Oxygen Absorber Sizes

"What oxygen absorber sizes are right for me?" is a question I'm often asked.

My answer: It depends on what size container you're using to store your dehydrated foods in.

The Most Often Used Size: 100cc

But the 100cc size is by far the most often used in my kitchen when I'm storing my dehydrated foods. Read more about what Oxygen Absorbers are here.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Ideal for At-Home Food Storage & Preservation

We use oxygen absorbers for food storage and preservation for the following reasons:

• Removes oxygen - They absorb any residual oxygen left in packaged containers, creating an anaerobic environment that inhibits food spoilage.
• Prevents oxidation - Absorbing oxygen prevents oxidation that leads to loss of nutrients, color changes, rancidity, and growth of aerobic bacteria. This prolongs shelf life.
• For dry foods - They prevent stale flavors, bugs, and rancidity in stored grains, beans, dried fruits, nuts, coffee, spices, and other dry goods.
• In Mylar bags - Oxygen absorbers are often used in Mylar bags to remove oxygen when packaging bulk foods for long-term storage.
• Dehydrated foods - They help retain nutrients and prevent oxidation in dehydrated fruits, vegetables, and meats.
• Environmentally friendly - Oxygen absorbers reduce food waste by keeping home-preserved foods fresh for longer periods.

Oxygen Absorber Sizes Range From 50cc to 2000cc!

These Mason jars in the above image each contain an oxygen absorber.

If you look closely you can see the blue and white oxygen absorber packet on top of the dried carrots and the dried green beans (the tall jars).

Oxygen absorber sizes range from 50cc, 100cc, and 300cc, to a whopping 2000cc.

Why is there such a big size range? (See the pink chart at the top of the page).

• When using smaller Mason jars, a 50cc oxygen absorber will suffice.
• For a larger quart-size Mason jar, use a 100cc size.
• The 300cc oxygen absorber is what I add to Mylar bags - along with your vacuum-sealed dried food packages of course - before sealing the Mylar bag. (We don't vacuum the air out of Mylar bags).
  
• The 2000cc oxygen absorbers are for use in the lidded food-grade buckets and/or plastic lidded bins (airtight variety). These are for "serious" long-term food storage purposes.

I have noticed that a 400cc oxygen absorber is also available on Amazon which you could use instead of a 300cc oxygen absorber.

Both the 300cc and 400cc sizes work well for Mylar bags!

Oxygen Absorbers at Amazon

Reminder: Oxygen Absorber Sizes to Use for Vacuum-Sealer Bags

When using the quart-size vacuum-sealer bags—which you may purchase from Amazon (see their image ads below), add the 100cc oxygen absorber into your vacuum-sealer bag before drawing the air out.

Amazon has different oxygen absorber sizes available (as you might have guessed! Amazon has everything...)

The quart- and pint-sized bags (shown below) are the FoodSaver brand food vacuum-sealer bags. They are safe for raw or cooked foods. They are also freezer, refrigerator, microwave, and boil safe!

Remember, we always add a 100cc oxygen absorber in the bag BEFORE drawing out the air and sealing the bag that contains your dehydrated goodies.

It's a step easily forgotten in our haste to get to the fun part of using the FoodSaver Food Vacuum sealer.

Have the kids help with this part of the dehydration and storage process.  They think the noise from the vacuum sealer is fun... (and it is!)

FoodSaver Food Vacuum Sealer Machines at Amazon

The FoodSaver machines remove air, one of the main causes of mold and food spoilage - and they create an airtight seal to lock in freshness.

Use a 300cc Size Oxygen Absorber for Mylar Bags which are Ideal for Short- or Long-Term Food Storage

When storing the vacuum-sealed pouches for long-term storage, we use Mylar bags. These shiny un-rippable bags are perfect for keeping goodies dry, out of daylight, and away from insects. I can fit about 3 or 4 vacuum-sealed pouches in one Mylar bag.

For Long-Term Food Storage, use 2000cc Oxygen Absorbers in AIRTIGHT Bins and Buckets

Now comes the part where the 2000cc oxygen absorbers come into play. We only use these whoppers for completely AIRTIGHT bins. There is no point in putting in a 2000cc oxygen absorber in the plastic bins that do not have airtight snap-on lids.

If those bins' lids have handles like the one shown in the image, you can tell by looking closely around their handles and "hinges" that they are NOT airtight at all. Nor were they designed to be, in their defense.

Having said that, I DO use them to store Mylar bags that have been filled with dehydrated goodies. I keep the bins in my closet, so they don't face temperature extremes or bugs from the garage. Plus, they are easy to stack in closets, etc.

So, DO NOT waste a 2000cc oxygen absorber inside those kinds of bins that have handles incorporated into their lids. If you can find snap-on lids for bins that big, hey - give them a try. They aren't easy to find - or use - IMHO.

Be Certain: Use Feed Buckets with Lids!

So the best way to be absolutely sure of being AIRTIGHT is to use feed buckets with lids.

When using the feed-grade buckets, you absolutely can use the 2000cc oxygen absorbers inside them; they're perfect for this as the buckets really ARE airtight!

To read more about storing dehydrated food, read Storing Dehydrated Food and Storing Dry Goods such as flour, salt, and sugar.

Thanks for stopping by to learn about oxygen absorber sizes and their uses! Share this page with your friends, thanks.

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