2 liter plastic bottles, a lot of
- Thread starter westtxamber
- Start date
If you don't already have an emergency water supply, those are great. They don't leak like milk type jugs do, and you can lay them on their sides and stack them to store them.
We also recycle them, $0.05 each also.
We also recycle them, $0.05 each also.
- Thread starter
- #13
westtxamber
Power Conserver
You guys are awesomesauce! I have some great ideas now. And Dawn Thank you for the link, very much!! I was going to go ahead and use them for dehydrated foods until I read it. FYI if you didn't read the link DO NOT store dehydrated foods in soda/juice bottles. Botulism risk. eek! I'm really gonna do some digging regarding that cold frame idea, I could get my veggies in the ground sooner (right?) and grow longer. Living in west Texas I already have a nice long growing season but I'm eager to get started. I also like the water supply idea, though I've heard it's good to get a pool test kit and add bleach your water accordingly. Well thanks again guys!!
OP Yes they work for DRY foods but the larger mouth 3L soda or the even larger mouth juice jugs work better.
PATCH-Be careful, if placed in the sun the heat can get to 105F inside when outside air is 45-50 F! How do I know? Sealed a thermometer in one.
WESTTXThey make wonderful overnight frost protectors, just cut off one end, and slip over the plant before nightfall. see warning to Patch above. How do I cut them? Fill with water freeze and use a power saw, hand saw will work. Empty they tend to collapse.
DD-my bugs must be smarter than yours because about 20% of mine fly back out the neck. I drill a hole in the cap for the size of bug I am after. Despite the popular saying, I catch more flies with vinegar then honey. Old beer is good bait for yellow jackets.
Bee-Careful they will sun brittle, if tightly sealed they will crack. In general sand is NOT a better heat storage media but would be for these bottles. I have used them to brood chicks when the power fails; I heat the water over propane. One bottle for 8-10 chicks they will cuddle up and keep the bottle warm without going into a heat huddle which usually results in a few deaths.
OP-again.. Those oxygen absorbers are what created the botulism risk Toxin is not produced in DRY foods and oxygen will kill them. Just another case of someone using junk science. Oxygen absorbers will protect foods from oxidation true but dehydrated foods were oxidized when they were dehydrated. Removing the oxygen just made it easy for the bacteria that produce toxin. They need moisture [why drying works] non acid [why pickling works] low oxygen [vacuum canning, this is why things must be sterilized before sealing] and reasonable temperatures to produce the toxin. The bacteria are widespread and fairly harmless. It is not the bacteria but the toxin produced that will kill.
What I use them for -watering things over an extended time where my hose will not reach. Most garden centers will offer plastic spikes that replace the caps of 2L bottles. The spikes have holes that let out water to the root zone. When that is saturated the watering stops. In fast draining soils it will start again as the water leaves the zone. I could write a short book on these as a watering device. Being cheap on my heavy clay, I just skip the spike, put a pin hole in the bottom, fill with water and cap tightly. Placed near a plant it will drip until there is a vacuum in the bottle then it stops. When it cools in the evening it will suck air back into the bottle to produce a slow leak the next day as it heats up. Sounds unlikely right ,so dont try it at home.~gd
PATCH-Be careful, if placed in the sun the heat can get to 105F inside when outside air is 45-50 F! How do I know? Sealed a thermometer in one.
WESTTXThey make wonderful overnight frost protectors, just cut off one end, and slip over the plant before nightfall. see warning to Patch above. How do I cut them? Fill with water freeze and use a power saw, hand saw will work. Empty they tend to collapse.
DD-my bugs must be smarter than yours because about 20% of mine fly back out the neck. I drill a hole in the cap for the size of bug I am after. Despite the popular saying, I catch more flies with vinegar then honey. Old beer is good bait for yellow jackets.
Bee-Careful they will sun brittle, if tightly sealed they will crack. In general sand is NOT a better heat storage media but would be for these bottles. I have used them to brood chicks when the power fails; I heat the water over propane. One bottle for 8-10 chicks they will cuddle up and keep the bottle warm without going into a heat huddle which usually results in a few deaths.
OP-again.. Those oxygen absorbers are what created the botulism risk Toxin is not produced in DRY foods and oxygen will kill them. Just another case of someone using junk science. Oxygen absorbers will protect foods from oxidation true but dehydrated foods were oxidized when they were dehydrated. Removing the oxygen just made it easy for the bacteria that produce toxin. They need moisture [why drying works] non acid [why pickling works] low oxygen [vacuum canning, this is why things must be sterilized before sealing] and reasonable temperatures to produce the toxin. The bacteria are widespread and fairly harmless. It is not the bacteria but the toxin produced that will kill.
What I use them for -watering things over an extended time where my hose will not reach. Most garden centers will offer plastic spikes that replace the caps of 2L bottles. The spikes have holes that let out water to the root zone. When that is saturated the watering stops. In fast draining soils it will start again as the water leaves the zone. I could write a short book on these as a watering device. Being cheap on my heavy clay, I just skip the spike, put a pin hole in the bottom, fill with water and cap tightly. Placed near a plant it will drip until there is a vacuum in the bottle then it stops. When it cools in the evening it will suck air back into the bottle to produce a slow leak the next day as it heats up. Sounds unlikely right ,so dont try it at home.~gd
Denim Deb
More Precious than Rubies
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GD, I like that idea for watering plants. I've wanted to come up w/some type of system for years! Now, I just need to find a bunch of empty soda bottles since I rarely drink it. Wonder if the neighbors would notice if I went thru their trash. 
~gd - Sounds like a good idea, but I have a question. Where is it sucking in the air at night? The pinhole on the bottom is for the water to drip out of, right? Do you put another hole in it somewhere? But then it wouldn't make a vacuum.
I'm confused.
the funny farm6
Super Self-Sufficient
I also take 20 oz soda bottles (or water bottles) and freeze them then during the summer when it gets real hot, you can put the frozen bottles in with the rabbits to keep them cool. Funny how they all cuddle up to the frozen water bottles! And after they thaw out you just refreeze them.
We also use any soda/milk/juice/lg water bottles that are not refundable to freeze for ice in the cooler during the summer. We freeze all year long then during the summer we don't have to buy ice when we go fishing or camping and stuff. Just take a jug and hit it with a hammer- that is the fun part!
We also use any soda/milk/juice/lg water bottles that are not refundable to freeze for ice in the cooler during the summer. We freeze all year long then during the summer we don't have to buy ice when we go fishing or camping and stuff. Just take a jug and hit it with a hammer- that is the fun part!
hwillm1977
Almost Self-Reliant
How about building a greenhouse out of them?
