Oxygen Absorbers: The Right Amount For the Right Reasons
Mylar food storage bags are the most effective way to protect your stored goods from light, gasses, and other contaminants. However, oxygen absorbers are your ace in the hole to ensure your mylar bags do their job most effectively. You can make the most of these excellent tools by understanding how they work, why you need them, and how many to use.
Small Pouches that Gobble up Your O2
Oxygen absorbers are simple pouches filled with pure iron powder. When exposed to air, the iron quickly reacts with oxygen, consuming it. This process is natural, and, provided the pouches are undamaged, the oxidized iron remains contained in the pouch. Since air is 20% oxygen, you may notice that your food storage bags shrink a bit once the oxygen absorbers do their work in a couple of hours.
The capacity of an oxygen absorber to remove oxygen is measured in cubic centimeters (cc). Absorbers come in air-tight containers or bags because they will begin to absorb oxygen as soon as they are exposed to air. Therefore, make sure you are ready to use them as soon as you open their container! It is best to prepare and measure everything ahead of time so you know exactly how many you need for your food storage project.
Keep Your Food Safe from Rot and Pests
You must remove all the oxygen from your long-term mylar food storage bags because it will spoil or otherwise harm your food if you don't. Oxygen can react directly with elements in the food, making fats and oils go rancid or changing protein structures. Furthermore, oxygen can cause discoloration and loss of flavor, vitamins, and other nutrients. Using an oxygen absorber that contains iron will use all the oxygen before it can alter the composition of your food.
Oxygen also supports the growth of contaminants within your food. For example, if fungi are present, such as yeast, mold, or mildew, oxygen will allow them to grow. In addition, any worms, eggs, larvae, or insects will survive and thrive with oxygen. Finally, many smaller microorganisms also require oxygen, and they can spoil or devour your stored provisions. Oxygen absorbers will quickly deprive the dangerous contaminants of the oxygen they need to live in your food stores.
100cc Per Quart, Minimum
It would be best to use at least 100cc of oxygen absorbers per quart of mylar food bag storage. Remember that it is always better to overestimate how much you need. Excessive oxygen absorbers will never damage your food, so using too many will be nothing more than some extra spending. However, your food may spoil if you underestimate how many absorbers to use – a mistake you may not learn about until you need the food!
Some people use formulae based on the density of their food to determine how many oxygen absorbers to use. For example, they may use 400cc in a 1-gallon mylar bag of flour but 600cc in a 1-gallon bag of pasta or beans. Regardless of what you choose, never use less than 100cc per quart!
No Oxygen, No Spoilage, No Contaminants
Oxygen absorbers are a crucial component in proper long-term food storage. With a minimum of 100cc of oxygen absorbers per quart, your mylar food storage bags will provide the best protection from spoilage and contaminants on the market. With no chemical changes and no contaminants, your precious food stores will be safe for years and ready when you need them.
What oxygen absorbers are you using ?
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