We understand you want to be fully confident about the food you are preserving and trust us, no one wants to open a container or bag to find spoiled, moldy, or even bug-infested food. So, what are oxygen absorbers and how do they work?
Oxygen absorbers also known as Oxygen Absorbing Packets, oxygen scavengers, or oxygen eaters contain an iron powder formulation that becomes iron oxide in the presence of oxygen, chemically trapping available oxygen from the surrounding environment.
They should not be confused with desiccants, which absorb moisture, not oxygen. An oxygen absorbers is like a sponge that will continue to absorb oxygen until full and needs to be kept sealed prior to use to unsure it will absorb its full capacity. This leads us to the next question; how long do you have to use them after opening them?
It takes about 2 hours for an absorber to become full and at that point they will not absorb anymore. One of our favorite methods of storing unused oxygen absorbers is a mason jar. Just drop them in and seal the lid tightly. They will absorb the oxygen in the jar and then remain indefinitely able to absorb in the future.
Mason jars have that button on the top and because a jar is not flexible like the bag is, the button will always be sucked in when the oxygen is removed, this is a good way to reassure the oxygen is being removed and the absorbers are doing their job. You may also vacuum seal the remaining absorbers if you have a Food Saver or another vacuum sealing machine.
There are many places to buy oxygen absorbers online. The answer is that oxygen absorbers are only effective when used in containers that are airtight. The following containers should work well:. Mylar bags should be at least 5 ml to adequately keep your food protected from light, oxygen, and moisture. However, even at ml, they are easy to puncture and not even close to rodent-proof.
They should be used inside of a food-grade bucket or other rodent-proof container. They also do not keep light out, so they would need to be stored away from light.
However, you have to have special equipment to seal them. This equipment is extremely expensive. You used to be able to rent the equipment from LDS Home storage centers, but they are phasing that out.
Find up-to-date information HERE. Plastic buckets are tough to puncture, and rodent, earthquake as much as possible , child, and pet proof.
However, plastic buckets do not keep oxygen and moisture out as well as the rest of the options do. As a result, you will want to use them in combination with mylar bags. Gamma lids seal out oxygen, but can be screwed on and off. Each time you open your bucket, simply check your oxygen absorber to see if it is hard. If it is, it will not absorb any more oxygen. When it is hard, take out the oxygen absorber and throw a new one in before screwing the lid back on.
Note: You can find some airtight plastic PETE containers, but most commonly used HDPE 5 gallon buckets are not completely air tight and will continue to let oxygen through though in small amounts. When learning how to use oxygen absorbers, I believe this is the most important thing to consider.
If you package moist foods using an oxygen absorber, you run the risk of botulism. You should also avoid oily foods. Some foods obviously contain a lot of moisture—fresh produce, yogurt, cheese, raw meat, etc. Now, you will find varying opinions on this.
Some websites recommend storing many of the above ingredients with an oxygen absorber. In fact, it would be rare. I also trust the LDS church as a solid reference when it comes to food storage. They have been recommending food storage to their members for a long, long time, and I trust their research is accurate.
This is the most common question I get when it comes to how to use oxygen absorbers. And honestly, it is very hard to know exactly how large or how many oxygen absorbers you need.
It will vary depending on the container size, how much open space you leave at the top of a container, as well as the density of the food you are packaging.
But if you use too few or use one that is too small, there will still be oxygen packaged with your food. You can also download the following chart which will tell you how much of various products will fit in a various containers and how many oxygen absorbers to use. Simply click HERE or on the image below:.
Make sure the containers you plan to use are clean and completely dry. Make sure the lid is nearby so you can quickly seal the container once you add the food and oxygen absorber.
Make sure your food is free of any debris common with beans. Oxygen absorbers will begin to soak up oxygen immediately. You will need to work quickly. 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. Oxygen absorbers are small packets that contain an iron powder. The packets are made of a material that allows oxygen and moisture to enter but does not allow the iron powder to leak out.
The Oxygen Absorbers are safe to place on top of the food. They will not harm the food they are in contact with as they come in a sealed pouch. Oxygen Absorbers become warm to the touch when they are working. They take about 4 hours to achieve their rated maximum absorption.
To remedy this dilemma, sodium is added to the mixture. The sodium acts as a catalyst, or activator, causing the iron powder to rust even with low relative humidity. With the conversion of iron and oxygen into a single iron oxide substance, the presence of oxygen in the surrounding atmosphere is dramatically reduced. The performance of oxygen absorbers is affected by the ambient temperature and relative humidity.
Activated Carbon C , also called activated charcoal or activated coal, is a highly porous substance that allows gases to pass through and interact with the exposed carbon. As the gases interact with the carbon, most impurities and contaminants are adsorbed and neutralized.
As a result, the presence of undesirable odors is greatly reduced. When packaged properly i. Therefore, oxygen absorbers extend the shelf life of your food, prevent oxidation and insect damage.
More than any other atmospheric element, oxygen supports the growth of aerobic microorganisms such as fungi and mold.
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