How long for Oxygetn Absorbers to 'work'?

[rocktot]

Yea, it would get it down a little further. Your supposed to use some kind of 'gas' when sealing anyway. And humidity absorbers also, but few do. For rice and other touch things I would do as much as possible.

[rbeau30]

There is still a lot of space in between the food granules to hold Oxygen to feed microbes/weevil eggs. The microbes will eventually run out of oxygen, but what we are looking IMO in food storage is maximum nutritional retention over the longest period of time. I have read somewhere that those food-saver devices do not work as well with Mylar bags as the plastic bags they are designed for... and the plastic bags they utilize are not Mylar so they are porous and will leech oxygen in over the years. Plus I don't believe the food saver bags give you a true vacuum, the food in it eventually goes bad in your fridge anyways right?

Displacing the oxygen with Nitrogen like a lot of people do is a good way, but you don't get the vacuum effect which would normally give you an indication that the seal failed or something. Dessicant is cool, but there really is not much humidity here to matter I don't think. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to throw some in there if you had them. once inside Mylar inside a sealed bucket, inside a cool/dry place away from sunlight, in the arid climate we are in, I think you wouldn't have to worry as much.

I definitely would put O2 absorbers in any food storage solution (not sugar). If I have spent money on the food, I would hate to have to replace it in 15 years or so, and see it go to waste. Adding a food dessicant pack certainly would not hurt, and probably help peace of mind when it comes to ensuring your food stays shelf stable. They aren't expensive, so why not?