My newest experiment has been vacuum sealing my food. As one who always loved to "put up" food in glass Mason jars and keep a stocked freezer, the thought of further food preservation intrigued me. Vacuum sealing is a simple way of preserving food. If airborne bacteria can't get to the food, the process of natural breakdown (spoilage) can be avoided. It's the way food is packaged for shipping, so why not try it at home? I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it is saving me money, but I certainly am having fun learning.
By packaging a head of lettuce, which is pricey in my area of the country during the winter, in a vacuum canister I can preserve it for more than two weeks. All the while it looks as green as the day I brought it home.
I've even sealed leftover steak rolls in a canister and used them eight days later without noticing a difference in their freshness.
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Plastic bags in cereal packages are very sturdy. I use them with my vacuum heat sealer for frozen items and keeping other dry items together.
Since this is a Waste Nothing Group, for those who have Food Saver vacuum sealers or similar brand, and have the attachment to vacuum seal in canning jars, the lids can be reused over and over again.
Wrap gooshy stuff, like salmon steaks, in plastic wrap before packing with a vacuum sealer. No more non-sealing bags or vacuum-sealers full of juice!
I like to purchase or prepare items in bulk and then use my vacuum sealer to either divide into smaller portions or just make them last longer in the freezer.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Can I use my vacuum sealer for my jars of fresh tomatoes?
By G Hay
NO, NO, NO. Tomatoes MUST be processed; bacteria can grow in a sealed jar that isn't heat processed correctly. Vacuum sealing them without heat processing them is literally taking your life into your own hands.
I am using a food storage machine. When using the vacuum what setting do I use, dry or liquid?
By Ginger
You have a fifty-fifty choice here. I vote for liquid as lasagna is definitely wettish.
I have had a good crop of capsicums, how would I prepare the capsicums for freezing?
Thank you so much, I did google it but you gave me more information than I found
I want to buy a vacuum storage machine for food. I was wondering if I would need to buy the special food vacuum bags that seem to be advertised with the machines? If so, has anyone got any tips on the best machine to purchase? Thanks.
By Irish Eyes
I have just purchased a food vacuum sealer and I have just tried to seal a heap of sliced fresh onions, but I can't get a good seal on the bag, because it keeps sucking juices from the onions. Does anyone know whether I am doing something wrong here?
When a foodsaver fails to seal the bag, it may be that a gasket has dried out or it may be time to replace the whole unit.
