Just got a vacuum sealer. I have questions.

[IamMadMan]

I am curious how y'all do a double seal...

Make your first seal, and then move the bag a bout 3/8'' of an inch an seal again. I used to do this when I had my foodsaver, but the Weston makes a nice wide firm seal that double seals are no longer needed.

 

[Solomo13]

You can also add a papet towel to the bag if there is too much juice and it will seal very well and not be a problem. I have packed meat from hiunting for two years without issue. BBQ holds up very well to freezing and reheating.

 

[THoey1963]

Mine has the automatic seal. Unless I can fold it, I am not seeing a way to double seal...

 

[mikemci]

I am curious how y'all do a double seal...

You usually have 2 or 3 inches of extra bag at the sealing end. After the vac/seal stage, just open the lid and slide th bag back a little and use the seal button.

 

[va_connoisseur]

Looks like I'm buying some stuff to experiment on this weekend. I need to order some bags from Amazon.

 

[Ag76]

I am loving mine that I bought on a trip to the US recently. After a slight set-back - I plugged it into a 220v socket and blew it up, but was able to get it fixed easily enough - it works wonders. I froze two batches of brisket Chilli con Carne today, and will see how they do on the reheat in hot water.

EDIT: I always do a double seal - not sure if its needed, but better safe than sorry!

If you plan on reheating by placing the bag in boiling water, I would recommend labeling the package on a piece of freezer tape that can be removed before placing the bag in the boiling water. When labeling with a sharpie directly in the white space provided on the bag, I have had problems with the hot water removing the black ink from the label and badly staining my pot.

 

[retired trucker]

Looks like I'm buying some stuff to experiment on this weekend. I need to order some bags from Amazon.

I buy the Weston quart size bags ( 8 1/2 X 12 ) in the 200 quantity and have found them to be as good or better than the Foodsaver brand, and not to mention a lot cheaper. They are just as thick and work great in my Foodsaver machine. They do not have a white strip to label on, but I find I don't need a label on mine as I can see what is in them. If you need a label for date purposes, you can use some freezer tape to write on.

Blessings, ray:

Omar

 

[jham0077]

You can roll the tops down on the bags before you fill them with anything liquid, like CambuiAl's con carne, so you don't get the top couple of inches wet. And if I don't have help to hold it while I fill it, I set it in a bowl. That can prevent a big mess too.

 

[THoey1963]

You usually have 2 or 3 inches of extra bag at the sealing end. After the vac/seal stage, just open the lid and slide th bag back a little and use the seal button.

Mike, on mine, you push the end of the bag in, it senses it and seals it. I don't push a button to seal it.

 

[THoey1963]

Here is the model I have:

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-V3425-Vacuum-Sealing-System/dp/B007YLCR3Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405453902&sr=8-1&keywords=foodsaver+3400"]Amazon.com: FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing System: Vacuum Sealers: Kitchen & Dining@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51JHQ1jPLCL.@@AMEPARAM@@51JHQ1jPLCL[/ame]

 

[IamMadMan]

I buy the Weston quart size bags ( 8 1/2 X 12 ) in the 200 quantity and have found them to be as good or better than the Foodsaver brand, and not to mention a lot cheaper. They are just as thick and work great in my Foodsaver machine. They do not have a white strip to label on, but I find I don't need a label on mine as I can see what is in them. If you need a label for date purposes, you can use some freezer tape to write on.

Blessings, ray:

Omar

I just write on the end of the bag, with the contents and and the date.

Weston bags are the best... I use Weston or VacMaster bags

http://www.equippers.com/vacmaster/30089.asp

 

[THoey1963]

For the Weston bags, you think it's any better (cheaper / easier) to buy the quart and gallon sized bags instead of the rolls?

 

[Tricky]

Mike, on mine, you push the end of the bag in, it senses it and seals it. I don't push a button to seal it.

Terry, mine is not the same model as yours, but it also has the "autoseal when the bag is placed into the slot" function. But there is a button that will cancel the vaccuum function and just seal (i.e. when you are sealing the first open end of a bag you're making from a roll).

I use it once the vaccuum has engaged in order to stop the suction and just seal - but I wonder whether you can do one seal, then pull the bag out 1/2" and then just hit the button to do a second seal.

I may have to try that.

 

[IamMadMan]

For the Weston bags, you think it's any better (cheaper / easier) to buy the quart and gallon sized bags instead of the rolls?

The rolls are good for specific purposes (full slabs of ribs or small packs of rubs when traveling) but for the most part the large packages of bags 100-200 are just easier. Pull from the corresponding box, fill, and seal. No time required to cut the material off the roll, seal one end, fill and then seal the other end.

I mean with quart bags (8" X 12" rated for boil-in) at 15 cents a bag why spend all that time to save a fraction of a cent, if even that. Pint bags are 11 cents a bag in bulk.

The foodsaver bag/roll sales are made for people who are bad at math, giving a perceived value with "buy 2 or 3 and get one FREE"...

 

[NickTheGreat]

The rolls are good for specific purposes (full slabs of ribs or small packs of rubs when traveling) but for the most part the large packages of bags 100-200 are just easier. Pull from the corresponding box, fill, and seal. No time required to cut the material off the roll, seal one end, fill and then seal the other end.

I mean with quart bags (8" X 12" rated for boil-in) at 15 cents a bag why spend all that time to save a fraction of a cent, if even that. Pint bags are 11 cents a bag in bulk.

The foodsaver bag/roll sales are made for people who are bad at math, giving a perceived value with "buy 2 or 3 and get one FREE"...

Or they're for people who are GOOD with math and want a bag the exact size as they need :boxing:

 

[CambuiAl]

Good point on the labelling directly on the bag if I am going to reheat in a pan of water - I thought of that after I had done a few! I like the rolls, as I can pick small sizes if I need to. I am doing fresh chillies at the moment, and only keeping them in the fridge to see how they last without air, so am typically sealing about 6 chillies at a time, so a small bag is needed. However, it does take some estimating how much bag you need from the roll, and there is the possibility to get too much or too little. Wiping the inside and outside of the bag entrance is a must if you want a good seal it seems - a little kitchen paper does the job just fine.

 

[Dwl9113]

I just looked on the food saver website and the prices vary greatly. I really like the idea of these but don't really have a lot of extra cash to spend on one right now. Is it worth buying one of the lower end models or should I wait until I could get a middle of the road or better model?

 

[retired trucker]

I just looked on the food saver website and the prices vary greatly. I really like the idea of these but don't really have a lot of extra cash to spend on one right now. Is it worth buying one of the lower end models or should I wait until I could get a middle of the road or better model?

I have the foodsaver gamesaver model that I paid about $120 or less for when I found it on sale at Amazon. Have had it for about a year and it hasn't skipped a beat. It did take me some time to figure out how to get consistent results with no leaks, so there is a learning curve. The directions that come with it are sketchy at best. I just did a lot of reading of the reviews and information gleaned from this site to get my system of sealing down. If I have a failure now, it is all my fault in that I did something stupid and was not paying attention. I really enjoy and like my sealer. We buy a lot of meat in bulk and put it up in meal size portions for the freezer.

Blessings, ray:

Omar

 

[Dwl9113]

Thanks for the reply Omar. I will just have to wait around for a good deal and get one. Recently I purchased a 1/2 pig which would have been ideal to pack in food saver bags as opposed to the butcher wrap that they gave me them in.

 

[THoey1963]

I have to ask, how much did that pig cost? Would another $150 be worth spending to make sure that pork doesn't get freezer burned? That model I posted above I got at Walmart for about that same price less shipping. If the meat is going to be in the freezer longer than a couple weeks, the protection and quality are worth it.