How to Store Dehydrated Food
For Long-Term Storage

It's time to learn how to store dehydrated food. It's important to pay attention to how you handle it before it's safely packed away.

Before we get going: Shown above is the FoodSaver brand V2240 food vacuum-sealer I use. It's an oldie, but goody. It's over ten years old! Getting the right equipment pays dividends. Read more about food vacuum sealers here.

It's time to learn how vacuum sealing dehydrated food pays dividends, but first - a few FAQs...

TOP Frequently Asked Questions:

How to store dehydrated food?

This page gives you an overview of what you need to store food safely.
Click the links in the areas below for full deets.

Storing dehydrated food in Mylar bags?

Storing food in Mylar bags is addressed further down this page.

Vacuum sealed dehydrated food shelf life?

The question of how long does vacuum sealed food last is a valid question and it depends on the type of foods dried. Foods with a naturally lower moisture content will last longer than its more-moist counterparts.

Shelf life of vacuum sealed dehydrated food: A quick comparison

Naturally dry foods:

  • Shelf life: Up to 25 years! Due to their low moisture content (5-10%), naturally dry foods like nuts, seeds, and grains have the longest shelf life when dehydrated and vacuum sealed.
  • Examples: Rice, beans, lentils, oats, quinoa, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds.

More moist foods:

  • Shelf life: 1-12 months, depending on moisture content. Foods with higher moisture content (10-20%) like fruits and vegetables have a shorter shelf life after dehydration, even when vacuum sealed.
  • Examples: Fruits (strawberries, bananas, apples), vegetables (peas, carrots, tomatoes), meat jerky.

Key factors affecting shelf life:

  • Initial moisture content: The drier the food, the longer it will last.
  • Oxygen exposure: Vacuum sealing removes oxygen, preventing oxidation and spoilage.
  • Storage temperature: Cooler temperatures (below 60°F) slow down spoilage.
  • Light exposure: Light can degrade nutrients and accelerate spoilage.

Throughout this website you'll see I mention keeping the "three enemies" at bay: Light, Air, and Moisture.

How long does dehydrated food last in Mylar bags?

Great question, and that totally depends on how well you dehydrated your food and vacuum-sealed it. Did you add an oxygen absorber in the vacuum sealer bag before drawing out the air? If you did all that properly, then the answer is a year or longer.

It also depends on how dry the food was before dehydrating. Meaning? If you vacuum-sealed salt or sugar, it's "pretty dry" to begin with, and then placed it inside Mylar bags, that would last for many years.

On the other hand, more-moist foods like tomatoes, or celery for instance, would depend on how much moisture remained when you vacuum-sealed them. That's why I like to condition fruits and veggies before they are vacuum-sealed. Don't forget to add the oxygen absorber before vacuum-sealing!

How to Store Dehydrated Food: Get the Gloves On!

Wear Latex Gloves so that you don't transfer germs from your hands to the food. (There are latex-free gloves available if you're allergic to latex).

Latex-free gloves in a box.

I use these latex gloves more than once; I wash my hands while wearing them in the kitchen sink, and dry them off on a clean towel.

I then drape them over my dish draining rack—so the latex gloves are ready for another use.

We're almost ready to store your dehydrated food! When the dehydrating is done and after a day - or overnight - of conditioning, it's time to vacuum seal your fruits, vegetables, and meats!

Latex Gloves at Amazon

ComfitWear Latex Gloves 100-pk

  • The Latex Pro-Tection Glove™
  • 100 Disposable Gloves Powder-Free

Dynarex Safe-Touch Exam Gloves, 100-pk

  • Amazon's Choice for Safe-Touch Latex Gloves
  • 100 Disposable Gloves Powder-Free

Dynarex Powder-Free, Clear Gloves 100-pk

  • Food Safety and Compliance, Powder-Free
  • 100 Disposable Exam Gloves

* As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.


Pick up my Free eBook today!

How to Grow and Dehydrate Herbs free eBook

How to Grow &
Dehydrate Herbs

Treat yourself today with my free eBook. Learn how to dry the top six herbs and make herb-infused oils and vinegars!

Click the book cover and that will take you to my secure download page and full deets.

It's my gift to you as a way of saying "thanks for stopping by!"

Pick up my Free eBook today!

How to Grow &
Dehydrate Herbs

How to Grow and Dehydrate Herbs free eBook

Treat yourself today with my free eBook. Learn how to dry the top six herbs and make herb-infused oils and vinegars!

Click the book cover and that will take you to my secure download page and full deets.

It's my gift to you as a way of saying "thanks for stopping by!"


How to Store Dehydrated Food for the Long-Term
Save Money By Vacuum-Sealing Food—Use Oxygen Absorbers!

It's important when food vacuum-sealing your fruit and vegetables that you have an 'oxygen absorber' tucked inside your food vacuum-sealer bag or jar.

The little oxygen packs absorb oxygen and are readily available in different sizes, such as the smallest at 50cc, then 100cc, 300cc, and up to 2000cc.

The reason for different-sized oxygen packs depends upon what size container your dehydrated foods will finally be stored in.

Oxygen Absorbers at Amazon

50cc Oxygen Absorbers

  • PackFreshUSA Oxygen Absorbers
  • 200-Pack
  • Food-Grade, Non-Toxic

100cc Oxygen Absorbers

  • Oxy-Sorb Oxygen Absorbers
  • 100-Pack
  • Long-Term Food Storage Freshness Protection

300cc Oxygen Absorbers

  • Oxy-Sorb Oxygen Absorbers
  • Bags of 20 (60 Count total)
  • Super Effective for Dried Goods

2000cc Oxygen Absorbers

  • Oxy-Sorb Oxygen Absorbers
  • Pack of 10
  • I use these for airtight bins and buckets

* As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.

How to Store Dehydrated Food in Mylar Bags

After Vacuum-Sealing Individual Packages, Do This:

Three Mylar bags, 10" x 14" in size

If you're going to store your vacuum-packed foods in Mylar bags, the first thing to do is vacuum seal your dehydrated fruits and vegetables in the food vacuum sealer bags.

Then those vacuum-sealed packages are stored inside the Mylar bags. We do not vacuum the air from the Mylar bags, we simply seal the Mylar bag.

It's only necessary to remove the air from the vacuum-sealed bags that contain the oxygen absorbers and dehydrated food.

There are ready-made food vacuum sealer bags—there are even food vacuum sealer rolls available to make the perfect-length bag to suit!

Mylar Bags at Amazon

Dry-Packs 1-Gallon ShieldPro Mylar Bags

  • 10" x 14" Dry-Packs ShieldPro Mylar Bags
  • Includes 60x 300cc Oxygen Absorbers (in packs of 20)

1-Gallon Mylar Bags

  • 10" x 14" Genuine Mylar Bags for Long-Term Food Storage
  • Pack of 50
  • No oxygen absorbers included

* As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
The price you pay does not increase.

Use Mason Jars for Daily/Weekly Usage

Two quart-sized jars, and one half-pint-size Mason jar.

For storing your dehydrated fruit and vegetables for daily or weekly use, try using different-sized airtight Mason jars that sit nicely on your upper kitchen cabinet shelves.

Remember to add an oxygen absorber into each jar, then screw the lid on. Read about how and why to use different-sized oxygen absorbers here.

Below the Amazon Mason jar links is a great tip on how to prevent punctured bags.

Read on to find out!

Amazon has Really Great Prices on Mason Jars

Mason Jars Regular Mouth Quart Jars

  • Ball brand regular mouth Glass Mason Jars. Quart size (32oz)
  • Package of 12

Mason Jars Wide Mouth Pint Jars

  • Ball brand wide mouth Glass Mason Jars. Pint size (16oz)
  • Package of 12

Mason Jars Wide Mouth Half Pint Jars

  • Ball brand wide mouth Glass Mason Jars. Half-Pint (8oz)
  • Package of 12

* As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.

Mylar Bags, Bins, and Buckets

Safely Store Dehydrated Food in Spare Closets or the Garage!

5-gallon, #2 plastic food-grade feed buckets with lids

This is the tip I referred to earlier, about lessening punctured bags:
I choose to wrap up my vacuum-packed packages with cheap plastic wrap, to keep sharp edges from puncturing our packets—and then they go into the Mylar bags.

Mylar bags are made from a polyester film and are very shiny in appearance; they are very tough and tear-resistant and are ideal for long-term food packaging.

They provide an extra layer of protection to our individual food packets.

And for final storage in a garage, for instance, you can then put the Mylar bags in plastic-lidded bins or feed buckets with lids. Easy to move, water-proof, bug-proof, and air-tight!

Our Great Wall of... Dehydrated Food and Canned Goods!

The dehydrated Food Storage Wall is halfway through completion showing buckets, bins, and boxes of dehydrated food

This is how you create space where there is none! Click here to see the end result of our 8' span of shelving shown in the photo.

Just the ticket! Don't forget to check out our optional way of protecting our dehydrated food vacuum-sealed packages by reading the Plastic Wrap Guide.

Now you know how to store dehydrated food, and pretty much all the items mentioned are at the biggest website store in the world: Amazon.com — (so no worries there!)

For those of you who have written in asking about storing dry goods, read this page for how to store flour, salt, and sugar.

podcast icon

Check out Susan's PODCAST here called "Create Food Storage Space out of Thin Air!"

Thanks for stopping by how to store dehydrated food. Now you know what things you need to get - along with a dehydrator! Read more about dehydrators here.

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Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating

Hi, I'm Susan Gast, founder of Easy Food Dehydrating. My passion for dehydrating food began in 2010 while seeking crafty uses for abundant tomatoes. I've since devoted myself to elevating the art of removing moisture from fruits, vegetables, meats, and so much more!
JOIN ME as we unlock the magic of food preservation through dehydration together!
Read About Me here.

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Check out Susan's food dehydrating books available now.