Storing Salt and Sugar: The Right Way for Long-Term Freshness

The Simple Way to Keep Salt & Sugar Fresh for Years!

If you're storing salt and sugar for the long haul, these pantry staples may not spoil like fresh food, but they can absorb moisture, harden, or even attract pests if not stored correctly.

Mylar bags inside plastic (lidded) bins

The good news? With the right storage methods, your salt and sugar can last indefinitely—ready for everyday use, emergencies, or long-term meal prep. Let’s dive in!

I've vacuum-packed yeast that I bought in a larger quantity and re-packaged it into smaller pouches. Now I can bake my own bread whenever I want!

Why Storing Salt and Sugar Matters (It’s Not Just About Shelf Life!)

If you've been a fan of my site for any length of time, I hope you know I want to make sure that families all across the USA—and the world—have enough food put away in case the poop hits the fan (again - Covid-19).

Before I get going with the salt and sugar storage, I want you know that I have a ONE-HOUR course on Udemy that goes into all aspects of storing food for the long term. Read much more about that course HERE.

But let's go over storing salt and sugar as that's why you're here.

Although Easy Food Dehydrating goes into detail regarding putting away fresh fruits and vegetables, along with cooked meats, I also have canned goods stored away.

Many people have written in asking if they can dehydrate canned goods and my usual response is "Yes, but why go to all that trouble?" because canned goods already last for years "as is." 

The stored canned goods I have are canned ham, corned beef, and tuna. Also, canned soups. I take advantage of the buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) deals at the local grocery store.

But back to dry goods ...

Essential Supplies for Storing Salt and Sugar Safely

I have been busy storing salt and sugar - and flour - because it's fast and easy. All you do is open up the individual bags, divvy up the contents into vacuum-sealer bags, add a 100cc oxygen absorber, vacuum and seal the bag, and write the date on it and its contents.

It's very important to add the oxygen absorber when storing salt and sugar, as they soak up moisture, rather than the salt soaking it up!

Wrap the vacuum-sealed packets with cling wrap to protect their sharp corners from piercing other bags, and put the three or four packages inside Mylar bags. (See below for additional info. on Mylar bags).

Gamma2 Lids for Feed Buckets

Gamma2 Airtight Lids for 5-Gal Buckets, 2-pk
Gamma2 Airtight Lids for 5-Gal Buckets, 2-pk

Gamma2 Seals Lids - Leakproof Black Lids

I also store my filled Mylar bags in buckets (or plastic-lidded bins).

I have heard positive reviews for Gamma2 lids and they are specifically for #2 Food-Grade buckets.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn commission from qualifying purchases. The price you pay does not increase.  Read disclosure here.

One reviewer gave a rave review—but I think she was storing her flour "loose." The same reviewer said to wash the buckets and the Gamma2 lids prior to use, which makes sense.

I've no argument with that—but seeing as we're using them to store our Mylar bags, there's no need to go to great lengths in pre-cleaning either the buckets or lids (or plastic lidded bins).

The reviewer also stated that these lids were indeed air- and water-tight and that they kept her goodies "bug-free."

These buckets are ideal for storing salt and sugar... and bulk dry pet food!

bins and buckets of dehydrated food and boxes on storage shelves

The Best Containers for Long-Term Storage

  1. To store sugar and salt, (or any dried goods such as rice or flour) you need a food vacuum-sealer and the one I recommend is the FoodSaver™ vacuum sealer machine.
  2. You need food vacuum sealer bags and I highly recommend purchasing them from Amazon. Check my page regarding food vacuum sealer bags here.
  3. The next items needed are 100cc oxygen absorbers. I get mine from Amazon. NOTE: Buy Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers as a set if you like—it saves on shipping. Read the reviews to make sure you're buying from a reputable seller on Amazon.
  4. Mylar bags are my choice for storing pouches of food—about 3 or 4 of the plastic-wrapped packages can fit in a Mylar bag. But DO NOT over-stuff the Mylar bags as you need to have enough room left at the top of the Mylar bag to seal it! Just seal it, no vacuuming. Read why below:

Why You Do NOT Need to Vacuum-Seal Mylar Bags

As a REMINDER: Don't try to vacuum the air out of the Mylar bags—you can't—because both sides of the bag are smooth. The air can't be removed when the bag is clamped.

On the other hand, the vacuum-sealer bags have little bumps on one inner side so the air CAN be removed!

All we do is SEAL the Mylar bag. If you know you're NOT going to be opening the Mylar bags for at least three- to six months, add a 300cc oxygen absorber in the Mylar bag before sealing it with the vacuum-sealer "seal" function only.

My storage-preference for Mylar bags are plastic-lidded bins and buckets. See the photo at the top of this page with the bread flour in the plastic-lidded bin.

In the previous section's photo, I have bread yeast stored in the bucket on the closet shelving in air-tight buckets.

I M P O R T A N T :

Extra Tips for Storing Salt and Sugar

Don't over-pack your food vacuum sealer bags as this will only lead to punctures.

To aid in the anti-puncturing department, I wrap my vacuum-packed bags with plastic wrap.

This softens the sharp edges of the bags so I can fit 3 or 4 of these bundles into my Mylar bags.

Thanks for stopping by to learn how all about storing salt and sugar safely!

Grab 5 Dried Food Recipes You'll Actually Love

Download free PDF with 5 easy dried food recipes

Don't forget to grab a copy of our all new
5 Dried Food Recipes (That Actually Taste Great)
They're my all-time favorite easy dried food meals!

Get it here right now.

For Free!

You Might Like These

You Might Like These


Before You Go...

If you like the content, please give me some love by clicking on the 🩷 in the lower right-hand corner (on just about all my pages). This signals to me that you find it enjoyable and useful.

5 Dried Food Recipes That Actually Taste Good free PDF download!

And don’t forget to grab your FREE 5 Dried Food Recipes via the opt-in form — they're waiting for you! Thank you so much! (Get it here).