by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!
"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.
See our Podcast Page here on this site, or here on Buzzsprout.
Oxygen absorbers size chart?
Yes, see the chart below in the pink shaded box below these FAQs.
Visit oxygen absorbers to learn much more about what they are!
Oxygen absorbers for dried fruit and vegetables?
Yes, they're ideal for dried fruit and veggies, and:
Our dried food items need to already be very low moisture content to prevent absorbers from getting overwhelmed. Absorbers also require an airtight environment to work properly. By regulating oxygen and condensation, they effectively achieve a good balance keeping our dried food safe.
So any dried goods destined for your pantry or emergency food storage bins and buckets benefit greatly from using oxygen absorbers before sealing them away, significantly lengthening freshness.
Where to buy oxygen absorbers?
I get mine from Amazon. Why? Because of their fast delivery, plus, they wouldn't be allowed to sell them on Amazon if they sold "duds."
Having said that, you can return a "stale" package if it arrives with a PURPLE-colored pill inside it. That "freshness indicator pill" should still be PINK upon arrival. Read more here.
CLICK HERE
to PRINT OUT the chart below:
Oxygen absorbers are readily available in different sizes, such as 50cc, 100cc, 300cc, and 2000cc.
The reason for different sizes depends upon what size container your dehydrated foods are going to be placed in.
If you're using a small (half-pint) jar, use a 50cc oxygen absorber.
For a quart-sized jar or food vacuum sealer bag, use a 100cc oxygen absorber.
For a 10" x 14" Mylar bag, use a 300cc oxygen absorber.
For storage bins or buckets with lids, use a 2000cc oxygen absorber.
Oxygen absorbers are readily available in different sizes, such as 50cc, 100cc, 300cc, and 2000cc.
The reason for different sizes depends upon what size container your dehydrated foods are going to be placed in.
If you're using a small (half-pint) jar, use a 50cc oxygen absorber.
For a quart-sized jar or food vacuum sealer bag, use a 100cc oxygen absorber.
For a 10" x 14" Mylar bag, use a 300cc oxygen absorber.
For storage bins or buckets with lids, use a 2000cc oxygen absorber.
In the image above, the left-hand bag is a full unopened 100cc package of 100 oxygen absorbers. The pink oxygen absorber pill is visible, noted by the red arrow.
The packages to its right are my homemade packages of 20 - made from a newly-opened package.
When I need oxygen absorbers I grab one of my homemade packages, trim off the top seal, take out what I need, and immediately reseal it. The small package at the top of the unopened package (on the left side of that image) is what remains after working my way down one of my homemade packages!
By making small packages of 20, you'll extend the life of your newly opened 100-package and end up with sealed bags of 20 each. (Five packages!)
We use oxygen absorbers for food storage and preservation for the following reasons:
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).
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!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase. Read disclosure here.
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!)
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.
Helps keep food fresh longer.
Comes complete with a starter kit that includes an 11" x 10' heat seal roll, (3) quart heat seal bags, (2) gallon heat seal bags, and an accessory hose, so you'll soon be on your way to keeping your food fresh, eliminating waste, and saving money.
The 2-in-1 Automatic Vacuum Sealing System helps keep
food fresh longer.
One FoodSaver 2-in-1 appliance does it all: automatic bag detection and vacuum sealing mean two quick and easy steps to seal and save, and the built-in handheld sealer eliminates the need for additional attachments when sealing zipper bags and containers.
FoodSaver 8" x 20' rolls, 6-pk
FoodSaver GameSaver 8" x 20' Vacuum Seal Long Roll with BPA-Free Multilayer Construction
FoodSaver 1-Quart Food Storage Sealer bags
FoodSaver Pint-size Food Storage Sealer bags
As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase. Read disclosure here.
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.
300cc oxygen absorbers in homemade packages atop a Mylar bag
300cc homemade packagesYour vacuum-sealed packages with their 100cc oxygen absorber tucked in each (before air removal and sealing, don't forget) - are now ready to be placed inside a Mylar bag.
We then pop in a 300cc oxygen absorber into the Mylar bag (along with our dehydrated food packages) and then SEAL the Mylar bag.
Do NOT attempt to draw the air out of a filled Mylar bag.
Can't be done. Why? Because both sides of the Mylar bag are smooth, making it difficult, if not pretty impossible, to suck the air out! See the "A Side Note" below.
The Mylar bag's job with the 300cc oxygen absorber inside it is to protect the three or four packages we have put inside them.
THEN these Mylar bags go into plastic-lidded bins and buckets for long-term storage.
Look closely at the plastic vacuum bags that the dehydrated food goes into first; you'll notice that one side is smooth and the other side is 'bumpy', for want of a better word.
These textured 'bumps' enable the air to be drawn out of
the bag, otherwise, the two smooth surfaces just simply clamp shut tight
together! Yeah, repeating myself here, but ... just want to get the point across!
Click the images below to view them bigger!
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.
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.
Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!
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THANKS for your support! Read full disclosure here.
easy FOOD DEHYDRATING: Making food preservation simple since 2010.
I show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE: I am an Affiliate for Amazon, and other sellers of quality merchandise.
Should you purchase an item through their links, I may receive compensation. The price you pay does not increase.
THANKS for your support! Read full disclosure here.
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easy FOOD DEHYDRATING: Making food preservation simple since 2010. I show you how to keep your food pantry full, whatever the reason or season!
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