All About Vacuum Sealing

[Finnie]

Do we have a thread with tips on how to get the best use out of vacuum sealers? I couldn’t find one.

I know they get mentioned randomly here and there on various different threads. From what I’ve read, all of you that have them love yours. So for quite a while now I’ve been mulling over the idea of getting one and kind of checking prices on line and in stores. Well, last week I was in a new-to-me thrift shop, and they had this brand new looking Nesco for $5!!! Wow! What better way to trial whether I would like to have one?

It is the Nesco Deluxe Vacuum Sealer Model VS-12. And the owners manual is dated from 2023 (!) In the sea of vacuum sealer models out there, I was kind of lost figuring out what brand and what price point I should get. Well I looked this one up, and I think it ought to be a very good one.

I’m planning to get as small a package of bags as I can find in case it doesn’t actually work, although the volunteer in the shop said it did. I guess I should go buy some meat or something to test it with. Or maybe I should just practice on stuff that’s already in my freezer?

So does anybody have any tips or advice? What kinds of things do you all seal? Have you found any things that you would avoid sealing? Anything else I should know? Thanks in advance for any discussion we can have!

 

[farmerjan]

If you make the bags a little big for small amounts, or use the premade ones, go to the bigger size, and then when you cut off the sealed end, you can usually reuse them at least once more after washing and all.
Another tip I use is to write what they are on the end above the "seal line" so when you cut it off, the writing is gone too and you don't have any conflict of what it is...
I buy it by the rolls and make my own sized bags so I can get them a little long and then reuse at least a couple times as they "get shorter"....I also buy online and not necessarily the "name brands"... have tried a few different places and there is a place in Canada that I found on Ebay that has very nice heavy duty rolls to make my own for a very good price. It is all put away for now, will try to go find out the name...

 

[Hinotori]

Im thinking of getting Mom a vacuum sealer. She's been talking about it and mentioned a machine that only vacuum seals jars. Told her might as well just get a foodsaver and the jar attachments at the price the thing she was looking at cost

 

[FarmerJamie]

First of all, YAY for Torani syrups! I use mostly the SF versions, I love the peach flavor in teas!

Ours gets a workout when we find deals or dehydrating is in full swing.

We pre-make meat dishes (meat loaves, browned ground beef, meatballs, ham loaves, and individual steaks we cut from whole loins) as we find good sales.
We package in amounts for single meals, and then put in a 2 gallon zip top freezer bag, so like things are all together in one location

We dehydrate a lot of sweet onions. Those, plus dried beans go into half gallon canning jars and sealed with the jar lid attachment.

Finally, for heavy use, we just get the rolls of material and cut to the length we need instead of using the presized bags.

Start with something small and DRY. You can seal liquid things like soup, but it takes a little practice not to make a mess. Think something like a pound of browned, drained, and cooled ground beef.

Happy sealing!

Ours...

 

[Hinotori]

Hubby made me carefully vacuum seal up a bunch of ammo he was putting into storage. It's hard to get ammo for that particular gun so trying to keep what we can get good.

 

[Fixit]

I have 1 of these that i have to play with one of these days.

Fish & Game Vacuum Sealer

Our portable vacuum sealer is a true fish and game meat-saver. Its portability and versatility make it perfect for hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking trips.

outriggeroutdoors.com

 

[tortoise]

Freeze fruit before vacuum sealing. I tried vacuum sealing fresh blueberries. It crushed the berries and sucked out the juice. Funny in hindsight, but not at the time

 

[Finnie]

I find myself at a different Costco today, and they have a good deal on bags:

 

[Mini Horses]

Liquids are an issue and even cuts of meat that "seem" dry...it sucks that moisture up & out! Pre or partially freeze that meat. I've even wrapped a cut in press & seal if no time to freeze, put into bag & then pressure sealed.

We think food but, valuable paperwork -- deeds, titles, certificates can be sealed up. Matches. Yep, more than food.

Great find on that unit!!! I have foodsaver units -- free from my food demo days!

 

[Finnie]

Costco didn’t have any. I’ll keep checking whenever I go.

I sealed up some turkey breast chunks and that went well. First time I had any moisture leak into the drip tray. Not much, easy to wipe out with a paper towel.