Oxygen Absorbers or Moisture Absorbers?

[Ozarkguy]

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Oxygen absorbers and dessicants. Which do you use for long term storage?

Either?

Both?

How do you suggest using them?

Any links of places to get either that won't upset cost savings with the outrageous shipping charges everyplace is doing now?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or replies. :)


gotta love those hills.....

Ozarkguy









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[kawalekm]

For things like rice, beans, and nut meats I use chunks of dry ice. Dry ice is good because the CO2 kills insect larvae and displaces oxygen. I store the staples in 5 gallon buckets with rubber gasket lids. I first put in a fist-sized lump of dry ice wrapped in paper towels. Dust off any frost the lump has collected before wrapping it. I then fill the bucket to the brim with the staple and then tightly put on the lid. I let the dry ice evaporate for a while, build up some pressure, then I crack the lid just enough to hear a faint hissing. I keep an eye on the bucket for a few hours to make sure it's not swelling to the point of bursting. The CO2 is heavier than air, so it displaces the oxygen in the bucket as it sublimates. The next morning I lock the lid down tight and put in in storage. I do the same thing with glass jars filled with nuts. You must be very carefull though to leave the lid loose enough to let gas escape, otherwise you're making a glass shrapnel bomb. Nut meats like walnut and pecans stay fresh for 2+ years if stored in the dark in a cool area.

[Ozarkguy]

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Thanks. Doesn't sound TOO complicated. Maybe even I could do it! ? :) Where do you get the dry ice?




Anybody else got ideas on long term storage and the use of dessicants or oxygen thingys?




gotta love those hills.....

Ozarkguy









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[kawalekm]

Look in the phone book under "ice". The companies that sell ice commercially to restraunts and such also sell dry ice. I buy it here for about 1.25$/lb. It's also great to bring along for camping trips. Insulate the dry ice with regular ice and you can keep meat frozen of 3-4 days.

[Ozarkguy]

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"Insulate the dry ice with regular ice and you can keep meat frozen of 3-4 days."

Very useful tip. Thanks MUCH! :)









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[230gr]

Oxygen Absorbers
Within the last ten years the advent of oxygen absorbers has brought a revolution to the food storage industry. Their use has increased the storage life of foods and has made the job of putting away food for long term storage much simpler. There are two types of oxygen absorbers used for the storage of Food, "B" absorbers and "D" absorbers. The "B" absorbers require moisture from the food they are packed with to perform their action. A good example would be beef jerky or dehydrated fruit that hasn't been dried until it is brittle. The "D" absorbers contain their own moisture and are better suited for dry pack canning because there isn't enough moisture in correctly dried food to activate the "D" absorbers. The "B" absorbers will last a year after they are manufactured but the "D" absorbers only last 6 months. This is important for you to know so you won't buy a bunch of absorbers, pack them away for two years, and expect them to do their thing when you finally open them. The "B" absorbers also work much slower as they must first absorb moisture from the food they are packed in before they will absorb any oxygen. You can generally leave them out for 2 hours before they reach their advertised minimum absorbing capacity. Because the "D" absorbers have their own moisture built into them, they start absorbing oxygen immediately when opened and reach their advertised minimum much quicker, generally within 20 minutes.
Oxygen absorbers perform their action through a chemical reaction. They contain iron powder which reacts with the oxygen in the air causing the iron powder to rust. When all the iron powder has oxidized, the oxygen absorbers are "loaded" and the absorbing action stops. Remove the oxygen from an active absorber and the chemical reaction stops. Put them back in the air and the reaction starts again until the iron is gone.

[eeyore]

I like the dry ice concept and the oxygen absorbers. But they do different things. Two other ways that come to mind about killing the bugs, is set what ever you are going to store in the freezer for a day or two so it can kill the bugs and the other is Diatomaceous earth, it will kill the bugs also.


Diatomaceous earth
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pest control
Diatomite is also used as an insecticide, due to its physico-sorptive properties. The fine powder absorbs lipids from the cuticle, the waxy outer layer of insects' exoskeletons, causing them to dehydrate. Arthropods die as a result of the water pressure deficiency, based on Fick's law of diffusion. This also works against gastropods and is commonly employed in gardening to defeat slugs. However, since slugs inhabit humid environments, efficacy is very low. Beekeepers are apparently experimenting with it, to keep small hive beetles from breeding. It is sometimes mixed with an attractant or other additives to increase its effectiveness. Medical grade diatomite is sometimes used to de-worm both animals and humans. It is most commonly used in lieu of boric acid, and can be used to help control and eventually eliminate a cockroach infestation.


Absorbent
Its absorbent qualities make it useful for spill clean-up and the U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends it to clean up toxic liquid spills.

More recently, it has been employed as a primary ingredient in a type of cat litter. The type of silica used in cat litter comes from freshwater sources and does not pose a significant health risk to pets or humans.