Advantages of foil pouches for dry-pack preserving of dry foods
- Impermeable to light, moisture, air, and insects.
- Do not rust.
- Can be cut into smaller sizes.
- Empty pouches are more easily transported than empty cans or bottles.
- Filled pouches can be stored in shorter spaces than #10 cans.
- Filled pouches can be stacked in boxes or bins, put in plastic buckets, or on shelves.
- Can be washed, dried, and reused.
- Do not impart a metallic smell or taste to foods.
Disadvantages of foil pouches for dry-pack preserving of dry foods
- Thin pouches are easily punctured by sharp foods inside and sharp objects and/or rodent teeth outside.
- Even thick pouches (7 mil) are not rodent proof.
- Once opened, food should be transferred to another container for cupboard or pantry storage.
Advantages of using a portable tabletop impulse sealer
- You can dry pack at home.
- You can dry pack at your convenience.
- You can involve the entire family in the dry-pack process.
Tips for dry packing at home with a portable tabletop impulse sealer
- If the sealer does not have an attachable shelf, raise the sealer about 5 inches above the table by placing it on a sturdy box or a stack of large books. This will allow the pouch to fall below the sealing jaws into a more comfortable and correct position for sealing.
- Make sure the settings on the sealer are correct. For the AIE and ME 305 A1 sealers from the Online Store of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, set the Recycle dial to 2, Congealing dial to 6, Sealing dial to 4, and Action Selector switch to Manual.
- Attach labels to the pouches before filling. Make your own with return address labels either by hand or printed on the computer. Include the contents and the date. Writing on the pouches with markers may rub off.
- Use a rack to hold pouches upright for filling. A lid or bakeware rack with the dividers spread out works well.
- Make a funnel out of a #10 can by removing both ends and mashing the sides of one end in. Insert the mashed end into the top of each pouch to fill it.
- Use a clear or translucent plastic half gallon pitcher for filling the pouches. If the half gallon mark is not at the top, cut it down to that mark or mark it will a thick point black marker. Make sure the food is level at the half gallon mark to avoid overfilling the pouches. Put 2 pitchers-full, or 1 gallon, of food in each new pouch.
- When dry packing spaghetti, fill the pouches with no more than 5 pounds of spaghetti. Lay the pasta parallel to the bottom of the pouch to lessen the chance of it poking through.
- Wipe the inside of the top of each pouch, 1 to 2 inches down from the top, with a paper towel or microfiber cloth, especially when packing powdery foods. This will provide a clean surface for sealing.
- Don’t forget to put an oxygen absorber in each pouch after all the pouches in the rack are filled. (Absorbers should only be used for foods of less than 10% moisture content and dehydrated foods that are crisp dry.)
- Take the time to make sure the edge of the pouch is flat before inserting it in the sealer jaws.
- If the seal is not flat, seal the pouch again either above or below the previous seal.
- Wipe down the outside of each pouch to remove food dust. Food dust can attract insects and rodents.
- Pack the pouches in the box or bin they will be stored in as you seal them. As the oxygen absorbers work, they may pull the pouches into unusual shapes but conform them to the container they are in. If pouches are allowed to sit unstored, you may not be able to get as many in the box or bin they are to be stored in.
Opening sealed foil pouches
- When opening pouches, cut just below the seal to retain as much pouch as possible.
- Empty the contents into PETE bottles, canning jars, or other airtight containers. Put the absorber in with the largest amount of food in case the absorber is still good. It will continue to work and lengthen the shelf life of the food.
- Wash used pouches well and dry thoroughly before storing for reuse.
- When reusing pouches be sure to put in less than 1 gallon of food to avoid overfilling. Overfilling usually results in a poor seal.
PDF for Pouch Sealer Instructions for portable operation of AIE and ME 305 A1 sealers
