Safe use of FoodSaver - help please
bbstx
9 years ago
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Comments (8)
CA Kate z9
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agobbstx
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Using the Food Saver for my Stuffed Cabbage
Comments (6)I'd have probably frozen it together but now that you mention it, maybe it would help keep it from being overcooked if you heat up the sauce first and then added thawed rolls. But yes, freeze it first. Generally I'd freeze in a tupperware type container, then if I have trouble popping it out I just run it, upside down, under hot water for a few seconds. I've seen people suggest lining the container with plastic wrap so you can just pull it out. Thanks for the reminder about stuffed cabbage - haven't made it in a while. Ann T's version with avgolamono sauce is an excellent variation....See MoreFood saver Questions?
Comments (7)I'm on my 3rd FoodSaver and have used them since 1986 and my next one is in the basement should the one I have go to appliance "heaven". I found the last one at a really low prices at Tuesday Morning. All have performed very well and I would classify myself as a heavy user of a FoodSaver - everyday use and several times a day - bags, canisters, and canning jar storage. -I don't see that you can go wrong with any of the models. I've never had the same one twice and they are improving them all the time. Get on their e-mail list at FoodSaver, they are always having specials. -The higher priced machine doesn't necessarily mean better performance or longevity - it's how you take care of it and follow the information from FoodSaver for the best use. -I need a port (hole) so I can use the hose and jar sealer and the hose for sealing canisters. We do home food storage and a large amount of our dry goods are vacuum-sealed in canning jars and placed in storage. Any food item that needs to remain free-flowing is stored in jars or canisters, rather than bags - such as chocolate chips... If you place chocolate chips in a FoodSaver bag and vacuum-seal it shut you will end up with a chocolate chip "brick" as the chips fuse together. Anything that is low-moisture and would crush in a bag (chips, cereal, crackers, etc.) store best in a jar or canister. If you store flour it needs to be placed in a jar to remain free-flowing, instead of sealed in a bag. There is enough moisture in the flour to cause it to smell moldy if stored compacted in a bag (as suggested by FoodSaver). -I need a FoodSaver wide enough to seal both sizes of bags, which only come in two sizes and have for the 25-years I've used them. The only time I have the pre-cut bags on hand is when they come in the bulk box of bags I purchase at Sam's Club (I stocked up when they were $29.99 last fall), or the time I found rolls of bags as well as pre-cut bags at a reclaimed freight store at a great price (I bought all they had and didn't need to purchase bags for years after that). I prefer rolls to pre-cut bags. -Whether it's upright or flat, holds the roll of bags or not doesn't really matter to me. I've had both. Those are personal choices - neither is right or wrong - just a choice. -My best suggestion is to make room for it so it remains out and ready-to-use. I have a baker's rack with the FoodSaver on one shelf (it's to one end so filled bags can lay flat on the rest of the shelf for sealing); a cute basket with rolls of bags in it another basket with other FoodSaver accessories (I also have a FoodSaver FreshSaver), a Sharpie for marking the bags, and a pair of scissors to cut bags. On another shelf is my collection of canisters, some canning jars and canning lids used for vacuum-sealing dry goods. -Much of my cooking is based on make-once-and-freeze - in serving sizes. I make soup/stew/chili/broth/stroganoff meat mixture (meat only, no noodles or rice)/sloppy joes/all kinds of meats and meat mixtures/spaghetti sauce/etc. and freeze it in plastic storage containers (in serving sizes). Once frozen, pop them out of the containers, stack them in a FoodSaver bag and vacuum-seal shut. This way I can take out one serving (1-cup) of soup, or as many as is necessary. This frees-up my storage containers for other uses, and lengthens the storage time in the freezer without freezer burn. -I make large batches of freezer mashed potatoes a few times a year and freeze them either in dollops (using an ice cream scoop) or serving size containers. Once again, remove from the container, stack and vacuum-seal in a FoodSaver bag. -Frozen fruit and vegetables from the store are placed in a FoodSaver bag and flatten to a single layer (with the opening of the bag to the side NOT the top), then vacuum-sealed. Using this method, cut open the bag, give the bag a tap and the pieces break into pourable/measurable pieces. Quick-freeze cooked wheat/beans/rice or fresh fruit or blanched vegetables on a cookie sheet, then transfer to bag and vacuum-seal shut after they are frozen. -I prefer quick-freezing nearly everything before I bag and seal it. The filled bags are "filed" in plastic baskets. I can remove the fruit/vegetable basket and quickly flip through to see what I have or need. There is a basket with breakfast meat in it. I cut rings of smoked sausage (kilbasa) into "coins", quick-freeze them and then vacuum-seal in a bag. Once again, freeze in a single layer and you can take out the number of "coins" you need per meal. -Portion and slice meat (cooked or raw), quick-freeze before bagging. I make up large amounts of pre-cooked beef/pork/chicken to use in stir-fry, wraps, Mexican entrees, dinner salads..... Cooked shredded or ground meat is placed in zip-lock snack-size bags, then those bags are vacuum-sealed in a bag. This size will generally serve one or two people. -If you bag something that might penetrate the bag (i.e. bone-in meat), place a wad of plastic wrap over the bone to keep it from piercing the bag and compromising the seal. -Quick-freeze a casserole in the dish you will heat/reheat it in (line it with Renyolds Easy Release foil and it will be easier to remove and make clean-up a cinch after it's heated). When frozen, pop out of the dish and vacuum-seal. It will now go from the freezer back into the dish when you are ready to use it, but you won't have the dish sitting in the freezer. -I reuse bags, except those that contained raw meat I thawed the meat in. Do they stain? That's never been an issue for me because I quick-freeze foods first, and a spritz with a mild bleach/water solution of 1 quart water and 1 teaspoon bleach will probably remove any stains as well as disinfect the bag. I have a wooden dowel rack hubby made me for air-drying the bags open. I understand the bags can be cleaned in a dishwasher, but I've never done it. -Grainlady...See MoreTips for my new Food Saver please
Comments (16)Not everything stores well in bags due to the texture of the food and the effect of being vacuum-sealed in a bag. For instance, I prefer canisters or jars for chocolate chips (in bags they become chocolate chip "bricks"), coconut, cereal (crushes to dust in bags), cookies, crackers/snack food, powdered milk, lettuce, sweet peppers, etc. I have a lot of canisters in every size they make and have most of them in use. I use jars for longterm storage. Canisters are easier to reseal than jars, which is why I consider jars longterm storage. The integrity of some foods are destroyed by vacuum sealing in bags - dry foods, moist foods (coconut, tomatoes, etc.), crunchy things, or light and airy things (cake, biscuits, breads etc.). Seal-a-meal has food storage containers that are good for storage of delicate foods. You place the entire plastic container in FoodSaver bag to vacuum-seal. The plastic containers have air holes in the lids that allows a complete vacuum-seal to prevent freezer burn. The rigid lids prevent the foods from being crushed. The containers can be put in the freezer after you vacuum seal them in FoodSaver bags. These are great for storage of things that might crush if using a bag. -Grainlady...See MoreFood Saver recommendations...
Comments (26)On the subject of oxygen absorbers..... I used a FoodSaver a couple decades for home food storage before being introduced to oxygen absorbers, but I do have oxygen absorbers and occasionally use them for dry packing instead of using my FoodSaver, but I prefer the FoodSaver. You can also use them together. Add an oxygen absorber AND vacuum seal the jar, or add an oxygen absorber to a mylar bag and use your FoodSaver to seal a mylar bag for long-term storage. There are food storage books like "Dinner Is In The Jar" by Kathy Clark or "The Gourmet Food Storage Handbook" by Stephanie Petersen (aka Chef Tess Bakeresse - she has lots of videos so check out her web site), using canning jars or mylar bags for making a whole meal and vacuum-sealing the jars using either an oxygen absorber or FoodSaver. Using these recipes you can quickly make 30, 60, or 90 days worth of meals. Chef Tess Bakeresse has recipes for individual size meals that work great for hubby to take to work in his lunch. Set up an assembly line with freeze-dried food, fill jars, pop in an oxygen absorber, put on the lid and ring and you've got your own "convenience" foods ready for storage. I would never suggest oxygen absorbers over a FoodSaver because you get so many more uses out of the FoodSaver. I use a lot of bags, especially for frozen foods. I have many of my silver serving pieces vacuum-sealed in FoodSaver bags so they never tarnish. I use the double-bag trick mentioned above. I'll portion things in inexpensive fold-top sandwich bags, quick freeze them, then repack them into a FoodSaver bag. I got a free box of Ziploc Perfect Portions bags and love them for using as the inside bag. I freeze Sloppy Joe mixture, pasta sauce, soup, stew, chili, the meat mixture for Stroganoff, homemade applesauce, etc. in plastic storage containers. I use containers that are for 1 or 2 servings. When completely frozen, pop them out of the containers. Stack the "cubes" into a FoodSaver bag and seal shut. Now all your plastic containers can be used for something else. But back to oxygen absorbers. They come in different sizes to accommodate different size containers or volume of food. For a quart jar use a 100cc oxygen absorber in the top of each jar. They cost about 1-cent per packet for the 100cc size (prices vary, so do the math) and are NOT reusable. There are charts available for how many oxygen absorbers are required for different volumes of food if you do a search on the subject. For more information check out the link below. When it comes to home food storage, the LDS Church has it covered. Information about using oxygen absorbers is readily available on-line. -Grainlady Here is a link that might be useful: Longer-Term Food Supply...See Moreplllog
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agopkramer60
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agodcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agograinlady_ks
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoUser
9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
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