Still Confused.

Are mylar bags superior to vacuum food saver bags, and if so, why? I'm thinking about storing lentils in vacuum food storage bags and storing them in # 10 cans. I'll put a couple of Oxy Sorb packets in too. I'd like the food to last for at least five years. Bad Idea?

A second question: Years ago I saw some cans with lids that provide for pulling the air out of them with an implement. Where can I find those cans?

 

What Kind/Type food do you want to preserve......???

 

Jan Nylander you are very close in your search . Scroll down toward the bottom of this forums home page . There you will find a site labeled " for sale " . There is at least one item there that sounds like what you seek . I have no idea of the products effectiveness .

 

In regards to your question on mylar vs vacuum bags I can give you my preference. For long term storage (10 years/30 years) of dry goods such as rice my personal preference is mylar. My reasons as follows:

• You get perfect sizes to fit in a 5 gallon bucket - I store large amounts of dry goods so this is easier for me personally. Seal the mylar then seal the bucket.
• They are opaque
• They seal very well where as over many years food saver bags can start getting very small leaks
• They stop all smell - or as far as I can tell and the bears and coyotes have yet to try and get into the mylar/bucket combination even when I left one accessible for months on purpose (note I only have eastern black bears)

Both food saver and mylar have their place. You are talking about a smaller amount of food saved for a smaller number of years that what I am after. So for my needs its mylar but I see no reason your food saver bags in tins won't work very well for that 5 years you require of it.

 

Where do you buy your mylar bags from for cheap? I have a bunch of oats and rice and I don't really know how to properly keep it for the 10/30 years if at all possible. Can I just buy a regular Home Depot 5 gallon bucket, store the rice and oats in their own mylar bags and put that in the bucket? Do I need a special bucket with a special seal? And if so, where do I get those for cheap?

Thanks.

 

I get my mylar bags from an online store in Canada called 72hours.ca they are certainly not the cheapest (or most expensive) but the bags have been good quality so far.

I use normal buckets from Home Depot rather than much more expensive food safe ones because the food is first stored in the mylar so never comes into contact with the plastic bucket. Some say you have to use food safe buckets but it's a matter of preference in the end (and cost). I also add oxygen and moisture absorbers in the mylar bags, these have to be food safe obviously. I use a silicone sealant such as this one around the lid of the bucket to be extra sure. It is supposed to be safe for incidental food contact and in theory the food should never touch it anyway.

https://www.homedepot.ca/product/mo...90ml-kitchen-bath-sealant-in-white/1001002021


An extract from an article on rice by Utah State University.

Storage Conditions. The best temperature to store grains, including rice, is 40°F or below; however, rice stored at a constant 70° F with oxygen absorbers will store well for up to 10 years. In cooler storage areas rice sealed in oxygen-free containers can be stored for up to 30 years. A BYU study sampling polished rice and parboiled rice stored from 1 to 30 years found that both types of rice will keep their nutrients and flavor up to 30 years.

https://extension.usu.edu/foodstora... best temperature to store,for up to 30 years.

https://www.skilledsurvival.com/rice-storage/

These are all just my personal preferences after much reading and YouTube video watching.

 

Thanks.