Brown Rice 7.17	8.96	10.75	35.83	43.00
Par Boiled Rice 7.00	8.75	10.50	35.00	42.00
Rolled Oats 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00
Oat Groats 7.00	8.75	10.50	35.00	42.00
Oat Bran (Fine) 5.00	6.25	7.50	25.00	30.00
Rye 7.00	8.75	10.50	35.00	42.00
9-Grain Cereal 6.33	7.92	9.50	31.67	38.00
Hulled Millet 7.17	8.96	10.75	35.83	43.00
FLOUR: 
Wheat Bran 2.50	3.13	3.75	12.50	15.00
All Purpose Flour 6.67	8.33	10.00	33.33	40.00
Cornmeal 6.67	8.33	10.00	33.33	40.00
BEANS: 
Beans 7.00	8.75	10.50	35.00	42.00
Anasazi 6.67	8.33	10.00	33.33	40.00
Black Turtle 7.00	8.75	10.50	35.00	42.00
Black Eye 6.33	7.92	9.50	31.67	38.00
Garbanzo 6.67	8.33	10.00	33.33	40.00
Great Northern 7.00	8.75	10.50	35.00	42.00
Green 1.67	2.08	2.50	8.33	10.00
Green Peas 6.67	8.33	10.00	33.33	40.00
Kidney 6.67	8.33	10.00	33.33	40.00
Lentils 7.17	8.96	10.75	35.83	43.00
Lima 7.17	8.96	10.75	35.83	43.00
Mung 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
Pink 6.83	8.54	10.25	34.17	41.00
Pinto 6.83	8.54	10.25	34.17	41.00
Refried 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00
Small Red 6.83	8.54	10.25	34.17	41.00
Small White Navy 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
Soy 6.67	8.33	10.00	33.33	40.00
PASTA: 
Pasta - Macaroni 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00
Pasta - Egg Noodles 2.67	3.33	4.00	13.33	16.00
Pasta - Spaghetti 5.83	7.29	8.75	29.17	35.00
SPROUTING SEEDS: 
Alfalfa Sprouting Seeds 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
DEHYDRATED VEGETABLES: 
Diced Carrots 3.33	4.17	5.00	16.67	20.00
Cross-Cut Celery 1.33	1.67	2.00	6.67	8.00
Chopped Onions 3.00	3.75	4.50	15.00	18.00
Potato Dices 2.67	3.33	4.00	13.33	16.00
Potato Flakes 2.50	3.13	3.75	12.50	15.00
Potato Granules 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
Potato Slices 1.67	2.08	2.50	8.33	10.00
Split Green Peas 7.50	9.38	11.25	37.50	45.00
Tomato Powder 5.83	7.29	8.75	29.17	35.00
DEHYDRATED FRUIT: 
Applesauce 3.33	4.17	5.00	16.67	20.00
Apple Slices 1.67	2.08	2.50	8.33	10.00
Banana 2.33	2.92	3.50	11.67	14.00
DEHYDRATED MILK/DAIRY: 
Butter Powder 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00
Margarine 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00
Cheese Blend 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00
Non-Fat Milk 5.83	7.29	8.75	29.17	35.00
Morning Moo White 5.83	7.29	8.75	29.17	35.00
POWDERED EGGS: 
Powdered Eggs 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00
Powdered Whole Eggs 4.17	5.21	6.25	20.83	25.00


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## stamphappy (Jul 29, 2010)

Ok, it didn't work. If you want, I can PM the document to you. It's in an excel spreadsheet format.


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## Solarmom (Jun 17, 2010)

stamphappy said:


> Ok, it didn't work. If you want, I can PM the document to you. It's in an excel spreadsheet format.



YES that would be great! THANK YOU!

Kris


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## wogglebug (May 22, 2004)

5 US gallons is just a little over half a US bushel. A bushel of wheat weighs 60 pounds, so a fairly safe figure for wheat would be 30 pounds per 5-gallon bucket.
Most cereals and grains, including corn, beans, peas, garbanzos (chick peas), black-eyed peas (cowpeas), run from that down to about 50 pounds per bushel (25 pounds per bucket). Barley and rice are a little less dense, but still near that range. 
Oats and sunflower seeds are very light, only about 15 pounds per 5 gallons.

Other items (like sugar, salt, flour, rolled oats and other processed goods), I don't know. Weigh out a pound, pour it into a fluid measure, bump it down, see how much volume it takes up, do the math.

Estimate weights down, not up, if you're going to be bagging things first.


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## Angelquest (Feb 11, 2012)

stamphappy said:


> Ok, it didn't work. If you want, I can PM the document to you. It's in an excel spreadsheet format.


May I have a copy of that too? It would make keeping track of inventory so much easier than my current method of, um, GUESSING! LOL Thank you! :angel:


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## stamphappy (Jul 29, 2010)

Those who want the file: I checked with Angie as I wasn't able to do attachments and she said attachments aren't allowed on HT or via a PM. The file is word document, not a photo, so going through photobucket isn't going to work. If you'd like to have the file, PM me an email address and I can send it to you. Or if you know how to put a file into photobucket, send me the instructions and I can do that. Sorry it's taking so long...


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## Solarmom (Jun 17, 2010)

www.usaemergencysupply.com/informat...storage/how_much_food_fits_in_a_container.htm

this is the link i found

Kris


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Does everyone still package single items in buckets? I've changed my style. I now package a variety of items in each bucket. If I had to grab a couple of buckets and run, I'd have several meals instead of a single bucket of flour/sugar/whatever. 

It works for me. I've learned that a single bucket will usually hold a weeks worth of meals for me & mine, sometimes less, sometimes more, depending on what meals are included. 

Each week when I open a bucket, I make a list of what is in it so I can restock it with the stuff I used. That way I'm rotating and keeping my supply up to date at all times. It also makes it easy to know how many weeks worth of food I have on hand by simply counting the buckets.


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## stamphappy (Jul 29, 2010)

Thanks for posting the link Solarmom!!! That's where I'd downloaded the document and couldn't remember the website. Old age you know...  

Spinner, I like your idea of multipe items in a bucket but explain it to me more. I use the 5 gallon buckets as my working stock, so the kitchen pantry has 5 gallon buckets of flour, sugar, oats, rice, etc...Spinner, you have those types of items all packaged separately in the 5 gallon bucket then take them out and repackage them in a different container in your kitchen? 

We do have grab and go containers and back packs with variety items, but you're right, I'm not rotating the items in those containers at all...


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