Posted: 10/17/2009 3:19:57 PM EDT
| gonna start some long term storage soon with O2 absorbers and mylar. does most everything but sugar need O2 absorbers? does flour need them as well? |
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Quoted:
why wouldn't sugar need O2 absorbers? Sugar becomes rock hard after O2 absorbers are used with it. Lots of sugar won't grow anything in a sealed package because the sugar messes with the osmotics of microorganisms. The result is that water is leeched out of the microorganism. Sugar in high concentration is a commonly used preservative because of that principle and excess sugar in their food isn't something the majority complains about. |
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Quoted:
how long do these moisture packets last once placed in a container? I am guessing as long as the container stays closed, but want to make sure before I am guessing wrong. Thanks. O2 absorbers absorb Oxygen. They don't eliminate the moisture in the package which is H2O. When using an oxygen absorber you place a few in a mylar foil bag with your food then seal the bag. The O2 absorber chelates the Oxygen and chemically converts it which results in heat being given off. As long as the bag isn't opened or punctured the O2 absorber is fine. A silica moisture absorber chelates moisture but it doesn't chemically convert it. The result is that after the silica is exposed for a while it has absorbed everything it can. Once it's fully absorbed you have to dry it out for it to be effective again. Since I live in Utah I don't bother with moisture absorbers. The relative humidity here is often low. I just use O2 absorbers. |
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I put them in everything i have done thus far( rice, oats, red wheat, pintos) except for sugar (makes it a solid block) and salt (no need in my mind, whats gonna grow in salt?)
here is a good link that goes over most stuff: http://extension.usu.edu/foodstorage/ J- |