Long term freezer storage

[stockhausen]

I’ve been doing some research on what the best way to store kratom long term (and short term) and have come up with a lot of different results (some of them seem conflicting) so I figured I would see what everyone here thinks.

I have a bunch of still-sealed vacuum-packed bags of extra kratom that I’d like to put into long-term storage. My first instinct is to throw them in the freezer but I’m worried that maybe the temperature might be too extreme? Do any of you have any experience storing your kratom this way / a better idea?

Second question is for immediate storage. For years I’ve just kept it in the resealable bags used by the respective vendors, but as I build up a larger collection of high-quality kratom, I’ve been looking into fliptop glass jars with the little rubber gaskets and/or just wide mouth mason jars. My current apartment kitchen (where my kratom is usually stored) does not get any direct UV light so I dont think I need to worry about getting amber glass or anything like that.

What do guys think? Worth investing in jars or should I just stick with the (admittedly very pretty and high quality) resealable bags from TFH? Am I making this way more complicated than it needs to be? Regardless, I’m looking forward to thoroughly organizing everything that.

[herbalhippie]

I've read that freezer storage is a bad idea. Too much moisture?

[Playerpiano72]

I've read that freezer storage is a bad idea. Too much moisture?

Yeah that's my first instinct too.
OP, there is anecdotal evidence that kratom from 5+ years old that's been sealed and stored in a cool, dry, dark place is still safe and potent. More than a few old kratom users have "vintage" leaf from 2017, and some from prior to that too. It stills appears to be fine. To be safe, I would just seal it, in its original bag, and put that bag in another bag with a desiccant, or possibly a tupperware, and keep it in a climate-controlled closet or storage out of direct sunlight. Personally I'm ok with not using desiccant, but I don't live in a very humid environment anyway.

[e_poison]

Definitely don’t put in the freezer. It could get moldy when you go to thaw it out.

Mason jars are a great solution for long term storage.

For me, I just use the bags the kratom came in, and then place that in another large ziploc bag, making sure to get as much air out as possible. Essentially double sealed. Then I store in a large dresser drawer. Been doing this for years and it works great.

[Love_Redz]

Condensation would be a problem when getting it out the freezer

[onespeedstop]

What would be the benefit of having it stored in the freezer ? I can't think of one other than I guess it's kind of like a "safe", that animals can't get into. Just store it in a cool/dry place out of direct sunlight and keep the bag sealed. No need to overthink it, it's dried out leaves and who knows how long it's been sitting in a bag 1/2 the world away, it probably wasn't really very "fresh" to start with in most cases ha-ha.

[Playerpiano72]

who knows how long it's been sitting in a bag 1/2 the world away, it probably wasn't really very "fresh" to start with in most cases ha-ha.

Yes. We should really boil and steep our kratom before ingestion. Us Americans do not care what we put into our bodies.

[onespeedstop]

who knows how long it's been sitting in a bag 1/2 the world away, it probably wasn't really very "fresh" to start with in most cases ha-ha.

Yes. We should really boil and steep our kratom before ingestion. Us Americans do not care what we put into our bodies.

I don't really care for 'tea', and in the summer it's not very practical, but yeah, we probably should. Didn't I read about some kind of UV lights or something would kill any stray bacteria ? If so, that seems like something we should push for vendors to do. The extra couple bucks a kilo would be worth it, knowing it had been treated to be safe for 'raw' use, with no further preparations or safety measures needed by the end user.

Would it be somehow possible to boil the kratom and then let it dry back to powder, without damaging it ? So that we could then toss and wash, or just add a few spoons of it to our usual orange juice or whatever ?

[brave777]

Honestly, main thing you need to watch out is leaving your bags open for years to avoid dust build up in kratom. Even dust wont kill you but making sure its slealed properly is the best thing you can do, leave it in dry cool area of the house. I dont think air suction will do much or extend life of it. I found my regular bag from 2014 and it was still as good as before. You dont want to leave it open under your bed for years to find it and it has tons of dust, So maybe bigger zip lock bags over your originals if the seal is broken and wont seal. Or just put another zip lock bag over to protect from dust, you will feel more safe knowing you got no dust in kratom. I did have to throw few bags out due to them being not sealed properly.

Going an extra mile and being super safe, you could vacuum seal all your kratom. It takes time and work, but you will feel more at peace when its done that way. Its like zero chance for any bugs to thrive in it with no air to breath. After 10 or 20 years down the road you will be glad you did it.

[Sanbutsushin]

who knows how long it's been sitting in a bag 1/2 the world away, it probably wasn't really very "fresh" to start with in most cases ha-ha.

Yes. We should really boil and steep our kratom before ingestion. Us Americans do not care what we put into our bodies.

I don't really care for 'tea', and in the summer it's not very practical, but yeah, we probably should. Didn't I read about some kind of UV lights or something would kill any stray bacteria ? If so, that seems like something we should push for vendors to do. The extra couple bucks a kilo would be worth it, knowing it had been treated to be safe for 'raw' use, with no further preparations or safety measures needed by the end user.

Would it be somehow possible to boil the kratom and then let it dry back to powder, without damaging it ? So that we could then toss and wash, or just add a few spoons of it to our usual orange juice or whatever ?

Now you've got me wondering. I don't think it would go back to powder if left to dry on its own... I think it would just stay kinda thick. It might be easier to take that way though since you could scoop it into your mouth without it getting all over the place...? Hmm.

Exposing kratom to too much heat can mess with the alkaloids but I wonder if it would be feasible to boil it, let it dry some, then transfer it to a baking sheet and try to dry it out in the oven, at a low temperature. I'd be surprised if it went back to its normal consistency after that though and who knows whether that would destroy the alkaloids we're looking for. I'd volunteer to try but you'd want to use something you know hits well for you so you can gauge whether this process altered it for better or worse and I'm not ready to risk potentially having to scrap the results and waste a strain I like.

Does anyone out there have one of those dedicated dehydrators or freeze-driers? I admittedly have no idea how those work though.

[onespeedstop]

Does anyone out there have one of those dedicated dehydrators or freeze-driers? I admittedly have no idea how those work though.

"Herbs will keep more of their flavor if dried at a lower temperature between 95 and 115 degrees Fahrenheit."

^ I found that, in case anyone decides to go for it.

"Vegetables require anywhere from three to 16 hours of drying time while whole fruits need six to 48 hours."

^ But kratom in powdered form is already 99.9% dry, so I'm guessing something more like 15-20 minutes in a pre-heated unit would suffice, this is more of a last minute/final cycle kind of process.

----The UV light method only works for non-porous surfaces, so like walls/tables etc., it most likely wouldn't work for little kratom grains unless they were rotated 360*.

----I've still never gotten sick from kratom, at least not that I can for sure say was because of that and not some food I ate, and I'm on year 4 of taking it. twice daily the past 2 of those years. I just don't think it's a huge risk, but this thread is more about preserving it than how safe is it to start with. So on that note, I would just suggest (like someone else said) double or trip ziplock it, and store it in the most secure place you have, for me that's a drawer in my chest of drawers, in the one below the one with my hats and extra pillow cases ha-ha.