by: Susan Gast / Author, Blogger at Beesville Books, Bored Boomers, and a Food Dehydrating Fanatic!
Today, I want to show you how to use oxygen absorbers for dehydrated food.
300cc Oxygen Absorber PackAre you ready to store your vacuum-sealed dehydrated fruits and/or vegetables? Good. but first, here are some questions:
What are oxygen absorbers for dehydrated food?
They are little packets that we tuck into our food vacuum-sealer bags before drawing out the air.
They are available in different sizes, and below these FAQs, you'll see what size you need for the size of container you're going to use.
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 (and should!) return a "stale" package if it arrives with a PURPLE-colored pill inside it. That "freshness indicator pill" should still be PINK upon arrival.
What foods need oxygen absorbers?
Use oxygen absorbers for these types of dried foods:
Our dried food items need to have a very low moisture content to prevent our oxygen absorbers from getting overwhelmed. Absorbers also require an airtight environment to work properly. They help regulate oxygen and condensation for a good balance.
So any dried goods destined for your pantry - or emergency food storage - benefit greatly from oxygen absorber usage before sealing them away, significantly lengthening their freshness.
Oxygen absorbers for dehydrated food?
Yes, using oxygen absorbers tucked inside our food vacuum sealer bags before drawing out the air protects our dehydrated food from mold and moisture for a longer period of time than without them!
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.
Read the full story about different oxygen absorber sizes here.
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Why is that? Well, if you're interested in storing food for the long term, make sure to add oxygen absorbers inside your dehydrated vacuum-sealer bags BEFORE sealing them with your FoodSaver machine or (whichever brand of vacuum-sealer you have).
Oxygen absorbers are made of iron powder combined with salt. When exposed to oxygen, the iron oxidizes, effectively removing oxygen from the enclosed space. They are necessary for the following reasons:
While air-tight containers alone help, adding oxygen absorbers provides an extra level of protection by actively targeting the main causes of food deterioration: oxygen and moisture.
See our Podcast Page here on this site, or here on Buzzsprout.
Remember: Tuck a 100cc oxygen absorber inside the food vacuum bag JUST BEFORE you vacuum seal it, or drop an oxygen absorber in the Mason jar just before screwing on its lid.
If you're using a small (half-pint) Mason jar, use a 50cc oxygen absorber.
For quart-sized Mason jars, use a 100cc oxygen absorber.
The Oxygen Absorbers protect our dried foods by removing oxygen, and help deter insect damage. Using them extends the shelf life of our dried food by preventing mold growth, eliminating the need for commercial additives such as BHA, BHT, Sorbates, etc.
The oxygen absorber packets are non-toxic - which is good to know - as they are in direct contact with our dried foods!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase. Read disclosure here.
Pink Pill = GOOD
Blue/Purple Pill = BAD!
When the 100-pack of oxygen absorbers arrives,
BEFORE OPENING IT
or putting it away,
immediately check for the little pill in the
bag.
It MUST BE PINK.
If it's BLUE/PURPLE... that's not good.
Pink Pill = GOOD
Blue/Purple Pill = BAD!
When the 100-pack of oxygen absorbers arrives, BEFORE OPENING IT
or putting it away, immediately check for the little pill in the
bag.
It MUST BE PINK. If it's BLUE/PURPLE... that's not good.
• • • • •
The pill turns BLUE/PURPLE when the pill has absorbed oxygen, therefore telling you that the contents of the shipment are probably no good.
So before you OPEN that shipped package, check for a pink pill.
If it's blue/purple, return that order unopened for a replacement!
Blue/Purple Pill
= NO GOOD!
The photo shows the pills that have turned from a very definite pink to an almost blueish-purple color.
This indicates that the oxygen absorbers contained
in the bag are highly likely "no good."
Blue/Purple Pill =
NO GOOD!
The photo shows the pills that have turned from a very definite pink to an almost blueish-purple color.
This indicates that the oxygen absorbers contained in the bag are highly likely "no good."
If the pill is good i.e. "pink," I'll open the new 100-pack bag and take out 5 brand new quart-size vacuum-sealer bags.
I then place 20 oxygen absorbers from the 100-pack bag
into each of the quart-size vacuum-sealer bags and immediately vacuum seal
them all.
The reason for splitting them up is we don’t want to open and seal the original big bag over and over just to take out one or two oxygen absorbers. Doing that would soon ruin all the other oxygen absorbers (by air infiltration) before we even get a chance to use them!
This means I now have FIVE quart-size bags with 20 oxygen absorbers in each of them.
The pink pill from the original bag can go into one of the five bags—no need to throw it away, we can reuse it until it turns purple!
When I'm ready to use an oxygen absorber, I simply cut directly beneath the old seal at the top of the bag (shown as a dashed line at the top of the bag in the photo above).
Cut as straight as you can and as
close to the old seal as you can—then I remove as many packets as I
need and put them in the dehydrated food bags that are waiting to be
vacuum sealed. Then reseal that package.
Because you're cutting off the top seal each time and then resealing at the top again, you will be moving farther down the bag, if you will. What I'm prattling on about is if you just just cut the bag willy-nilly, you're wasting the bag and resealing possibility. Heck, if there's a long way of describing an easy step, I'll find it! LOL
When that resealing job is done, you're good to carry on with vacuuming your dehydrated food goodies. Don't forget to add the dang oxygen absorber in the bag before vacuuming... (Yep, it happens).
Re-vacuum and seal the oxygen absorber bag (see photo above) after taking out what you need.
I can re-seal one of the oxygen absorber bags about four times... and if I've any remaining packets and the bag gets 'too short' to reseal, I'll put those remaining packets into a new bag and vacuum seal it!
I use oxygen absorbers for dehydrated food storage for the following reasons:
Linda posted this question on our Facebook page:
"Hi, I am dehydrating items for a backpacking trip. I have some rice with Alfredo sauce going and was wondering how you know when things are dehydrated enough. I don't want to make anyone sick with my food."
Hey Linda! I hear you regarding not wanting to get sick!
When dehydrating the sauce, spread it out on a fruit leather tray on the dehydrator... dry it like a fruit leather. When it's dry, peel it off the tray and roll it up. When out and about, add enough water to reconstitute the sauce in a saucepan over heat.
As you can imagine, rice doesn't have/hold much water compared to a 'sauce.' I assume you're taking along with you "cooked" rice. If so, simply vacuum-seal it when it's cooled down to room temperature. Add in an oxygen absorber to both the sauce and rice packet(s) so it can do its job before vacuum-sealing. If you're going on a short trip, this method should work out fine for you.
Thanks for stopping by to learn about oxygen absorbers for dehydrated food usage and why there are different sizes. Questions? Write to me here.
Don't forget to get your free "Six Simple Steps" eBook where I share how to dehydrate food safely!
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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010.
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Hi, I'm Susan Gast and I've been making food preservation simple since 2010. Let me 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.
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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