A reader named Carol recently sent me this question:
I really enjoy your blog. One thing I’m obsessing about is purchasing a Foodsaver sealing system. I know that you don’t like the whole plastic packaging thing, but I’m just undone when it comes to packaging meat. I prefer to purchase, say, a whole pork tenderloin and cut it up myself (nicer porkchops and so cheap!), but it lasts me about 2 months, so I worry about freezer burn. I hate the number of zip loc bags I use and have reduced them drastically by making re-usable sandwich bags for lunches, but they don’t seal airtight, so useless for the freezer.
They’re also so costly (the foodsaver), so I don’t want to throw that money away.
I’d appreciate your thoughts!
-Carol
I’ve never used a vacuum sealer system, so I’m probably not the best person to answer this question.
I do use plastic if I need to freeze meat, but I just use regular bags, which seem to work fine for my purposes. I squeeze as much air out as possible and then seal the bag. This probably wouldn’t be awesome for really long term storage, but I don’t generally store things for a long time.
(I don’t know how safe this is to do with a bag of raw meat, but if you stick a straw into a bag of, say, blueberries, seal the bag up to the straw, suck the air out, pull the straw out, and then seal the bag, you can get things pretty well sealed up in a good quality freezer bag.)
However, I have a chest freezer which is not self-defrosting, and things stored in there are much less prone to freezer burn. If all I had was the freezer/fridge combo, I might feel more of a need for the foodsaver system.
Also, my kitchen isn’t super big, so I have no idea where I’d store one! I already have to farm out some of my appliances to the coat closet and linen closet, so I really do not want another appliance to store.
So for me, a Foodsaver wouldn’t be very useful, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a poor choice for you.
I see on the site that they recommend some fairly unnecessary uses of the system (vacuum-sealing half an avocado??). If I got one, I’d probably only use it for foods headed to the freezer for longer-term storage, as there are many plastic-waste-free ways to store foods in the short-term.
So, readers! Have any of you used the Foodsaver or some other similar vacuum-sealing system? Have you felt like it was worth the money? Did it save enough food to make the plastic waste worth it? Have you used it regularly or is it collecting dust?
s.johnson
Saturday 28th of December 2019
Food saver i have is fabulous. Instead of freezer burn or just good in freezer 4 the 6 mo. To a year(it lasts most foods 3 years )& space saving & ready ...set go to camp.I make shrimp scampi/ freese so sauce wont get sucked out when using food saver...then use food saver & freeze
Romando C. Williams Sr.
Saturday 14th of September 2019
First it all depends on you being disciplined and a little obsessed, in a good way, to make it work for you. I consider myself a novice cook. Which means I love to do it. I especially love to grill! In doing so I marinate my meats for flavor and tenderizing. The foodsaver allows you to buy in bulk, marinate, and store in the freezer. You could forget it for a year, thaw, and cook with all that flavor and tenderizing going on. Then let's say you cook the big pot of spaghetti. When the family has grazed it for a couple days, vacuum seal it, in individual meal sizes. Then in a month pull them out individually as needed or all for a quick family meal. I know ya'll tripping on the plastic but I've boiled cooked vacuum frozen food in the plastic. Dinner in 10 minutes no cooking or cleanup.
I loved mine as a bachelor. And now I'm showing my new Boolicious the advantages. She loves the taste of the food, quick meals, and the numerous meal ideas available to you.
On top of that, I went there and bought the marinator and other containers. They are all the hottness! I'm so thrilled with mine and I hope my review pushes you over the edge!
Jacqueline
Saturday 16th of July 2016
There is way to use regular Ziploc bags in your Foodsaver and it works very well. I haven't bought any special bags for mine yet. I buy the store brand freezer bags and cut off the ridged sealer at the top. I then cut off the thick part of that "zipper" and the result is two ridged strips. Place your food in the bag with the two strips going up the length of the bag to the top. Make sure it goes to the top. This creates space in the bag for the air to be vacuumed out. Place the bag in the vacuum and it works just like the special bags. This will only take a handful of times to master but well worth the effort and saves a ton of money. Here is a link to a video on how to do it. I personally would stick to the freezer bag since they are thicker. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OM2WTfpJQaY
Jessica Gopinko
Wednesday 23rd of March 2016
What are you using to save in addition to using a vacuum sealer? I'm researching it. I hope to share from you.
Bronwyn
Wednesday 8th of July 2015
I just bought a Foodsaver yesterday but I am a little reluctant to use it as the bags have a strong "plastic" smell and I am worried that the food will be contaminated. Has anyone experienced this? How did you solve it? At the moment I am hand washing all the bags and roll in soapy water but that is so time consuming.