# Dry Canning vs Mylar



## PrepperFF712 (Nov 12, 2015)

I've just purchased a lot of 20 5 Gallon Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers to start long term food storage for our preps. Are there any sterilization techniques needed as you would for Dry canning?

As for space considerations, which method would work better?


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## txmarine6531 (Nov 18, 2015)

No sterilization needed. Just dump the food in with O2 absorber(s) and seal. Most popular thing is 5 gallon pickle buckets.


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## Slippy's-Attorney (Sep 23, 2015)

txmarine6531 said:


> No sterilization needed. Just dump the food in with O2 absorber(s) and seal. Most popular thing is 5 gallon pickle buckets.


careful, you should ask what he is going to package


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

txmarine6531 said:


> No sterilization needed. Just dump the food in with O2 absorber(s) and seal. Most popular thing is 5 gallon pickle buckets.


bad joke if you're teasing him about brine buckets - the guy is a newbie and serious about getting it correct .... you don't use contaminated buckets

in regard to the mylar bags - inspect them prior to using .... been some random reports of some actually stinking of a chem smell (???) ... they should have been shipped rolled, flat or slightly folded with NO hard creasing of the bags .... with your hands CLEAN - inspect the bags inside to out light check for any pin holes prior to inserting them into the buckets & kneeling the bags to the bucket bottom .... the mylar bags are manufactured in a fairly sterile environment - keep the contamination to a minimum while packing food - bag insert ALL your buckets at one time and don't cross contaminate from other sources ....

if you pack anything of a powdery consistency - like flour, dried milk/dairy - you'll probably have to wipe the inside lip of the bag with a damp clean cloth .... that first couple of inches is your heat bonding zone for fusing the material together .... again, recommend you fill ALL the buckets with your food products - take a break and wash your hands after handling the retail food packaging and especially any bulk bags out of a warehouse situation ....

last consideration in regard for contamination is the 02 absorbers - they are packed in a sterile clean factory environment - before you open that master pack and start popping 02 absorbers prior to final bag sealing - again, make sure you have clean hands

you're packing food away for 10-15-20-25 years - don't seal problems into those bags .....


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

While I prefer Mylar bag preservation of dry foods with oxygen absorbers, I also am fortunate enough the have the ability ti do a nitrogen purge. Not necessary, I know, but I can go with smaller, cheaper oxygen absorbers. I do inspect the Mylar bags prior to use but I don't touch the insides. The temperature at which these bags are produced pretty well sterilizes them. I go directly from the factory food package into the Mylar bag. Food from the factory is not sterile unless it is canned. Dry foods are subject to sterilization unless you are able to find irradiated foods. Most foods are going to be cooked anyway, so while I try to be clean while handling the transfer of foods, I am not overly cautious. If you ever knew how much crap the FDA allowed in foods, you wouldn't worry either.


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## PrepperFF712 (Nov 12, 2015)

For the record, I will be packing away a 20lb bag of rice to start. Will some new buckets from Lowes work to store the mylar after it has been bagged?


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Sure. I also get bucket from bakeries, they get the frosting in 3-5 gallon buckets, but
check the lids fit properly. I have used pickle buckets but I had to fill with water and 
let them sit in sun for a couple of weeks to get smell out of them. While the Mylar 
bag should protect from pickle smell, I wasn't going to chance it.


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## Rob Roy (Nov 6, 2013)

If you guys don't mind me plugging a bit here, we have our mylar bags on sale right now > CLEARANCE

Sorry for the intrusion, as you were...


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