Here are some hints/tips I posted recently on another message board. -Grainlady

Helpful hints:

1. Quick freeze foods before bagging them - especially anything that is juicy (fruit, meat, casserole), or will crush under the pressure of the bag being vacuumed. Otherwise you risk sucking the fluids into the machine and "killing" it. Pre-freezing helps with keeping the opening of the bag from getting food or fat on it, which will prevent a complete seal.

You can also fold the bag opening back to the outside of the bag, before filling with foods that might cling to the bag opening. Fold back once filled, and this should help to maintain a clean bag opening, and a good seal.

2. Pack the bags laying flat - with the opening on the side, not on the top. Why? Something like frozen fruit or meat slices are easy to break up or divide if it's in a thin, single, layer in the bag, rather than a heaping lump in the bottom of the bag. Berries in a single layer are easy to remove any amount. If you dump them in the bottom of the bag, you will have a berry-brick and will need to thaw and use all of them. I also cut breakfast meat, like kilbasa, into 1/2-inch thick rounds, quick freeze, then bag in a single layer and refreeze. It's easy to take out what's needed and reseal the bag.

Bags are easier to store if they are packed flat. I have small plastic baskets in my freezer and each one holds a different food type. So when I look in the fruit basket, I can quickly file through to know what fruits are available or needed. Same thing with meats and veggies. I also repackage commercial frozen foods (fruit/vegetables) in a single layer in a FoodSaver bag. I can easily break off a small amount of corn, green beans, or peas (etc.) for adding to stir-fry or soup, and reseal the package.

3. Quick-freeze soup in small plastic containers (I use 1-cup plastic containers which equals a single serving). Pop out of the containers when completely frozen and stack and freeze in a vacuum-sealed bag. If I need one serving or four, take them out and reseal the bag. You don't need the plastic container once the soup is frozen.

I also freeze 1-cup amounts of spaghetti sauce, which is enough for the two of us for a meal.

4. Quick-freeze a casserole in the baking dish, remove from the dish, vacuum seal the frozen casserole (minus the dish), and free up the dish for other uses. Pop the casserole back into the dish when ready to bake.

5. Cover sharp items before vacuum sealing. If you quick freeze bone-in meat, the bone can poke back through the bag and compromise the vacuum seal. Just cover the bone with a wad of plastic wrap or paper towel to prevent that.

I have some silver serving pieces that I vacuum seal in a FoodSaver bag. No need to polish them each time I use them. I put the tines of the silver serving fork in a piece of styrofoam so they don't go through the FoodSaver bag and stay stable when vacuum-sealing..

6. If using canning jars, pre-soak new lids. Bring water to boil, then turn off. Soak the new lids 5-10 minutes. Thoroughly dry before using on the jars. You'll get a better seal if the sealing compound is softened first. If you are very careful removing the lids, they can be reused on the jars for vacuum sealing more than one time, but be sure to check the seals on canning jars. They occasionally fail over time.

I go ahead and put the rings on jars as a little added protection for keeping the lids on.

7. If vacuum sealing powdery or finely granulated foods (such as flour or powdered milk, etc.), be careful you don't suck it into the machine. For best reaults, use a canister, if possible. The manufacturer suggests you cut a small circle out of a paper towel, or use a round flat coffee filter, exactly the size of the opening of the canister or glass jar. Fill the container, and tap it lightly to settle the contents. Then place the paper towel circle on the top of the contents to keep any fine particles from swirling up to the container rim and breaking the vacuum. I just put a small coffee filter over the powdery food, or a paper towel. Make sure all residue is removed from the jar rim before applying the lid. Use a canning jar funnel for filling jars to help prevent a lot of residue from getting on the jar rim.

Using this method, you can make "Gifts-in-a-Jar" foods and vacuum seal them. They have a longer shelf life, and you will be making your own "convenience" foods and controling the ingredients - no preservatives and chemicals....

NOTE: When vacuum packaging flour, do not pack it tightly or compress it in any way. Flour tends to develop a mildew flavor when compressed.

8. Don't seal any foods in a jar that are warmer than room temperature. They can bubble out of the jar during vacuuming.

9. Certain produce should not be vacuum packaged. This includes all strong smelling vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Do not vacuum package whole avocados with their pits.

Those were some great tips! I'll just add two things:

Don't underestimate the couple inches "head room" needed - Several times I've tried to stuff too much into a small bag only to not get a good seal. With raw meat, I've ended up throwing out the too-small bag, obviously more expensive than having used the right size in the first place.

Remember that you lose about 1.5-2" every time you cut the seal. So if you're sealing something you'll use part of several times (like cheese - My FS has probably paid for itself with how long Parm Regg lasts now) be sure to oversize the bag so you can re-use it several times.

what fantastic advice!! i use my foodsaver all the time.
i really can't add anything to grainlady's excellent hints.
as far as the jambalaya, i just freeze it first in a ziplock freezer bag. when it's frozen, run a little warm water over it, and it will pop right out of the bag ready to be vac-sealed.

Great tips!

Fenworth I especially love this one:

So if you're sealing something you'll use part of several times (like cheese - My FS has probably paid for itself with how long Parm Regg lasts now) be sure to oversize the bag so you can re-use it several times.

There's not a lot I can add, except to say if I wanted to seal cookies and I were not freezing them, I'd be stacking them in a large mason jar and sealing that way. Same thing for the jambalaya; as long as you leave enough head room in the jar, they're great for stuff like that. I only use the bags for flat packs of things like vegetables, meat, and often times dessert; usually only for the freezer.

You're going to love it; my Foodsaver is my most used appliance. It works so hard for me I dedicated a special place for it in an flip-down drawer under the counter.

Buy the generic bags at Walmart or where ever you can find them. I get the rolls instead of individual bags.

I have just a couple of tips to add.

Grab those thin produce plastic bags and pre-wrap juicy item in them before freezing. It make the FS bags easier to wash after defrosting meats and fattier items.

Do-ahead meals are easy. Just freeze in containers or wrap roasts in foil and seal. The same for the sides and seal, then toss them all in a zip bag and you have dinner. Examples are pork or beef roasts, the veggies and pots, jus theat and serve. Perfect for those busy days. Left over gravy too.

I just bought 4 pounds of imported Italian salami on sale for a buck a pound and wrapped in platics, froze, then sealed.

I love the stuff boneless chicken breast,tie with string, no toothpicks to pop bags and seal for later cooking. A nice dinner in half the time.

Blanch veggies fresh from the garden or produce stand, freeze then seal.

Also, go to the Tilia website and sign up for email alerts to sales on teh bags. They have some good deals several times a year.

And don't forget to use the canisters. I am doing an experiment on some strawberries in the fridge. They have been in there since early June and so far no mold.

And they marinade fast!

If you use canning jars the lids will last longer if you use a spoon to open them... I use a soup spoon, just run the side of the spoon up the screw ridge until it's snug against the lid and give it a slight twist... No nicks in the lid.

Rita

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

Grainlady, where do you find those Seal-a-meal containers that you mentioned? My generic vacuum sealer didn't come with any canisters or jars, and doesn't have a way to seal them so that might be helpful to me.

Livvysmom, I'm glad you got one. I think you posted before about wanting one. The most important tip I can add is just to USE it. I've had my vacuum sealer for 2 years now and I must have used it 5 times max. It seems like such a hassle to use and I hate the noise it makes! How fun is it to buy a new kitchen toy though? Especially one that could pay for itself! Hope you use it well :o)

vacuumfreak - I found the Seal-a-meal containers on the clearance isle at Wal-Mart (divided plates and side dish container which are made of a more rigid plastic than Rubbermaid or Tupperware container).

After I got them, I thought of the divided plates with lids I had for the microwave, and other microwave containers I regretfully got rid of over the years, which could have been used for the same purpose. They were rigid enough to be vacuum-sealed, like the Seal-a-meal containers. Perhaps that will give you another idea. -Grainlady

Marinate in a rigid container!!!
20 minutes with a vacuum pulled is like overnight in any other container. It actually draws the marinade into the meat.

Also, if you have the attachment for jars, you've GOT to play with a marshmallow.... Put one large marshmallow in the bottom of the jar and put the lid on. Turn on the vacuum and watch the marshmallow....... hee hee hee.
You can do it over and over....... for a while anyway.

Deanna

We just replaced our 20 year old foodsaver with the one Costco carries. It is so easy to use. I haven't taken it off the counter yet (2 months) and I like my counters clean. I guess I'll have to look for easy/close storage space.

Deanna, did the marshmallow thing - yes, over and over...heehee

Janine

I can hear all the food savers running now...........
:+)

Janine - I purchased a small rolling cart (I think it was from Target) to keep my FoodSaver on. The FoodSaver is on the wood top. I also use the top for my various (clamp-on) meat and grain grinders, when needed.

The cart just happens to fit perfectly next to the refrigerator, and the FoodSaver can also be kept plugged in - ready to go. The wood top is plenty big enough to hold the FoodSaver and lay a bag out flat when you are vacuum-sealing.

I keep the canisters on one shelf and the bags in a pretty basket on the other shelf, along with the hose, jar adapter, a pair of scissors (for cutting the bags) and a Sharpie (marker) for marking the bags.

If you can keep the FoodSaver out, you'll find you use it a lot more than if you have to get it out to use it.

-Grainlady

Grainlady - thanks for the tip. It is true - the more accessible the more you'll use it. I guess that's why I've left it plugged in on the counter ready to go! :-)