# OK to freeze already sealed dry foods?



## Rationalanimal (Dec 11, 2013)

I finished sealing some foods- beans, rice, etc in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers in 5 gal paint buckets. Now I am wondering if I should put them outside for a couple of days of hard freezing to be sure any potential for insects is gone. From what I have read I should have frozen the supplies then sealed, but what's done is done. Would freezing now cause moisture problems? My thinking is they are sealed and the moisture level shouldn't change. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks!


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

That is a good question. And I don't have an answer. But since I have some small mylar bags I just may try an experiment. Today is a good day with a high of -1.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Are they really paint buckets? Food grade plastic only and how cold is it outside? If it is sealed properly, the only moisture is sealed inside and will not change.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

I would be concerned that the product they are sealed in may crack if it gets to cold. Plastics are not all made to with stand cold


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## Rationalanimal (Dec 11, 2013)

So many fast replies. I love this forum! Yes Mylar bags in food grade 5 gal plastic buckets. I should have sustained temps around 5-25 for the next few days. The plastic would certainly be more brittle frozen, but if brought in to thaw with care it should survive. The biggest concern (I'm guessing) would be that moisture could be pulled out of the product and condense on the inside of the bag, allowing for a good environment for mold to grow, at least until the moisture level stabilizes again. Then again, is there enough moisture left in dried foods?


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Rationalanimal said:


> So many fast replies. I love this forum! Yes Mylar bags in food grade 5 gal plastic buckets. I should have sustained temps around 5-25 for the next few days. The plastic would certainly be more brittle frozen, but if brought in to thaw with care it should survive. The biggest concern (I'm guessing) would be that moisture could be pulled out of the product and condense on the inside of the bag, allowing for a good environment for mold to grow, at least until the moisture level stabilizes again. Then again, is there enough moisture left in dried foods?


I don't know that anything would be gained by putting it out in the cold.


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## Rationalanimal (Dec 11, 2013)

Could weevils or some other bug survive in a sealed Mylar bag with O2 absorbers in place?


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

No reason to freeze after they are stored in Mylar with O2 Absorbers.


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## Meangreen (Dec 6, 2012)

Rationalanimal said:


> Could weevils or some other bug survive in a sealed Mylar bag with O2 absorbers in place?


I don't believe so. I think you're good.


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Excellent answers and I think after reflection I will not try the experiment - it is too damn cold out. Our high of -1 was reached and now temps are falling.


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## Old Seer (Dec 2, 2013)

Rationalanimal said:


> I finished sealing some foods- beans, rice, etc in Mylar bags with O2 absorbers in 5 gal paint buckets. Now I am wondering if I should put them outside for a couple of days of hard freezing to be sure any potential for insects is gone. From what I have read I should have frozen the supplies then sealed, but what's done is done. Would freezing now cause moisture problems? My thinking is they are sealed and the moisture level shouldn't change. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks!


It depends upon the moisture content of the food. If it's really dry --no, freezing should have no effect. Ok- next time before you dry make a wet rate sample. Weigh a 1/4 cup of cut corn. Dry it until you're sure there's no moisture present. (it's hard to dry something perfectly dry and it doesn't need to be). Weigh again and record the dry weight for future reference. When drying corn again you have a reference to how dry the corn is. Take 1/4 cup samples from the dryer periodically and match the sample weight. In the future you won't have to freeze it, you,ll know what you have. Drying should be well enough to cause most water molecules not to be next to each other. Use a larger sample for better accuracy.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

MRE's have stamped on the box avoid rough handling in cold weather. Because it can break the bags open


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

From the research I've done about Mylar bags and oxygen absorbers or nitrogen flushing, any little critters will die, or fail to hatch due to *no* oxygen.


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## PaulS (Mar 11, 2013)

"Dry goods" are never absolutely dry. If you seal them in new containers then you have added the humidity from the surrounding air in the bag. Freezing will tend to move the moisture to a fixed position in the bag and upon thawing it will collect on the bag. That concentration of water could damage the dry product inside. That is why I much prefer vacuum packaging for dry goods.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Oxygen absorbers need that little humidity to function correctly. If it came out of the store bought bag, it should be ok as long as the moisture level is not at a condensing level.


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## Rationalanimal (Dec 11, 2013)

I really appreciate all of the replies. Everything seemed to suck down tight with the oxygen absorbers. If that is enough to do in any insects I'm happy. And the misses will be happy when I finally move these buckets out of the living room and in to proper storage.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

You don't have to worry about the bugs in the bag. Besides, they're just a little added protein!!


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## inceptor (Nov 19, 2012)

Mylar bags, o2 abosorbers and any kind of 5 gal bucket and you are good. Ya don't need food grade buckets with mylar.


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