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Food Dehydration

August 28, 2010
10:45 am

Renee

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July 26, 2010

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I've got a question for anyone-what exactly are "oxygen absorber" packets. I've been trying to learn how to dehydrate veggies and fruits for storage and some say to use these packets while others never mention them. Has anyone ever used them and are they really necessary to use? LOL-when you're new to doing and learning something the internet can be soooooo confusing! LOL

confused

August 28, 2010
11:59 am

bonita

Super Chicken

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June 1, 2010

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Oxygen absorbers increase the storage life of dehydrated foods. There are two types of oxygen absorbers—"B" absorbers and
"D" absorbers. "B" absorbers work best with foods not
totally dehydrated such as beef jerky or pliable dehydrated fruit. They last about
a year after they are manufactured. "D" absorbers are better suited
for dry pack canning. They last only last 6 months.

Both types of oxygen absorbers work via
chemical reaction. The absorbers contain iron powder which reacts with the oxygen in the
air causing the iron powder to rust or oxidize. When all the iron powder has
oxidized, the oxygen absorbers no longer work.

NOTE: Oxygen absorbers are not the same as
dessicants.

August 28, 2010
12:37 pm

tipsila

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August 20, 2010

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Renee said:

I've got a question for anyone-what exactly are "oxygen absorber" packets. I've been trying to learn how to dehydrate veggies and fruits for storage and some say to use these packets while others never mention them. Has anyone ever used them and are they really necessary to use?

I usually only use oxygen absorbers when packing large containers for long-term storage, e.g., 5 gallon pails of grain.

Since dehydration reduces the volume of food greatly, I re-use jars from store bought foods (six qts of green beans fit into 2 pizza sauce jars!), and vacuum seal them with a nifty little tool called a Pump-n-Seal. The pump-n-seal is also a great way to re-use all your used canning jar lids over and over.

Note: Jars must be resealed each time you open and remove some of the contents. This only takes a few seconds.

August 28, 2010
4:49 pm

Miss Judy

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February 22, 2010

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Oh no! A Pump and Seal! Another gadget that sounds like a must have! I sure didn't know what I was getting into the day I happened upon CITR while browsing the net!

August 28, 2010
5:24 pm

Pete

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December 28, 2008

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Never used the oxygen absorbers, but I save the little desicant packs in vitamin supplement bottles to use in jars of dried peppers and such. They can be dried and used multiple times – just don't heat them much. Running them through the dehydrator will dry them sufficiently well to reuse them. Of course, you don't want to eat the contents! And I wouldn't use the ones that come in shoes, purses and stuff since they have been exposed to who knows what that you may not want to ingest.

Anulos qui animum ostendunt omnes gestemus!

August 29, 2010
12:35 am

bonita

Super Chicken

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June 1, 2010

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Pete: It's clear that someone needs to invent a substance that is both an oxygen absorber and a dessicant. Something that could suck the oxygen out of the air and out of water, leaving only hydrogen behind. Of course, hydrogen is flammable…

We'd have to worry about esplodin' vegetables. bomb