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i just got a vacum sealer from my sister for christmas...(marry christmas happy Hanukkah) i was wondering if it would benift any vaccum sealing dried bean and rice?? would it last longer?
vaccum seal rice and beans?
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Beans & rice don't seem to be highly affected by small amounts of moisture so I mostly store them in juice bottles. I also put them in quart freezer bags then into containers like coffee containers. I live in Florida where its humid for months on end & in about 30 years have never had a problem.
There are things that are a lot more sensitive to moisture like sugar, bisquick, powdered milk, etc that vacsealing would have more affect.
There are things that are a lot more sensitive to moisture like sugar, bisquick, powdered milk, etc that vacsealing would have more affect.
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If you're talking long term storage (way over 2 years), vacuum storage is better than not. If there is a lot of space between the food as in beans, there is is still a fair amount of air/oxygen in the bag. You can also use mason jars with "ball" type lids. They work great. Bit again the vacuum seal does not remove all the air/oxygen, especially in jars. I use oxygen absorbers (you can also use the little pocket warmers, a pouch of iron powder if you can find them cheap enough), in everything. Oxygen is the culprit that damages foods nutritional and taste value. Light is also damaging. If you can't get rid of the light (like me, no basement) wrap it in aluminum foil too.
However, I've found that the aluminized Mylar bags aren't that expensive and if using oxygen absorbers will do the job wonderfully. I use my vac saver mainly for large purchases of meats, etc for the freezer. Tip: I wrap my meat in Saran wrap first. It keeps the juices from getting on the seal area of the vac bag. If you reuse the bags, eventually you will find that small holes or cracks develop and they leak. The Saran wrap gets squished so tightly onto the meat, that they don't get freezer burned. Avoid bending frozen bags.
Any way here is a site for aluminized bags, etc. I like the $5 shipping charge, no matter how many you buy. I'm sure others will chime in on their thoughts. I bought the bags with zip locks. You still heat seat with a hot iron, but it makes them easier to handle before sealing and after you need to open them.
https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/emergency_supplies/mylar_food_storage_bags.htm
However, I've found that the aluminized Mylar bags aren't that expensive and if using oxygen absorbers will do the job wonderfully. I use my vac saver mainly for large purchases of meats, etc for the freezer. Tip: I wrap my meat in Saran wrap first. It keeps the juices from getting on the seal area of the vac bag. If you reuse the bags, eventually you will find that small holes or cracks develop and they leak. The Saran wrap gets squished so tightly onto the meat, that they don't get freezer burned. Avoid bending frozen bags.
Any way here is a site for aluminized bags, etc. I like the $5 shipping charge, no matter how many you buy. I'm sure others will chime in on their thoughts. I bought the bags with zip locks. You still heat seat with a hot iron, but it makes them easier to handle before sealing and after you need to open them.
https://www.usaemergencysupply.com/emergency_supplies/mylar_food_storage_bags.htm
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IMO, vacuum sealing things like rice and beans is a great idea for long term storage. From what I have been told vacuum sealing only brings down the oxygen level to about 2% whereas using oxygen absorbers brings it down to .2% ( going off memory, I think thats right?). So, what I do is use both, I put an oxygen absorber in a mylar bag then vacuum it. I figure the oxygen absorber will work better against 2% oxygen than 100%. From what I have seen or heard, doing this should give you many years of good food. Keep it in a dark cool place if you can. I also use canning jars instead of mylar bags too. Best of luck, and merry Christmas.
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From my un-scientific experimentation with jars, only about about 1/3 of the air is removed by the average vac system we buy. I have a FoodSaver. Since air is about 21% oxygen, it would go down to 14% if I'm correct. he figures I've seen on oxygen absorbers show 0.05% to 0.2%. Since bags collapse against the food, they should be pretty good unless the bag is full of bean like foods that allow a lot of air in between the food nodules. I only use about 5-10% jars and keep them on the bottom shelves of storage in case the shelves ever come down.
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if you aren't storing for longevity over 5 years .... the retail shelf poly bags will give the same storage for beans/rice as the vacuum packing process or squeezing beans into poly bottles .... all the poly thicknesses and construction are fairly even - same protection across the board ....
since times flies by unbelievably .... I'd be packing everything for the long term 5 years and upwards .... food grade bucket with gasketed locking lid - mylar bag - 02 absorber
since times flies by unbelievably .... I'd be packing everything for the long term 5 years and upwards .... food grade bucket with gasketed locking lid - mylar bag - 02 absorber
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I store rice & beans a few ways. Vacuum bags I like using the Uline bags. I 'll break up my rice in 2 lb bags as for the beans. I use zip lock bags to store the rice then slide the bagged rice into Uline Vacuum bags and vacuum. They will not leak do to they are doubled bagged. I store my bulk in food grade 5 gal. buckets in their original bags with 3000cc 2 abosbers with gamma lids.
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Just a passing thought...
If one were to warm the beans or rice, say by putting them on a baking sheet in the oven at 170 degrees, it would drive out additional moisture. When you vacuum seal them, the air surrounding the beans or rice would be warmer and expanded. Once you seal the bag and they cool off, the air will contract and give you a better vacuum.
I'm not sure if this would be worth doing, but the theory seems sound and it would result in less air in the bag.
If one were to warm the beans or rice, say by putting them on a baking sheet in the oven at 170 degrees, it would drive out additional moisture. When you vacuum seal them, the air surrounding the beans or rice would be warmer and expanded. Once you seal the bag and they cool off, the air will contract and give you a better vacuum.
I'm not sure if this would be worth doing, but the theory seems sound and it would result in less air in the bag.
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Seems like a good idea, sorta pre-freeze drying them. Odd.....just went and looked our pinto and lentils bags and did not find a "best if used by date". My eyes are getting old, must be there someplace. The brand is Essentials.
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For those with the O2 absorber fetishes, you can put some in vacseal bags or mason jars before vacsealing.
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getting the 02 out isn't the problem - 02 absorbers will do the job .... as I already mentioned the poly bag sheeting doesn't provide adequate blocking of 02 being re-infiltrated back inside .... that's where mylar bagging and sealing inside a poly bucket comes in - that hinders the 02 infiltration long enough to get some storage longevity ....
if you want to conduct a little test to see how inadequate vacuum bagging really is - make a sealed air "pillow" using your bag sealer (no vacuum) .... just set it aside where it won't be disturbed .... watch it go flat - sealed air will infiltrate out thru the poly sheeting .... you don't see the professional food packers selling long term food using the method
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the worse food to pack, in regard to trapping 02 and having built in air voids, is pasta .... spaghetti strands pack fairly tite but something like macaroni needs almost double the usual 1500-2000CC 02 absorber dosing .... more is better - less is a problem
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Makes sense, Illini Warrior, thanks. 
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