Get Started: Using A Foodsaver for Freezing
My love affair with my Foodsaver started over five years ago. My parents upgraded and gave me their first Foodsaver. It had a few cracks in it and was a little worn, but worked just great. Then last year I decided to splurge and buy a new model because having a big game hunter husband and being a new contributor to Once A Month Mom, I just knew I would use it!
And use it I do!!
I have the Foodsaver V3835. I bought it at Costco, because it was about $50 cheaper than Bed Bath and Beyond even with my 20% off discount coupon! This model does it all. It has two vacuum speeds, a marinade mode, a marinating canister, a moist mode for wet items like sauces and soups, and a gentle mode for baked goods.
Here are some of the most frequent questions I get asked about my Foodsaver:
What types of foods can you freeze with the Foodsaver?
A good rule of thumb is anything you can freeze in a freezer bag can be frozen with your Foodsaver and last longer! Repackaging store bought meats is key to lasting longer as we’ve mentioned in our Get Started Series. And while those are great tips, the Foodsaver can take some of those meats a step further by removing all extra air and creating a solid seal to prevent freezer burn. You can also freeze: full meals, soups, stews, fish, coffee beans, pantry items, vegetables, fruits, and baked goods.
Does the Foodsaver help make food last longer?
YES! They have a wonderful chart on their website showing you ordinary storage vs the Foodsaver storage. And as you can see it’s a large difference. I typically use our Foodsaver on items I know I won’t be using within a few weeks. However I packaged my husband’s 75 pounds of elk meat this year with no problems because I know we’ll be stretching that meat out over the next year. The Foodsaver bag rolls are available at Costco for reasonable prices and you can find them online. I’ve also had great luck with a few of the off brand rolls such as Cabela’s.
Are the bags pre-size or can I make my own size?
BOTH! You can buy already sized bags or the rolls to make your own. I prefer the rolls because I never know just how much space I will really need.
Are the bags reusable?
Not necessarily but yes. I like to reuse the bags I have for my fruits, vegetables and baked goods. I leave the bags a little longer so I can re-seal a few times before I have to throw them out.
Can you use the Foodsaver for a Once A Month Mom cooking day?
YES! I like to use my Foodsaver on my big cooking days for the baked goods, smaller portioned items or my slow cooker recipes. I will go through the recipe cards and see what I can do and then I’ll pre-cut and seal a few bags and write the meal on the bag and use them throughout the cooking day or at the end when I’m ready to do my big label and store assembly line.
While you do not have to run out and buy a Foodsaver today in order to do a Once A Month Mom cooking day, it certainly couldn’t hurt to have on your wish list. I believe this system saves me money on freezing containers, money on wasted or freezer burnt food, and especially time!
Do you have a Foodsaver? What is your favorite feature?
Disclosure: Foodsaver did not provide me with any products or compensation for this post. The system is mine personally and I was not solicited to do a review. All the opinions in this post are mine, want to know more about how I facilitate reviews, view my full disclosure policy!
**Affliate links are in this post**
I love the fact that the food stays fresh. I’ve browned ground turkey and portioned them out and when I reheated it, it wasn’t dry or dull! Just make sure to pre-freeze liquid items though lol. I didn’t realize this when I first got it (even with fresh meat) and made a mess! Reading directions/watching youtube tutorials really does help lol.
I have had a Foodsaver for many years and I love it. One of my tricks is when I buy the box of rolls at Costco, I cut the roll down to the size of the quart or gallon bag and close one end. I have a drawer I stack them in so they are all ready to go when I cook.
I also had a hard time filling the bags because it seemed like it took to many hands, so I made a device with dowels and binder clips to hold the bags up and I use a canning funnel to fill the bags. It works perfectly.
I’ve had a Foodsaver for probably over 10 years & love them (like your parents, I upgraded & passed on my original). I’m not yet a big meal freezer (working up to it) but like to make large batches of soup, freeze in single-serving sizes, pop out & vacuum seal each separately. Great for packing for lunch @ work!
How to you keep from getting the moisture vac’d out so that the bag doesn’t seal? I am getting frustrated. I freeze fiddleheads and am using a salad spinner and drying them with a paper towel and am still getting some bags that don’t seal! Argh! Any ideas besides freezing the fiddleheads first?
The only other suggestion might be a Foodsaver. We have a couple picked out in our OAMM Amazon store that we like. http://astore.amazon.com/oamm-n-kitchen-20?_encoding=UTF8&node=1
I had the same issue with some carrots last month. I bought a 5 lb bag of carrots & had to slice, blanch, & freeze them. I Sliced & blanched, drained as best as I could, put in FoodSaver bags, and tried to seal one. It just KEPT vacuuming liquid out. So I stopped it, folded up a paper towel lengthwise a few times, & inserted the paper towel between the carrots & the sealer. It absorbed the liquid that the vacuum extracted, giving the sealer time to work. It looks funny, but it works.
Are the bags reusable? Now they are! Well, at least some. They make zip top FoodSaver bags. You have to have an adapter to use them with your countertop FoodSaver, but I think it’s only like $7. My new countertop model came with the adapter for the containers. It might work with the bags but I haven’t been able to try it yet. The bags, adapter, & a hand-held vacuum are available through their website. Last I checked WalMart carries the hand-held unit also.
Might want to add a note though- DO NOT reuse bags that have held raw meat. Only re-use bags that have held non-greasy cooked items, fruits, or veggies. And reusing bags that have held strongly flavored items, while not dangerous, might not work out to well. I’ve noticed they can absorb smells…
Also- I HIGHLY recommend the FoodSaver containers. They work great for quick marinades and storing lunch meat.