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How Do I Pack Food With Nitrogen Gas?

Food is often preserved with nitrogen gas (N2). There is no special training or certification required to preserve your own food in this way. It is costly if you are only preserving a few containers of food due to the cost of the various equipment you will need. The cost becomes less prohibitive if you have several hundred containers of food to pack.

  1. Nitrogen Gas

    • Purchase or rent a cylinder of nitrogen gas. Get purity assured nitrogen gas. Buy a pressure regulator valve and gauges, a hose, a wand (a length of copper water line will work) 6 inches longer than the height of the food storage container and a hand-held valve for the top of the wand. For safety reasons, do not forgo the pressure regulator and gauge. A full cylinder of compressed nitrogen has an internal pressure of 2,000+ PSIG (pounds per square inch on gauge). If the valve is open a little too far, it could cause loss of control of the metal wand. The compressed gas assembly CGA) fittings come in carbon steel, stainless steel and brass. CGA fittings that are made of the same metal as the regulator body are best.

    Assemble

    • Apply some 1/2-inch wide Teflon tape to the threads of the pipe joints for a good seal. Apply the tape to the threads only. Do not put the tape on the cylinder end. Put on safety glasses and good ear plugs. Open the cylinder valve a little. Just enough to blow away debris and dust. Tighten the valve down and check the cylinder valve and nipple for any dirt or scratches. Make sure the surface is clean and smooth to allow a good seal. Use two wrenches to tighten the fittings. Do not use adjustable pliers. Tighten down the fitting with one wrench on the fitting and one on the cylinder valve. Fit the hose to the regulator. Attach the metal wand to the other end of the hose. Check for leaks by wiping down the surfaces with a little ammonia-free dish detergent and water. Open each valve and pressurize as you work your way out from the cylinder end.

    Pack Food

    • Use clean food-grade containers that will seal tightly. Plastic buckets with tight-fitting lids work best. Line the container with a plastic bag, then a clean brown paper bag inside the plastic bag. Place the food in individual plastic bags, put it inside the container and shake it down to pack the food and remove the air between packages. Let it sit in a warm room until the food and air in the container reach room temperature. Insert the wand to the bottom of the container. Gather the top of the liner bag and close it loosely around the wand. Open the cylinder valve to a slow gas flow. Fill the container very slowly to keep turbulence to a minimum. Let it fill for a few minutes. Check to see if it is full by lighting a match, just above the bag opening. When it goes out right away, allow the container to fill for another minute. Remove the wand and seal the bag and container. Open the container to release some pressure. Reseal it if the container begins to bulge.

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