How long do oxygen absorbers last in their original package?
Posted by Sufficient_Rest_9722@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 13 comments
I'm debating ordering a bunch of oxygen absorbers, so I don't need to think about it for a while, but I don't know if that's a good idea. The entire reason we use mylar bags and oxygen absorbers is because the plastic isn't airtight, so the plastic of the absorbers would probably go bad after a bit, right?
th30be@reddit
Depends entirely on the original packaging.
Not the same thing but I have metal buckets filled with desiccant that was ordered in the mid 2000s and have been fine since then. They were not opened or messed with in anyway so that is a plus but the humidity indicator cards that were in them still registered well below 30% humidity.
lexicon-sentry@reddit
Where’s the best place to buy the oxygen absorbers? I looked at uline and the prices were in the triple digits.
ExtraplanetJanet@reddit
You can buy food storage size absorbers on Amazon for fairly cheap. I often get them packaged with the Mylar bags I buy. Right now the 500cc packets run about 10 cents each on Amazon, depending on who you buy from.
GreyRobb@reddit
I just sealed up 10 buckets w oxygen absorbers I bought in 2021. The O2 detector sealed in the bag with them indicated no leakage. They started getting hot in under a minute of being unsealed.
Drake-R8@reddit
Mine come in several packages of 10 so when opening one I vacuum seal the remainder and they stay fresh.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Worth the read-
So when we owned the mid size commercial cannery in the late 90's my guys were lazy on inventorying supplies. We would get in cases of oxygen absorbers, they would place some by the packing lines and some they would put up on this little "loft" area that was above the office space in this building we were in.
Once the ones on the "floor" were used up, it was "Robert we need more absorbers." I would always mention- "check the loft." And usually got a "we did" BS reply.
So needless to say when we moved from there what was up in the loft? Oh about 30 or so cases of D2000s and D750 absorbers.... When we moved we closed the cannery so I had no use for this many. I sold some on Ebay and tucked a few cases back.
Keep in mind they were from 1998 and 1999, still sealed in original packaging. We have used what remains for personal packing and helping like minded friends put up food in 2005, 2008, 2011, 2015, 2017 and not long after also for putting up some ammo in mylars as well.
They have pulled down mylar EVERY TIME.
To note- ALL of these were factory new with good indicator pills and you could tell the bag was still sealed. As is the way with professional packing, we NEVER tried to "save" any from an open package. You open a package of o2 absorbers the correct way is to use them all soon after, not try to "save" a few via clothespin, put in a jar, etc.
So what I'm talking about still working 7-19 years later still was still sealed full packages. Multisorb was the original manufacturer (1998) but I believe they are under another name now.
Just perusing Amazon, et al, clearly there is a lot more chinese made materials like this out now, I cannot vouch to how they hold up over time.
PowerfulArgument5270@reddit
Keep em in a ziploc if you reseal the bag
Physical-Ad-5039@reddit
If you have a vacuum sealer, you can split them up reasonably, put then into long bags. Keep on resealing as necessary.
iambecomesoil@reddit
Eventually, probably. You greatly improve your chances with mylar for critical emergency food storage.
Anyway, a mason jar does pretty good. And most of the decent ones have a visual indicator.
stephenph@reddit
I have some that are 3 years old, the original packaging is intact. They are 50 pack so very seldom do I use even most of them I put the remainder in a mason jar and use a vacuum seal on it. Seems to work as they are still effective.
Old-Consequence1735@reddit
Do what you do with everything else you want to save for a long time...
Deal em up in a mylar bag.
Sufficient_Rest_9722@reddit (OP)
Want to store rice? Mylar bags!
Want to store pasta? Mylar bags!
Want to store salt? Mylar bags!
Want to store sugar? Mylar bags!
Want to store ammo? Mylar bags!
Want to store mylar bags? Mylar bags!
SunLillyFairy@reddit
They can last several years... longer... until/unless the packaging fails and they are exposed to oxygen. You can tell pretty easily because if the packaging is compromised it will lose it vacuum sealed look.
I buy them either individually wrapped, (I can usually only fond those in the bigger sizes) or in no more than 10 per pack. I know you can quickly use what you need and reseal the rest, but i just don't trust it, so once I open a package I use them all. It does not hurt to use extra... so if I need 1 per bag and I have 8 bags and open a 10 pack, two of the bags are getting 2 instead of 1. (The only exception I know of is flour and milk powder, because it can pock up the taste of the iron in the absorber and so using extra on those is not a great idea.)