What Is A #10 Can? What you Need to Know About #10 Cans

What is a #10 can? A #10 can is a specific size of steel can commonly used to package and store food. If you’ve shopped for emergency foods, chances are you’ve seen #10 cans. They are widely used for packaging commercial emergency foods. These cans are a convenient size and can store foods for a very long time when kept in a cool, dry place.

Some people even pack and seal their #10 cans to store dry foods. Sealing #10 cans required specialized equipment to correctly seal the cans.

Dried foods and dehydrated foods can have a very long shelf life when stored correctly in #10 cans. Keeping food this way can work exceptionally well with suitable storage space.

What is a #10 Can?

The #10 can is a standard-size steel can used for food storage. They typically hold 104-117 fluid ounces of liquid or other contents. Many different can sizes exist, such as the #1 can commonly used for soup cans.

Commercial food companies which supply food to large restaurant chains or cafeterias will frequently sell food in #10 cans. You can also find #10 cans sold at Costco or Sam’s Club.

Steel is Used to Make #10 Cans

The #10 can is made of electrolytic tin-coated steel. This tin-coated steel is very corrosion-resistant.

You can also buy #10 cans with acrylic or enamel interior coating. The coating prevents the food from coming in direct contact with the metal of the can, which is beneficial when storing liquids and acidic foods like tomatoes. If you’re storing dry foods, there is no need to use cans with interior coatings.

Common Can Sizes

Here is a list of standard can sizes. As you can see, the #10 can is one of the largest commercially available cans.

Can Size	Ounces Held	Cups Held
#1	11 oz.	1 1/3 cups
#1 Tall	16 oz.	2 cups
#2	20 oz.	2 1/2 cups
#2.5	27-29 oz.	3 1/2 cups
#3	51 oz.	5 3/4 cups
#5	56 oz.	7 cups
#10	109-117 oz.	12-13 cups
#300	14-16 oz.	1 1/4 – 1 3/4 cups
#303	16-17 oz.	2 cups

(Source: UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources)

How Much Food can I put in a #10 can.

The amount of food you can store in a #10 can varies depending on how tightly packed the food is. For example, flour or other powders will be much denser than dried beans.

Food	Amount	Weight
Salt	10 cups	104 oz.
Rice	12.5 cups	90 oz.
Milk Powder	11.6 cups	55 oz.
Oats	11 cups	39 oz.
Freeze Dried Beef	11 cups	28 oz.
Freeze Dried Strawberries	9 cups	6 oz.
Soup Stock	13 cups	117 oz.

Can you Store Liquid in Ten Pound Cans?

Cans can be used to store liquids or moist food. You’ve probably bought numerous canned foods stored this way.

If we’re talking about long-term emergency food storage, I would not recommend storing liquid or wet foods. While these foods can last a good while, they will not have anywhere close to the shelf life of dry foods.

Eventually, cans storing wet items will begin to corrode and rust. If you’re going through the trouble of packing and sealing your #10 cans, don’t waste your time with wet foods.

Wet foods sold in cans at most stores have a few years of finite shelf life. Ideally, we’re trying to get our emergency food to stay preserved for decades.

What to Consider Before Getting #10 Cans for Long-Term Food Storage

Pros of #10 Cans

Durability – Cans are made of steel with a robust seal. Even when dropped or dented, they can preserve food well.

Airtight Seal – Cans, when properly sealed, are airtight and protect your food from air and moisture. This is one reason #10 cans will potentially allow your food to last for decades.

Light Proof – Cans will block all light from contacting your foods. Many foods will spoil faster when exposed to sunlight, so this is a critical benefit.

Cons of #10 Cans

Expensive Equipment – To seal your #10 cans, you need a specialized tool designed for this purpose. These tools can cost $1000 or more. This is a huge reason I’d reconsider going with #10 cans.

If you’re savvy, you can build out a large stockpile of emergency supplies for much less.

Too Cumbersome – The cans are pretty big and heavy. In many cases, I like to partition my food into smaller containers. This is so I only unseal a reasonable amount of food at a time while the rest remains securely sealed.

Not Reusable – Once you open a #10 can, it cannot be reused to store food. You will not be able to reseal it correctly.

Theoretically, you can use a resealable plastic lid to reseal #10 cans. Still, these lids could be more secure, and they are not airtight.

Mylar Bags versus #10 Cans

The only reason to use #10 cans over mylar bags for long-term storage solutions is because #10 cans are more durable. That’s it.

Storing mylar bags in buckets mitigates any durability issues with them.

How to Seal #10 Cans

If you have the correct tool and components, sealing #10 cans is straightforward.

1. Fill your cans with food.
2. Place the lids on the cans.
3. Put the can in the sealing machine.
4. Seal cans using the device according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
5. Check the can to ensure the seal looks good.
6. Label your can with the contents and the date you sealed it.

How Many Oxygen Absorbers Should I use In a #10 can?

An excellent general rule is to use the same amount of oxygen absorbers you’d use in a 1-gallon container since #10 cans are nearly a gallon in size.

Be mindful of the type of food you’re putting in the can. The more air trapped in the can, the more oxygen is present. Food cans with denser contents need fewer oxygen absorbers than less dense foods.

More info on properly using oxygen absorbers for long-term food storage.

How do I Store #10 Cans Long Term?

The main problem with #10 cans is the potential for corrosion. Moisture and salty air can cause them to corrode more quickly. There are a few things you can do to mitigate this, though.

• Keep your cans somewhere with low moisture and no exposure to outdoor air.
• Store your cans off the ground. I get free wood pallets from local stores to keep my emergency food.
• Coat your cans with paraffin wax if it’s incredibly humid. The wax will create an airtight barrier around the cans.
• Keep your cans in a cool, dry place. Proper environmental conditions are critical for all long-term food storage.