Foodsaver is the BEST of the camper's preparation tools...

[caseydog]

This is an old thread, but I was just reading it and was intrigued and had a question . . . how do you reseal the bags? Do you bring the vacuum sealer machine camping with you? Or do the bags somehow re-stick together?

With a Foodsaver like mine, you would need to reseal it with the machine -- which isn't all that big.

I seal my cooking ingredients in pre-measured amounts for camping, so all I have to do is cut them open, and pour them into the pot. So, to make a stew, for example, I chop and vacuum seal every ingredient in its own bag at home in my kitchen, so at the campsite, I just open bags and dump them into the stock pot.


Same at home. I will buy a "family pack" of steaks, and seal each steak individually and freeze them. With no air inside, there's no freezer burn. And, if I want a steak tonight, I pull it out of the freezer, put the bagged steak in a pot of room temperature water, and in 15 minutes, my steak is thawed and ready for the grill.

If you cook for more than one person, you can pack one meal's worth of meat, or shrimp, or whatever into a bag, and freeze it. When you want to cook it, you do the same thing I do for one steak.

I easily keep steaks in the freezer for 6 months with no freezer burn.

[TheBizMan]

We are on our second FoodSaver. When we have chips and dip, we reseal the original chip bag. Like others have said, we fix everything pre-trip and then no worries while we are out. Makes for more fun time.

[Joanne]

I seal my cooking ingredients in pre-measured amounts for camping, so all I have to do is cut them open, and pour them into the pot. So, to make a stew, for example, I chop and vacuum seal every ingredient in its own bag at home in my kitchen, so at the campsite, I just open bags and dump them into the stock pot.

Pretty neat idea, although I'd probably stop at a local drive-in and pick up some of those little salt and pepper packets. It seems like it would be a waste to vacuum seal a teaspoon of salt and another for the pepper.

I also buy bulk on sale, then bag and freeze. For camping it keeps meat juices out of the ice chest and my cheese dry. Like so many kitchen "gadgets" I wasn't certain that I would use it enough to warrent its cost. If my house burned down it would be on my list of replacements.

Joanne

[bobhenry]

[
Pretty neat idea, although I'd probably stop at a local drive-in and pick up some of those little salt and pepper packets. It seems like it would be a waste to vacuum seal a teaspoon of salt and another for the pepper.

Joanne

We are talking about sealing right For the salt and pepper I use 35mm film containers. One happens to be white (Fugi film I think) and one charcoal ( good ol kodak) I have 2 lids for each, one with and one without holes. Just snap on the storage lid and toss them in the silverware drawer with the 2 shaker lids. When ready to use snap on the shaker lid.

[Gaelen]

You all are talking me into a Food Saver.

BTW, my film can shaker lids (for the salt and pepper, and other spices, come from Coghlan's, and they have their own seal-tite top over the holes. After many variations on carrying spices, I finally went to the grocery story photo department, asked them for a bagful of old film canisters, washed them out well, and then bought a bunch of these lids. No need to use the lids the canisters came with; the Coughlan's lids seal my new 'spice cabinet' canisters completely.

http://www.camping4less.com/product.asp ... =jnrrlohrq

[bobhenry]

Those are soooo cool. I had no idea i just drilled my own with a very small drill bit. I am gonna go lookin for those !

[caseydog]

I use the food saver just for the bigger ingredients. I keep Salt, pepper and basic spices in my galley all the time.

CD

[oklahomajewel]

I bought those travel type little Salt & Peppers that come in a pack from the grocery store... with the twist type lid. Keep it out in the trailer all summer , and have not had any trouble with bugs or moisture. Even with leaks and the rain..

Depends on your preference.

By the way --- the food saver seals tight other things other than food.
Like matches, fire starters, medicine, ... anything to keep dry .

[cccamper]

Never knew anyone with a Foodsaver but work to keep all the food free of contaminents. Now think I must have one. Oh the power of suggestion. We'll see.

BigQuestion - will vacuum sealing keep peeled apple slices fresh? With some orange juice sprinkled over for acid, maybe? Just talking for 2 days.
Our favorite car snack is sliced, peeled apples, little cubes of good sharp cheddar, and chocolate. Good mix of flavors and you get a few good things into your body. Better than a bag of Cheetos or chips which have enough salt to.....well, do bad things. At least to some!

e . . . LCG III ROADTRIP!!!! .

[cccamper]

It's my experience that all plastics are not created equal. If you use "generic" bags, do you find they seal as well? Not porous?

Re prices of the Foodsaver - there are different models. QVC.com has 2 white ones that are $2 apart in price. Is there a model you all choose most? If it sucks air and heat seals it seems like the bottom model might be the work horse and the rest just have specific fuctions or unneccessary bling.

hmmmmmm

e . . . .

[NWsage]

BigQuestion - will vacuum sealing keep peeled apple slices fresh? With some orange juice sprinkled over for acid, maybe? Just talking for 2 days. Our favorite car snack is sliced, peeled apples, little cubes of good sharp cheddar, and chocolate.

Hi. I have a Food Saver and love it for camping ... as well as for freezing garden veggies and fruit to use over the winter. But, you still have to refrigerate foods that require refrigeration even if they are vacuum packed. Unfortunately, vacuum packing doesn't stop or slow down bacteria growth like refrigeration/freezing does.

The good news is that your cut apples won't turn brown while they are vacuum packed ... even without the orange juice.

If you use "generic" bags, do you find they seal as well? Not porous?

Re prices of the Foodsaver - there are different models. QVC.com has 2 white ones that are $2 apart in price. Is there a model you all choose most? If it sucks air and heat seals it seems like the bottom model might be the work horse and the rest just have specific fuctions or unneccessary bling.

I've used mostly Food Saver bags ... but the few times I've used other brands, I haven't noticed a difference. But, I tend to double seal my bags to keep them from loosing their vacuum due to a poor heat seal.

I have the most basic model ... it sucks air and seals. I know there are more expensive models that you can use with a hose that will vacuum seal special Food Saver canisters that can be filled and re-sealed after each use.

Hope this info helps.

Suanne

[oklahomajewel]

with something like apples, or anything with juice or water, even if you don't think it's much.... all you do in a bag is fold up a paper towel close to the open so that any juice/water doesn't get sucked up into the machine!!!!

I bought the tube and one of the canisters with the special lid. Haven't used the small one much but it is good for "soft " things or liquids .... like fruit or marshmallows. You don't see the air coming out but when you push the button to open the lid you hear the 'woosh' of air about 20 times more than a good Tupperware!

You've all got me thinking I need to get mine back out and check with the company too to see why I have that tiny spot that doesn't seal right.

I have one son living at college dorm on the far side of town, and another living on his own but with two roommates and also attending college and working..... you can imagine how well they are eating! ha

[deltabravo]

We recently took a 5 day trip to the Pacific Ocean. I froze 4 main course dinners--soups and stews in rectangular flat containers. THEN I sealed them in the Foodsaver bags. I packed 2, 10lb blocks of ice in our cooler and fit the frozen dinners in between and around the edges. They didn't even start to thaw out until day three. I actually had to take them out early in the day and thaw them in a smaller cooler with cold water. We still had two good chunks of ice at the end of the trip!! I think this is a great way to go. Once thawed, I just heated the stews/soups on the stove. No preparation except to make a salad and bread to go with it.

[oklahomajewel]

BY THE WAY >>>>>>

I got my Foodsaver machine out this weekend, after not having used it in over a year.
I have been in a cooking mood lately .

I made some spaghetti & Sausage the other night , so went ahead and made a full batch and had three servings to freeze. So I put them in a butterware... froze over night, then the next morning just take the frozen serving out of the container, into a foodsaver bag and I sealed it air tight.
Marked the pkg with the date and popped in the freezer. Did the same with the pork chops I bought at the store, sealed them so no freezer burn.

When putting the stuff in the freezer, I realized I had some green pepper in a foodsaver bag... I pulled it out of the back and it was still green, NO freezer burn and the date was 04/2006 !!!!! no , didn't use it , I chunked it but see how well it keeps? haha

This will be good for a camping trip , I can always grab one of those spaghettis and throw in the cooler for a lunch or something.

with things in a bag, you can cut open a corner and put it in the microwave or boil it in the bag.

I made some beef stroganoff last night, making some potatoes and meatloaf later.

[dmb90260]

I used the food saver yesterday



These are pork ribs headed to Spamboree this weekend.
One rack has Masterpiece sauce, the other one is salt, cajun seasoning and brown sugar rub. We shall have a "tastes-off."