Oxygen Is BAD - For Food Storage

[Ken]

Those of us who preserve or vaccuum seal food for long-term storage know that oxygen is a leading cause of spoilage.

Here are a few articles that discuss home food preservation techniques, vaccuum sealingn and the use of nitrogen. Each article offers a good discussion and a somewhat different approach to the process.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1999-08-01/Vacuum-and-Nitrogen-Packing.aspx (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/1999-08-01/Vacuum-and-Nitrogen-Packing.aspx)

http://waltonfeed.com/old/self/upack/nitrogen.html (http://waltonfeed.com/old/self/upack/nitrogen.html)

http://bulk-survival-food.com/oxygen-absorbers-versus-nitrogen-packing/99 (http://bulk-survival-food.com/oxygen-absorbers-versus-nitrogen-packing/99)

http://theepicenter.com/tow08237.html (http://theepicenter.com/tow08237.html)

[crashdive123]

Nice links.

[rat31465]

I have read about keeping dried beans, rice etc by storing them in a food grade bucket/container with a rubber seal lid. Fill the bucket to within an inch of the top to drive off as much O2 as possible this way. Make a shallow depression in the center of the food and place a piece of saran wrap or a small dish on which you place a sizeable chunk of dry ice. Place the lid on the bucket loose and allow the dry ice to almost completely dissolve before snapping the lid and sealing.
The CO2 of the dry ice drives off the Oxygen to help preserve the food stuffs.

[rat31465]

I have read about keeping dried beans, rice etc by storing them in a food grade bucket/container with a rubber seal lid. Fill the bucket to within an inch of the top to drive off as much O2 as possible this way. Make a shallow depression in the center of the food and place a piece of saran wrap or a small dish on which you place a sizeable chunk of dry ice. Place the lid on the bucket loose and allow the dry ice to almost completely dissolve before snapping the lid and sealing.
The CO2 of the dry ice drives off the Oxygen to help preserve the food stuffs.

Curious as to if anyone else has ever tried or heard this?

[crashdive123]

Yep. We've had a couple of threads on it. Thanks for talking about it again though - it's always good to bring up ideas that work.

[Ken]

Curious as to if anyone else has ever tried or heard this?

Using Dry Ice

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=5937


Making Dry Ice at Home

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/forums/showthread.php?t=6989

[rat31465]

Yep. We've had a couple of threads on it. Thanks for talking about it again though - it's always good to bring up ideas that work.

My thinking is that Dry Ice is easier to obtain and vastly cheaper than purchasing Nitrogen for such purposes.

I wonder if the different gasses would have any effect on the taste of the food?

[Ken]

I wonder if the different gasses would have any effect on the taste of the food?

Not from what I've read about it.

[crashdive123]

Fresh fruits and veggies are gone after the first few days or week at sea on a submarine. We tried storing lettuce in one of the escape hatches and purged it with nitrogen. Didn't notice any difference in flavor - of course after a month or more under water - getting real lettuce was a luxury that we weren't going to complain about.

[rat31465]

Fresh fruits and veggies are gone after the first few days or week at sea on a submarine. We tried storing lettuce in one of the escape hatches and purged it with nitrogen. Didn't notice any difference in flavor - of course after a month or more under water - getting real lettuce was a luxury that we weren't going to complain about.

Good information...
I have a friend who is a master brewer...Many of the beers he produces are dispensed using Nitorgen instead of CO2. He says the Nitrogen molecules being smaller permeate the beer more thoroughly, thus displacing even more Oxygen than the CO2 produced during fermentation.
Beers dispensed from a keg using Nitrogen have a fuller creamier head, smaller bubbles and don't oxidize as fast as with CO2.

[Ken]

I have a friend who is a master brewer...

That's a great friend to have. :innocent:

[Pal334]

That's a great friend to have. :innocent:

Mmmm, probably is very popular,especially if he gives samples:clap:

[rat31465]

Not exagerating when I say that I have tasted beer from vats in every Micro-Brewery within 100 mile Radius of Springfield Mo. Problem with visiting a Brewery with a Brewer is that they get all scientific on you and start pouring more and more beers for you to taste. It's a tough job but I guess someone has to do it. Funny thing is that I actually don't drink much.

[Ken]

Let me know if you ever need someone to fill in for you.

[Rick]

And he has a "friend" in every brewery.:innocent: Sort of like the rich guy having all those cousins. Good brewers have a LOT of friends.

[rat31465]

And he has a "friend" in every brewery.:innocent: Sort of like the rich guy having all those cousins. Good brewers have a LOT of friends.

This guy must be the exception then...He is kind of a jerk!
I met him through a former employeer, we were needing some help getting a Medical Company started up and he was needing some extra money. Since he was friends with the two owners they hired him on for awhile. If I hadn't been forced to work with the guy I would have never taken the time to get to know him...Like I said he's a jerk....but he's also the first one to admit that he's a jerk.

[Ken]

....but he's also the first one to admit that he's a jerk.

So clearly, he hasn't been overindulging in that beer,

[Rick]

You have to wonder about a guy that's a jerk, knows he's a jerk and readily admits it. That's the kind of guy they make new ropes for.