Looking to buy in bulk or prepare for down the road?
How do you use Mylar food storage bags? It’s an excellent option whether you’re a prepper looking for ways to store food or someone who wants to save on groceries. They’re airtight and waterproof, making them ideal for keeping your pantry stocked with long-lasting ingredients. But how do you use these bags? We’ll take you through an introductory process, so your next trip to the supermarket is even more cost-effective.
What is a Mylar Food Storage Bag?
A Mylar bag is a food storage container made from metalized polyester film. It is a brand name created by the Dupont companies. You may have heard of them before—hospitals and emergency responders often use them to keep things like blood products from going bad. Since Mylar is an actual brand name, you will see many copies of generic types of bags on the internet that use mylar. However, they are not genuine.
Several types of Mylar food storage bags exist. These are popular because bags can take more abuse than glass or hard plastics. Also, these are protected from external factors such as rain and rodents. Regular food bags for personal use all the way to commercial use for Meals Ready to Eat (MRE).
The difference between a Mylar bag and a vacuum sealer is that the Mylar bag requires heat to seal the air out of its contents. Also, you may find bags with an adhesive strip along the edge. The adhesive material sticks to itself when peeled apart and then wraps around your foodstuff, creating an airtight seal.
Why Use a Mylar Bag?
The benefits of using a mylar bag for food storage are many. These bags are very lightweight. Also, you can easily store it in your car or backpack if you have to leave home quickly, and the weight won’t burden you. Another benefit is that mylar bags are non-toxic. You can use these to store dry goods, and the smell or taste of plastic won’t permeate the food. Also, your food will stay dry if there’s a flood or other water-related crisis.
- Maintains the quality of your food. Mylar bags provide an airtight seal that keeps out oxygen and light. This prevents bacteria from spoiling your food and extending its shelf life.
- Lightweight to transport and store.
- The material is strong enough to keep out moisture and air but not so strong that it can’t be punctured with a knife or scissors if necessary (like when you’re opening it).
- It is non-toxic, so you don’t have to worry about your family getting sick from the packaging.
Using Mylar Bags for Food Storage
Mylar bags are an excellent way to preserve, store, and keep food fresh. The most popular for consumers are dried-food storage bags. These are relatively well-made and offer a good amount of protection. However, most of what you see online is not FDA and USDA compliant. You are taking a chance if you pick a food storage bag without this guarantee.
MREs are becoming increasingly popular. However, this uses a particular type of Mylar bag. The bag must meet specifications so the food inside can get sterilized. How do you safely prepare food in an MRE? You need an autoclave to do this type of food storage.
Bacteria have a particular shell type, like an insect’s exoskeleton. This shell is made up of sugar molecules for protection. Steam, pressure, and time are required to melt the sugar encapsulating bacteria. A food-grade autoclave is required. Also, an autoclavable Mylar bag is necessary to create your own MREs. These bags, aka retort, are resilient enough to do the job.
Going to the expense of buying an MRE just isn’t possible. But don’t let that discourage you. You can use an FDA and USDA-approved Mylar bag by itself or in conjunction with other types of storage containers. Or, create recipe kits using your favortie dry ingredients.
What are the most essential steps for food storage using a Mylar bag?
Food can be stored in a vacuum sealer or food dehydrator for long-term storage if you want to keep the quality of your nutrition high. Still, it’s not required for short-term use, and some people choose not to do this because they don’t want to spend money on a vacuum sealer or food dehydrator unless they use it often.
- Food should be dehydrated before storage.
- Food must be stored in a cool, low-light area.
- Food should be stored in an FDA and USDA-compliant Mylar bag.
- Food should have a good oxygen absorber inside the bag.
Oxygen absorbers are usually used in conjunction with the bag. These are packs composed of different food-safe elements. The elements inside interact with the air and bind the oxygen molecules forming another inert molecule.
How long could food last before going bad?
The answer is: it depends. It depends on the type of food, what steps you take to prepare, how much you’re storing, and how long you want it to last.
The amount of space each bag can hold will depend on the size of the bag and its thickness. If you’re looking to store dried foods—rice, beans, pasta—in mylar bags for a year or longer, you’ll need between 5-10 lbs. per bag. Lasting more than ten years, you should double up on your bagging efforts so that there are at least two layers of protection between your food and no oxygen.
Storing nuts and seeds in these bags (or other types of dried fruit), 2-3 lbs. per bag should be enough to keep them fresh for up to five years. Again, if they stay in these bags longer than five years, it’s best to use a larger oxygen absorber or more than one if you have small sizes.
Most importantly, the length of time needed depends on preparation. What steps did you take to ensure the food was prepared sanitary? Were the kitchen surfaces disinfected? Was there anything overhead that may have dropped onto the food? Were your hands clean like a surgeon’s hands?
Think Long Term and Get Strategic
A well-designed storage system that uses mylar bags and food dehydrators can help you prepare for future disasters. Keep your food safe in a cool, dry place where there’s no chance of insects or rodents getting into it. A well-designed storage system that uses mylar bags and food dehydrators can help you prepare. A well-designed storage system will also keep your food fresh for years.
A food dehydrator is an essential part of any long-term survival plan. Without one, you’ll have very little control over how much moisture is left in your stored foods—and too much water is one of the leading causes of spoilage in most cases.
With a good brand, you can ensure that all air has been removed from each piece before sealing them up inside the mylar bags—and even then, they’re still not completely safe against humidity! This means less worrying about trying various methods like freezing or vacuum packing; just set up your machine once per week before going out on errands and let it do its thing while keeping things clean around here! Not only does this mean there’ll always be something ready when needed, but it also ensures nothing gets wasted while waiting.
Conclusion
I hope you found this Introduction to Mylar bags a good one. Mylar bags are excellent for keeping dried foods edible for long periods. They’re lightweight and easy to use but offer extra protection against the environment. Check out the links for more information. Also, take a look at the links below for more about food storage.
