Does anyone know where to get small cylinders of nitrogen
or argon gas to use in food preserving? Jars of dried
herbs can have the air displaced and replaced with inert
nitrogen which protects the material from oxidation.

But I can only find huge cylinders on the Internet, and
those companies are only interested in corporate clients.
I also saw liquid nitrogen used to kill insects inside
walls; it either suffocates them or they can be killed as
they exit the wall while fleeing.

dank wrote:
> Does anyone know where to get small cylinders of nitrogen
> or argon gas to use in food preserving? Jars of dried
> herbs can have the air displaced and replaced with inert
> nitrogen which protects the material from oxidation.
>
> But I can only find huge cylinders on the Internet, and
> those companies are only interested in corporate clients.
> I also saw liquid nitrogen used to kill insects inside
> walls; it either suffocates them or they can be killed as
> they exit the wall while fleeing.


Will CO2 work?

Bob

> Does anyone know where to get small cylinders of nitrogen
> or argon gas to use in food preserving? ...

As Bob asked, will CO2 work? That's pretty widely available. However,
for the others, check your Yellow Pages under "Gas-industrial & Medical
Cylinder & Bulk" (in my area). There's a company around here called
"AirGas" that does most everything and I got CO2 from. You have to buy
the first tank and fill, then you can swap it for refills and just pay
for the fill.

You'll have to also buy a regulator, hoses, etc. You can get complete
CO2 setups from most all homebrew beer shops (like:
www.williamsbrewing.com or www.morebeer.com) under the "Kegging"
sections..

Derric

Sqwertz wrote...
> http://www.wineracksplansandmore.com/prrewiprgasb.html

Thank you, that's perfect!

"dank" > wrote in message
et...
> Does anyone know where to get small cylinders of nitrogen
> or argon gas to use in food preserving? Jars of dried
> herbs can have the air displaced and replaced with inert
> nitrogen which protects the material from oxidation.
>
> But I can only find huge cylinders on the Internet, and
> those companies are only interested in corporate clients.
> I also saw liquid nitrogen used to kill insects inside
> walls; it either suffocates them or they can be killed as
> they exit the wall while fleeing.
>
>
I use a product called "Private Preserve Wine Preserve", an aerosol N2 for
saving half consumed bottles of old wine. It would work fine for herbs. I
have old wines, and use it all the time. Buy it at "Bev. and More". I'm
going to try preserving herbs with it. You have to have an absolutely air
tight container, even though N2 is more dense than air. It will leak out if
you let it.
Thanks for a great idea.

Kent

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Tue, 06 Nov 2007 20:16:54 GMT, dank wrote:
>
>> Does anyone know where to get small cylinders of nitrogen
>> or argon gas to use in food preserving? Jars of dried
>> herbs can have the air displaced and replaced with inert
>> nitrogen which protects the material from oxidation.
>>
>> But I can only find huge cylinders on the Internet, and
>> those companies are only interested in corporate clients.
>> I also saw liquid nitrogen used to kill insects inside
>> walls; it either suffocates them or they can be killed as
>> they exit the wall while fleeing.

Nah, you're thinking of the old saw about ridding yourself of pubic
lice: A can of lighter fluid and an icepick...

Dave

Kent wrote:

> I use a product called "Private Preserve Wine Preserve", an aerosol N2 for
> saving half consumed bottles of old wine. It would work fine for herbs. I
> have old wines, and use it all the time. Buy it at "Bev. and More". I'm
> going to try preserving herbs with it. You have to have an absolutely air
> tight container, even though N2 is more dense than air. It will leak out if
> you let it.

Actually, it's mostly a matter of O2 "leaking" in.
Since the partial pressure of O2 (~ 3 psi, as I recall) is greater
outside than inside (0 psi, if the package is filled with N2), oxygen
will diffuse in, displacing a small amount of the nitrogen you filled it
with.

Dave