Vacuum Packing

Rob Keeble

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Location
GTA Ontario Canada
Ok so we purchased a Foodsaver Vacuum sealer.

Have used it and it works ......sometimes. Sometimes its a mission to get it to take as in start sucking.

Anyone have any tips on making it work repeatably so that packing is not the schlep it is with it acting up. My guess is i should have sprung for a higher end unit but when i did the research it did not seem as though spending more got you any more other than gadgets.


Then does anyone have any preference /recommendation for where to purchase the rolls of bagging plastic material. I am coming across the border in Sept and wish to buy at a retail store at best price and buy a fair amount. Any recommendations on where you get yours the cheapest. If its online it will also work if they ship to Canada.

Thanks in Advance for any tips and sources.
 
I went through about 3 of the foodsavers before I finally got fed up with the poor seals I got with them.

I ended up getting one that is ridiculously expensive, but I haven't really regretted the purchase yet.

I do like their bags though, and usually just end up buying them at Costco.
 
The only tip I'd have on sealing up the bags is to not cut the bags too short. and I usually have a board to bring the back up to the same level as the sealer to make it easier to fit the bag in there.
 
What model of Food Saver do you have Rob? Does it have the option of moist vs. dry foods and a separate Seal button?

I've found using the moist option usually works best for me. I also don't try to be too conservative on the size of the bag I'm using. If the piece is pretty moist, I'll usually give myself enough room to seal the bag end twice. I'll even hit the seal button early if all the air is removed and all it's doing is sucking juice out.

I've also got some of the canisters as well as the mason jar seal. I've used the canister to pull a vacuum on meat sitting in a marinade/brine, which causes it to really pull those flavors into the meat. The mason jar sealer I'll use to make a large batch of rub or the dry parts of a cookie mix and suck the air out for later use. For the rubs, try to let it dry out some, or spread it out on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at a low temp to get rid of the moisture.

The non-food saver brand bags I found not to work as well btw...
 
Darren I got the same one i linked to in the post. Its the sport packing version. Its got the place for canisters...will give that a try.

I think i will try cutting my bags longer and follow Brents tip of making a platform to get the bag being packed up at the same level. Thanks guys.

Will check out Costco Brent.
 
:doh: Sorry, hadn't had my morning coffee yet. ;)

I had the same experience as Brent, I ended up spending the money for the Deluxe version after reading reviews. The early models I had didn't have the seal and moist/dry options and found they make a big difference for me. They also didn't have the removable tray, so cleanup was a bear. Only real complaint I have is that I have to clean and let the vacuum seal dry before putting it away. If I don't let it dry, the seal sticks to the other half and pulls out of it's channel the first time I open it up again.

I also elevate the bag on a cutting board to get it at about the same level as the opening. It's still only 1/2" higher, but makes a big difference.
 
Found this a couple days ago Rob. Smoking-meat.com is a good place to grab info about anything smoke. As Darren linked in another post...they have everything!! Including this link!!
The price is comparable to the Seal-a-meal and it looks like better construction. I think I'm going the VacMaster Pro 140.
Here is another place I found, but I'd get in stupid serious trouble shopping here!!
 
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