A Step-by-Step Beginner’s Guide to Sealing Mylar Food Storage Bags
Heat sealing your mylar food storage bags effectively requires preparation and the right tools. This step-by-step guide will walk you through the process so you can enjoy the most effective food-storage tool in the industry – mylar bags!
Make Sure You Have Everything You Need Ready to Go
Ensure you have everything you need ahead of time, whether you're sealing one bag or setting up an assembly line. If you don't, you could waste time and potentially lower the effectiveness of your oxygen absorbers. Furthermore, the less organized you are, the more likely you will mislabel a long-term storage bag, which could be an unwelcome surprise 20 years down the road!
Here is a list of things to have ready to go before you start to seal your mylar bags –
· The food you want to store
· The mylar bags
· Oxygen absorbers in a sealed container
· Sharpie/Black marker
· The heat source for sealing mylar bags
· (Optional) Tape for making a label
· (Optional) 5-gallon bucket or plastic bin for long-term storage
· (Optional) Tupperware container to stand small bags in
· (Optional) Portable ironing board or timber wrapped in a towel
There are Several Common Tools for Heat Sealing
You seal mylar bags by fusing them closed with a heat source. If the temperature is not high enough, the mylar will not seal. If it is too high, the mylar will melt. Several tools typically provide the correct temperature naturally or have different settings to accommodate the project.
Here is a list of the most common tools for sealing mylar bags –
· Hair straightener
· Clothes iron
· Clamshell heat sealer
· Impulse heat sealer
· Vacuum sealer (perhaps least convenient)
8 Steps to Heat Seal Your Mylar Bags
Remember to arrange an assembly line if you plan to seal more than 1 bag. It will save time, reduce the likelihood of errors, and preserve the life of your oxygen absorbers.
Step 1 – Label the Bags
Many people wait to label the bags until after they are sealed. We feel this increases mislabeling since sealed mylar bags all look the same! You can use tape to make a label, but many people write directly on the bag. Be sure to include the current and best-by dates if you put the bag in long-term storage!
Step 2 – Stand the Bags Up
Stand the bags in their bucket or container with their mouths open. Spread the bottom as widely as possible to help the food settle.
Step 3 – Fill the Bags
Fill all of the bags to save time and minimize the time your oxygen absorbers are exposed to the air.
Step 4 – Turn on Heat Source
Different sources require different warm-up times. If you have to move this step to an earlier spot in the list, feel free!
Step 5 – Add Oxygen Absorbers
Remember to add enough oxygen absorbers to provide a minimum of 100cc absorption capacity per quart of storage. That's at least 400cc for a 1-gallon mylar bag and at least 2,000cc for a 5-gallon bag. Some people prefer to bury the packets in the food. Some also like to alternate steps 5 and 6.
Step 6 – Seal the Bags
First, make sure no food dust or particles are near the mouth of the bag. Then, squeeze as much air out as you can. Finally, arrange the bag into the most convenient position for sealing. For example, most people prefer vertical with a hair straightener and clamshell heat sealer and a clothes iron if they can fold the mouth of the bag horizontally over the ironing board or timber.
If you use an impulse or vacuum sealer, you may have to lay the bag down. Be careful of spillage. You may want to consider underfilling the bag to make it easier. Most experienced mylar food storage bag users start with a partial seal. Take the hair straightener, clothes iron, or clamshell heat sealer and begin in the middle. First, seal to one side, leaving half to ¾ of the bag unsealed. Then, squeeze out as much air as possible from the bag. Finally, finish the sealing process. If you're using the bag for long-term storage, feel free to make an extra thick or double seal.
It is more challenging to do a partial seal with an impulse or vacuum sealer, but some prefer to angle the bag, so one corner remains unsealed. Then they squeeze the air out and finish the seal.
Step 7 – Wait 3-6 Hours
The oxygen absorbers will take about 3-6 hours to do their job. They will decrease the air volume in the bags by about 25%. Sometimes, the bags will become very tight, as if they have been vacuum-sealed. Other times, they may just shrink a bit. Check the bags to ensure no air comes out when you squeeze them and that you have sealed them properly.
Step 8 – Store or Pack
Congratulations! Your mylar bags are successfully sealed! You can now put them in their 5-gallon buckets for long-term storage or pack them for snacking on a camping trip. Either way, you have protected your food better than any other storage method!
How do you seal your mylar bags ? Let us know your favorite sealing method below.
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