What are oxygen absorbing packets?

No clue, Cathy. I have dried bean, peas, lentils. All of them are stored in those old blue glass canning jars because the old jars aren't good for canning, the tops are too inconsistent and if I use part of a bag, I always end up spilling it. So I put them into the jars with lids which I can't use for anything else anyway.

Are those packets like the ones in vitamin bottles and such?

I can tell you I don't have any, have never heard that I needed any, don't know anyone else that has any and my beans/peas/rice/lentils are fine.

I don't know if that helps because I think it's more humid in Florida than it is here most of the time and so your storage needs might be different than mine.

Annie

I don't use it either. I think it's more for really long term storage. I've linked some info below.

Deanna

Here is a link that might be useful: Oxygen Packets and such

I must confess I don't see the need for them. If you're worried about oxidation and rancidity, one technique to avoid oxidation in long term storage is to use dry ice. Fill your (air-tight) storage container with the dried goods, put a chunk of dry ice on top of it and put the lid on loosely. The dry ice sublimates (love to use that word--college chemistry finally pays off!) into CO2 gas which, being heavier than air, displaces air from the container and replaces it with CO2. Then once the dry ice is completely gone, tighten down the lid of the container.

Amateur beermakers do use oxygen absorbing bottle caps when bottling certain high-potency brews which require long aging (6 months or more) such as barley wines and October ales. Since most home brew recipes are at their best after aging for a few weeks rather than several months, for most recipes the oxygen absorbing bottlecaps are overkill.

Cathy, you can vacuum seal them. I did some in bags and some in canning jars. I got the jar sealer attachment mostly for nuts, but then it seemed a good idea to seal some beans, etc., because we use them pretty slowly.

Annie, I have a lot of old blue canning jars full of grains and pasta. They're very pretty. I lucked into them in a funny way. Long ago we found a spot out in the country where someone had been using old canning jars for target practice. Among the shards of dozens of lovely old blue jars, we found some that were whole, and we rescued them.

Cathy,

Foodsaver!

Thanks all for your opinions, I greatly appreciated you input.

The Oxygen Absorbing Packets are those little packs you find in vitamins and the like.

Peppi, I have had so many of my FS canisters fail because they crack. Yesterday I bought a case of 1/2 gallon and a case of quart canning jars and I am switching food items to them. I have the hand-held FoodSaver to use with the jar sealers (regular and wide mouth). I have spent today switching flours, pastas, rice, and Beau & Lily's snacks to the jars. This will give me an opportunity to use the hand-held more -- I love it; it's quick and has a small foot print.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hand-Held

(are they moisture absorbing packets?)

I have had ALL MY FOODSAVER CANISTERS FAIL BECAUSE THEY CRACK!!!!! JARDIN, ARE YOU LISTENING????? DH wants me to call them everytime because they are life time guaranteed. Pfah.

I agree with using a FoodSaver instead of oxygen absorbing packets for long-term storage (more than a year). I've stored hundreds of pounds of grains/seeds/beans using a FoodSaver for over 20-years - since I got my first FoodSaver.

For pantry use, you don't need anything other than and air-tight container if you plan on using them within the year. Oxygen-free storage is always a plus, since oxygen degrades all foods over time. Be sure to keep them out of heat, light, and humid conditions.

jessyf - I've gone from using the plastic canisters to using the FoodSaver Universal Lids (they come in 2 sizes 4" and 5") - which are less expensive than the canisters. They work on any container that has a smooth edge and I use a lot of 1/2-gallon canning jars for food storage. I vacuum seal a canning lid on the jars, but when I transfer the jar from storage to pantry use, I'll put a Universal Lid on the jar. They are easy to open and reseal.

-Grainlady

Cathy, I was just thinking of storing in the bags, not hte jars. Seal in one pound packs and done.

i thought the hand held was discontinued, but by your post I see I need to order one tonight.

Grainlady, if I use a canning jar, do I put a metal lid down first, then the vac attactment? After vacuuming, do I remove the FS lid and leave only the metal? Can you tell I have never tried it?

Pep, I really like the convenience of the hand-held. I have been using on the canning jars for two days while making the transfer of food items. It is super simple.

Most of this you know way better than I do but to answer your question: soften the lids in hot water
wipe dry
clean jar rim
put lid on jar
put FoodSaver Jar Sealers over jar
remove air with hand held until light turns green

Also, I have had the Universal Lids for years and never used them until yesterday after reading Grainlady's comments. So I dug them out and tried it with the hand held--piece of cake.

pkramer -

All the FoodSavers I've had have a hose and a jar sealer attachment - which fits over the jar with the metal lid on the top of the jar (not the ring). They come both regular and wide-mouth. You need to pre-soak the canning lids to soften the sealing compound before using them on a jar - as mustangs posted.

How To: Bring water to boil, then turn off. Pre-soak lids 5-10 minutes. Dry and attach to the jar using the jar sealer and follow the general instructions posted by mustangs.

There should be complete instructions in the user manual of your FoodSaver for how to use the FoodSaver with the jar attachment for your particular machine.

-Grainlady

Peppi, I forgot to add that using the canning jar ring after sealing is optional. I use it to hold down the directions or notes of the food inside. E.g. The instructions for buttermilk-I cut out the measurements (in a circle) and put them between the lid and the ring.

I think I need to get one of those Food Saver jar sealers also. As for the oxygen absorbing packets - I have a collection of those from products that I've bought at the Japanese market. They put them in just about everything, and the ones in the Furikake jars are particularly big. Before I reuse them, I dry them out in a 150° oven. Generally, we don't have excess moisture/humidity here (except for yesterday), which is very different from Houston and the Gulf Coast area.

Lars

I think those packets found in pill bottles, etc. are silica gel packets meant to absorb moisture, not oxygen.

Terra, That's a valid point! What I was looking at was defined as:

Oxygen Absorbers add life and longevity to your food storage items. Properly canned items using oxygen absorbers benefit from significantly extended shelf life and freshness. Oxygen Absorbers completely eliminate residual oxygen sealed packages, keeping products fresh and preventing discoloration.

Used widely to preserve foods like beef jerky, nuts, grains, flour, and just about any dried or wet foods. High Efficiency Oxygen Absorbers is effective for about 100 #10 cans or 25 5 gallon buckets filled with beans, grains, or flours.