Please critique this!

[ninny]

Canning is where GOOD food storage is at, normal foods you normally eat.

I agree! Drying is more space sufficient though. Have you tried dried tomatoes? We love those!

They are on my list for this year!

DO I need anything other then jars for storing dried stuff long term? Or should I get a vacuum sealer and oxygen absorbers?

 

[Emerald]

I agree! Drying is more space sufficient though. Have you tried dried tomatoes? We love those!

They are on my list for this year!

DO I need anything other then jars for storing dried stuff long term? Or should I get a vacuum sealer and oxygen absorbers?

Just how long are you going to be storing stuff for? If it is just from one summer to the next then I wouldn't bother with oxygen absorbers but if you are storing for much longer than yes OA do well.. and you don't need to vacuum seal your jars or bags if you put in OA they will absorb the oxygen and pull a vacuum in the jar/bag.
There are a few things that benefit from being vac-packed when you open and use some and re vac-pack like onion powder/garlic powder(well any dried garlic) and other spices do much better taste wise if I take out a bit for small jars and everyday use and then vac-pack the bulk of it.

 

[moolie]

If it is just from one summer to the next then I wouldn't bother with oxygen absorbers but if you are storing for much longer than yes OA do well.. and you don't need to vacuum seal your jars or bags if you put in OA they will absorb the oxygen and pull a vacuum in the jar/bag.

Totally agree with the first part, if you are only storing seasonally then don't worry about O2 absorbers.

But I'm not sure that the second part is correct. O2 absorbers work because they are filled with iron filings which convert the oxygen into rust (short description) and thus "use up" the oxygen sealed in the container to keep the rest of the contents from oxidizing and going bad, they also deprive any "critters" or bugs of oxygen. But O2 absorbers don't actually create a vacuum.

 

[ORChick]

I agree! Drying is more space sufficient though. Have you tried dried tomatoes? We love those!

They are on my list for this year!

DO I need anything other then jars for storing dried stuff long term? Or should I get a vacuum sealer and oxygen absorbers?

This partly depends on how humid your climate is. For all the jokes about how it always rains in Oregon, during the summer it is actually quite dry here; we get our humidity in the winter. So I store most of my dehydrated foods in glass jars alone. Sometimes I use the the vacuum sealer, but often don't bother. Now, if I lived where there was a lot of humidity during the hot weather I would be more concerned. And if I lived in the dry desert I could even dispense with the glass jars, and store in paper bags (if I didn't have a mouse problem )

 

[ninny]

I will be storing them in my basement that has high humidity. So I'm thinking I will need the OA. Is it good to buy in bulk? Any good places online to buy cans and supplies?

 

[Emerald]

If it is just from one summer to the next then I wouldn't bother with oxygen absorbers but if you are storing for much longer than yes OA do well.. and you don't need to vacuum seal your jars or bags if you put in OA they will absorb the oxygen and pull a vacuum in the jar/bag.

Totally agree with the first part, if you are only storing seasonally then don't worry about O2 absorbers.

But I'm not sure that the second part is correct. O2 absorbers work because they are filled with iron filings which convert the oxygen into rust (short description) and thus "use up" the oxygen sealed in the container to keep the rest of the contents from oxidizing and going bad, they also deprive any "critters" or bugs of oxygen. But O2 absorbers don't actually create a vacuum.

Just going by what I personally have observed by doing this.. I do not vacpack things in my mylar-I put in the OA and squish the air out and seal they then suck down and appear to have the same look as my vac packed items.. Not sure if it is a true vacuum or not.. but they suck down like the others in the vac packed area.

ETA: as always my posts are just my opinion and reflections on what I've personally observed and done. your mileage may vary. I keep forgetting that there are pros here who don't like others opinions..

 

[moolie]

ETA: as always my posts are just my opinion and reflections on what I've personally observed and done. your mileage may vary. I keep forgetting that there are pros here who don't like others opinions..

I really wish people would stop taking things so darn personally around here.

An opinion is an opinion, a fact is a fact. Absolutely everyone is completely and utterly welcome to their opinions. Share freely. We don't all have to agree in order to discuss a topic.

The fact is that a vacuum is the absence of matter, or in the case of vacuum packing , the absence of air. Your "vacuum" look is achieved by your "squish the air out" step, not the O2 absorbers . The O2 absorbers convert the oxygen, they don't remove anything from the sealed bag--the only way to remove anything from a sealed bag is to open it.

 

[FarmerJamie]

Waiting for ~gd, the chemical expert to weigh in.

Oxygen is about 21% of our atmosphere, if an O2 absorber reacts with the O2 to convert to "rust" or otherwise reduce the gaseous oxygen into some solid form, I would think the volume of air in the sealed bag would be reduced by somewhere in a 15-20% amount, hence the bag might "shrink".

 

[Wannabefree]

Jamie...now my stuff is gonna rust? Really?

 

[FarmerJamie]

Rust is nothing more than something oxidized.