# Oxygen Absorbers for Longterm Food Storage



## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

I'm a newby on this forum, and there sure is a lot of good info here, but I was surprised to see no one seems to be using oxygen absorbers for longterm food storage. O2 absorbers are used extensively in the food industry (that little packet in the Honeywell powdered egg can is not a dessicant -- it is an O2 absorber). O2 absorbers are dirt cheap and they create a vacuum by removing gaseous O2. Is anybody here using them?


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

horseman09 said:


> I'm a newby on this forum, and there sure is a lot of good info here, but I was surprised to see no one seems to be using oxygen absorbers for longterm food storage. O2 absorbers are used extensively in the food industry (that little packet in the Honeywell powdered egg can is not a dessicant -- it is an O2 absorber). O2 absorbers are dirt cheap and they create a vacuum by removing gaseous O2. Is anybody here using them?


A lot of us use them for long term food storage, I in particular have used them in conjunction with CO2 for years. Here are some threads:
http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/long-term-food-storage-what-way-2597/

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/help-correct-o2-removal-mylar-1262/

http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f36/vacuum-storage-541/

BB


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

Thanks, Bob, for the reply. We've been using O2 absorbers for a little over 2 years now, with good results. I hadn't seen them mentioned here -- that's why I asked. If you don't mind me asking, isn't using both CO2 and O2 absorbers redundant? In other words, why use CO2 if the absorbers have already removed the free O2?


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

horseman09 said:


> Thanks, Bob, for the reply. We've been using O2 absorbers for a little over 2 years now, with good results. I hadn't seen them mentioned here -- that's why I asked. If you don't mind me asking, isn't using both CO2 and O2 absorbers redundant? In other words, why use CO2 if the absorbers have already removed the free O2?


Can't be too careful, very cheap insurance, especially if the seal should fail. I also put in bay leaves!! Did anyone say "triple redundancy". Also once opened will help to preserve what's left when you don't have the CO2.


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

Hey, Bob. What do the bay leaves do? Don't they leave a flavor on the stored food?


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## kyfarmer (Feb 22, 2009)

I heard this weird rumor that ya could use toe warmers in a pinch instead of the oxy thang's. Anyone know about this. Sound's like it might work. :dunno:


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

horseman09 said:


> Hey, Bob. What do the bay leaves do? Don't they leave a flavor on the stored food?


 Its a old time repellant that will help keep out bugs, no it does not flavor the contents. It was used long before inert gases and O2 absorbers were around.


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

kyfarmer said:


> I heard this weird rumor that ya could use toe warmers in a pinch instead of the oxy thang's. Anyone know about this. Sound's like it might work. :dunno:


 Thats true, but be careful they can get hot and can burn your skin, put in a cloth bag to insulate.


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

Bunkerbob, insects can't live in a CO2 environment or O2-free environment, that's why I was asking about the bay leaves. I have heard that hanging bay leaves in a basement will keep the spiders away.


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

horseman09 said:


> Bunkerbob, insects can't live in a CO2 environment or O2-free environment, that's why I was asking about the bay leaves. I have heard that hanging bay leaves in a basement will keep the spiders away.


Previous reply:
Can't be too careful, very cheap insurance, especially if the seal should fail. I also put in bay leaves!! Did anyone say "triple redundancy". Also once opened will help to preserve what's left when you don't have the CO2. 
BB


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## HozayBuck (Jan 27, 2010)

In 1976 two young lads drove into East Helena MT with an old farm truck with Idaho plates,I was a LEO and on duty so they asked me where they could set up to sell their load, all beans! all kinds of beans, now I love a pot of Ham and pintos and being married to an LDS gal I took an interest, and showed them a good spot, then I gave them my order and paid for it saying I'd be back when I got off duty, when I got there they only had my stuff left!!! man them farm boys done good!!

I took my 300 pounds of beans home and we poured them into 5 gal. buckets lined with plastic white garbage bags, before we closed the bags I tossed in a bunch of plain old crackers, then twisted the bag shut and tied it off then put more crackers in on top of the bag.

Now ya gotta know I was winging it...well time past ,we used beans with no sign of problems, we split up and laughingly divided the buckets remaining, in 02 I used the last of the pintos, leaving one bucket of great northern whites, which I never really cared for, I gave them to some friends, when she opened the bucket for the first time in 25 years she said the outer crackers were stale..hahahah...the inner ones were still pretty crisp and not too bad!

I was truly amazed with that, I will say the last of the pintos seemed to take a bit longer to cook but tasted fine..

God does watch over fools eh?.. he's had a full time job with me!


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