Vacuum sealer tips for camping

dsurette wrote:
One think I found out the hard way is to not buy the cheaper rolls or bags. Thought I could save some money by buying off brand but if you can get them to seal at all the seal doesn't last. Threw them all away and went back to Food Saver brand.

I seem to have problems with seals lasting no matter which brand of bags I use. It is time consuming as heck but I have started putting double seams on both ends now. We'll see if it makes any difference in retaining the vacuum.

One think I found out the hard way is to not buy the cheaper rolls or bags. Thought I could save some money by buying off brand but if you can get them to seal at all the seal doesn't last. Threw them all away and went back to Food Saver brand.

We've bought the jar attachment, containers, and some other additions since original posting. Still loving it.

I, too, seal in canning jars. I rarely use bags anymore (so darn pricey). For my little trailer, I've purchased a hand vacuum (made by Ziploc) - it's really small and does a fine job with the canning jar adapter. It's just a little more work than pressing a button on the electric version.

Super_Dave wrote:
Has anyone ever vacuum sealed baked goods? My daughter is stationed in Korea and really misses dad's baking. I was wondering if I vacuum sealed it if it would be as fresh as when i baked it.

I don't know why it wouldn't be fresh. I think it would work. I do know that when you send stuff over. My son said don't put any food item whether it's sealed candy or cookies etc. with any soap product or scented product. It will pick up the taste of the soap. I learned from experience. Good Luck. I know a friend always packed hers in popcorn.

Has anyone ever vacuum sealed baked goods? My daughter is stationed in Korea and really misses dad's baking. I was wondering if I vacuum sealed it if it would be as fresh as when i baked it.

Love my food saver. Use it all the time. I use the vacuum jars for brown sugar and nuts works great. Had another brand that never worked. My husband is a hunter and we freeze a lot of venison and dove.

I'm looking for the best prices on the rolls. Like to cut mine to size. Bought some last at Kohls on sale with 30% off.

wbwood wrote:
While you may pay a little for the rolls or bags, consider the cost of the food that you may throw out from your freezer due to freezer burn. You can also use it to resell things like potato chip bags and etc. just don't vacuum as it will crush he chips.

We also have the jar attachment and my wife will make salads and out them in mason jars and seal them. Last a lot longer in the fridge that way.

Good point about resealing a bag of chips. There are many products that are packaged in Mylar bags. I use the inner bags from cereal boxes to repackage all sorts of stuff. Just make sure you avoid sealing polyethylene bags, they will make a mess when they melt on your Food Saver heat strip. Many coffee bags can be resealed. However, just seal the bag and don't vacuum coffee beans. It will suck the essential oils out of the beans. Most bags have a vent built in to release the carbon dioxide that the beans naturally give off. I seal the bag and squeeze out the excess air. I have mixed results with the Mason jar attachment. It takes sometimes three or four tries to get a seal, but it is worth the effort not to have to throw out food.

Having owned a Foodsaver for many years, I am now on my 4th one. I have used it to save whole meals and be able to buy in bulk and freeze up portions for later use. As others have said.

I make my own bags from rolls and found it was great and economical way to save left overs and make 1 portion things like chicken breasts or buy hamburger in bulk and freeze in 1lb chunks as well many other meats.

One thing had always been hard to do was freeze liquids in these bags like chili or stew or soups. You had to unthaw a large amount and take out what you wanted.

Then I hit on a plan, why not freeze a 1 serving portion in a bowl that you were going to eat out of later. So I made them up in a bowl, froze them over night then popped them out and sealed it up.

Now you had a frozen bowl of what ever, that fit into the bowl that you are going to eat out of.

Just pop it on the microwave and there you go a perfect fit and just the right amount with no waste. Easy Peasy.

Works for camping, just take the amount of frozen bowls that you want of each thing.

I use the jar lid sealer and seal in canning jars. I cook a great deal in 8 oz canning jars. Makes nice single servings. I seal the cooked-in-the-jar food with the sealer and freeze. I do use the rolls of make-your-own-bags for things like hamburger, chicken, etc. Jars and lids are cheap and reusable. The nice thing about freezing in the canning jars is I can easily see what is inside and the jars can be defrosted and heated in the microwave. And the glass jars do not stain like plastic does. I haven't broken any jars yet. I put the jars in tiny plastic crates that I buy from Dollar Tree. It's easier to keep desserts, sides and mains organized in the freezer.