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Airtight Food Storage

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Having airtight food storage (AFS) is essential for all long term food storage. If a container is not airtight a number of problems are inevitable. One of the least understood but damaging aspects is moisture that can get into a container. Moisture can compromise both the container and the food material.

Another issue is contamination that can enter the container and damage food. This is obvious in a less than deeply sanitary environment where there are spiders and other insects. Flies and other insects and for instance lay eggs and create havoc. The surprising thing is that in a setting that you might assume is very sanitary, over time virtually any type of contamination or insect infestation can occur.

They key to some long term storage is vacuum packaging. When that vacuum is lost, every assumption about the longevity of the food product is compromised. A particularly good example of this is meat products. You buy bacon for instance that is vacuum packed, and if refrigerated can be kept for many months, then be frozen for a much longer period if frozen before the refrigeration expiration term. If that seal is broken the bacon should be consumed in just a week or two. This is a dramatic example of where none of the assumptions of AFS can be relied upon.

Another consideration for AFS is how often the lid to the container is going to be opened to check or take out food. If the expiration dates on a product are tied to little or no exposure to the open air, then even if the seal is airtight, the food will be compromised, and last a much shorter time. If that is not a big issue, it is still a good ideal for larger bulk storage to have containers that have smaller airtight openings - a little door for instance - that allow one to withdraw small amounts of food. If such a small aperture is designed for frequent use and used without breaking the seal of the larger lid of the container, then there is a much better chance that the larger lid will maintain its integrity for a much longer time. Hence the bulk food can be accessed over a long period of time thereby optimizing its use and consumption.

Another approach for a container to work well for frequent access of otherwise airtight containers is if there is a hinged snap top lid. An example of this would be the modular storage containers of Snapware. There are many other similar good products as well.

For smaller AFS there are affordable vacuum sealers that one can keep in the kitchen or pantry. They tend to seal food in a vacuum in a plastic back that collapses in on the food to created a tight vacuum. There are many selections.