If you want your freeze-dried food to actually last 20+ years, choosing the right container is just as important as the food inside. You can’t just scoop some strawberries into a ziplock and call it a day. Long-term storage takes real planning—and even one weak seal or bad oxygen absorber can ruin a whole bag.
Here’s what you need to know to get it right.
✅ Best Long-Term Storage Containers (Ranked)
- Mylar Bags + Oxygen Absorbers
- Shelf Life: 20–30 years
- Best For: Most freeze-dried goods, including fruit, meals, powders
- Notes: Go with 5-7 mil thick bags. Thinner bags are too easy to puncture and fail with heat sealing. Mylar shields from light, moisture, and oxygen. Add 300cc oxygen absorbers per quart-size volume.
- #10 Cans (with Oxygen Absorbers)
- Shelf Life: 25+ years
- Best For: Commercially packed meals and bulk emergency kits
- Notes: Excellent for large-volume storage. You’ll need a can sealer if doing this at home, but many pre-filled #10 cans are already shelf-stable.
- Mason Jars (Vacuum Sealed or With Oxygen Absorbers)
- Shelf Life: 10–20 years (if kept cool and dark)
- Best For: Freeze-dried snacks, snacks in rotation, visible pantry storage
- Notes: Glass offers no light protection. Use dark storage areas or wrap in paper. Use a vacuum sealer attachment or add oxygen absorbers.
- Vacuum-Sealed Bags (Without Mylar)
- Shelf Life: 1–5 years
- Best For: Short-term pantry storage, backpacking, quick rotation items
- Notes: Plastic vacuum bags eventually fail. Not airtight long-term. Consider storing these inside buckets or tubs.
- Plastic Buckets (with Mylar Liners)
- Shelf Life: Matches internal bag type
- Best For: Organizing bulk food storage
- Notes: Don’t store food directly in buckets unless they’re food-grade and tightly sealed. Always pair with a Mylar liner and oxygen absorbers inside.
🧪 Common Sealing Failures (and How to Avoid Them)
- Weak Heat Seals: Always double-seal Mylar bags using a hot iron or impulse sealer. A weak seal can slowly leak oxygen.
- Moisture in the Food: Make sure food is completely freeze-dried. Use a moisture meter or test with reconstitution.
- Wrong Size Oxygen Absorber: Undersized absorbers won’t fully purge oxygen. Use this general rule:Oxygen Absorber Calculator:
- Pint bag = 100cc
- Quart bag = 300cc
- Gallon bag = 500–600cc
- Not Labeling Bags: Always write the contents and date. You won’t remember later, and faded Sharpie is a real problem.
📂 Bonus Tip
To test your seal, try this: once the bag is sealed and cool, press down gently. If it inflates when you let go, air is getting in. Re-seal and test again.
Related Reading:
- How Long Does Freeze-Dried Food Last? (And How to Tell If It’s Gone Bad)
- How to Store Freeze-Dried Food for Maximum Shelf Life
- Best Freeze-Dried Meals for Preppers (Taste-Tested + Ranked)
- How to Buy Freeze-Dried Food on a Budget (Without Sacrificing Quality)
Thanks for stoppin’ by!
Jelly Grandma
Anne James—lovingly known as Jelly Grandma—is a professional canner, seasoned home cook, and lifelong preserver of traditional Southern skills. With over 55 years of hands-on experience in canning, gardening, cooking, and quilting, Anne brings generations of wisdom to every guide she writes.
Featured in both local media and by national brands like Hershey, Anne now shares her knowledge through PreservingSweetness.com and her YouTube channel, helping others rediscover the “old ways” of living well and making things from scratch.