We are listing the variety of methods used for long-term food storage. As promised in the previous post, (http://www.grainstorehouse.com/?p=259 ) we are going more in-depth with what each method entails.
The Mylar Bag Method.
While this is not the method that we use currently, I do see it as a very viable choice for certain environments and in certain cases. If you have extremely moist storage conditions and a very large stash of food that you don’t have access to daily makes the Mylar bag method one that you may want to look into for your needs.
Mylar bags are good gas barriers and will not allow the nitrogen or CO2 to escape through the porous walls of the plastic. Mylar bags should be purchased only from food storage companies. The heaviest Mylar bags in the large size are the best for lining large storage buckets such as our 6.5 gallon sizes. The bag can be sealed with a hot iron.
To initially fill and seal the Mylar liner:
1. First, line the bucket with the bag and fumigate with either the dry ice method, nitrogen flushing or oxygen absorber packets.
2. Pour in your grains.
3. Then get out as much air as possible. Remove the full bag and lay the bag flat while holding the ends together.
4. Use an iron to heat seal the end of the bag.
5. Now, pierce a small hole in the corner of the bag just below the seal, far away from the food.
6. Suck remaining air out with the hose or a small attachment to the vacuum that can be inserted into the end.
7. When the air is removed and the bag looks vacuum packed, hold the end and seals it with an iron. This method does require a good bit of finesse and effort not let air back into the bag.
To use the grains, cut into the bag, this way you can use the bag over and over again. However, it also requires repeating steps 3 through 7 after opening the bag.
Also, in our opinion, the metalic Mylar bags are the best choice over clear ones, as they also block light which damages food nutrients.
We hope to soon have FDA Food Grade Mylar Bags (5-6 gallon size) available in our store HERE.
If you don’t see them yet – keep checking back or get on our Newsletter to be updated when they are in.
Happy Preparation!
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