| Author |
Farm Kitchen:  I'm Torn... Food Saver or Zipper Bags?  |
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 04 2012 : 10:36:21 PM
|
Okay, girls, I'm completely torn. I usually store most of my frozen foods in zipper bags after sucking the air out with a straw, but have really been considering purchasing a Food Saver. I had a Food Saver years ago, liked it, but when it died, I didn't replace it because I felt I hadn't used it nearly as much as I had expected. Plus, when I bought it, we had purchased a quarter of beef and I really wanted to use it for storing all that meat in the freezer. Further, as time went on and the machine was breaking down, it started to suck the juices from meat up into the machine which was a heck of a mess to clean and sanitize. I guess I just became a little frustrated and since buying another side of beef wasn't in the near future, I opted for the zipper bags.
Fast forward to today.
I've been doing a bit more bulk buying lately and although I have first frozen dry goods like flour for two weeks before transferring to Ball Jars, I have found - yet again - buggies inside. Grosses me out beyond measure. We also hope to share a side of beef or whole cow with a couple of friends this fall - we've all bee talking about it since last winter, but everyone continues to drag their feet for various reasons. And we recently invested in a dehydrator, and I'm not sure of the best way to store dehydrated foods - sealed storage bag? Vacuum-packed in a canning jar or FoodSaver bag????
I am now once again leaning toward the FoodSaver to vacuum seal my jars of dry staples, and I'm thinking it might be a better option for longer term storage of meat since we're looking at buying the beef in bulk soon... But since owning my last FoodSaver, I've done pretty well with zipper bags, and I recently read up on the oven/dry canning for dry goods in the Prepper post, which sounds like another really good option for sealing my jars. (BTW - You prepper girls ROCK - you have the BEST ideas!!!) I also re-use zipper baggies whenever possible (not after raw meat storage, however). Although I don't think you can reuse the Foodsaver bags, you sure can reseal them after removing what you need to use! Then again, I am not so sure the cost of the baggies are any cheaper than the roll of FoodSaver bags... Ugh... Decisions... Decisions...
What do you all think? Food Saver or Zipper Bags? What's your opinion and the reason you're thinking this way? Please help me with this!!! I'm probably over-thinking or completely missing an important point!
Thanks so much!
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
|
|
Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2012 : 05:45:22 AM
|
We use the Food Saver and love it! No freezer burn and we have the jar attachments to suck all the air out of our dry staples. If you have a problem with juices getting in the machine you should flash freeze items before sealing. It helps a lot with the mess! We also find the Food Saver bags on sale and stock up.
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922
I am trying to be the person my dogs think I am.
I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White |
 |
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2012 : 05:50:49 AM
|
OH! GREAT suggestion, Diane! THANK YOU!!! I'm definitely going to do the flash freezing - LOVE it!!! I've never used the jar attachment before, but I think it would be a great thing for longer term storage. Do you know how long dry goods sealed this way would last, given the right storage temperatures? Just wondering! Hugs - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
|
|
|
FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
|
|
Fiddlehead Farm
True Blue Farmgirl
4562 Posts
Diane
Waupaca
WI
USA
4562 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2012 : 1:50:26 PM
|
Nini,
I have quite a few dry goods stored this way...they should last a long time, I just don't know the exact amount.
Kristine,
I use food saver bags to freeze all kinds of liquids like soup and sauces. I first freeze them in old plastic containers, like empty sour cream containers. Then when they are frozen solid I release them with a little warm water on outside of container. Then I pop it into a Foodsaver bag and seal away. Very easy to thaw out this way also. You can also control the amount you bag.
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922
I am trying to be the person my dogs think I am.
I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2012 : 2:01:30 PM
|
Diane! That is such a great idea! I never would've thought to do that with sauces, etc.! I love it! Thank you!!! - Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
|
|
|
Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2012 : 3:16:11 PM
|
I like the food saver. If I'm in a hurry, I just use the zipper bags.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
|
|
|
Calico Hen
True Blue Farmgirl
146 Posts
Meg
Middle Tennessee
USA
146 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2012 : 12:16:12 PM
|
We have been using the Food Saver this year for the first time and I am hooked. We actually found two machines on a garage sale. A friend of ours tells us he finds boxes of Food saver bags all the time on garage sales. People buy them and never use them.
Like you, I do not reuse raw meat bags but with the others, as long as there is enough of the plastic to insert in the sealer, you can reuse the food saver bags. |
|
|
|
Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2012 : 2:45:29 PM
|
I took everyone's cue and now have a Foodsaver... I love it, I do. I think the bags/rolls are a bit expensive, but Meg, I'll DEFINITELY keep my eyes peeled while I'm out and about! Thank you for the tip!!!
I think that's a good point, Marly... I think if I know we'll use foods relatively quickly, I'll just use the zipper bags; otherwise it'll be the Foodsaver! I'm pretty excited!
I did flash freeze some of the meats, Diane, and it worked like a charm. Thank you!!! The instruction booklet also suggested the same... I don't remember seeing that in my old instruction book! LOL!! I can't WAIT to use your technique for soups and sauces! I'm probably going to be canning a lot of those this year, too. We've already had multiple power outages this summer due to storms. Better safe than sorry! :)
I'm like you, Kristine.. I flash freeze high-moisture content foods like onions, peppers, etc., and keep them in baggies... I don't think I'll need to use the Foodsaver for those. But the meats and cheeses - I think I like the Foodsaver a lot better for those. I especially like to do that with cheese (had forgotten how much I liked it!) because you can cut the bag, remove what you need and then re-seal. You can do that, too, for things like chips. I don't buy a lot of those, usually only for parties. But when there's leftovers, it's nice to seal them tight and keep the moisture out.
I also ordered the jar sealers because I buy a lot of bulk dry goods at Costco and love storing them in half-gallon Ball jars... Plus, this year I'm going to be dehydrating a lot of food for the first time... I wonder, though, if I'll still need to purchase those little food dessicant packs for the jars??? And I won't need those oxygen absorber thingies, will I? I'm sorry - I'm just learning about all of this! :) What'd I do without you all?!
I'm just so happy with my new kitchen tool! I think it's definitely a good thing! Thank you!!!
Hugs -
Nini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
|
|
|
| |
Farm Kitchen: I'm Torn... Food Saver or Zipper Bags? |
|
I'm Torn... Food Saver or Zipper Bags?
