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Mylar Food Storage Bags
Let's start off by saying that Mylar Food Storage Bags are not intended for use in short term storage applications a like saving leftovers or packing a sandwich for tomorrows lunch. Any wrap or bag from the grocery store should be fine for short term storage or temporary preservation.But if you are looking for a solution to longer term storage of food or water then Mylar Food Storage Bags are an outstanding solution that will serve you well in almost any situation. But keep in mind that very few perishable food items can be stored indefinitely unless you are storing twinkies and for these you do not need any storage container.
Mylar® polyester film was invented in the 1950's by DuPont and has a number of home and commercial uses. The Mylar that is used in food storage bags normally consists of 3 layers – an inter and outer layer of polyester bonded or laminated to a layer of foil. However, some of the bags are up to 5 layers The bags normally are 3.5 mils thick but can be up to 5.0 mils thick. These bags are often referred to as the oxygen barrier bag.
Be aware that clear FoodSaver bags are not for long term food storage. Make sure they have a non-transparent foil barrier.
The Mylar bags are preferred for long term food storage because:
- They are durable and easy to use
- They are tough and resistant to punctures
- They are easy to seal
- They are relatively inexpensive
- They just work!
Popular sizes. Mylar bags can be found in a large number of sizes but some of the most popular sizes include:
- 6” x 6”
- 10” x 15”
- 20” x 30”
- 22 3/4” x 35 1/8” (this is the popular size to fit inside a 5 gallon pail)
Do you need oxygen absorbers inside your Mylar food storage bags? The answer is usually yes but it depends on what you are storing. Oxygen absorbers eliminate the presence of oxygen in foodstuffs such as milk power and grains. Rice is one of the most popular grains stored long term because it is inexpensive and has multiple uses. The military has used oxygen absorbers to extend the shelf-life of bread for up to two years. I can't imagine it was very tasty.
There is one fact and two elements to consider when determining which oxygen absorber to use. First the fact – normal air is 20.5% oxygen. Next you must calculate headspace and voidspace. Void space is the space between the grains of rice. Head space is the area at the top of the container that contains only air. So the absorbing capacity of the absorbers depends on the oxygen level in the headspace and the void space.
And if you are in a very moist environment you may also want to use disiccants packs in the food storage container along with oxygen absorbers. The disiccants packets must not be placed near the oxygen absorbers because they will negatively impact the performance of the absorbers. And disiccants bags made from Tyhvek are acceptable for food product contact.