Storing food

[marie83]

Pellets are only small so they defrost very quickly at room temperature. Nothing special needed.

[Michael]

My question is: How do you defrost it?

I don't defrost daily. I freeze 25lbs of pellets in 7 gallon bags. Then about once a month I take out a new zip lock gallon bag from the freezer and keep it in the cooler next to the bird cages for daily use. During comfortable temps I don't put ice in the cooler, just room temp storage (but it's thick to prevent rodents, smell, and spoiling). In the summer I swap those refreazable ice packs every morning so it doesn't get hot in there. This way the bird food is room temp and always available by the bird cages.

[Rokisha]

I'm curious as to why pellets need to be frozen in the first place. They are dry food, at least the ones I have are, so why not put them in say some tupperware and in a cabinet instead of freezing them? To me that seems a bit much and the process of freezing would add some excess moisture wouldn't it?

[marie83]

Crisps biscuits and the like are dry and they go stale don't they so why shouldn't dry petfoods? Also food loses nutritional value over time with freezing helps prevent. Some foods have chemicals and stuff added to them to prolong its shelflife but Harrisons and a few others don't which mean they degrade quicker.
Thats my reasons for freezing anyway apart from the cost issue.

[Cage Cleaner]

ok

[Michael]

I'm curious as to why pellets need to be frozen in the first place. They are dry food, at least the ones I have are, so why not put them in say some tupperware and in a cabinet instead of freezing them? To me that seems a bit much and the process of freezing would add some excess moisture wouldn't it?

Freezing stops all degradation processes. Something is always eating it (at least bacteria, mold, yeast, whatever). If you're keeping them for a month or two, cabinet is fine because not that much will happen to them. But when you buy a lot and want to use it for the next year, freezing keeps it at the same state it was in when you bought it.

[Rokisha]

Ah... I see.... I've never stored up on food to last a year... Thank you both for clarifying that, I wasn't too sure and I had thought that the dethawing the food from the freezer would make it a bit soggy.

[DanielA]

I use hermetic jars. Really not sure how to say correctly in english, since I buy the jars and the name is in spanish. Might google translate it,...

[DanielA]

Hehehe

I use hermetic jars. Really not sure how to say correctly in english, since I buy the jars and the name is in spanish. Might google translate it,...

it's airtight jars...

[ljeanne]

i use air tight dry dog food storage on wheels. some are tall and narrow so they don't take up too much room.