Click to View the Full Thread

Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: BWCA Food and Recipes :: Vacuum sealing dehydrated food in mason jar
 
Author Message Text
mirth
02/26/2020 12:04PM
  
Ahhhh... I remember that discussion. Thankfully I've upgraded my dehydrator since then. Still don't have an Excalibur or one of the clones, just a Nesco round with adjustable thermostat.


Anyhoo, interesting looking product if you wanted to store stuff in a semi vacuum like nuts or coffee or whatever. Amazon reviews suggest you can put a Ball lid underneath & secure with a ring to maintain the vacuum while in storage.
 
butthead
02/22/2020 10:21PM
  
I'm trying to understand, why the use of a hard storage container?
While you can achieve a bit of a vacuum in a mason jar there will still be a lot more air left, compared to a bag sealer that pulls a much larger volume or air out of the collapsible bag.Air is the source of storage degradation.


butthead
 
butthead
02/24/2020 05:13PM
  
Yes I know about O2 absorbing packets. Basically a iron rich powder that rusts in the container. Did you know that moisture contents above 10 percent with the packets can cause botulism.


butthead
 
wxce1260
02/25/2020 11:08PM
  
mirth: "My guess is it just extends the shelf life by removing o2 from the storage container. I suppose you could do that, keep stuff at home in jars and repackage just prior to a trip.



Can you link to the previous discussion?"


Of course I can't find the one that I was looking for--I can't even remember what I was searching for--(too much time on my hands last week). However in re-searching, I found this one...not the one I had read, but they did mention it.


Foodsaver bags seem to make much more sense and it is what I use-- the jar thing just peaked my curiosity. https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadid=524258&confid=1&forumid=18



 
wxce1260
02/22/2020 09:07PM
  
For those of you put your dehydrated food items into a mason jar and vacuum seal it--what do you do when it is time to go camping? Since you can't take the jar with you, do you open in an put the dehydrated items in a baggie or how do you handle it.

Just thinking about trying the vacuum sealed jars, but not sure what to do when it's time to pack for paddling.
 
wxce1260
02/23/2020 08:28AM
  
butthead: "I'm trying to understand, why the use of a hard storage container?
While you can achieve a bit of a vacuum in a mason jar there will still be a lot more air left, compared to a bag sealer that pulls a much larger volume or air out of the collapsible bag.Air is the source of storage degradation.



butthead"


I am trying to figure it out too. it is a forum discussion here from 2012. It seems that they dehydrated and then "canned" with a vacuum sealer and were talking that it kept the dehydrated food good longer. Compelling if true--just trying to make heads or tails out if it.
 
user0317
02/24/2020 12:26PM
  
wxce1260: "butthead: "I'm trying to understand, why the use of a hard storage container?
While you can achieve a bit of a vacuum in a mason jar there will still be a lot more air left, compared to a bag sealer that pulls a much larger volume or air out of the collapsible bag.Air is the source of storage degradation.




butthead"



I am trying to figure it out too. it is a forum discussion here from 2012. It seems that they dehydrated and then "canned" with a vacuum sealer and were talking that it kept the dehydrated food good longer. Compelling if true--just trying to make heads or tails out if it."


They make oxygen absorbers that you can put in a jar or bag with your food to prolong/improve food storage:
O2 absorbers
 
butthead
02/24/2020 11:05AM
  
mirth: "My guess is it just extends the shelf life by removing o2 from the storage container. I suppose you could do that, keep stuff at home in jars and repackage just prior to a trip.



Can you link to the previous discussion?"


Problem is the amount of air left in the container. Canning methods and vac-sealers do not create much of a vacuum. At least a bag sealer removes most of the air. Water bath canning relies on sterilization/pasteurization for preserving much more than air removal.


butthead
 
NotLight
03/10/2020 02:20AM
  
I use one all the time. I buy rice and beans in the 25lb bags, then store them in half gallon mason jars. I use the lid sealer to evacuate the air. I also use it for dried herbs if I don’t want to crush the leaves. I haven’t stored camping food that way. I do find the jar seal more reliable than the bags, which tend to puncture once in a while.


Jar sealer
 
mirth
02/24/2020 10:31AM
  
My guess is it just extends the shelf life by removing o2 from the storage container. I suppose you could do that, keep stuff at home in jars and repackage just prior to a trip.


Can you link to the previous discussion?