The Food Saver/Vacuum Sealer Topic: 2001-2010

[Stone]

The second question is whether you can toss some meat and a marinade in a bag, vacuum seal it, and then freeze it for a quick meal at some later date.  Does this work, or does the liquid end up in the guts of the machine when it tries to suck the air out of the bag?

This wont work and for the reason you state.

I agree that the bags seem a tad expensive. But I save money buying in bulk and not throwing stuff away. I haven't tried to do the math, but it's good enough for me. And I keep all my cheese in a vaccummed canister (each chunk is well-wrapped in plastic), and they last forever.

[Human Bean]

And I keep all my cheese in a vaccummed canister (each chunk is well-wrapped in plastic), and they last forever.

Interesting idea - I'll have to try it. I usually have a few different kinds of cheese in the fridge at any given time, and I suppose that if they're well wrapped and reasonably non-pungent, they could all live in the same container.

I bought Foodsaver yesterday, after having been convinced in another thread that it would be beneficial to buy a large chunk of P. Reg. at Costco, then cut it up and seal the smaller pieces. Also, a local retailer has accessories on sale, and that helped. Today I bought some bottle stoppers for (Trojan shill alert ) my bottles of Jim Dixon's imported artisan EVOO, and one of those square containers for storage and possible experiments with vacuum marination. Costco also sells refill kits (rolls, maybe bags?) but I haven't been back to check the cost-effectiveness of these yet.

I found it amusing that although I haven't seen a Foodsaver infomercial in recent memory, after I got home with the thing, I found that this thread had been bumped from the depths, and there was a Foodsaver commercial on the teevee after I was done watching the video that came with the machine.

[Rachel Perlow]

I have even more questions:

Is the difference between models that noticeable?  I've gone to the Tilia website where they have 8 models listed.

If you go with the higher end models, do you get more suck for your buck? 

Are the bells & whistles of the higher end models worth the extra money or are they superfluous? 

What feature or "extra" do you find indispensable and would you recommend getting it above anything else? 

What feature did you NOT get and now you wish you had?

How often do you have to order more bags? 

Is there a size of bag that you find yourself using more than any other size?

Is the extra money you shell out for the "not-included" stuff (different sized canisters, etc) worth it?

As a single guy, I am thinking this would be a good thing to have, especially after a trip to my local Costco.  It's now just a matter of determining which model to buy.

I have had the Professional II model (bought via eBay for about 55% of the price on the Tilia website) for nearly 2 years now. I bought the best model available because of a friend who told me to go for it, as she wished her lower end model had some of the features of the PII. You get more "suck for your buck" because there's a manual override. You can hold down a button and it will keep sucking instead of automatically sealing. Since I got their top of the line model, there's nothing more I could wish for. I stocked up on a discount version of the bags via eBay, about half the price of the Tilia bags, I don't find the bags cost prohibitive.

The best "extra canisters" are mason jars in various sizes. You use the jar sealer to close them. And, instead of possibly bending a lid by prying it open, you poke a hole in it. Cover it with scotch tape, with one end folded over to make a tab. You release the vaccuum by lifting the tab. Really cool, really cheap.

[ronnie_suburban]

I have had the Professional II model (bought via eBay for about 55% of the price on the Tilia website) for nearly 2 years now. I bought the best model available because of a friend who told me to go for it, as she wished her lower end model had some of the features of the PII. You get more "suck for your buck" because there's a manual override. You can hold down a button and it will keep sucking instead of automatically sealing. Since I got their top of the line model, there's nothing more I could wish for. I stocked up on a discount version of the bags via eBay, about half the price of the Tilia bags, I don't find the bags cost prohibitive.

The best "extra canisters" are mason jars in various sizes. You use the jar sealer to close them. And, instead of possibly bending a lid by prying it open, you poke a hole in it. Cover it with scotch tape, with one end folded over to make a tab. You release the vaccuum by lifting the tab. Really cool, really cheap.

Excellent info...always nice to get specifics from the field.

=R=

[Stone]

The best "extra canisters" are mason jars in various sizes. You use the jar sealer to close them. And, instead of possibly bending a lid by prying it open, you poke a hole in it. Cover it with scotch tape, with one end folded over to make a tab. You release the vaccuum by lifting the tab. Really cool, really cheap.

What attachment do you use to reseal the mason jars?

[Rachel Perlow]

The best "extra canisters" are mason jars in various sizes. You use the jar sealer to close them. And, instead of possibly bending a lid by prying it open, you poke a hole in it. Cover it with scotch tape, with one end folded over to make a tab. You release the vaccuum by lifting the tab. Really cool, really cheap.

What attachment do you use to reseal the mason jars?

"You use the jar sealer to close them."

[Anna N]

So, I have just aquired a FoodSaver and while I have "joined" the Yahoo group mentioned in the early part of this thread, it is a painful, painful process to wade through all the posts and find any useful information there.

I am interested to hear if anyone has anything new to add to this thread - unique uses, tips or anything else for this vacuum packing system. (Fresh produce seems to be the bain of my life as I can only shop once a week.)

I have one specific question, too: I buy coffee in vacuum sealed bags - these are shiny, metallic material. Has anyone tried to re-use these? The video that accompanies the machine says you can re-seal potato chip bag - though you cannot vacuum-seal them because they are not strong enough. But the coffee bags WERE vacuum sealed so I am thinking they might be re-usable.

Thank you

[Jason Perlow]

Vaccum meat marination is one of the coolest things it does. Put meat in one of the large containers or in a bag with marinade (if you use a bag, put some paper towels at the top to prevent the marinade from getting sucked out and into the machinery) and pump all the air out. Does the equivalent of an hour or two of marinading in seconds. Leave it marinaded in a vaccum for a half an hour or an hour in the fridge and it will be REALLY marinaded.

As to the coffee bags, no you cant reseal them. But you can put the coffee bag in a Foodsaver bag or a foodsaver vaccum container and seal that and keep it fresh that way.

Get more of the plastic containers for stuff like coffee, cookies, veggies, things that you use a lot. They are a lot easier to deal with than the bags, which are only really good for things you plan to save in the fridge or freezer for a while.

[Anna N]

Thanks, Jason. I know I need to get some more accessories! They are not that easy to find here in the Canadian suburbs but I will keep looking. I hear that Walmart might carry additional cannisters so I will check there in the near future.

[gperls]

I also use my Tilia to vacuum my cooking wines with their bottle-stopper accessory. I have about a half-dozen partially used bottles of various wines in different states of depletion. Vacuuming them keeps them usable much longer than otherwise.

[Jason Perlow]

Thanks, Jason. I know I need to get some more accessories! They are not that easy to find here in the Canadian suburbs but I will keep looking. I hear that Walmart might carry additional cannisters so I will check there in the near future.

Go e-bay for the accessories.

[Stone]

I have one specific question, too: I buy coffee in vacuum sealed bags - these are shiny, metallic material. Has anyone tried to re-use these?

I put my coffee beans into a well-washed Swanson's broth can. I use the universal top to keep it sealed.

[Rachel Perlow]

Mason Jars people. Mason jars. Reusable, dishwasher safe. Punch a hole in the lid for easy access.

The best "extra canisters" are mason jars in various sizes. You use the jar sealer to close them. And, instead of possibly bending a lid by prying it open, you poke a hole in it. Cover it with scotch tape, with one end folded over to make a tab. You release the vaccuum by lifting the tab. Really cool, really cheap.

This also makes the lids reusable. If you use a spoon to pry off a mason jar lid, you may bend the edge slightly and ruin its ability to hold a seal.

[Anna N]

Go e-bay for the accessories.

I went to ebay.ca and NOT ONE accessory appears there! A few units are up for sale but that is all. Customs duties, taxes, etc. make ebay.com a doubtful choice. So, on to Walmart on the weekend. But thanks for the suggestion.

[Anna N]

So, after a couple of weeks with the Foodsaver (I got the smaller model) I am impressed. I now have some accessories (mason jar sealer, bottle sealer, square container) and have yet to fully test these out.

One thing I am learning is that really economical use of bags means not making the smallest package! That pretty much makes the bag impossible to re-use.

I have just frozen some soup in single-serving sizes (froze it first in a straight-sided container then popped it out and vacuum bagged it) and want to see if it will re-heat in boiling water for a quickie lunch. That would give me yet another excuse for never replacing my microwave!

Want to experiment with salad greens in mason jars to see how long they will stay fresh.

I keep the machine on my counter so it is readily accessible for re-sealing my cheeses.

[Anna N]

So I tried to make a re-sealable hole in a mason jar lid and had no end of trouble. Is there a secret? After many holes and much trouble I managed to get one to work.

I am making a mere pinhole in the lid, sealing with tape and the seal seems good and airtight. The lids do not appear to be bent or distorted. The lids and jar rims are clean and free of any defects.

Any ideas on what the problem might be?

Incidentally, in my experiments I discovered that one can use other jars that are not mason jars so long as the lid fits snugly! Of course the screw-band won't fit but so long as the jar is stored where it won't get bumped one doesn't need the screw band.

(I am sure I posted this yesterday! It has disappeared so I am posting again and hoping it doesn't show up as a duplicate.

[Ruth]

I was thinking of getting one of these. Before I do, I wonder if anyone could help me with a couple of questions about marinades.

The first question is, how much difference does marinading in a vaccum canister make in practice. I've always thought of marinading as a chemical process where an acid in the marinade breaks down fibers the meat being marinated. Does this reaction somehow occur more quickly because of the low pressure?

The second question is whether you can toss some meat and a marinade in a bag, vacuum seal it, and then freeze it for a quick meal at some later date. Does this work, or does the liquid end up in the guts of the machine when it tries to suck the air out of the bag?

Do not despair. I frequently cook chicken breasts sous vide in the tilia bags. When I want to add wine or other liquids to the bag I freeze it in an ice cube tray before putting it in the bag and vacuum sealing. This works perfectly. For your purpose you could just let the marinade thaw in the bag before freezing the whole caboodle.

I also have the top of the line Foodsaver for about four years now and don't know how I could exist without it. I wash the bags in the dishwasher, at the most once or twice as they soon become too small. I think marinating in the canister is a little quicker. Perhaps as the air is pulled out the liquid penetrates the meat. But I have never done a side by side test - with and without vacuum.

[Anna N]

So I tried to make a re-sealable hole in a mason jar lid and had no end of trouble.  Is there a secret?  After many holes and much trouble I managed to get one to work.

I am making a mere pinhole in the lid, sealing with tape and the seal seems good and airtight.  The lids do not appear to be bent or distorted.  The lids and jar rims are clean and free of any defects. 

Any ideas on what the problem might be?

Problem solved but I still don't know what the problem was The jars now seal just fine. Gremlins?

[prasantrin]

Thanks, Jason. I know I need to get some more accessories! They are not that easy to find here in the Canadian suburbs but I will keep looking. I hear that Walmart might carry additional cannisters so I will check there in the near future.

May I ask which model you got? Costco in Winnipeg has the Vac 1050 for $170 right now. It comes with a bonus roll of bags, three canisters, and a universal lid (I think) plus whatever it usually comes with (but I can't remember what that was).

Costco also had a set of three canisters for sale, as well as rolls of bags, but I don't remember how much they were.

[Anna N]

Thanks, Jason.  I know I need to get some more accessories!  They are not that easy to find here in the Canadian suburbs but I will keep looking.  I hear that Walmart might carry additional cannisters so I will check there in the near future.

May I ask which model you got? Costco in Winnipeg has the Vac 1050 for $170 right now. It comes with a bonus roll of bags, three canisters, and a universal lid (I think) plus whatever it usually comes with (but I can't remember what that was).

Costco also had a set of three canisters for sale, as well as rolls of bags, but I don't remember how much they were.

I got the compact VAC 420 model. This will not take the 11 inch bags or rolls but that was a compromise I made in return for a small footprint on my counter. I ordered the accessories on-line and they arrived very promptly. The Costco deal in Ontario for the rolls is 2 8 inch and 2 11 inch for approx $40 which is a good deal - but not for me as I can't use the 11 inch!

I have not worked out the economics of this convenience but I have to say that to have fresh salad greens, to be able to make "boil in a bag" soups (I do not have a microwave) and to cook and package non-processed luncheon meats (chicken, turkey, beef and pork) for hubby in single serving sizes and to be able to have a selection of cheeses on hand, is a boon that strikes me as worth the cost whatever it may be.

I love my FoodSaver!

[Human Bean]

I just read Alton Brown's latest work, GEAR For Your Kitchen (only mildly amusing, not a must-read, try your local library if you're interested), and he had the following to say about vacuum-sealers:

"Although professional cryovac [sic, this is actually a trademark, or registered trademark, or somesuch] can greatly increase the shelf life of certain foods, in the average home kitchen there's just too great a risk of botulism."

He may have a point, but I think that he's largely wrong here.

My limited understanding of botulinum is that it's an anerobic bacterium; vacuum = no air, hence his worries, perhaps. Also, it doesn't like (or survive?) extremes of pH (reasonably acid or alkaline foods aren't susceptible to botulism), but many foods don't qualify as particularly acid or alkaline.

I think that botulinum is inactive at refrigerator temperatures or below (ie, freezer), so it's not really a worry if you take food safety at all seriously. If your refrigerator is at a suitable temperature, the bacteria may still be alive, but won't grow, hence you are safe (botulinum bacteria themselves aren't the problem, but the toxin they create is).

If you left (say) some vacuum-sealed meat out all day on the counter, you might have reason to worry. But then you'd have at least as much reason for concern if you left it out without the vacuum seal.

Is Alton just plain wrong here, or is he merely being overly paranoid? (erm, lawyers, mumble grumble)

[Okbrewer]

I have been using the Professional II for about 2 years, and I love it! No more freezer burn for steaks and meats that I used to wrap in butcher paper. I buy steaks in bulk remove from the original package, season them, then place 2 or 3 in the foodsaver bags. Often I will marinate right in the bag, placing a paper towel inside so the liquid doesn't get into the machine. I also have the large square marinating dish that makes it even easier. So, it's great for storing meat and fish, as well as soups and sauces (freeze them first). I especially like the system when I make a big batch of guacamole. Any left overs used to turn black and ugly in the fridge in a day! Now I place the leftover guacamole in a bowl, loosely cover with plastic wrap and place in a bag and vacuum seal. It stays fresh and fresh looking for several days! I'm very pleased with it and glad I made the investment.

[Anna N]

I just read Alton Brown's latest work, GEAR For Your Kitchen (only mildly amusing, not a must-read, try your local library if you're interested), and he had the following to say about vacuum-sealers:

"Although professional cryovac [sic, this is actually a trademark, or registered trademark, or somesuch] can greatly increase the shelf life of certain foods, in the average home kitchen there's just too great a risk of botulism."

He may have a point, but I think that he's largely wrong here.

My limited understanding of botulinum is that it's an anerobic bacterium; vacuum = no air, hence his worries, perhaps. Also, it doesn't like (or survive?) extremes of pH (reasonably acid or alkaline foods aren't susceptible to botulism), but many foods don't qualify as particularly acid or alkaline.

I think that botulinum is inactive at refrigerator temperatures or below (ie, freezer), so it's not really a worry if you take food safety at all seriously. If your refrigerator is at a suitable temperature, the bacteria may still be alive, but won't grow, hence you are safe (botulinum bacteria themselves aren't the problem, but the toxin they create is).

If you left (say) some vacuum-sealed meat out all day on the counter, you might have reason to worry. But then you'd have at least as much reason for concern if you left it out without the vacuum seal.

Is Alton just plain wrong here, or is he merely being overly paranoid? (erm, lawyers, mumble grumble)

I am not qualified to comment on the science behind Alton Brown's warning but I do know that all the FoodSaver literature warns that food MUST be refrigerated or frozen after vacuum-packing. That makes me think that food properly sealed and properly stored using the FoodSaver system is as safe as any other food stored in any packaging system used in the home from Tupperware to Ziplock (both TM'd).

[jayt90]

Are replacement rolls and bags sold at Costco or some other place?  Or do you have to order them from Tilia?

Also -- I read some mention that people use these to vacuum seal bags of their clothes.  ????  Are they dwarfs or something?  I can't see how I can stuff one of my shirts into one of these bags.

Yes, that's also where I got mine for $160. It was the full kit including the machine, 2 11-inch wide rolls, 2 8-inch wide rolls, three plastic canisters, an adapter for sealing mason jars, a demonstration video, and a bunch of coupons.

You can also get them at Fred Meyers, Target, K-Mart (are they still around?).

I think they're around $30 a box for 6 rolls (4 11-inch, 2 8-inch).

I use the canisters for storing coffee, cereals, grains...

I've sealed whole chickens, IQF (individually quick frozen) fruit and vegetables at the height of the season, individual slices of foie gras, steaks, duck breasts... you name it.

I also like to take a beef brisket, seal it, and then age it in the fridge for about three weeks. It comes out more tender.

There's a thread on cooking lamb and mjmchef says that he used to use a cryo vac (which is what this is) to seal the meat and cook it in the bag. I'd like to try this, but I don't know what the high-end temperature range is this plastic. Since you can boil it, I assume it's okay to at least 225F.

I'd have to say that I can't live without mine.

Edit to add: Regarding clothes. If you go camping, sealing socks and a wool sweater is a lifesaver when the rains come.

Some professional chefs are using vacuum sealed bags of fish to cook it at a lower temperature. Any liquid in the bag will boil at 160-170 degrees, because of the low air pressure, and the food will seem to be piping hot but not overcooked.

I have also heard that a small confit of duck can be slowly "boiled in bag" because of the lower atmosphereic pressure.

Anyone have experience with low pressure cooking?

[Rachel Perlow]

Sorry, I didn't notice all of Anna's questions from last month.

Want to experiment with salad greens in mason jars to see how long they will stay fresh.

Salad greens stay fresher longer if stored unwashed. I do wash & tear a bunch at a time and vacuum seal it, but only enough for a few days. If you want to buy a lot of lettuce it will last a couple of weeks if sealed in a cannister whole & unwashed. Line the bottom of the cannister with paper toweling to absorb excess moisture whether you are storing prepped or whole unwashed lettuce.

So I tried to make a re-sealable hole in a mason jar lid and had no end of trouble.  Is there a secret?  After many holes and much trouble I managed to get one to work.

I am making a mere pinhole in the lid, sealing with tape and the seal seems good and airtight.  The lids do not appear to be bent or distorted.  The lids and jar rims are clean and free of any defects. 

Any ideas on what the problem might be?

Hmm. I used a nail and a hammer to make holes in the flat mason jar lids, so the hole is about a millimeter or two in diameter, as opposed to pin hole sized. I make the hole in the area of the lid that has the lines, where you would write out the contents -- around the middle of that area. Then I use a label maker (Brother P-touch) to print out the contents. One edge of that tape (thicker than regular scotch tape, although I haven't had problems with scotch tape) is folded over to make a tab. This is then placed on the lid, making sure the hole is covered by the sticky part and that the entire label & tab is within the flat portion of the lid.

The problem you may be having is with the ring sealant. I've heard some people have trouble with brand new lids. They may need to be boiled or run through the dishwasher to activate the sealant. Are you having problems sealing the jars or are they not maintaining the seal? If so that may be the problem (i.e. having nothing to do with the hole).

Problem solved but I still don't know what the problem was   The jars now seal just fine.  Gremlins?

I'll bet you washed those lids at some point before I posted the above. Oh well, useful advice so I'm still posting it. On the food saver yahoo groups a lot of people have trouble initially using that jar sealer.