Air-Proofing

Years ago, for Mother’s Day, my husband bought me a food saver. It’s one of those machines that seals special bags and can vacuum-seal, as well. The bags that fit the food saver are much heavier than Ziploc bags and are NOT air-permeable, a requirement for long-term storage. The one with which he gifted me also comes with a roll holder at the top and a cutter blade that slides across to cut the heavy plastic whatever length you want. I purchase the rolls, sealed on both sides, from Costco. You can also get them on-line and purchase rolls of different widths. Some of the multi-packs include pre-formed bags, open on only one end. These work well for smaller items that you want to quickly repackage. When I use the rolls and make my own bags, I always double seal the end before I fill. Just in case one seal loosens somehow, I have that second seal for protection. The machine uses heat and pressure to melt the two sides together to form a seal in a thin line.

I use my food saver a ton. If I buy in bulk at Costco, I can repackage my purchases in smaller, serving-size bags for freezing. They also prevent freezer burn far longer than products stored other ways. I find it far easier to find space in my freezer or fridge for smaller bags of food than the huge bags of chicken breasts or other items I frequently purchase. I also feel better about adding items to my Stores that have first been sealed in an airtight bag. The most common enemies of long-term food storage are air, sunlight, bugs, and vermin. The food saver sealed bags keep out 2 of these, air and bugs.

To add another layer of protection, I purchased pre-formed Mylar bags on-line. I can put my vacuum-sealed bags into the Mylar bags, seal them with my food server and, in addition to another layer of air protection, I now have light protection, as well. These sealed Mylar bags can be stored in buckets with tight-fitting lids (I believe I mentioned in an earlier post that I get used frosting buckets from my grocery store’s bakery and disinfect these for use) to protect your food from rodents. I also found a website that sold dessicants. They arrived tightly sealed so no air could get to them. When I opened these for use the first time, I put the unused ones in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid until I needed them.

Because of the heat in the South, it’s quite easy to get flour bugs in your pantry. They seem to particularly enjoy pasta, so I seal all my store-bought pasta in bags when I come home from the store. I do the same when I buy large quantities of flour or rice for home. Spices, seasonings, and nearly anything I purchase that’s not already sealed in an airtight container goes into these bags. Certainly, nothing gets into my Stores unless it has been sealed to protect against bugs.

I’ve never tried to use my food saver to do “boil-in-bag” (or souse vide) foods, but they probably would work just fine. I have found this product to be crucial to my prepping and highly recommend you consider a similar product for your kitchen.

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