# o2 or dessicant?



## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

Ok, here's the question. If I am vacuum packing dehydrated foods, veggies, fruits etc. Do I use o2 absorbers or desiccant packs (moisture absorbers?)

If you can, give the reasons why you would use one over the other?


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Posting for curiosity. On a related note, I use O2 absorbers in dried food stores like rice & beans. On an unrelated note, I use desiccant packs in all my gun safes, lock boxes and cases. Never considered the desiccant packs for food stores. I know, not helpful.


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## hiwall (Jun 15, 2012)

Many times you see stuff advertised "sealed in nitrogen" or "nitrogen packed". If you remove the oxygen in a package mostly just nitrogen is left. just my $.02


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

pandamonium said:


> Ok, here's the question. If I am vacuum packing dehydrated foods, veggies, fruits etc. Do I use o2 absorbers or desiccant packs (moisture absorbers?)
> 
> If you can, give the reasons why you would use one over the other?


I have been LTF(Long Term Food) storing for decades with CO2. I also have used O2 absorbers and vacuum packaging, which in my opinion are one and the same. Desiccant packs are not really needed in LTF preparation, again in my opinion.

BB


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

O2 absorbers generally consist of an iron powder along with a few other ingredients including salt.
Salt is a dessicant.
Assuming you're packaging in mylar bags, you should be GTG.
If your storage containers are subject to possible condensation issues, it might be a good idea to put some salt pellets/rock salt in the container.


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## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

I am vacuum packing dehydrated veggies, I figure since most of the o2 is already out then residual moisture would be the biggest concern. Yes, no, maybe? Veggies are green beans, carrots, peas, corn, potatoes, so far.


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

A sprinkling of salt or even one of those paper salt packets might be a good idea.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Diamond-Crystal-Salt-Packets-3000-ct/15686297
$10 for 3000 is cheap plus you can always use the packets as seasoning when you cook the food.

If you're using the plastic vacuum bags, they do leak air over time.


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## IlliniWarrior (Nov 30, 2010)

you better have the food properly dehydrated or you'll have bigger problems than a 02/desiccant decision ....

you need to be canning (glass jars) the dehydrated food .... vac bagging is strictly short term .... have your canning jars properly sterilized - toss in a 100CC 02 absorber with your food - heat the jar lids to the proper temp - doesn't hurt to use the jar attachment with your vac unit for additional insurance


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## k0xxx (Oct 27, 2011)

IlliniWarrior said:


> you better have the food properly dehydrated or you'll have bigger problems than a 02/desiccant decision ....
> 
> you need to be canning (glass jars) the dehydrated food .... vac bagging is strictly short term .... have your canning jars properly sterilized - toss in a 100CC 02 absorber with your food - heat the jar lids to the proper temp - doesn't hurt to use the jar attachment with your vac unit for additional insurance


I'll go with that 100%.

We store our long term foods, that we dehydrate ourselves, in canning jars with an O2 absorber. If we've done the dehydrating properly, we're good. For us, our long term dehydrated is normally used within a few years. If we are going to be using it within six months, then we'll use vacuum seal bags, with an O2 absorber added just for good measure.


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## SurvivorBoy1 (Jul 15, 2012)

Bunker bob what kind of vacuum packer do you use. I'm going to kill a beef soon and I've learned I should beware of over heating on big jobs. However no one says which brands are reliable.


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

SurvivorBoy1 said:


> Bunker bob what kind of vacuum packer do you use. I'm going to kill a beef soon and I've learned I should beware of over heating on big jobs. However no one says which brands are reliable.


Just the regular Food Saver, I can't see a big diff in all these high priced units. All it needs to do is draw a vacuum and heat seal, I can even seal 55 gal mylar bags with it, you just reduce the opening with a hot iron and a alum level down to the Food Saver bar size and you are set.

BB


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

Normal vacuum sealing units do not like liquids or food debris getting into them. After I had a unit fail and bought a new one, I took the old one apart. Bunch of crap got into the rubber flapper valve. I haven't actually tried it yet, but wonder if sending some hot water down the suction hole would fix it without taking it apart?


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

partdeux said:


> Normal vacuum sealing units do not like liquids or food debris getting into them. After I had a unit fail and bought a new one, I took the old one apart. Bunch of crap got into the rubber flapper valve. I haven't actually tried it yet, but wonder if sending some hot water down the suction hole would fix it without taking it apart?


 To beat the liquid problem I freeze in a container that is smaller than the bag opening then seal the solid.


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## partdeux (Aug 3, 2011)

bunkerbob said:


> To beat the liquid problem I freeze in a container that is smaller than the bag opening then seal the solid.


When we do corn, we put it in seal bags, lay them flat in a 13x9 pan and freeze it. Vacuum seal the frozen bags.


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## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

IlliniWarrior said:


> you better have the food properly dehydrated or you'll have bigger problems than a 02/desiccant decision ....
> 
> you need to be canning (glass jars) the dehydrated food .... vac bagging is strictly short term .... have your canning jars properly sterilized - toss in a 100CC 02 absorber with your food - heat the jar lids to the proper temp - doesn't hurt to use the jar attachment with your vac unit for additional insurance


I am vacuum packing to keep the weight down, if I have to bug out, I want to reduce the weight as much as possible.


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## EarlyPrepper (Aug 28, 2012)

pandamonium said:


> I am vacuum packing to keep the weight down, if I have to bug out, I want to reduce the weight as much as possible.


Just curious, how does vacuum packing keep the weight down? It is simply removing the air and sealing the product, the weight does not change? In fact, vacuum packing would actually increase the overall weight of what you BO with as you will be able to carry more (a good thing) Dehydration or freeze drying reduces weight, vacuum packing just provides a sealed air free environment.

I am not knocking you, just curious as to what your thought process is here.


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## pandamonium (Feb 6, 2011)

EarlyPrepper said:


> Just curious, how does vacuum packing keep the weight down? It is simply removing the air and sealing the product, the weight does not change? In fact, vacuum packing would actually increase the overall weight of what you BO with as you will be able to carry more (a good thing) Dehydration or freeze drying reduces weight, vacuum packing just provides a sealed air free environment.
> 
> I am not knocking you, just curious as to what your thought process is here.


 I am dehydrating and vacuum packing. Someone suggested I need to be canning. That is where the weight consideration is coming into play.


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