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29K views 16 replies 10 participants last post by  MikeK 
#1 ·
I recently got 3 different types of breakfast cereal for 99c a box :thumb: 15 boxes of cereal later, I'd like to know the best way to keep them. I was wondering how long I can expect these to last if I mylar & O2 Ab them in 1 gallon bags? Anyone tried this? I will rotate, but I'd just like to know if anyone has any experience with this. Thanks much.
 
#2 ·
Left in the box they should last a year easy. Yes, you can add years to that by packing in mylar with O2 absorbers. While I can live without cold cereal, the kids love it. In a SHTF scenario it would be a nice treat for the kids to have some fruit loops etc. I have opened a bag I put up five years ago and they were like new. :)
 
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#5 ·
Thanks! Yes, I've got the kiddos to keep happy, & inturn the rest of us sane. You referred to a bag you opened after 5 years.....I'm assuming thats out of a mylar? If so was it a 1 gallon? Just curious if one box (standard size, approx 12-18oz) will fit in a gallon bag or if I need 2 for each box.
 
#7 ·
Yes, it was out of mylar. Whenever I try something out I put up a small sample bag, or two in the same bucket with the big bag. That way I can check quality after several years have passed.

Just a guess but I would think a standard box would fit into a gallon size bag. I am a family of six so most things are done on a larger scale. :p
You can use this as a guideline... https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/...storage/how_much_food_fits_in_a_container.htm
 
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#6 ·
My only hesitation for not keeping it in the original bag is the lack of O2AB. Better safe thatn sorry as I see it. Given the choice of stale in the original bag & none at all, It will still get eaten nonetheless! I think I will mylar them if I have extra bags after my next packing session.
 
#8 ·
I read an article from Countryside Magazine about oven canning cereal. I posted a thread about oven canning a few months ago. I haven't oven-canned cereal yet, simply because of the amount of space it would take (I could eat a whole quart mason jar of it for one meal), but some people do it. This might be a good use of 1 gallon jars, if you happen to have them.

Oven canning, for those of you who do not know, is not for preserving any type of food that you would can in a water bath or pressure canner. Oven canning is simply a way of storing dry, shelf-stable foods.

You would fill your jars with the cereal, place them in the oven at about 200 for about an hour. The times and temperatures don't need to be exact. The purpose of doing this is to 1. get all the moisture out, if any; and 2. kill any bugs that may be in the food.

You take the hot jars out of the oven, wipe off the rim, and put a lid and band on. As the hot air inside cools, it should cause a vacuum and seal the jar.

For me, that's a lot of work to do for something like cereal that I'd eat so quickly. But maybe that would be an option for someone else.

And again, because there's some idiot out there that will tell me this is not safe, oven canning is NOT for wet foods you would normally process it a water bath or pressure canner. Oven canning is a way of protecting foods that are already shelf-stable. You are simply killing any bugs and sealing it in an air-tight container.
 
#10 ·
The limiting factor in cereal lifespan is going to be the fats. Almost all of them have some sort of added fat. This tends to go rancid in time. An O2 absorber would buy extra time, but it's still not going to last forever. It should be OK for a few years though.

Shayna is right about the best buy date. I've never had it last in the original package more than a few months past the date either.

Cereal, like snack crackers, just isn't formulated for long storage life. And foods like that are going to have a limited storage life, no matter how you package them.
 
#12 ·
I had to move in a few weeks span 3 years ago. I had several years worth of food I had to throw in a storage unit. Long story I wont go into detail but I had 36 boxes of cereal from couponing. I just recently got to unpack those boxes of cereal all in their original packaging. We have been eating them and most are still excellent. I have opened the special k, raisin brand, chex, fiberall, granola, captain crunch, frosted flakes, and so far the only very bad ones were apples jacks. They were putrid. Smelled like the dye on the box. They have been stored for 3 years.
 
#11 ·
I guess it depends on the type of cereal. (Cinnamon Toast Crunch bad, cornflakes ok) I should have asked. Fat content should be taken into consideration in the storage of anything. So far at the five year mark the few types I put up are just fine.
 
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#15 ·
The problem with cereals and snack chips both, is the airspace within the food itself. There are a bunch of little air pockets. And gas flushing or O2 absorbers can't really get the O2 out of them. So even though the food might be packed in a low O2 environment, it's still exposed to O2.
 
#16 ·
I recently acquired a bunch of cereal in the same fashion, on sale and with coupons. A friend had checked out the portable canning machine from the local Bishops' Pantry, the LDS-run food shop, so we canned cereal in the #10 cans, added an O2 absorber, and sealed it up.

The #10 cans cost about $1 each including the absorber, and I think the cans will do better than the mylar in that they don't suck down and crush the cereal.
 
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