home Dehydrating, and Storing in Mylars

I am picking-up a food dehydrator (Excalibur). I was going to purchase bulk Mylar bags because square-inch-wise they are way cheaper.

The question is: Is there anyone here that home dehydrates, and stores using mylar's? Also, if I purchase a vacu-sealer, would I be able to use smaller cc oxygen absorbers?

I occasionally dry some fruits in the oven, but only during the winter. Once the fruit is dry, I toss a handful of dried fruit in a zip-lock back, chase it with a small desiccant, zip it 90% closed, then suck as much air out of it as I can before zipping it the rest of the way. After that, I toss them in a box in the freezer for long-term storage, thereby avoiding having to use nitrates/trites, or whatever other unhealthy preservatives are usually all over dried fruit you buy from the store.

I believe zip-loc bags are mylar. Perhaps not?

since9 said:

I occasionally dry some fruits in the oven, but only during the winter. Once the fruit is dry, I toss a handful of dried fruit in a zip-lock back, chase it with a small desiccant, zip it 90% closed, then suck as much air out of it as I can before zipping it the rest of the way. After that, I toss them in a box in the freezer for long-term storage, thereby avoiding having to use nitrates/trites, or whatever other unhealthy preservatives are usually all over dried fruit you buy from the store.

I believe zip-loc bags are mylar. Perhaps not?

Click to expand...

I wish zip-locks were mylar.

Well now, where to start. I prep so I use a lot of mylar bags.

My wife picked up a Foodsaver sealer and I use it all the time. She got a stiff reusable plastic straw that fits over the accessory sealer hose thingie. I use a mylar bag sealer and seal about two thirds of the bag (after putting what ever I want into it of course), throw in an Ox absorber (300cc for 1 gallon all the way up to 2000cc for 5 or 6 gallons) then I seal all but a half inch of the bag.

I then stick in the straw, hold the bag around it and hit the accessory button on the sealer. I let it suck out as much as it can get, than I have my wife yank out the straw and seal the bag with her fingers, then I seal the last half inch. Works great.

Beretta92FSLady said:

I am picking-up a food dehydrator (Excalibur). I was going to purchase bulk Mylar bags because square-inch-wise they are way cheaper.

The question is: Is there anyone here that home dehydrates, and stores using mylar's? Also, if I purchase a vacu-sealer, would I be able to use smaller cc oxygen absorbers?

Click to expand...

Best food dehydrator that I have used/found thus far. http://www.nesco.com/products/Dehydrators/ I can get a full batch done in a day. With my commercial sized one handling up to 30 trays and my home model handling 12. I can go through more than a flat/box of fruit and have it done in under 12 hours/over night normally.

Vacuum packing is mylar is the is the only way to go, as for smaller O2 absorbers I don't see why not when you vacuum pack in mylar.