Hi All,
In addition to keeping rice and pasta in mylar bags (I opt for the 1 & 1.5 gallon size instead of the bucket sized 5 gallon ones), I keep about a half dozen mason jars full of rice and pasta, which I vacuum seal, for medium term storage.
Currently, I do the meal prep routine, so I only cook once a week. For example, when I prep lunches for the week, I typically use 1.5 lbs of pasta, so I'll dump the extra into a jar and seal it, and the next time I make pasta, when I have 3 jars, I use those up.
The other way I find myself using this method is when I am packing food into mylar bags. If I have extra, either because I ran out of bags, or I didn't have enough to fill a whole bag, I will give the extra the same treatment.
My question is, how long would those keep? I do not put any oxygen absorbers into the jars, as again, I plan on using them within the next say 3 months or so, but the seals do seem to hold up rather well and take a fair amount of effort to pop.
Thanks for your input!
Hello v3c7r0n I do the same, planing meal for myself. But storage some times seal in 5 gallon mylar bag and some time in 1 or 2 gallon mylar bags, I suppose is these are classified as. The main thing In my opinion is FREZZE I will get a bunch of disagreement on this. I have been putting food back since the 90's and even if there is with oxygen it seem the bug eggs can hang out till you open the bags and quickly take over. Face it egg are in all the stuff we buy. or even raise ourselves. When I freeze say each 25 lbs. of rice for 3 to 5 day before sealing thaw for a few day in a fridge. I have never had a problem. So when you are storing pasta rice grains even if they have not been at the store the expiration date usually gives you a year or 2.. But I freeze everything. The choice is up to you.. But for opening and storing something without an O absorbers into a jar for a few month even a year in my option should be OK.
In the winter I put my 5 gallon buckets that have been filled over the summer even if I froze them in the chest freeze in the summer. I still put them out about week in freezing temps.. otherwise in warm weather I just use chest freezer. If you want a nice seal on stuff in you usable storage get a seal a meal with the lid sealer it suck the air out and can keep it even better. I use seal a meal for all sorts of storage. I think they have a food storage forum here check it out.. responses can be slow, be patient.. LAter. Mike
While I don't meal prep, I do store pasta, rice, corn meal, flour, instant potatoes, etc. in vacuum sealed jars. Some have been in jars for years, without O2 absorbers and they are just fine. I will occasionally take out a really old one, utilize it and make sure it's still good. I store dry milk, beans, baking mixes, dog and cat foods, oatmeal, grits, etc. Yours, if you are storing for long term, should be fine whether in mylar or vacuum sealed. I do, however, go about once a month and run my hands over the tops to make sure nothing has unsealed. Sometimes those tiny little particles will inhibit your seal and make it pop over time. Then I just clean the rim and reseal it with an O2 absorber to add extra vacuum, but never in sugar! You get a concrete block of sugar if you use O2 absorbers in it. But yeah, your stuff should be just fine!