Vacuum sealers have a lot of benefits. They can help you save food and save space! Whether you have a sealer or are looking to buy one, here is what you need to know about how to use a vacuum sealer!
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My Experience Learning How to Use a Vacuum Sealer
I asked for a vacuum sealer for Christmas last year because I thought it would be helpful with food preservation.
I freeze a lot of my garden produce because it is quicker and more convenient than canning. However, a lot of my food in freezer bags was getting freezer burn.
I learned that vacuum sealers can help preserve frozen food for longer. My parents generously gifted me this one for Christmas, but I kept putting off learning how to use it!
I recently did a big Azure Standard haul and bought 6 lb. of mozzarella cheese. It is cheaper buying it in bulk, and I’m wanting to start grating my own cheese instead of buying pre-shredded because of the additives.
Once I open the cheese, it won’t stay good for longer than a few weeks. We definitely won’t use 6 lb. of cheese that quickly! I researched and found out that cutting the cheese into smaller squares and vacuum sealing them for the freezer will help it last for at least 6 months!
Thus, my 6 lb. block of mozzarella cheese helped me finally learn how to use my sealer!
What is a Vacuum Sealer?
There are different types of vacuum sealers. Some are used for clothes, some are used with bags of food, and others are used with jars or containers.
For the purposes of this blog post, I’m referring to vacuum sealers used to seal food in bags.
This tool removes as much air as possible from the space surrounding your food in a bag. It also heat seals the bag to keep air from getting back in.
Benefits of Vacuum Sealing Food
Food that is exposed to air, even a small amount in a freezer bag, will go stale or spoil much sooner than food stored in a vacuum.
Vacuum sealing food also takes up significantly less space than regular freezer bags. It can help reduce the risk of freezer burn, and it’s an effective, efficient way to store food!
Which Vacuum Sealer I Have
While I have heard great things about the Food Saver sealer, it is a pricey item! My mom said that she bought her vacuum sealer for far less that has worked great!
This is the one I have, and although I don’t have another one to compare it to, it has still worked great! It isn’t the cheapest one on the market, but it is far less expensive than some of the top brands.
Click here to get the SHALKK Vacuum Sealer Machine.
Pros and Cons of Vacuum Sealing Food
The pros of this vacuum sealer are that it is small, compact, and easy to store. It is relatively simple to use and doesn’t require brand-specific bags. It also has an attachment for vacuum sealing containers.
Furthermore, this vacuum sealer is inexpensive and effective! You don’t have to spend $140+ for a vacuum sealer that does the job! It also came with lots of extra bags to use for sealing.
The cons of this sealer are that it may have trouble sealing larger bags due to the length of it. It also requires precision with lining up the bag to get a good seal, and you have to hold it in place with two hands for the duration of the process to get it to seal properly.
Another con is that it doesn’t have a lot of special settings, but I found that it worked great despite that!
How to Use a Vacuum Sealer: Step-by-Step
Start by removing the cardboard insert and gray silicone insert.
Attach the plug. Next, plug the vacuum sealer in.
Select the temperature. For “dry” ingredients, choose between 1-3. I chose 3 for cheese because although cheese is considered a dry ingredient, it still has some moisture. For “wet” ingredients, choose between settings 4 and 5. Make sure to leave at least 2 inches of space at the top of the bag.
Open the vacuum sealer up by pressing on the locks on both sides at the same time.
Insert the vacuum sealed bag into the dark gray ring. The top of the bag must be in the center of the ring or it will not seal properly.
Press firmly on both sides of the vacuum sealer until you hear it snap shut.
Press the vacuum/seal button and hold down the sealer on both sides. This helps ensure a tight seal.
Continue to hold the vacuum sealer closed until the blue light under the vacuum/seal button goes off.
Check to make sure your food sealed, label it, and unplug the vacuum sealer! That’s it!
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