Moisture absorbers and oxygen absorbers are not the same thing—and using the wrong one can ruin your dehydrated food. Moisture absorbers fight humidity. Oxygen absorbers fight spoilage and oxidation. Which one you need depends on what you’re storing and how long you want it to last.
What’s the Difference?
🟤 Moisture Absorbers
Also called desiccants or silica gel packets, these little guys absorb water vapor from the air.
Use them when:
- You’re storing food in jars or plastic containers
- You’re trying to prevent clumping in powders
- You’re in a humid climate
Moisture absorbers are great for daily-use storage where the container is opened frequently.
🔴 Oxygen Absorbers
These remove oxygen from sealed environments—usually in Mylar bags or vacuum-sealed pouches.
Use them when:
- You’re sealing dehydrated food for long-term storage
- You want to prevent spoilage or oxidation
- You’re packaging things like jerky, beans, or rice in Mylar
They’re not reusable and only work in truly airtight containers. Once exposed to air, they start working immediately and should be sealed quickly.
👉 Related: Do You Really Need to Vacuum Seal Dehydrated Food?
When to Use One, Both, or Neither
| Storage Situation | Use Moisture Absorber? | Use Oxygen Absorber? |
|---|---|---|
| Glass jars with dehydrated powders | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Mylar bags for long-term food storage | ❌ Not needed | ✅ Yes |
| Pantry-stored herbs in small containers | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Vacuum-sealed dried beans | ✅ Optional | ✅ Recommended |
| Resealable containers for short-term snacks | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
👉 Want to learn more about protecting your powders?
How to Keep Dehydrated Powders from Clumping
Can I Use Both at the Same Time?
Yes—but only if you’re sealing something long-term in an airtight container. For example, if you’re putting dried soup mix in a Mylar bag, you can toss in both types:
- Oxygen absorber for shelf life
- Moisture absorber to protect any powders from humidity after opening
Once you break the seal though, the oxygen absorber is spent. The moisture absorber can still help stretch the food’s usability.
What Happens If I Use the Wrong One?
- If you skip a moisture absorber in a jar of dehydrated fruit powder, you’ll likely end up with a solid block.
- If you skip an oxygen absorber in long-term storage, fats can go rancid, color fades, and spoilage risk increases.
- If you use an oxygen absorber in a jar you open often? It’s wasted—once it’s exposed to air, it’s done.
And no, they’re not interchangeable. Moisture absorbers don’t remove oxygen, and oxygen absorbers don’t handle humidity.
Final Thoughts
Think of these two tools like pantry insurance: they protect your dehydrated food in different ways. Use moisture absorbers for everyday jars and powders, and oxygen absorbers when you’re locking things down for the long haul. Use both if it makes sense for the situation—but know what they do before tossing them in.
If you’re building out your food storage system, here’s where to go next:
👉 How to Build a Pantry Around Dehydrated Food
👉 How to Store Dehydrated Food for Maximum Shelf Life
Thanks for stoppin’ by!
Jelly Grandma
👉 Want more tips like this? Check out 8 Beginner Tips for Dehydrating Food – Avoid the Common Mistakes for everything from drying gear reviews to pantry storage hacks.
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.