Who uses a vacuum sealer for foodstuff?

[Stew]

I saw mention of one of these the other day and it got me thinking about having one for helping storing home grown veggie bits.

Do you have one and if so what are your pros and cons please?

I'm thinking more using it for domestic purposes rather than vac packing bits for the trail, although that will be a nice secondary thing. Will it actually extend the storage life of food? I imagine that further storing things onward in the freezer makes it easy to id things!

Any views appreciated.

 

[didicoy]

I've had one, but never really bothered to use it. I know when commercial food is vacuum sealed, they replace the oxygen.

 

[IceLapplander]

I use mine all the time, both with foraged mushrooms and berries and wild game. Packed a whole moose last year and it never skipped a beat! Much nicer looking and will last considerably longer compared to a tie top bag or similar. Mine sucks out nearly all the air in the bag before sealing.

 

[Firebow Swagger]

vac packers are pretty useful when it comes to home freezing because it reduces sublimation of the water vapour in whatever you freez . basically reduces freezer burn so it can be kept in the freezer longer .

awesome for home curing and tenderizing of meat too, as the enzymes will still break it down and make it tender and most bacteria will be slowed from spoiling the meat

However I've not seen a good non industrial one for home use. So i dont own one , also bags can be expensive

 

[copper_head]

I got one from Lidl that works just fine. I use it for packaging dehydrated trail meals (in fact I've a batch of sweet and sour pork dehydrating as I type), but I've also used it for marinading meat for the BBQ. The vacuum 'sucks' the flavour into the meat, yum yum yum.
As for shelf life, I ate some spag bol the other week some 5 months after I dehydrated and sealed it (just stored in a box of assorted camping food). No ill effects.
Of course there's also cooking sous-vide if your culinary inclined.

 

[Stew]

Must admit very tempted to get one. Hard to know where to go on the cost scale to not waste money but spend enough to get something half decent.

 

[Stew]

Suppose I could try freecycle first. Guess this could be the sort of thing that gathers dust in the cupboard.

 

[ADz-1983]

I got one from eBay for about
25 quid but not got round to trying yet.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II using Tapatalk 4

 

[rik_uk3]

I got one from Lidl that works just fine. I use it for packaging dehydrated trail meals (in fact I've a batch of sweet and sour pork dehydrating as I type), but I've also used it for marinading meat for the BBQ. The vacuum 'sucks' the flavour into the meat, yum yum yum.
As for shelf life, I ate some spag bol the other week some 5 months after I dehydrated and sealed it (just stored in a box of assorted camping food). No ill effects.
Of course there's also cooking sous-vide if your culinary inclined.

Have you had problems getting vacuum roll replacements that work well ? Some I got were too thick for it to seal properly. They're a good little machine but the sealer element gets hot if you try and seal bags one after the other, you need to leave a couple of minutes between each seal; well worth the dosh though.

 

[MT606]

I've just bought a sealer, haven't used it on dehydrated stuff yet or for freezing things just to vacuum form ready made foods to leave in the car etc, the wife read that you can also use
the bags to cook things in just like MOD rat packs, I'm not sure on how long anything you cooked then vacuum packed would last (without being frozen/refrigerated) mind....?

 

[Everything Mac]

Suppose I could try freecycle first. Guess this could be the sort of thing that gathers dust in the cupboard.

Not a bad idea that mate. I've joined the local "freegle" you see ads for all sorts so yeah you might get lucky!

 

[Bucephalas]

Mine is called a BIFINET and I bought it from Lidl about three years ago.
I use it everytime I go out and wouldn't want to do without it.

Many uses from sealing tinder to packing foods. If I take a cooked brekkie out with me I'll decant the baked beans into a bag and seal it then drop that bag into another zip lock bag. No heavy tin to dispose of.

I've managed to break the hinge on mine and have been looking for a replacement but no luck so far. All the ones on the market now have a different method of sealing which doesn't allow the use of ordinary cheap sandwich bags and the "proper" bags are expensive.
Also, most models will keep sucking until it decides it's done so things like bread and other soft foods will get crushed beyond recognition.
With mine I can use any bags and suck out as much air as I want before sealing it.

 

[Firebow Swagger]

sealing tinder and no tins ...wow thats genius ! you should work for Nasa , *runs off to look at ebay*

 

[Dave]

someone gave me a mercier impulse sealer with cutter, quite a heavy industrial thing, but ive got no idea what to use it for?
Im assuming it'll be no good for long term food storage, as its not a vaccum sealer?
any ideas what i can use it for?

Looks like this

http://www.ebay.com/itm/20-Stainles...384?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2c6e8a5480

 

[Firebow Swagger]

The sealer is ideal for dry goods, and stuff you don't want crushed like cereal.. You could use it a a basic vac packer too if you, fill the bag with food and dip the whole bag in a sink or bucket of water to force out the air then seal it without letting air back in.

 

[Dave]

The sealer is ideal for dry goods, and stuff you don't want crushed like cereal..

Yeh i guess so. This whole prep thing is not something Im clued up on. But dried goods which I bought would already be sealed wouldnt they?
So maybe this sealer, is better suited for people who produce their own dried goods?
I need to find a chart I think on how long which dried goods last for.
And which bags to buy. thanks

 

[rik_uk3]

What on earth is the point of putting the content of a can into a bag and sealing it? How heavy is a can? The second you open the tin the food is degrading and won't stay 'fresh' long in a bag plus the bag is no where near as robust as a can. IMHO its a bloody stupid idea. If you must 'decant' then a zip lock bag is just as good and if not too heavy to carry back home you can wash it and use again (help the environment and all that)

I've been using vacuum packing for a few years now, ideal for when you bulk buy stuff like rice, dried milk, sugar, salt, instant coffee, beans/pulses and home dried veg/meat. I also vac pack other non food items such as USB flash drives full of back up data and some first aid supplies to help maintain their package integrity.

 

[The MAX]

I bought a foodsaver a while back as well as a Nesco food deydrator. The vacuum sealer is great for anything freezer related. Reduces freezer burn. I went fishing this weekend with the family and brought home 15 cod fish, filleted, sealed, and put in the freezer that night. They'll taste fresh for ages.

I put all my frozen meats in them now. Also great for dehydrated foods for camping as well.

 

[AJB]

Bought a Seal-A-Meal, use it all the time and it works brilliantly. Be aware that anything sharp, dehydrated mince or rice will puncture the bag loosing the seal. Anything like that wrap in grease proof or kitchen roll first.

 

[Midnitehound]

I've been mulling over getting a vacuum sealer for awhile. I'm going to have to borrow one off a mate and have an experiment with it. I've been watching youtube vids about how to seal Mylar pouches with them. I'd like a chamber version really and it would compliment my Ezidri dehydrator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5ztvIZhQFA Fat fish to flat fish!