FoodSaver Vaccuum Packer Ideas

[patience0830]

Ball jars

Mine came with a fitting for the top of a ball canning jar. Just set the lid on, place the vacuum fitting over the jar, draw a vacuum and when you release it, the lid is pressed to the jar by the outside air pressure and will seal up tight. no rings needed. Good for long term flour storage, rice, potato powder, rolled oats, etc. Lets you use those canning jars you've been stacking up for something while you wait to need them to can fruits and veggies. If you're careful removing the lids you can usually still use them to can with.

 

[Dorky_D]

How about where is a good place to get bags/rolls cheap?

 

[superjoe76]

Socks, and any other bulky clothing that goes in your bob. I keep socks and other stuff sealed behind the seat of my truck too.

I did the same thing whenever my unit went out into the field. This way it stayed nice and dry until I needed it!

 

[Exodus]

Walmart is where I got my rolls.

 

[Icemancometh]

If you got the wide mouth Mason jar sealer it is great to store dry goods in jars. I use 1/2 gallon jars for dry items, rice, flour, pasta, etc. I had some rice I had vacuum sealed in 2000 the other day and it tasted as fresh as when I bought it.

 

[Bunnykid68]

next i'll try 1k rounds of .308 laid out flat like this.

Ammo is exactly what I was thinking about. I would just put the full boxes in the bags though, personally.

 

[IndyMedic]

I have often wondered how well these things work. So it is interesting to read everybody's reviews. I do a lot of stuff in my dehydrator and have been using zip lock bags, but have been thinking about getting a foodsaver. Thanks guys.

 

[bigg cheese]

Amazon seems to have reasonable prices on Seal a Meal, of course not what I bought in bulk on clearance, but not bad

 

[westfork]

Ammo is exactly what I was thinking about. I would just put the full boxes in the bags though, personally.

I did this to experiment with making smaller packages out of the scraps of bags I had from sealing something else. I'm going to make a couple of these little packs with 5 rounds of .38 to keep in my pack while out hiking. I have yet to have a need to reload while out on a hiking trip but it makes me feel better to have a couple reloads on hand just in case.

 

[Bunnykid68]

I did this to experiment with making smaller packages out of the scraps of bags I had from sealing something else. I'm going to make a couple of these little packs with 5 rounds of .38 to keep in my pack while out hiking. I have yet to have a need to reload while out on a hiking trip but it makes me feel better to have a couple reloads on hand just in case.

Hadn't even thought about that myself.
Might have to do a few loaded mags like that.

 

[Hemingway]

I have used a foodsaver for years. For all kinds of things:

1. small lighter and dryer lint in my emergency "on me" kit when in the woods. Don't care how wet I get, I can start a fire with that. You can make any size survival kit.

2. spare, complete AR bolt, oiled and ready to go in my training bag. Any issues with the main one and pop the new one in. Fix the old one some other time.

3. Clothes, documents when out in the elements

4. Buying half a cow, then splitting it up in 2 to 4 servings before freezing. Lasts forever like this. I do the same by buying the whole beef tenderloin at Costco and cutting it up into filet mignon myself before sealing them up.

5. protecting ammo like mentioned above. If it's for long term storage, burial or whatever, you can toss a desicant pack in there before you seal it.

6. You know all that zuchini that everyone in IN has each summer? My wife bakes 2 dozen loaves of zuchini bread and freeze them in the foodsaver bag. I eat them all winter

7. You know those vacuum sealed, expensive blow-out trauma kits? Make your own--buy the components in bulk and seal them with EXACTLY what you want inside and sized to fit your pack, your 5.11 cargo pocket, suit coat pocket, etc--whatever you carry.

8. Make massive amounts of homemade chili, spaghetti sauce or whatever and then split it up into the preferred servings and into the bags for the freezer. MUCH better than anything you can get out of a jar.

9. Shipping vital components. I sent an aimpoint to Iraq one time and wrapped the aimpoint in foam, then sealed that inside a foodsaver bag. It wasn't going anywhere: tight, waterproof and well protected.

10. Anything liquid you put in your luggage you don't want to leak.


The obvious drawback to this is that once you open it up, you can't reseal it without the sealer. If you need a resealable (in the field) bag, try alok-sak. It's like a mil-spec ziploc.

 

[BDBHoover]

I also have 0 experience with these products but have been VERY interested in picking one up for sometime now and I do believe that I already know of quite a few uses for it...... Should be able to store TONS in my BoB with something like that..... Also wouldn't be a bad idea to seal some of your first aid kit items inside a vacuum sealed bag...... IMO

 

[Zoub]

My wife gets her rolls at Sams Club. Not sure of the brand. She vacuum seals darn near everything. We break down our meat and veggies into single-meal portions, vacuum seal, and freeze. She even has some pre-cooked stuff (browned burger, chicken, etc..).

We also have the vacuum sealed containers. Seems to keep our dry goods fresh forever, and they work great for left-overs.

One of her tricks is to freeze soup, stew, chili, or whatever overnight in tupperware, then drop it into a vacuum bag (out of the tupperware), seal it, and put it back in the freezer. Lets her vacuum seal liquids in the regular bags/rolls.

Just put it in the bag, stand the bag up and freeze, then seal. This way the contents conform perfectly to the bag. No air pockets, no dirty tupperware.

For breakfast on the last day of a weekend campout, I will have some premade eggs like above. A couple scrambled eggs, peppers, cheese whatever each person likes frozen in a bag for them. By the last day they have thawed in the cooler. Boil water, drop sealed pouches in water, cook, remove bag, cut top, eat from bag, toss in trash or fire. NO MESS.

I label every bag I make with a sharpie pen, contents and date.

 

[PistolBob]

Vacuum sealing food is only good for very temporary uses. Keep in mind you're sealing in bacteria, mold spores, and who knows what else. There is no sterilization. Don't go crazy and seal up a pound of flour or sugar unless you're willing to eat it ALL the first time you open it. Not a big fan of vacuum sealing food, except for freezing meat.

 

[Dorky_D]

Those are some good ideas. I really liked the ideas of storing parts oiled and sealed.

I had thought of the desicant packs. I need to find some cheap!

 

[Hemingway]

Those are some good ideas. I really liked the ideas of storing parts oiled and sealed.

I had thought of the desicant packs. I need to find some cheap!

Go to the Mormon store. They have about 1,000 lbs of them. They are cheap there.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

My sealer has a chamber to catch any liquid that escapes between the sucking and the sealing. We seal soups and stews then lay them flat in the freezer, they stack way better and take up way less space. Obviously there is no vacuum pressure in the bag, but it is hermetically sealed.

 

[westfork]

Vacuum sealing food is only good for very temporary uses. Keep in mind you're sealing in bacteria, mold spores, and who knows what else. There is no sterilization. Don't go crazy and seal up a pound of flour or sugar unless you're willing to eat it ALL the first time you open it. Not a big fan of vacuum sealing food, except for freezing meat.

This is a very good point. These machines are great for extending the freezer life, avoiding freezer burn, etc. but are no substitute for traditional canning practices. All rules of safe food handling still apply!

Thanks for everyone's input on this thread. Lots of great ideas, but yes, do be careful with your food handling and read, read, read the instructions and do your homework as far as long-term food storage practices go if that is what you are trying to use this machine for.

 

[Exodus]

So how would you store wheat, rice, beans, etc? I've yet to hear that it is unsafe to do this for long term storage. Hell the mylar bag people just throw oxygen absorbers in and seal the bag. I'm not disagreeing with you that stuff could get in though. It just caught me off guard kind of like a "Don't play with a knife because you might cut yourself" comment.

 

[revsaxon]

Careful about vacuum sealing ammo. The last time I tried it the pressure pushed the bullets back into the casings.

I use my food saver to make a weeks worth of meals in one day