Help Maintaining O2 Absorber Potency

[at2wooden]

I've been getting my oxygen absorbers right from the LDS website and they are the best.

However, I have yet to use the entire package at one time, and have to store the unused packets until needed.

I have been putting them into a large mouth mason jar, but it seems that the potency gets reduced as I open the lid to take some out. (new oxygen rushes in)

A while back I saw someone using this blue plastic "press to close" (like a zip lock bag closure) on the unused portion of the original O2 absorber bag to close the bag without having to take any more absorbers than needed. (from the original O2 bag)

Anyone familiar with these closures?

Where can I get some?

[Phil801]

I've been getting my oxygen absorbers right from the LDS website and they are the best.

However, I have yet to use the entire package at one time, and have to store the unused packets until needed.

I have been putting them into a large mouth mason jar, but it seems that the potency gets reduced as I open the lid to take some out. (new oxygen rushes in)

A while back I saw someone using this blue plastic "press to close" (like a zip lock bag closure) on the unused portion of the original O2 absorber bag to close the bag without having to take any more absorbers than needed. (from the original O2 bag)

Anyone familiar with these closures?

Where can I get some?

I'm not familiar with those, but here's what I like to do:

When I get a new 100 pk of O2 absorbers, I put them into sandwich baggies with 20 absorbers in a bag. I take a straw and insert it into the corner then start zipping on the opposite corner (towards the straw). Zip it all the way to the straw. Now compress the bag manually to get as much air out as you can. Once you've done that, while still compressing it, take a deep breath, exhale and then inhale as much as you can from the straw. This will suck almost all of the air out. Pull the straw out with your teeth and immediately close the bag the rest of the way. You can then store the bags and only have to expose a small amount at a time when you need to get some out. Repeat the above procedure to reseal the bag.

[pam]

Wow what a great idea.

[pitcher]

Use the bags the o2 absobers come in or the mason jars. A lot of plastic breathes. Having been involved with lab test in a crime lab, we found that a lot of plasic bag such as the zip lock bags breath and will let oxygen in over time. Do not trust them for long term storage.

If you want to test o2 absorbers it is easy. Take a new absober and tape it loosely to the bottom of a mason jar. Do not put a lid on the jar. Place the mason jar upside down in a pan of water. Leave it for 24 hours. As the oxygen is absorbed it will suck the water up into the vacuum. Mark the mason jar and you will have a gauge for checking older absorbers.

[at2wooden]

Good helpful information folks. Thanks!

Think I'll put the ziploced bags of absorbers in the mason jar until I find these strips :)

You're all going to want these things when I do.

Re-using the the original, thicker bags rocks.

[Akita]

...A while back I saw someone using this blue plastic "press to close" (like a zip lock bag closure) on the unused portion of the original O2 absorber bag to close the bag without having to take any more absorbers than needed. (from the original O2 bag)

Anyone familiar with these closures?

Where can I get some?

You can get these at your local Bishop's Storehouse (cannery). They work. I think they are about $2 each.

If the plastic is heavy enough (like the pack they come in), it will keep the 02 out.

[at2wooden]

THAT's what I'm talking about!! Thanks!

Is there anyway to get them from church website? My probably come from there.

[lindapruss]

oh my, yes I have same problem. To reduce "damage" I use my vacuum machine and then put the bag into a mason jar and vacuum seal the mason jar. If I have the largest absorbers I even put a 100cc absorber into the jar , just in case. So far seems to be better.

[dalepres]

Why not just use your Food Saver, etc. to seal the absorbers?

When I start packing, I put an hour or so's worth of absorbers in a zip-lock bag. The rest, I seal with the Food Saver. That way the amount of oxygen available to those I will not use is very minimal (just the counting and transfer time - about 2 minutes at most). Since the absorbers are supposed to maintain full rated capacity for at least 30 minutes exposure to open air, the main supply can withstand several cycles of this.

When I'm all done for the day, I just take the vacuum-sealed remainders and put them into another bag and vacuum seal that, leaving them double-wrapped. I've come back years later and the absorbers were just fine.

[pam]

Probably a really dumb question since I have never used them. How do you tell if an absorber is no longer good?

[lindapruss]

thank you for sharing that info. I had read in blogs that the absorbers will activate immeditely (within 5 min. of exposure to air). So I put everything into the mylar bags first. Then I put absorbers in and rush like crazy to close all the bags up! :-) I guess I am just a suspenders and a belt type person. A little over kill. I've only been doing this for a year so I'm always looking for experienced help.

Have a great holiday!

[dalepres]

Here's a link showing how to test an oxygen absorber. Of course once tested it is no longer useful so the idea is to test one out of a bag while keeping the rest of the bag sealed. The idea is to see how much water gets sucked into a jar inverted into a tray of water. The amount of water sucked into the jar is how much oxygen was absorbed.

https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/information_center/packing_your_own_food_storage/checking_capacity_of_oxygen.htm

Here is the page from Sorbent Systems indicating the 30 minute time for using oxygen absorbers. Just guessing here, but if some suppliers are saying 5 minutes, (and many of the blogs are from sellers) then perhaps they're not selling fresh absorbers.

Oxygen Absorbers - SorbentSystems.com

[lindapruss]

Your awsome! Thanks you so much. happy holidays linda