question about storing flour

[getFOODnow]

I can buy flour in #10 tins that will keep for 20 yrs.
So why cant I put flour in mylar with oxygen absorbers and expect it to stay good for at least a few years?
what is the difference, if it will keep in a tin, it should keep in mylar, right?
I dont want to buy buckets of wheat, I dont have room for it in my apartment.

[Castlemom]

I have hundreds of pounds of flour in mylar with a dessicant and oxy-ab...... I am now opening bags I filled three years ago and its pristine.... as long as you do it right, it should last YOU CAN'T LET BAGS STAY IN LIGHT. KEEP IN DARK , TEMP CONTROLLED AREA. Many people bag and tag then put them in buckets....


good luck

[Meat Guy]

Wheat keeps better and has much more nutrition than flour. You can store smaller containers of wheat than 5 gal. buckets.

[lanahi]

1 cup of wheat berries can ground down to 1-1/2 cup of flour or more. You save space with the whole wheat berries.

[getFOODnow]

okay thanks for all your input. I think I will store my flour in mylar.

[OhioMan]

Here's another good thread on the subject

http://www.survivalistboards.com/sho...d.php?t=130188

[stephpd]

Mylar just isn't as good a sealing medium as metal cans. Eventually the seal leaks. Best guess is about 10 years for Mylar bags.

There also hasn't been any 'real' studies on how long food in Mylar lasts. The military did some 'accelerated' studies for MRE's but many folks have found that they still eat then well after what the military said was an acceptable shelf life.

I'd be real interested if and when BYU or similar place does studies on Mylar bags with O2 absorbers inside buckets.

As to Mylar or wheat. You can store more wheat then flour in any given container. (by weight) They can be stored in smaller bags. Many online stores have 1 gallon bags as well. Some places, like sorbent, has all sorts of sized bags for sale.
http://www.sorbentsystems.com/mylar.html

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by getFOODnow

I can buy flour in #10 tins that will keep for 20 yrs.
So why cant I put flour in mylar with oxygen absorbers and expect it to stay good for at least a few years?
what is the difference, if it will keep in a tin, it should keep in mylar, right?
I dont want to buy buckets of wheat, I dont have room for it in my apartment.

You can. That's the best way to store flour. Wheat takes up less room than flour per pound if space is the main concern. It's also healthier. But storing some flour makes sense, even if you're also storing wheat.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Castlemom

I have hundreds of pounds of flour in mylar with a dessicant and oxy-ab...... I am now opening bags I filled three years ago and its pristine.... as long as you do it right, it should last YOU CAN'T LET BAGS STAY IN LIGHT. KEEP IN DARK , TEMP CONTROLLED AREA. Many people bag and tag then put them in buckets....


good luck

I hope you put your dessicant at the bottom of the bag, and the O2 absorber on top of the food. If they're both on top, the dessicant robs the O2 absorber of the moisture it requires to work.

This is why I keep saying just pack it like the food storage companies are doing. They're already doing it right and it's really easy to make a mistake by improvising. Like the folks who use an O2 absorber and vacuum seal it, without realizing that the O2 absorber won't work properly in a vacuum.

[danger]

Originally Posted by MikeK

Like the folks who use an O2 absorber and vacuum seal it, without realizing that the O2 absorber won't work properly in a vacuum.

Can it hurt to put an O2 absorber in a vacuum sealed bag? Or is it just unnecessary?

I realize the O2 absorber won't work in a vacuum, but I add one in case that vacuum is compromised. Better safe than sorry.

[Survivalguy72]

They are able to remove the oxygen from cans and use a coating designed for long term storage. I like them.