Desiccant Packs and Keeping Foods Dry in Humidity

Alan's Stuff: Prudent Food Storage-Why Moisture is Important
http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/PFSFAQ/PFSFAQ-4-2.html#Oxygenhttp://www.terrapsych.com/Prudent%20food%20storage%20FAQ.pdf

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WHY MOISTURE IS IMPORTANT
Moisture in inappropriate amounts and places is damaging to food.  Because of this, much effort is put into reducing the water content of dry foods in order to prolong their shelf lives.  Once it is reduced to the desired level the product can then be packaged for storage. Unfortunately, merely reducing moisture content is not always sufficient.  Environmental conditions can play a role as well.

There are four mechanisms by which environmental conditions may cause a moisture problem in your food storage:   ---CONTINUED---

F.2 WHAT IS A DESICCANT?-From Alan's stuff: Prudent Food Storage-
http://www.terrapsych.com/Prudent%20food%20storage%20FAQ.pdf

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A desiccant is a substance with strong hygroscopic properties, meaning it will soak up water vapor from the surrounding air. A number of different substances are capable of doing this, but only a relative few of them are of practical use and fewer still are going to be readily available to the average person. Before elaborating on the different types that might be useful for our purposes it's necessary to explain how to choose a desiccant.

Topics include:
   How much/many to use for storage containers
   Types of Desiccants
   How to use Desiccants
   Where to find Desiccants

Homemade Desiccant Packs
http://www.ehow.com/way_5311385_homemad ... packs.html

Desiccants absorb water out of the air before it has a chance to contaminate whatever they are packed in. Eventually, though, the desiccant will reach a point where it can no longer absorb any more water. Most retail desiccant packs are only intended for one-time use. But the water can be removed from homemade desiccants by simply using a household oven.

Desiccant Material
Silica gel is the easiest material for a homemade desiccant. It is readily available at most craft stores because it is used to dry flowers. Silica gel can absorb about 40 percent of its weight in water. Once it absorbs that much water, it is no longer capable of absorbing moisture from the air. But it is a relatively simple regeneration process to remove water from the desiccant. Regenerating silica gel returns the ability of it to absorb water from the air.

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Homemade Desiccant Containers- Vitamin bottles and similar containers make good ....

Measurements-The silica gel absorbs water from ....

Regeneration-When the gel is near the point it can no longer ... ---CONTINUED---