Are Mylar Bags really necessary?

[Island Girl]

I've got to finish my grain storage preps as I have been very lax.

I have purchased (no, they were not free) a large number of food grade 3 gal buckets from our local bakery. I like the 3 gal buckets as I can lift them easily when full. Most of these had frosting or dried eggs in them.

I'm pricing food grade mylar bags and found myself wondering if it is really necessary to have one in each bucket? I could easily fill the buckets with grain and add oxgen absorbers to each bucket, so do I need the mylar bags as well?

And, I'm seeing different feedback about the absorbers. Where do you place them in the buckets? Top, bottom, middle?

I've found a good source for the mylar bags:

https://www.sorbentsystems.com

Just wondering if the mylar is necessary in these buckets that are made for food and seal tightly?

Thanks for your suggestions.

[bbkaren]

In my opinion, I like the secondary assurance that a true seal has been made. What if the gasket on the lid doesn't seal properly? A crack in the bucket that isn't obvious?

And I think all plastics "breathe" to some extent as well, which would compromise the long-term storage in my opinion.

I pay good money for my LTS foods...I don't mind an extra dollar or two to make sure I don't have an ugly surprise when I need the food the most.

[joy50]

I not only use mylar w/o2 absorbers I add DE(diatomaceous earth) as well just for a little more insurance .

[Homesteader]

It really depends on what you're storing. And yes, plastic does breath over time.

I have stored wheat, sugar, salt, LONG TERM (10-20 years) in buckets with no problems. I have stored beans, lentils, split peas, macaroni, flour, MID TERM (3-7 years) with no problem. I have never used oxygen absorbers in my buckets. However, if there is any bug infestation from the store, you WILL lose that bucket to bugs. Unless you want to pick them out or eat them for extra protein. I personally have never lost a bucket to bugs.

I would NEVER store dried milk, hot chocolate in buckets. I would definitely use mylar bags and oxygen absorbers.

What I have done at my house. Some food in buckets to use first. I have some food in #10 cans and mylar bags for long term storage. Sugar, salt and fruit drink mix do NOT need an oxygen absorber.

So my advice. Buy food, store in your buckets except make sure you do some extra protection for milk products. With everything going on in this world, you need to have food NOW in your home.

Later as you have some more money, add to your stores and use the mylar bags. This way you have the best of both worlds, some medium term storage that you can dip into as needed and some long term stuff you don't have to worry about.

You can order mylar bags and oxygen absorbers from the LDS catalog or pick up from the LDS cannery. You do NOT need to be an LDS member to use the canneries or order from the catalog.

The bags hold a gallon and are $94 for 250 -- http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stor...003_-1__195877

The oxygen absorbers are $12/hundred -- http://store.lds.org/webapp/wcs/stor...003_-1__195877.

Or if you live near a cannery, here are the prices and our local cannery will sell individual bags though I usually buy 100 oxygen absorbers at a time so they are shrink sealed until I'm ready for them. Don't know about the other canneries http://www.providentliving.org/pfw/m...US_ENG_pdf.pdf

[orion commander]

I do believe that a 300 cc O2 absorber per gallon is the right amount. I put one in the bottom, middle and top but it probably does not matter as long as the right amount is IN there.

Homesteader gave good advice.

[Faroe]

Island Girl,

I never trust those gasgets. They are not made for very long term storage. All of my buckets came free (but filthy) from the grocery pastry department. Some gasgets are thick and white, others, narrow and black. They don't all fit the same. I doubt the sugary day-glo concoctions shipped in them have spoilage problems anyway.

That said, I packed about 15 two and three gallon buckets in 2009 with wheat berries, corn and rye in 2009. They were packed bare - clean bucket, but not frozen, no mylar, and no O2 absorption packets. They were stored in our unairconditioned, very hot, second floor El Paso apartment. Since we moved, for the last 6 months, they have been on a concrete floor. That was the best I could do at the time.

Now we are switching over to the mylar bags and absorbers. This week I bagged about 6 buckets worth of grain. The contents are fine. They look just like they did when I originally packed them. Going from my experience, just a bucket will work for a while, even under unfavorable conditions. You can never have too many food grade buckets. Like Homesteader said, do what you can NOW, and make improvements later.

All the best.
Faroe