Mylar Food Storage for Absolute Beginners

Thinking about storing shelf-stable staples for long-term food storage but don't know where to begin? Follow along step-by-step as I demonstrate my method for sealing food in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers so that it lasts for up to 30 years! #mylar #longtermfoodstorage #preppingforbeginners
Wallaby mylar and oxygen absorbers I use: smile.amazon.c...
Buckets from Walmart: www.walmart.co...
Lids from Walmart: www.walmart.co...

[@gabelara5414]

HELPFUL TIP: Before opening and placing your oxygen absorbers into the mylar bags, heat seal to close 3/4 of the opening of the bags. After that, place your oxygen absorbers and heat seal the rest of the opening. That way you won’t have to worry as much about getting them closed before the oxygen absorbers become duds.

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Good tip!

[@JoyceNimmo]

That seems to be a really good tip to me, so thank you. I haven't done any of this before, and am trying to learn before I start it. I am reading and am watching videos on it. I have been a little bit concerned about getting things done fast enough to keep my oxygen absorbers in and things sealed, before the oxygen absorbers would go bad. I have health problems that have me so tired I can hardly function, and am not my usually pretty fast self at anything. I am feeling a real need to do this, feeling rather driven to, and so I am.

[@TonyGarrett-p1c]

Nice tip; thank you. Another method is to invest in the zip-lock type mylar bags. They're nice in that you can close the zipper after inserting the O2 absorbers.

[@heygetoffmylawn1572]

Very well done. Great content and thorough. 😊👍 You’ll never starve when you learn to put food stored back for a rainy day.

[@Moriority]

I've been procrastinating about buying mylar bags because of the cost and lack of support from my wife. Times have changed though. We were at an Amazon bins location the other day and found the same 75 (bag) kit in this video for $10. I found a total of three kits so I bought all three for $30. This weekend I'm going to start using them.

[@pcer9973]

Do you hear yourself, brother? "Lack of support from my wife" Man, to man, go get your bags, buckets, rice, flour, beans, sugar, and salt and get to prepping. I'm not saying everything has to be brand new or expensive. These are things that are important and you can forget about for many, many years if done right. 1 weekend, and you're set for years to come. You also need a gun!

[@Henderson711]

Get your stuff and take care of your family. And remind your wife who is in charge. the world is getting too crazy to not step up.

[@melmelbry5754]

I used to have that straightener in high school!!!! Im gonna cry

[@ruthmccurdy8623]

You are excellent. So glad I watched before buying stuff

[@blanc2023]

Great video, quick and to the point and didn't leave out necessary steps!

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@Sunrise64xxo]

Great video, I learned something new, and I really like your Mylar bag method. Thanks so much!

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

You are so welcome!

[@JSatinR]

This was incredibly helpful! I've heard about storing things like this, but was feeling a little intimidated to actually go through the motions. Watching your example as you walk through the steps makes me feel prepared enough to try it myself. Thank you!

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

I'm so glad! I was very intimidated by mylar in the beginning as well, but I feel very comfortable with it now.

[@jodyroper5105]

I appreciate the info and I like your OCD with your storage techniques.

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Thank you! I know that I worry about all the little details and I thought going through everything very thoroughly might help someone else.

[@jodyroper5105]

@@TheCrabappleCottage no I love that, it will be easy to access in a emergency situation.

[@barbmahan1377]

I use my vacuum sealer on the heat seal only.

[@JSatinR]

Thank you for mentioning this! I have a vacuum sealer and was wondering if it would work in lieu of the hair straightener.

[@carriesmith-th9et]

Plesalll

[@carriesmith-th9et]

Pleas e show wat is vac sealer please

[@carriesmith-th9et]

From Ireland

[@carriesmith-th9et]

Great video

[@ivebeenthere2115]

New subscriber😊 Thank you!

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Thanks for subbing!

[@Elevavold3]

So appreciate this video. Thank you

[@markkingsley7439]

Good stuff thank you for the crash course

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@mishachevalier9754]

If I need buckets, I go to the local bakery and get 3 g. buckets. Usually a couple bucks each and food grade... WITH lids.

[@doshadial]

You got me with how the oats aren’t keeping in line with the 5# rule of an organized measurement. 😄🙌 I feel your pain & made notes. Thank you. Thank you for calling wallaby to learn 1 oxygen absorber per bag & 2 if airy like rotini. I came on here to learn how many to use & circumstances and voila! Great video. I took notes! 👍🙌🙏

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

So glad you found it helpful!

[@velmawagoner9444]

Realy like your video and how throughly you explained everything you did. I'm not a fan of long cooking rice, so I have been putting up minute rice.

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

That's a great idea. I just purchased regular rice because it's so much cheaper than minute rice and I was putting up several hundred pounds.

[@bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh1]

Can you store minute rice in this same way for 20 years?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

That's a good question that I don't really have an answer for. I suppose you could try it? Minute rice is basically cooked rice that has been dehydrated, so it seems like it would work.

[@kathymc234]

My hubs loves rice pilaf from scratch. So I bought the large bottles of each of the spices and all ingredients. All set for a while.

[@TonyGarrett-p1c]

Instant rice is nice I think because it would take much less precious fuel at the 'far end' if you need it. But, does anyone know if ordinary, long-cooking rice can simply be soaked overnite and then boiled? Thx!

[@queenpearl1979]

I get my buckets from the Sams Bakery. $2.99 with lid. You just have to wash them

[@andrewdisney8475]

Great info thanks!

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Glad it was helpful!

[@zblingcreations6445]

Great video thanks 😊

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Thanks for watching!

[@rjabja]

I get my buckets from the local grocery store bakery section. They throw them away so are happy to give them for free.

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

That's a good place to find them if you can.

[@shineon651]

Us too. 👍 we have to pay 2/3 dollars for them

[@PiKLMedia]

Great video. Wish I could get those Wallaby kits here in Australia. Sadly I can not. :(

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Thanks for watching! Sorry you can't get those kits. You could probably get the individual pieces from other manufacturers, however.

[@PhillFurnell]

Could i put an oxygen absorber into a bag and leave it indefinitely? Or do you need to open the bags and change them out regularly? Or if im using a vaccum sealer, do i need the absorbers? Sorry im new Thanks

[@user-ol7lz3wh2g]

I see alot of other videos where people vaccum out the air before the final seal ... do you think this is needed/helps?

[@cassirenee]

Thank you for going thru your process and explaining the steps, I appreciate this. It's helping me hone in on my own process! Just wondering if you ever felt the need to lightly wash your mylar bags w a mild soap + some white vinegar type or something and let them completely air dry before use? Do you think it's necessary?

[@cassirenee]

I suppose everyone's diff. I normally cleanse any Tupperware or dishware I get, even if slightly rinsing it w soapy water before using. But w all the creases and things w these mylar bags I just wondering what others might think to do or have done :) I'm using mylar bags to store rolled barley flakes and oats, for now. As opposed to the uncooked hard pasta, corn or rice type foods that may usually be store in bags like this... ? Anywho, I searched around a bit and found out that the material used is PET plastic film, which is then covered with a very thin layer of aluminum, giving that shiny appearance. The aluminum-covered film is then laminated w another layer of plastic so that if certain foods are stored inside the bags, they don’t react with the aluminum coating. So it's determined to be food-safe by several organizations, including the FDA and European Food Safety Authority, and they wont react with food (assuming the food, whether cooked or uncooked, is at room temperature). However, studies have shown that antimony, one of the chemicals used to create PET, can be released quicker when the plastic is heated. Which somewhat gives me a clue as to how I might cleanse or reuse these bags -- using cool soapy water. Antimony can be toxic in high doses, but as long as we don’t heat up Mylar bags - which is not what they are intended for - then we shouldn’t have to worry about them becoming 'toxic'. Just thought I'd share. Have a lovely weekend😊

[@lizchun989]

I recently learned that mylar bags store foods much longer than vacuum sealing. I just finished vacuum sealing pasta, flour, and oatmeal. Do I need to throw away my packaging and start over or can I put some vacuum sealed items with some oxygen absorbers in a mylar bag and seal them?

[@user-ol7lz3wh2g]

What setting do you put the flat iron on? Is Medium hot ok?

[@WWG1WGA]

Thanks for this video, I am doing even things like powder vitamins as I can't take pill very easily. I am wondering though, do you have to have those buckets? Thanks for your links esp on the buckets I thought they were a lot more. Thank you

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

I use the buckets because mice can chew through mylar pretty easily. The buckets are a little bit harder for them to get through.

[@millymclarkin2486]

Please help. I need to put a monthly supply = 28 cups of small kibble dog food what size mylar bag should I use? We need to make sure her food does not turn rancid. Thank you so much.

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Dog food has too much fat in it to be stored long term. You are better off purchasing in bulk and rotating through it as you use it.

[@wade_carla2000]

QUESTION!!What happens if my bag does not go air tight over night? Is that right? Someone said it should be tight. But I saw your lentils were not. I had oats and flour in my bags.

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

The oxygen absorbers just remove the oxygen, not the air. Since air is made up of lots of different gases in addition to oxygen, not all bags will become airtight. For example, air contains 78% nitrogen and just 21% oxygen.

[@crazysquirrel9425]

Some things do not need Mylar. Salt and sugar are two of them. Those generally do not need oxygen absorbers either.

[@pictureperfect6901]

Hi! I am just learning how to use Mylar bags. Can I put my flour or rice, etc in a gallon size ziplock bag and then put it in the Mylar bag with an oxygen absorber! Also would I put the oxygen absorber inside the ziplock bag or the mylar bag? Thanks!

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

I would pour the rice directly into the mylar bag. But if you want to keep it in its original bag, poke holes in the original bag so that there is air flow between the bag and the mylar, then drop the oxygen absorber into the mylar before sealing.

[@mastersergeant8672]

How long will that spaghetti store and still be good?

[@jillsparks4140]

25 years

[@TonyGarrett-p1c]

Hi, nice vid. What is the longest that you've been able to successfully store something, in mylar bags with oxygen absorbers? Thanks!

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

I've only been storing food this way for about 6 months so I haven't tested it, but everybody says certain types of food can last 20 to 30 years when stored this way.

[@TonyGarrett-p1c]

@@TheCrabappleCottage Thx! I sure hope that they're right. I've only been dry-packing for just over 5 years now. I and a friend opened a few things the other day as part of my test program. I was very disappointed to note that a few things had a hint of staleness to them. And the OAs were all 'flat', as in dead it seemed. I wondered if the heat seals on the mylar bags were bad, or the 5-mil bags were too thin, or if the oxygen absorbers had failed somehow..... However, I taste-tested that same stuff the next day, and they tasted fresh to me. What the.....? The same thing happened a couple years ago when we tested a few items. The items we opened up were mixed chocolate candies and a couple dry snacks. BTW, mini-twist pretzels I have found to have never tasted stale when tested.

[@shawnlorenz9215]

I just opened a 5lb bag of elbow noodles that i had stored for 12 yrs and they were as fresh as the day i packaged them

[@paigemarcantel3943]

What is dry packing?​@@TonyGarrett-p1c

[@conniebarbey]

Can you do dry cereal other than oats cream of wheat grits or even rice krispies orcorn flakes?

[@cassidyallard7357]

Do you use any other pasta besides spaghetti??

[@sheilasteward401]

Thank you for the video. I have a couple questions. Can you store prepared pancake mix - Krusteaz from Costco and Idahoan potato flakes, stuffing mix, small boxes of long grain-wild rice mix They have an expiration date on the box and I would like to store it long term. Just not sure how you know if they can be stored long term or if the need an oxygen absorber Thank you

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Hello, thanks for the comment. I don't believe that those types of items are good for long-term storage. Most of them have fats and oils in them that will go rancid over time. Those things are best stored in your rotating pantry, which you use on a regular basis. Potato flakes without added milk or butter flavorings might be okay for long-term. But I know that wild rice has oils in it and the pancake mix definitely has some sort of fat or oil in it.

[@kanderson8857]

I know you can make your own mixers using freeze dried products (butter, eggs, etc.)

[@naeemaadams3079]

Ok so I started wrong I put my rice and sugar in a bucket without any of the bags you are talking about and I can't get the top off will it be ok am new to this

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

You can always repackage it in mylar at a later date, but the sooner the better. That's what I did. As for getting the lids off, I believe they make a special tool that you can use to lift off the lids. You can check on Amazon.

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Augason Farms Bung Wrench Lid Lifter Tool a.co/d/8Go8bdd

[@naeemaadams3079]

@@TheCrabappleCottage Thank you I am just starting and it's fun to me and to see what I have now makes me happy and I had got a half of cow last month also

[@UriEl_Zion]

This is exactly me right now.😂

[@fgvoicecorp]

How long does the food last for in these?

[@stevestanley5183]

Whats the temp set on the iron?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

My iron didn't have a temperature setting, just an on/off button.

[@JoJoRami3348]

How long will this last?

[@bobbyevans7975]

Where do you find that big a bag of linto's I can't find them anywhere no store that I've gone to

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find big bags of lentils, so I purchased a ton of 1 lb bags.

[@fatimabarnes-bey8668]

Why are you preserving/ bucketing food?

[@pcer9973]

Did you not go through covid? Grocery stores only carry 3 ish days worth of certain essentials. If anything goes south, people will go there and take what they can. Most places in America have 10s of thousands of people, which means there will more than likely be very little to no food available. Yes, the government may provide 😂 aid "MAY" by the time you get that you'll be 100 pounds lighter or dead, so why not have some food available just in case. I never wear condoms if the girls above an 8 havnt gone lower in years, but I keep one or two around just incase there's a 5 I bump into that needs piping and the 8s are not around it's called being prepared!

[@catharinef.40]

What is the difference/benefit to the 5 mil over others?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

The thicker the mil, the the less likely the contents will puncture the bag. I don't know why I started with 5 mil but that's what I continue to use.

[@andypandy5224]

How do you feel about the zip-lok style resealable Mylar bags?

[@queenpearl1979]

You still have to deal with heat.

[@sandradelarosa7799]

Thought you had to out pasta in jars

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

No, you can put pasta in mylar.

[@supamannn99]

So air doesn’t to be sucked out via some sort of vacuum for the storage to be effective?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

No, the air doesn't need to be sucked out. Just try to push out as much as you can and the oxygen absorbers will do the rest. It's not the air that makes food go bad, it's the oxygen in the air.

[@supamannn99]

@@TheCrabappleCottage thank you!! just bought some and will be doing this soon

[@carriesmith-th9et]

Do u have to vac air out of bags please

[@pcer9973]

You can for longer storage past 10 years.

[@veganista5096]

how long does this food last before going bad? You said only 2 of you. why so much food?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Yes, there are only two people in my immediate household, but I also prep for both of my parents, my brother, his wife, and their baby. They do not prep so I would also be helping to supply them.

[@christinastalzer2138]

Do I put a oxygen absorbers in with flour?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

It's not good to store flour long term. I would suggest storing wheat berries instead, flour only lasts a couple of years.

[@sandradelarosa7799]

We're do you buy them

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Online on Amazon

[@bruhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh1]

How do you store spaghetti sauce for that same length of time?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

I make my own from tomatoes I grow in my garden from seed. But you could use any sort of sauce, not just marinara sauce. You could use it with a basil pesto and oil, cheese-based, whatever works for you.

[@melmelbry5754]

You should get powdered tomato and mylar a ton of italian. Then you ca use that for sauce until you can grow your own tomatoes seasonings.

[@gayleglisson8034]

Is there some reason you should not use a food saver to seal the mylar bags?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

I'm not sure. I don't have a food saver, but I know that the mylar needs heat to seal properly.

[@shawnlorenz9215]

A food saver doesn’t get hot enough to seal a mylar bag

[@keithjahnke9055]

Tip from a new prepper. Food grade buckets and lids are too expensive ($12) buy larger stackable plastic bins for less than $10. They hold more and will keep rodents out the same. Just make sure you know for sure where you place them cause they hold over 100# of food and are hard to move. Also don't be an idiot like me and touch to see if the mylar bags are sealed right after you heat sealed them. It will burn your fingers.

[@sandrasandra3505]

How long will food last

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Different foods have different shelf lives depending on the how they are stored and what the food is. Rice and beans should last 30 years.

[@sandyshephard4571]

What size bag are you using?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

1 gallon

[@glorious_conqueror2021]

Nice video just a tad repetitive 👀

[@CharlieLaDue-m5b]

Are you expecting an apocalypse?

[@JosephGalloway-tf7zv]

If youre not its gonna be real bad foe you bro

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

You're not?

[@CharlieLaDue-m5b]

Bahahahahaha!!!! idiots.

[@robertd9850]

The 5 lb. thing is a little OCD.

[@cynthiagonzales2375]

You talk too fast

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

Thanks for the feedback.

[@sheba5203]

Do you talk slow or very slow when you make videos? You can adjust the play speed in settings to your liking. Don't watch videos if a person talks too fast for you, just move on instead of bringing it to their attention. That's super rude!!

[@ChristineArnold-l7c]

how hot does the hair straightner need to be to seal the mylar bags?

[@TheCrabappleCottage]

That's a good question. My hair straightener just has an on-off button and I can't control the temperature. I think any standard hair straightener would work.

[@JoyceNimmo]

I have read to use a metal hair straightener, not a ceramic one, but in all that I have read, and all the videos that I have watched, I have never seen it addressed, as to the temperature you should want it.