Those little Oxygen absorbers

[Hinotori]

I don't use them that often is why I seal them. I should use a jar to store them. I have the jar attachments for the vacuum sealer. I have it so I might as well use it. Would save me bag material.

 

[RhondaLynn]

The reason I was thinking of using babyfood jars is so that I can store 3-4 per jar and being a small jar wouldn't have much oxygen to absorb. I then thought about the vacuum sealer instead and maybe putting 1-2 per vacuum sealer bag? When I use these oxyben absorbers I will probably only use 2-3 at a time.. for things like jerky/dried apples.

I am prepping with just buying extra canned/dried goods that we normally eat. Hubby thinks I am crazy so I cannot do prepping in a major or obvious way. I have to be sneaky.. I have stuff stashed in odd places because of that. He does wonder why I have so much flour/cornmeal/sugar/canning supplies etc....... I tell him that I find things on sale and just buy extra for when I do need them. so far he buys that!!

Rhonda

 

[terri9630]

I have some coming and plan to keep them in a ziploc bag in a vacuum sealed jar.

But don't they create their own vacuum?

They will absorb the air in the jar but I don't want to use them up by having them seal the jar. I want them to be as "fresh" as possible when I put them in with the food. They can only absorb so much before they are 'full'/used up.

 

[~gd]

If you want to go nuts on the subject flood the jar with co2 first. it is heavier than air and will displace it from the jar. Sources include dry ice, co2 fire extinguishers, common soda drinks,old fashioned siphon bottles, paint ball guns, no pump BB guns, or go to a bar supply place and get a whole tank full. Way too much trouble for me though.

 

[terri9630]

If you want to go nuts on the subject flood the jar with co2 first. it is heavier than air and will displace it from the jar. Sources include dry ice, co2 fire extinguishers, common soda drinks,old fashioned siphon bottles, paint ball guns, no pump BB guns, or go to a bar supply place and get a whole tank full. Way too much trouble for me though.

That's a bit much.

 

[~gd]

If you want to go nuts on the subject flood the jar with co2 first. it is heavier than air and will displace it from the jar. Sources include dry ice, co2 fire extinguishers, common soda drinks,old fashioned siphon bottles, paint ball guns, no pump BB guns, or go to a bar supply place and get a whole tank full. Way too much trouble for me though.

That's a bit much.

I did say if you want to go nuts and that it was way too much trouble for me. The oxygen absorbers are just not that fast acting and if you remove the oxygen from low acid damp food you run the risk of forming BT toxin.

 

[Laureli]

The owner at Grain Mill told me to put them in a mason jar and put them in the freezer. I am now a bit confused.

 

[FixItMan64]

Yes, they do remove the oxygen by rusting. But the iron inside the packets has been ground to a fine powder (like flour). The finer the grind, the more surface area. The more surface area, the more reaction happens. So the packets rust much faster than the iron pipe lying outside on the ground because they have many, many more times the surface area.
Rusting or oxidation is a chemical process. All chemical processes are speed up by heat & slowed down by cold. Take sugar dissolving in water as an example (dissolving being the chemical process). When you add a spoonful of sugar to your iced tea or hot tea which one dissolves faster? When the owner at the Grain Mill told you to store them in the freezer, it slows down the process while they are not being used. So when you take one out & put it into your food container, it will warm up to room temp & work like normal after your container is sealed.
I put one in a 1 quart mason jar of dehydrated fuji apple slices (w/ honey cinnamon glaze). It pulled the seal down (with that distinctive 'plink' sound) about 20 times before wearing out. I just can't keep the boys (me included) out of 'em. If it worked that well when the jar was opened so many times, just think how well it will work when your container is closed for long term storage.
If you put your extras in a jar, yes every time you open it they will absorb the oxygen in the jar. But each one would only get a fraction used up before all the oxygen in the jar was gone. If 1 packet can seal a jar 20 times & you have say 40 packets in your jar. You could open it roughly 800 times before they are spent (ballpark estimation).
I like the idea of a jar attachment for your vacuum sealer machine. You will probably have your machine out & ready when you going to use some packets anyways. So just reseal the jar of extras with the machine right then. Why didn't I think of that?

I hope that answers some questions.

 

[RhondaLynn]

Fixitman.. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.. that it totally understandable.. even for me!!!

Rhonda