Using Mylar Bags for Food Storage 

Pro tip : seal your bags 3/4 of the way first. Then open th oxygen absorbers and put them into the bags. It will leave you only one crimping motion to do on each bag so it goes a lot quicker!

Here in Scotland people used to store their oatmeal i.e. dry coarse ground oats, not cooked porridge, in special grain chests called girnals. Just like you've shown in this video, people understood the meal had to be packed as tightly as possible to stop it from going bad. Parents would traditionally wash their children's feet and have them stand in the girnal barefoot, stamping the grain down as hard as they could so there was no air inside, almost like your mylar bags with oxygen absorbers. I should probably add that although they didn't store cooked porridge that way, people did pour it into a drawer lined with greaseproof paper and cut slices off to eat cold or fried like polenta. My great grandfather was a machinist working in shipbuilding and he took a slice of cold porridge wrapped in brown paper to eat at work every day.

I always seal the bag all but just enough to get my 02 absorbers in so when you start you don’t have that much left to seal up

My little trick is after sealing the bags , I cut a small slit just below the seal at a corner. Then I force all the air out then seal the small hole with the iron. Love your vids.

I've found that when you have left over Oxy Absorbers that need to be stored for later use, after you've opened the original bag, as mentioned in this video, put them in a mason jar but if you have a "Food Saver" brand or any other vacuum sealer that can vacuum seal a mason jar, use that to suck the air out of the jar. This keeps the Absorbers from needing to work on the remaining air in the jar. I've found that it really prolongs the Oxy Absorbers that much longer. Just my 2 1/2 cents worth.

Prefill your left over mason jar part way with loose rice. This will limit the O2 in the jar and make the left over O2 sachets better when you do come to use them . If there is not quite enough space for all the sachets, pour some rice out.

TIP . if you are doing 'bulk' say 1 gallon of sugar, in a mylar ziplock, when you open it IF you are going to put it in a different container and not use the zip feature, open the BOTTOM of the bag, pour out the contents and you can reuse the bag and still have the zip intact

I packed White Rice, Pinto Beans, Pasta and long grain Rice in 5 mil bags between 2013 and 2015 using this exact method. I opened 1 each a few weeks ago and prepared them over the last week and they were all like fresh.

when reusing ziploc bags, just reseal from the bottom! then, you can still use the zip as you use the contents on your pantry shelves.

Watched this again, after watching it years ago! The only thing I would add is to PARTIALLY seal the bags, leaving a few inches at the end to drop in the O2 absorbers, then seal up the last few inches quickly.

You mentioned coffee being ok to store in mylar bags. Just know that ground coffee is fine but whole beans tend to off-gas and can compromise the seal. That is the reason for those little gassing vents on plastic coffee bean bags in the store and also vented coffee canisters for beans.

Try sealing the bags most of the way and using a shopvac to remove the majority of the remaining air. This will help the content stay fresher over time.

To reduce the oxygen absorbers time you can partially seal the mylar bags in advance. Like seal half of it while leaving enough room to throw the oxygen absorbers and then seal the other half.

When I saw how much you had stored, I laughed. I just started prepping and it’s so meager! I think I’m great buying 20 cans of soup! LOL!!!!

Food shortage is the next anticipated prophecy. This is a skill the world needs to learn.

I love your pantry video's because it looks so neat and clean and organized. The delivery of the information was so complete and very well done. This is just a good idea even if you aren't worried about a coming crisis. I learned a lot about prepping and preserving from my mom who is just a frugal person and the only reason she keeps a stocked pantry, but wow, sure came in handy during this cv19 shut down.

I leave the bags out for 24 hours after I seal them to make sure they shrink down (in case there is a pinhole leak somewhere). I've only had one fail in the last 4 years. 😊

Keep in mind - smaller bagged qty's can be carried in a bugout situation far easier than LARGE bags of food.

when im using mylar I first hook up a hose to the vacuum sealer and at the other end use a stainless tube which is approx. 2mm in dia, which is inserted into the bag. I first seal most of the bag using my wife's ceramic hair curler (she doesn't know) then when the air is sucked out seal the bag fully

Off topic but important for people to know (for anyone who doesn’t know already)…. Never store your water directly on a concrete floor & even better, not directly on any floor at all. Especially with concrete, it goes through so many different temperature changes constantly & can cause your bottles to leech chemicals & even your water to go bad quickly in comparison (yep, water can go bad). Concrete is the worst for it but really, I always keep a cut up cardboard box underneath any water jugs or keep them off the floor altogether if storage allows. Try to keep light away from your water too (you can throw a old sheet or old towels over your jugs, those aren’t bad to have on hand in your stock area anyway…. Before I learned this, I had multiple packs of bottled water, as well as 4-5 10L water jug things stored directly on a concrete floor. None had been opened, just stored straight from the store & no light was even getting to them. Then when I moved house, after transporting all that water to the new place, I decided to start rotating them by using some of the water I had stored & replacing it with new packs as I went… I was horrified the 1st bottle I tasted!! It literally tasted like DIRT!!! I’m not joking & I never had it stored on or near dirt, just straight on a concrete floor (which stupidly I assumed would help keep it cool🙄). I’m not talking about just a slight taste I could’ve mistaken either, it was strong & undeniably a taste of dirt!! The water looked perfect but yeah, clearly it wasn’t & I only had it stored like that for maybe 1yr so not like it was stored for years or anything. I used the whole lot on the garden instead & labeled the 10L ones as “CLEANING/WASHING ONLY”. Typically when this happened too, Covid suddenly hit very shortly after & then water became hard to get before I could replace much (I’m not very financial so have to stock slowly). It got us into a real pickle for a while there. After that, I found out that storing water on concrete for any amount of time is probably the worst thing you can do besides storing it in direct sunlight. Lesson learned!!! 😑😑 Just wanted to share that so hopefully it’ll help someone else not make the same mistake I did. If you already have, I highly suggest trying to replace as much of it as you can now & with what’s happening in the world now, maybe don’t dump the old stuff on the garden, but mark them clearly for washing/cleaning only instead. I hope everyone is well & much love to all from Australia 🇦🇺🐨🍃🤗💜

Love you videos and at the risk of being basic I just have to say YOU HAVE THE BEST HAIRCUT!!! Respect! Also, fantastic, articulate and interesting content!

Your videos are indispensable. I've watched every tutorial video youve made, and when I have questions or need a refresher..I come watch them again. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, and helping us out here in RU-vid land refine our techniques.

Love your videos. My wife and I started prepping about 6 months ago. I always feel peaceful when I watch your videos and learn a lot in the process. Thank you for doing such great work!

She said something very important that some might gloss over. Many Mylar bags are 4 mil PASS ON THOSE BAGS! Get 5 mil or heavier.

You might think about putting a lip on those shelves or a 1 x1 about 3 inches above the shelf to keep your jars on the shelf in case of an earthquake; which are more prevalent everywhere today!

Great video. The only thing I noticed for a time saver on the oxygen absorbers is , the second bag you did had the ziplock feature,and some other bags also had the ziplock feature still intact. Just a suggestion, you could have zipped those ones up right away and saved those for ironing last since they're essentially closed. Then you could have gotten the used ones that you had cut the zipper off heat sealed first.

You can also store in galvanized garbage cans with lids for the mylar bags

Great video. There is a lot of misinformation on RU-vid. It's nice finding someone who knows what they are talking about. I have been a prepper for year's it took me a lot of research and mistakes. Hopefully, others will find your videos. So they will not make the mistakes I made.

I'm not sure how well your bags sealed with the hair straightener. The straightener itself works well, but you need to seal the surfaces for around 3-4 seconds normally .. not just drag along the bag. There may be spots along the bag that haven't sealed effectively, especially if a bit of pressure is applied to the bag and they may inadvertently pop open without you knowing it.

I have to respect anyone that has that much Frank’s on the shelf.

Best Mylar bag video I’ve seen. Good job.

Use smaller left over bits of mylar (without oxygen absorbers) to individually package things like medications, fire starters, surgical gear, or batteries.

oh my gosh, I just did this with 25 lbs of hard red wheat, hard white wheat and durum and I just keep walking by my bags watching the bags lined up on my dining room table getting tighter and tighter with the oxygen absorbers working. I am totally amazed at this process. Thank you for posting this video, what an awesome help.

Another thing that helps is a vacuum sealer that has a hose attachment that you can put in one corner of the bag. Seal all but the last half inch of the bag stick in the hose and vacuum it down. Hold the bag tightly around the hose and have your iron ready to seal it when you pull the hose out.. It is a little bit tricky at first but it works.

You are such a blessing! Such a great teacher! I appreciate you, Jaime!!!

Really well done! Helped me out a lot, and I love the use of the flat iron! I love it! Thanks a million!

Great video... I learned more in the first 5 minutes than any other video! Thank you. Also, You could have rewound your recording to see what you put in the bags!!! LOL!

Thanks for taking the time to make this info video, very informative! Especially the site for info on the Milar Bags and Oxy/Absorbers.

Thanks for this; was looking for a way to store food for a long time. Appreciate very much you took the time to teach us.

Thank you!! Just getting started with mylar bags, you have answered so many of my questions.

I buy spices in bulk and put them, premeasured to fit my containers, in Mylar. I have been doing this for years. Seems to work well. I can buy spices by the pound for a much better price then a small container.

I ran out of rice in the pantry a while back and decided it would be a good test to see how my storage was working. I opened some rice I put in mylar about 10 years ago with just a co2 flush when I sealed the bag and the rice looked like I had just bought it. That hair straightener is a great idea.

thank you so much my mom and I love your videos they’re so helpful !

Imso thankful for this , I'm so overwhelmed

YOU have been a blessing great video keep doing what you are doing you helping.

Jaime, this video is invaluable! Thank you for how thorough you are for us newbies to storing in mylar!!!

My favorite video on using mylar bags! I've watched it many times over the last couple of years.

It's insane how much I've been learning from you guys, once again, thank you, and all the very best 💚

I used mylar bags. A hint I got from another prepper is to partially seal the mylar bag, leaving enough room for the oxygen absorber. Put the OA in, push down on the bag to get more air out and then seal the smaller opening. So when using mylar bags, I first write the contents on bag before filling, fill, and partially seal. When all my bags are done then I grab my OA, put them in, squish as much air out and seal. I find this works better is my husband puts in the OA and I squish and seal after that.

Received my first mylar bags and ox absorbers. Thanks so much for your guidance. Can't wait.

Thank You 🙏🏽 so much!!! I’m new in the canning and storage world, And I’ve grown to really like and trust your training videos.

Thanks, best instructional video I have watch so far on using Mylar bags, cheers

Great walk through. Have never done it but have some confidence now. Thank you. Nicely done.

You are so pleasant to listen to. Thank you for helping teach us.

Thank you for making this video. It was the biggest guide for prepping for my family. It is detailed too and explains the process.

thank you so much for sharing. I have never heard of Mylar bags before I will certainly go out and buy some. thank you for explaining everything in detail much appreciated.

Great channel! Just found you! Hi from Australia My mum and I sealed our first lot of grains on the weekend. We used Mylar bags, oxygen absorbers -and a vacuum. We had an absolute blast doing it.

This is such helpful information, especially right now. THANK YOU for taking the time to explain it all so thoroughly!

great info ,you have answered many of my questions about the oxygen absorbers etc, thank you for your time and knowledge

Thank you for your Time and knowledge, Keep being a blessing and Enjoy Life and have a bless day. From Connecticut

Thanks for showing the whole process Im nee to this prepper thing and appreciate it!!

Great video, so much information and great tips!

Glad I came across this video. As I’m about to start using Mylar bags for the first time.

Wow Jamie you did that without even breaking a sweat. Wonder woman. And thank you so much xx☺🐤🐣🐄🐐🌱🍃

Thank you so much for sharing this video! We've been searching high and low for solid mylar baaaag info and found it in your video! We're converting a school bus into our tiny home on wheels, but our food stores sure won’t be tiny! We have been searching for a way to store the dry goods we’ve been buying in bulk. Mylar bags seem like the Way to go! - Brian + Erin

Very well thought out. Great tips. Nice video on mylar food storage. Thank you.

Great video! Thanks for this. I rarely watch these wall way through without skipping ahead but your video was interesting all the way through so thanks. You've earned a subscriber!

Excellent video! Thanks for not babbling about "stuff" like most of the other channels do

I use bay leaf to keep critters from hatching in my “current use” flower. However in my long term storage I use candy canes. Buy them at the end of Christmas sale. The peppermint works the same as bay. Either one. With candy canes I like the tiny ones, pierce the individual wrapper with a needle and place one or more depending upon the size of the container. Bay can also be placed in a bag that has a few holes to prevent pieces breaking off. I’ve also put them in a coffee filter and stapled it shut. But loose is best. Blessings!!!!

As usual.... great video... I have watched it three times making sure that I have learned all what you have taught us... You are an excellent (natural) comunicator. Thank You very much🌹 Blessings

Man, you did a good job…you’re a natural!

Thank you so much for all your amazing videos. You made it simple for us to not feel overwhelmed. I luckily caught a great sale at USA E Supply. My hubby is from grandfather mtn area (generations) of NC. thanks again!!!

No worries about the unknown bag. Who doesn't love a fun surprise?! Happend to me several years ago before my pantries were well organized. Wouldn't you know that 2 store bough aluminum cans somehow became naked on the shelf- they were without labels, and no labels were anywhere to be found. The dates were stamped on the can, so no worries there. I was a little sad to be hoping for diced tomatoes one day, only to find pears in light syrup🥴. But that's what makes life so much "fun"! God Bless 🤣

🏆🌽🥦🥜💡🛒Thanks for sharing. I been into prepping for years but never got around to long term food storage using mylar bags and vacuum storage. Thanks for the instruction. Ordering my bags now!

Thank you for this. As a beginner prepper, it was very helpful to me.

Hi Jamie, I just wanted to thank you for putting this content out there. I didn’t grow up with a family that does this I learned from you and others how to be self sufficient. My family had security throughout the pandemic 😷 We are more self sufficient than ever. Thank you!

Extremely good video for noobs on how the Mylar / O2 thing works. Thanks a ton!

For anyone considering using their straightener. I recommend using a silicone baking sheet cover to set it on. It can burn wood and porcelain if you have a quality straightener.

Oh, Jaime, I also wanted to thank you for your pressure canner video! It answered all my questions, even those I didn't know I should ask!! :D

That is really good I didn’t know anything like that and the articles you use you are really equipped with a lot of items, wow

Hi Jaime, I haven’t started using Mylar bags as of yet, but I would assume that it would be beneficial to first seal up the bag almost all the way, then try to press out any excess air before proceeding to fully sealing it. This way the O2 absorbers would have less oxygen to consume as it would be a smaller free volume of gas inside the sealed bag, and probably have a higher chance of fully protecting its contents. Just a thought. Anyways, recently found your channel and it is very inspiring. Stay safe and keep up the wonderful work that you do.

Thank you for practical, clear information.

Thanks!! One of the best videos!!!

This is great advice and I appreciate it very much. Our 4 egg chickens which I bought a year ago are all doing great and giving us lots of eggs. Thanks for the instructions on raising chickens.

Very informative. Tip: Seal your bags most of the way, leaving just enough room to insert the oxygen absorbers. This way you can seal up the bags more quickly after adding the absorbers.

We not Only use o2 absorbers but we suck the air out with a vacuum cleaner. We have a vacuum that has never been used for the carpet. We seal the bag leaving 2 inches un sealed. put in an o2 absorber then insert the edger supplied with the vacuum and remove air while my wife is sealing the last 2 inches i quickly remove the vacuum. works great.

March 2020 this was the very first food storage video I watched. Thank you so much for this information. I have put it to good use. 💚✌

Great video you gave me lots of information some people leave out steps or can't convey information in a understandable manner. Thank you

THANK YOU! I was going to research if you could use a vacuum pack for mylar bags, but the flat iron answered my question :)

I used 3lts plastic bottles to fill with beans, rice, pasta and lentils. I place 1 pack of oxigent absorbent 300cc After closing the lid, I place the bottles in a plastic barrel to store. I have never had any trouble and the food is perfect after a couples of years. If you don't have mylar bag these is another way to storage food.

I love how you do your research and give good detail on your topic. I just saw a video where he put an oxygen absorber in sugar! I saw a lot of videos on this and your correct they all say no to oxygen absorbers in sugar! Good job!

Thank you Jamie..just got my bags! A new journey

I'm glad you explained that bit about some of the bags looking skin tight & some still looking like they have air in them as that was something i was about to ask you... Because i've got 1 bag thats gone skin tight & the rest have air in them haha but i've done it all properly though, so now i know that mine are ok so thank you :) x

I LOVE LOVE your pantry construction and organization!!

I am new at this. Always looking for great storage tips. Thank you!

Thanks EVER so much for this information. We are new at this and truly appreciate your help! Many many thanks!

AWESOME video. I too am a beginner and found this to be an awesome video. Not chit chatter. To the point. Clear and consise.

This is great! I'm totally new to this. I have some beans and some grains (and 5 gallon buckets that need to be washed). But no Mylar bags or oxygen absorbers yet. It was great how you went through every step and showed and explained it. Thank you

Oh my gosh I love this! You have organic ranch and organic taco shells from TJ's..and Azure (as I've already mentioned);)! . I am excited to watch your other videos. Anyone can prep with canned veggies, but I don't eat those, so it's good to see preppers offering how to prepare how we eat♥️! Thank you!!

I started prepping in 2019..Great very informative vid..Thanks x