Foodsaver question

[Mallori]

The person that posted in the frugal container thread about storing things in mason jars and then sealing them with a foodsaver really got me thinking. This is such a great idea, and after all these years having jars laying around just being used for canning, I feel like such a dolt!!

SO, I would like to start doing this, but I really think I am going to need the foodsaver, to get things air-tight. Which one do I look for? I priced them out at the store this morning, and the ones I found ranged from $40 to $150. Do I need to get the really expensive one to do this? Is there a certain one that is better than others? I've never used one before. I'm sure I also use it on other things like meat and leftovers with the bags as well, but this mason jar thing really has me interested.

Any help with what to get is appreciated!!

[Mallori]

Well, just did a search for this on here, and it seems so many people love theirs, so I ordered one. Amazon has a V840 on sale for $70 and comes with a bonus hand-held foodsaver for free. Got the jar attachments too and am eager to start!!

After reading up on this stuff, I have no doubt this is going to save me money keeping food fresh, and I get to use all my mason jars!

[dvons]

I think that was probably me. I love it. I don't even buy the plastic bag refills 'cause I just use jars. The small ones are great for single serving size leftovers in the fridge!

Deb

[Pinoikoi]

I JUST bought a foodsaver and it has a cord for jars.. someone please tell me how to do the jar thing! Are the jars freezable?

[Mallori]

Whoa...this is weird, seeing one of my threads from two-almost three years ago bumped....

I did go ahead and buy a foodsaver back then, although I don't use it too much now, the bags are an expense we can't justfiy, atm.

Anyway, to do the jars, you need a jar attachment, the cord alone will not work. Here's what i'm talking about on Amazon: Foodsaver Jar Sealer You leave an inch headspace in the jar, and then use a regular canning lid to seal it.

I do not freeze the jars, somewhere along the line, I think I read not to, and I worry about expansion/breakage. Maybe someone else will chime in on that one. I basically use them on dry goods like spices and things. Stuff I use regularly that I can get cheaper at bulk. Just remember, from amazon:

For those who cook large quantities of food, FoodSaver vacuum packaging systems offer excellent protection against food spoilage and freezer burn. This jar sealer attachment fits on wide-mouth mason jars and is for use with any FoodSaver machine that has an accessory port. The top forms a tight seal on mason jars while the tubing removes air from the jar with the help of a FoodSaver machine. The jar sealer works equally as well in packaging liquid foods, such as jams or chocolate sauces, as it does for dry goods, such as brown sugar or spices. While vacuum packaging is not a substitute for traditional canning methods, it does keep food fresh three to five times longer than keeping it in a plastic food storage container in the refrigerator. --Cristina Vaamonde

[annethcz]

I see this is an old thread, but just in case someone is looking for opinions on FoodSavers, I'll throw in there that Rival (the makers of the crock pot) have a similiar product called the Seal-a-Meal. I bought a Seal-a-Meal to use when we butchered chickens this summer, and I was NOT impressed. We used both Seal-a-meal bags and Foodsaver bags, and the machine just did not work that well. We wasted a lot of bags and ended up needing to seal some bags multiple times because it didn't seal correctly the first time.

While I haven't purchased a FoodSaver brand sealer, I plan to buy one for next year.

[Contrariety]

waaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit a minute! If you buy this jar attathment, you can just use regular dome canning lids? As in, you don't have to buy 1 attachment for each jar you want to use? I never considered it because I thought you had to use one for each... so does it just suck the air out and leave the canning lid on? Please explain!

[Contrariety]

Okay, so I'm reading reviews on Amazon, and someone mentioned you can use the cheaper handheld vacuum sealers with it, too... do you think it would work with this one? That's a pretty cheap system... one that's not wasteful, and doesn't involve plastic touching my food. What do you think? Would the cheap ones work, too?

[Mallori]

waaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit a minute! If you buy this jar attathment, you can just use regular dome canning lids? As in, you don't have to buy 1 attachment for each jar you want to use? I never considered it because I thought you had to use one for each... so does it just suck the air out and leave the canning lid on? Please explain!

Yep, you use canning lids. I have a reg. and wide mouth sealer. I also have a hand-held foodsaver that came free with my standard foodsaver and it works great.

Okay, so I'm reading reviews on Amazon, and someone mentioned you can use the cheaper handheld vacuum sealers with it, too... do you think it would work with this one? That's a pretty cheap system... one that's not wasteful, and doesn't involve plastic touching my food. What do you think? Would the cheap ones work, too?

I can't speak for this.

This is what I bought a couple years ago: Kit with Bonus

***Bolded my previous post to reiterate: This will seal food to make it last longer, but it does NOT seal it the way canning would. I use it to keep certain things fresher longer, like spices and such. This is a vacuum sealer, it merely takes the air out of the jar. Do not expect to seal with this and say, throw a jar of spaghetti sauce in the pantry. It will spoil. But you can open some spaghetti sauce from the store, put the leftover sauce in a jar and vacuum seal it, STICK IT IN THE FRIDGE and it will stay fresh longer than without. kwim?

[Mallori]

I see this is an old thread, but just in case someone is looking for opinions on FoodSavers, I'll throw in there that Rival (the makers of the crock pot) have a similiar product called the Seal-a-Meal. I bought a Seal-a-Meal to use when we butchered chickens this summer, and I was NOT impressed. We used both Seal-a-meal bags and Foodsaver bags, and the machine just did not work that well. We wasted a lot of bags and ended up needing to seal some bags multiple times because it didn't seal correctly the first time.

I tend to dislike Rival, for the most part.