How to Store Dry Sugar
Even if you are trying to limit the amount of sugar you consume, it’s almost impossible to go completely sugar free. I’m not sure I could go without apple crisp…That makes sugar an important part of a food storage plan. When thinking about long term storage the first thing that might come to mind is packaging your sugar with oxygen absorbers. After all, if you can remove the oxygen from most food it will last longer right?
Not so with dry sugar.
Removing the oxygen for long term sugar storage is not required and not recommended.
Why? Oxygen absorbers will cause your sugar to become one giant “rock” inside the container. You’ll need a chisel to use it in the future.
Since there are only a few packaging requirements for sugar, that’s going to save you some money in the long run.
Sugar storage containers
Have you ever made flavored sugars? You can combine granulated sugar and dried herbs or spices, let them sit together in a glass container and after a few weeks you’ll have lavender or rose sugar. Tasty for cooking and herbal teas. Not so good for your sugar storage. The storage container you choose needs to keep the sugar away from other strong odors.
Food-grade plastic buckets are a great option and the one I use the most. We often purchase 25 pounds of sugar at the big box grocery and then pack it into manageable 3 pound plastic zip bags. I do this only for convenience. It is not necessary and it can just as easily be stored in bulk and scooped from the container.
When you purchase 25 pounds of sugar, I think it’s easier to remove smaller portions at a time. That way you are not getting into the bucket as frequently which risks introducing moisture. Moisture is not your sugar friend. See how I do this in my Storing 25 Pounds of Flour post.
Glass canning jars are also an option but they take up a lot of space and are easily broken. They will protect your dry sugar from odors and moisture.
#10 size cans are suitable for dry sugar storage. You can purchase these at most wholesale food warehouses, from providentliving.org or from ThriveLife. If you are lucky enough to have access to an LDS Dry Pack Cannery in Utah, you can even pack your own.
Polyethylene bags from a FoodSaver will work, but do not remove the air.
Mylar bags can be used to package your sugar into smaller portions. Remember oxygen absorbers are not needed.
Sugar storage is perhaps the easiest of the commodities to store. You only need to protect it from moisture, use airtight containers and you’re good to go.
- // Brown sugar should be stored in an airtight container. It will last for at least 1 year.
// Confectioners sugar should be stored in an airtight container. It will last for at least 18 months
// Granulated sugar should be placed in plastic bags, tubs, or #10 cans. Do not use oxygen absorbers. Stored properly it will last indefinitely.
// Artificial sweeteners should be stored in airtight containers, covered tightly. They will last for at least 2 years.
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I don’t quite understand the non use of O2 absorbers in sugar. The O2 absorber is not to dry food but reduce the oxygen level to 0 so that bugs cannot live in your stores. I use them all the time and my 5 year stored sugar has very slight clumping which reduces back by breaking it up with your hands.
The reason is “B” style absorbers suck some moisture out of food at the beginning before absorbing oxygen. “D” style has moisture already within but aren’t as good for dried food.
You are correct about the function of O2 absorbers. They keep any insects (and their larvae) from living inside of your containers. But sugar comes with no insects or insect eggs. (Flour comes with a lot of insect eggs from every mill. This is because it is harvested from the fields. Same with rice, cornmeal, oats, etc.. Also, every grain mill is naturally infested with insects because they just keep coming in with every grain shipment from the fields. I worked at Wonder Bread for 12 years and every one of our silos had a weevil problem to some degree. We did what we could to control the level of infestation, but as long as it wasn’t too bad, we just sifted the weevils to tiny pieces and baked them in the bread. Any eggs would die in the ovens. When the infestation got out of control, we would then take serious action and gas our silos, at great expense.) Now, sugar (and salt) are processed in plants so they do not present the same weevil and weevil-egg problem that flour presents. Also, they are both natural preservatives so even bacteria cannot grow. With sugar, you are not hurting anything by using the O2 absorbers, but you are wasting your money because you are not really helping anything at all. Now, if insects are ever able to chew through any cheap or flimsy containers, your O2 absorbers will be useless with oxygen now getting in. Also you would be amazed at what mice are able to chew through. Mice are the greatest threat to LTS. Once they get in, their droppings get in, the oxygen gets in, the bacteria gets in, the insects get in, and then the insects start laying eggs. Ants are the next greatest concern. They can get through the smallest crack in plastic buckets and almost anywhere else they choose to go. They would mess up our sugar inventories at Wonder Bread/Hostess Cakes.