Bottle had 32 fl. oz and only about 1/3 was consumed. Small amounts is do-able. Pile is about 3'+ wide, and is a new pile just started this week while the other is full and cooking in the center. New pile: On bottom are rolls for paper towels/toilet paper, paper egg crates, shredded brown packing paper, and layered veggies/fruit scraps, and half finished compost/leaves. Thank you!

heather_on - your husband and I would make quite the pair at the grocery store checking dates. It seems that many of the same customers seem to frequent the larger chains at the same time and I have been asked to check for later dates for a few others as I am already bent over or on my knees reaching for the back. Picking out apples is also a thrill. Heck, I even check the expiry date on my beloved little bottles of Coca-Cola (I don't like flat Coke). These days with perishables travelling from the main plant to central distribution to general distribution for X store and then to X's various locations and then of course sitting in the aisles while staff often (sad to say) go to lunch - well that can really affect the best before date - as in a product has often turned by the next day, even though dated 2 weeks in advance. I carry ice packs in the car - in a cooler and only shop on the way home. We do not eat much in the way of canned or packaged goods so I have to be very careful - especially with meat, milk, eggs and my husband's yogourt. Actually at a well known Ontario food store I saw yogourt and eggs on the shelf dated best before Feb. 1 - and this was in late April. I have returned chicken breasts (free from) dated 1 1/2 weeks in advance that were bad day one. I only buy meat from a butcher now. I need organic milk - and I prefer Organic Meadow or Harmony. If I wanted to buy Neilson, Natrel or PC Organics (double UHTd) I would - so I go elsewhere for it. Then there is a small fruit and vegetable store where they will chop up a squash or melon for you - as you wait - at no cost. I will not buy bagged salads since I have found that despite the date the leaves are often "wet" - and I do know something about how they are kept "fresher". I avoid any foods made in China (this is hard since often the product comes from China (or one of its "affiliates") but is packaged in Canada in something larger than the product itself. Then there is Mexico. Certainly products grown in Ontario can be contaminated but I do try. In Canada we do not have all of the coupons that Americans have and we pay a fortune for dairy, meat, eggs and butter (good thing I don't buy butter - husband almost fainted in shock when I presented him with a free pound of butter given to me by Sobeys based on my purchases). I do go through a lot of olive oil - too much, truthfully.

Yes. I often buy ahead when the price is right, so by the time I'm ready to use it it could be past the date. I shop at Sharp Shopper quite often and I hardly ever look at the dates any more because I've found that many of their products are dated far enough ahead that it isn't any different than the other stores. But the prices are. Sue

writersblock- What is the ambient temperature you will be keeping your food? That's what matters. Here in Kansas it can easily be 110°F in the summer - and the humidity start out at 97% (without rain) in the morning and 29% humidity by mid-day, but our home is air conditioned (between 75-78°F), and the basement stays cooler than that (68-72°F). My sister lives in south Texas and I've had to discourage her from a lot of home food storage because she keeps her home temperature at 80-85°F in the summer. She has settled on keeping about 3- to 6-months worth of food on-hand and that works well for her. She uses her refrigerator and freezer for things she needs to keep longer. She has noticed canned fruit (like pears or peaches) will change in flavor and texture if she keeps them too long, due to the heat in her home in the summer (which lasts 10-months - lol). Home food storage charts consider "room temperature" 70°F., and at that temperature you can expect to get "normal" shelf-life (+/- 2-3 °F ). Optimum food storage temperatures are between 40°F to 60°F. For each 10° below 70° you can store your food, it will increase the shelf-life, as much as double. So some things may keep better in a refrigerator or freezer if you keep the ambient temperature warmer than 70°F on a regular basis. Even MRE's (military meals ready to eat) are affected by temperature. Stored at 70°F they will store for 100-months. At 80°F - 76-months and 90°F - 55-months. Food is still safe to eat, but the flavors and texture will alter when store where it's warmer than room temperature. Some stored foods also degrade quicker than others due to temperature. Dairy products and powdered eggs are the most sensitive groups and need to be kept cool, so even in the basement we place them on the lower shelves, close to the floor where the temperature stays a little cooler. That takes care of the first enemy of food - HEAT. The other enemies are LIGHT, MOISTURE, OXYGEN, PESTS (insects and others). LIGHT - store food away from direct sunlight, and anything stored in jars or glass, keep in a cool and dark place. MOISTURE - Chose dry places. Avoid under sinks, where it can get both warm and humid. Run a dehumidifier in storage areas where there is high moisture. OXYGEN - I pack all dry goods (10% moisture or less) using a FoodSaver (vacuum-sealing in bags or canning jars) or using Oxygen Absorbers. That will kill any pests that may be present, or their eggs from hatching, due to the low amount of oxygen (easy AND effective). Low-oxygen storage will also extend the shelf-life. I never really got into using mylar bags and oxygen absorbers and packing food into buckets, but I have used oxygen absorbers in canning jars. I've been using a FoodSaver for food storage since I purchased my first one in 1986 - long before I ever thought in terms of "home food storage" the LDS Church way. I especially like using oxygen absorbers when making "meals-in-a-jar" using freeze-dried meat in them (like these recipes from Chef Tess - http://honeyvillefarms.blogspot.com/2012/03/meals-in-jar-guest-post-chef-tess.html#.VqepW4-cH2c). INSECT INFESTATION - Skip the bay leaves.... According to research done at Utah State University, "Bay leaves, chewing gum, 6-penny nails, and an assortment of other unscientific methods they tested, are not effective. The only instances where they have been effective are when no insects were initially present in the food." If you have dry pet food (including bird seed) in your home, they are often the source for insects since they are treated differently than human food, so store them carefully as well - in an air-tight container and away from your food. Use storage methods that actually work, such as removing food from the original package/box when you bring it home from the store, and storing it in an air-tight container. Don't leave any food residue on canisters/jars/containers. If you have your home treated for insects on a regular basis, that is also helpful. Regular cleaning will also go a long way to preventing a pest infestation. As I open a #10 can of freeze-dried food, I divide it between canning jars (whatever size works best as a user-friendly amount) and I will vacuum-seal them with my FoodSaver and jar sealer (or you can use an oxygen absorber). I also like to keep an assortment of small (2-serving size) packets of freeze-dried items in my 72-hour kit so I can just add hot water and make a meal during a power outage. My favorites are Mountain House: peas, green beans, corn, chicken fajita filling.... I wish I would have known about freeze-dried foods when I had kids at home - so convenient. If you aren't familiar with freeze-dried food, buying the 2-serving packets will be a good way to try them out. I have "umpteen" plastic totes filled with vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bags - filled with grains/seeds/beans/pasta/oatmeal...., all lined up on heavy-duty shelving. I've never had an insect infestation in all the years I've been using a FoodSaver for food storage (1986). -Grainlady