Freezer bags or vacuum sealer or what for freezing stuff
mfran12345 (Zone 6b, northeast PA)
6 years ago
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annie1992
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoRelated Discussions
Vacuum VS. freezer ziplock
Comments (26)localhero, If the strip won't heat up when you push "seal," then I think the heater isn't working either. You should be able to make it stop vacuuming and start heating any time you want by pressing "seal" (if you are sealing things like bread that can get smushed by the strong vacuum, or things that are moist such that liquid starts to get sucked out, you sometimes want to cut off the vacuuming a bit early this way). One bonus feature I love about my FS is that I can use JUST "seal" to reclose things like chip and cookie bags. Z P.S. I have only had one model, I think it's a 2240---it looks a lot like the 850 picture but I have no bag cutter. The fancier ones seem to mostly have convenience: bag storage, upright design to save counter space. Some have an automatic bag "feeder" function, where I guess instead of placing the bag end in and closing the lid you slip it into a slot and it is fed in the right amount. But I knew I DIDN'T want that (I would have paid extra to AVOID it, lol)---that kind of thing always seems to be fussy and to break first in a machine. Does the 850 have "hands free"? Some of the really basic ones I guess you have to hold it down while the vacuum is vacuuming. With mine you close the lid and pull a little locking lever, then push the "vacuum & seal" or the "seal" buttons. Good luck! Z P.S. Do be sure to check out the SweetAttack site in earlier posts for cheaper bags. The brand-name FS ones are pricey. But with cheap bags you can really save $$ with this thing by putting up food when it's in season and on sale and still having it be top-quality. You do need to make sure the seal is perfect. I've had a few bags of things lose their seal and get freezer burn because I hadn't noticed there was a TINY wrinkle in the bag opening when I sealed it---the air sucks out and the package looks totally vacuumed, but a few days later it's all loose and full of air. Every time this happens I look carefully and can find the little wrinkle. Some of the folks here say they double-seal, just in case, and their failure rate then is pretty much zero. I'm thinking to start doing that for meats or fruits that I know I'll be keeping for a while. Z...See MoreHow to keep top of vacuum sealer bag clean?
Comments (10)Larger and dense veggies do need blanching. I planch peas and beans, as well as broccoli. Stuff that doesn't need a blanch are things like chopped onions, sweet peppers, and a few higher water content items. Even most fruits don't need blanching as they also are high water content. If you were to freeze broccoli with no blanching, for instance, it would break every green bud off the tops of the crowns and you end up with mostly green sawdust. Most canning books also offer freezing guidelines which are much easier to deal with compared to home canning. The blanch always requires a dip into ice water to halt any cooking. I blanch corn on the cob, then cut off the kernals and freeze. I like using the heavier bags from Food Saver. I just harvested a big bunch of onions and some shallots that were going to flower. Peeled and put through a chopper, then bagged in a FS bag and freezed them....See MoreReynolds vacuum sealer
Comments (19)I've had the professional Food Saver II for several years and have processed 200lbs. of bird food every 3 months as well as repackaging some store-bought foods that go into the freezer with it. I freeze quartered or chopped peppers of all sorts on cookie sheets and when they are well frozen, I bag them into a zip-type bag (leaving un-zipped). Then one or several of these bags, depending on type of pepper and size of cut, into a FoodSaver bag. The air is removed to the degree I wish. I have control of when the machine seals. I can let it remove all the air and automatically shut off, or manually override it to seal sooner. Peppers are more compact and are easier to store in the freezer. I love this machine. When we bought our upright freezer, the salesman said that the action of the self-defrosting feature can dry out things out a bit, but the extra layer of packaging and the airless feature of the FoodSaver that I use would allow for a longer freezer-shelf life. It works beautifully. Year old meat has no freezer burn and tastes as good as that which was frozen a week ago. We buy larger amounts of cheese and other things when on sale, cut and pack it in the size of packages convenient for our use, seal them in FS bags, and they always seem to be good as fresh until we get to them. Some other manufacturers bags will work with the Tilia FoodSaver but the ones I've tried (trying to save $$) were of lesser quality and I couldn't re-use as long, didn't stay sealed or were noticeably thinner. Crystal...See MoreVacuum-sealing and freezing vs. Plain storage bags
Comments (15)DMForcier - depending on how many peppers you're using (by weight) you may be risking botulism only using 1/3C of vinegar. University of GA did salsa acidification studies, including onions only and peppers only for comparison. Study concentrated on lemon and lime juice since they are more acidic and result in a more authentic salsa flavor, but it's worth noting that 1/4C of lemon or lime juice safely acidified up to 1 full pint (or app 300g by weight) of peppers (1/4" dice). I wouldn't go over the 300g weight for under 1/4C (60ml) lemon/lime juice. VINEGAR REQUIRES APP. TWICE AS MUCH (3/8C) TO GIVE THE SAME RESULTS (they were shooting for a pH below 4.0). 1/4C of vinegar only brought the salsa (with tomatoes which are more acidic than peppers) to 4.23, 1/8C to 4.48 which is on the hairy edge. They did not test vinegar in onion-only or pepper-only cases but I'd say 3/8C (90ml) for 300g would give a pH of under 4.0 that could be tested with litmus paper, less than that and you'd have to use a pH meter according to the FDA since pH would be over 4.0, 1/3C per 300g may be safe around 4.4 - 4.5 but you'd have to use a pH meter (a good one, properly calibrated) to measure it. They also processed the jars in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes to aid in acidification, make a stronger seal, and less chance of mold (which also can raise pH to an unsafe level over time). There are many pickled pepper recipes available on the UGA/NCHFP website. You can skip the sugar, spices, etc. if all you want is acidified peppers to drain (or not) and blend up later for a sauce. But the ratio of peppers (and size if going by volume not weight) to vinegar is crucial. Please don't vacuum seal (even a weak vacuum by what you are doing, called open kettle canning, or using a Foodsaver jar attachment) peppers or other low-acid foods without proper acidification unless you are freezing them. Here is a link that might be useful: NCHFP Salsa Acidification study...See Moremfran12345 (Zone 6b, northeast PA)
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