Stock Up NOW on these 6 Vacuum Sealed Necessities!  

We call it Howard's grocery.

We do the same thing. Always lived in the country & I learned from my Mom to keep frequently used items on hand. 👍👵🏻👩‍🌾❣️

Or substitute what your family eats more of. If no one drinks coffee, maybe you choose oatmeal instead.

How long does cereal last sealed like that? Please

I stock coffee bags just like tea bags

Awww. Thank you for your kind words!

I have pasta vacuumed sealed from 2019. Restock when I use them.

We are remodeling my pantry soon. Most of my items will move to cupboards. I’m in West Virginia. Earthquakes are beyond rare here.

I use a brake bleeder with both sizes of lid attachments, and they work great. I am thinking there must be something wrong with your lid attachment or your machine. I love my hand pump brake bleeder.

@@tennesseeterri I had a FoodSaver were the accessory port was a hit/miss affair ( by the time I started using the port, the warranty was finished). Bought a second hand off brand food sealer unit for real cheap. The heating strip was good but not great like FoodSaver is. But the accessory port works like a gem, so it is my jar sealer unit. I have 2 brake bleeders as power out back ups. (Boy! Do you ever get a good wrist and forearm workout.)

Do you have some hints for me on how to break in my hand grain mill. Mine seams to pollute grain with zinc filings.

@@redstone1999 I'm afraid I don't, but where did you get yours? Maybe they have a suggestion...

@@TrialAndError8713 I bought them decades ago. I use my well used manual meat grinder and then electric blender to make my grain flour, nut butters. Even grind my coffee beans with the meat grinder ( have several plates of different hole sizes). I may just grind sand in grain mill until plates sand off zinc down to steel. One more project to the 700 other projects in waiting.

I get sooo anxious buying food. I don’t know how young hardworking Americans can do it. The whole thing makes me sad for our children and grandchildren.

Great to meet you! I was born in New Hampshire. My family still lives there. I just ordered more half gallon jars from Walmart last week. They were shipped for free and $16 a box which in today’s prices isn’t bad. Thanks for joining!

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead I just ordered a few cases of large canning jars from Azure Standard. Better price than Walmart. I’m surprised. They’re for dry storage like you show in your video, which is why I’m thrilled to have found your channel. Thanks

Half-Gallons are the best!

You are very welcome! Most days I’m just frazzled and drowning in work. Lol. Spring is especially crazy busy. Thanks for your comment and for watching!

I’m afraid you’re right about the economy. I wish others could see that and prepare.

Definitely not. That’s why I rotate and check my stock. Good reminder.

Do you have trouble with it sucking the particles into the lid and not sealing properly.

If you are sealing something powdery put a coffee filter in the top of the jar. @@lusnorthernhome3410

@@lusnorthernhome3410On my questionable, light, and airy products that I vac-seal, cornmeal, cream of wheat, you can cut a coffee filter to fit your pint or quart, to place on top after filling, and before placing lid to vac seal. I've never had a problem with the product or with filter getting in the way. Works fine every time. Keeps the possibility of powder dust getting into vac-seal hose as it is sealing.

@@lusnorthernhome3410 I use cupcake papers inside the mouth of my jars. It helps the powders and such from being sucked up into the machine while vacuum sealing

Yep. I used to freeze all my items before putting them in my kitchen but honestly this is easier.

Freeze thaw freeze. I have had countless grains and beans ruin from the inside out because eggs hatch and they feast. Depends on your climate. Our food supply seems to have way more bugs these days

Awwww. Thanks so much!

Meeee toooo! I like a clean and organized pantry. This way I can see everything.

I use jars but if I had to start with them know I could not afford it.

Six kids plus grandkids.

Awww. I’m so glad.

I also have quite a few in food grade buckets with lids. It’s great for long term storage.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead oh yes, great idea keeping them in buckets too. easy handle and easily transport.

You’re welcome. Bug control is a big reason why I vacuum seal in jars.

Put your dry goods in the freezer for 24 hours. It will kill any larvae that might be in your food.

You can use it for your chickens if you have?

@@misst1586 I would

Yep, get busy! Some of my daily things are in totes: chips, cold cereal, etc. But I have vac-sealed in plastic bags crackers.

Thanks for the tip! We’ve never had an earthquake here. These are temporary shelves that were here. I’ll be upgrading soon.

Excellent idea!!! I’ll order some.

I’ll check into some other music. Lol. I kinda like it. Yes, if you vacuum seal your flour it’ll store longer.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead Thank you for replying...looking forward to more of your videos. ❤️

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

That’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing.

I'm trying to picture this?

@@misst1586 at the bottom of the handheld sealer is a plastic piece with green around the bottom. This comes off and there is a small piece that you can place over your vacuum seal lid and vacuum seal . Hope this helps as it’s the best I can explain.

@@janebeard8902 oh I see

Voilà! 😉

Thank you for sharing all this! ❤️

That only applies for canning. For vacuum sealing the ring stays on.

I do keep the rings on in case some of my dry goods, such as cornmeal in a jar, comes unsealed, because it has. With the ring absent, a mouse can shove the lid off the rest of the way and help himself.

I actually have a hand held pull style one they came in with the two attachments. I haven’t used it yet. But it’s there is we go without power long term.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead I used to use that one; your arms will feel like wet noodles after about 4 jars! I would pump it with one arm until it got tired and then switch till that one got tired. :)

Great idea!

Awww. Thank you!

Things are so very different for you than living here in West Virginia. Definitely no volcanos here, or earthquakes. Glass is fine and protects against insects and rodents. Thanks for sharing all this! It was very informative.

Aww. Thanks for watching!

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching.

It all depends on the model you purchase. Cheaper FoodSavers are, well…cheaply made. I’ve found the higher end ones are built far superior. But they’re also 5 times more expensive.

Understood but we do have a higher end model foodsaver as we use it constantly for packaging our own meat. Older models were much better before they changed to the pre attached vacuum hose. We tried every hack, even own the same handheld you do, finally broke down and bought the cheap handheld. Every situation is different, we run the cheap one 50-80 seconds and no seal issues to date 🤞

@@theblueriverhaus Yep. I ran the handheld jar sealer for up to 3 minutes. It usually sealed. Then as I started doing the next jar you’d hear it pop. Or as I carried it to my pantry or a few days later. I decided I had a dud. So I bought a second jar sealer. And had the exact same results. So I gave up. Definitely not worth the frustration. I’m glad it works for you. I truly am. Because our goal is to help each other and to preserve food. Our families come first.

It’s the FoodSaver Rechargeable Handheld.

Good point. You “can” use used lids but if you have tons of new ones, and it solves the sealing issues, I’d say go for it. Thanks for the suggestion.

@@JustDoSomethingHomesteadI use A LOT of used lids for vac-sealing dry goods and for pressure canning. Also have reusable Tattler etc lids, but they are kind of finicky!

Good point. I have several types. But if we lose electricity a manual would definitely be a good item to have on hand.

Exactly!!! I keep saying this but many, many viewers are more concerned that it works at first. That definitely doesn’t mean the seal will last.

@JustDoSomethingHomestead We broke down and bought a chamber vacuum sealer. It does a much better job, even with the jars. The lids are tighter. I tried to put a small 1 in the chamber and broke the canning jar! We have hundreds of jars of vacuum sealed dry goods, freeze-dried, and canned food. I love the 2qt jars for almost anything dry. My last run, I bought 8 dozen or 96... they're already full. I really like to see my foods without opening a bag I have to reseal. Mylar is good, but I really prefer not to crush things. I keep them in sealed buckets.

@@GimiH1 I love jars because I can see exactly what I have preserved. With Mylar and buckets I’d completely forget! Out of sight, out of mind. Some day I’d like to get a chamber vacuum sealer. But first I want a freeze dryer!

@JustDoSomethingHomestead I agree, out of sight, out of mind describes me to a T. It's more for my truly shtf stuff. I keep my jars closer to the kitchen, and it helps with the rotation.

I grow beans. I may not like them but if I’m hungry, I’ll eat them!

Welcome aboard! Thanks so much for subscribing. It means a lot to Jim and myself.

If you have an older one it’s probably a different version than these new ones.

I used to store it in my freezer. By vacuum sealing it I don’t have to worry if the electric goes out. Plus it frees up freezer space.

Thanks so much for watching. This is the largest pantry I’ve had. In the past I had to carry it all to the basement.

I take flour and place about 4-6 cups of it in small paper lunch bags. I fold the top once only and tape it shut using one peice of tape. Then I place in vaccume bag and seal twice. The flat bags are easy to store.

@@sheilaf5732 that’s a GREAT idea! I’ll try it next time.

@@sheilaf5732 OMG good idea ty so much ,I still have flour sets on shelf need to be stored.🙏😍

Awww. Thank you. Hubby and I were often overwhelmed with everything we need to do. And Just Do Something became our motto.

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

Wonderful!

It’s a FoodSaver FM5200. I just bought a second one on Amazon as a back up. So I know they’re still available. It’s a fantastic vacuum sealer.

Oh I know! I make cornmeal. Usually I use sweet corn because we like the taste. This year we plan to experiment with several different types of corn both for eating and for feeding animals. Thanks for sharing! Do you grow your popcorn? I’m wondering which variety to go with.

I do! A few years ago, I grew Dakota Black, but wasn't really thrilled with the lack of sturdiness of the stalks. I then switched to a tri-color, but I don't know the name of it. It's an heirloom that I got from a friend, and she got it from another friend.

Many years ago, I experimented with corn in my garden. I alternated two rows of sweetcorn and a row of multi-colored "Indian" corn, then two rows of sweetcorn, across my garden. The kernels on the sweetcorn ears that were pollinated by the multi-colored corn ripened earlier than the kernels that were pollinated by the sweetcorn. When I would boil the ears and butter them, those kernels were a little bit crunchy, but they were also nutty, so I had a combination of sweet, nutty, crunchy and buttery. It was delicious!

@@TrialAndError8713 Thanks for sharing! It sounds wonderful.

Not yet! But it’s on my short list to buy. Thanks for your comment.

@@JustDoSomethingHomesteadI've heard they are great for large pieces of wild game, but what else?

They sell inexpensive hand sealers on Amazon. They are a white tube and you manually pull the handle up. When I bought the white adapters for $14 it was included in the box. I never personally tried it though. Thanks so much for watching!

That’s awesome!

Sorry for the delay. We are building a greenhouse. That’s taking up most of my time! Anyway. YES! You can use a paper towel or cloth to wipe the jar rim. You just want to remove the crumbs. Thanks soooo much for watching my videos. It means a lot to me.

I just bought a new one last week. I typed in FM5200 and this model came up. It’s a FM5460. FoodSaver FM5200 2-in-1 Automatic Vacuum Sealer Machine with Express Bag Maker with Handheld Vacuum Sealer for Airtight Food Storage, Dark Silver It’s on Amazon.

Lol. I get more comments on that. My daughter bought a house with 2 upright pantries. I just need to go get them. Then nothing will potentially fall.

These shelves were here when we bought the house. We’re getting ready to completely overhaul the space and put in some free cabinets we got. So they’re only there temporarily.

Yep. I dry my own teas.

Thank you for sharing all these ideas! I’ve never paid more than $16.88 for a case of half gallon jars. I get them delivered free from Walmart. But most were bought at the thrift store for less than $1 each. Many people give them to me for free when they’re cleaning out. Look on marketplace. Thanks so much for watching!

I’m remodeling my pantry soon. Those jars will be moved. Thanks for sharing!

I found it greatly depends on the contents. If it has lots of different ingredients it doesn’t tend to last as long. But I easily get one or two years past the expiration. I do buy cereal past the bb date. If it’s not stale you have at least another year.

Keeps critters from chewing on them and getting in plus I can easily see my stock.

plastic - pba free ? microplastics interfere with hormones and health

My thought is… If you don’t have a vacuum sealer, you should absolutely dry seal them. Do anything and everything to preserve food.

Yes I do. That’s when I use my handheld rechargeable and store that container in my kitchen.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead thank you!

I use any opener. I could put a cloth under the opener when I pop it but usually I’m just in a hurry. You can use them over and over to vacuum seal as long as a hole didn’t poke through.

You can pry off any lid by using the back side of a spoon resting on the threads of the glass, next to the lid, and gently prying up. It saves the metal lid for reuse. I've also used a regular bottle opener many times that makes the dent, but never had a problem reusing the lid for pressure canning or vac-sealing.

Yes! If you don’t, it’ll suck into your vacuum sealer and eventually ruin it. You can use cupcake liners, paper towels, coffee filters, etc.

I have a FoodSaver handheld that works very well. I’m sure the quality varies greatly among different brands.

Awww. Thanks for your comment!

Vacuum sealed organic dry foods last as long as non-organic. I agree. They are completely too expensive. I try to raise a lot of our foods.

Ground coffee is only a year past the Best Buy date. Coffee beans won’t last much longer. I’d only go another year or two. I just bought a coffee bean plant. I’m hoping to raise my own.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead if your growing the coffee bush they do not like frost at all , so if in a frost prone area best in a hot house during winter depending on where u are , they also like to self seed so u can turn 1 bush into many with no trouble at all , and thanks for clearing the storage up for me , might have to grow some tea bushes

Wow. I’ve never heard of this. No. I actually have never had a jar break from vacuum sealing. I’ll have to do some research. Thanks for the heads up. I actually wish I could grow my own coffee. I grow a lot of our food. But coffee and West Virginia don’t seem to mesh!

I make most of my own cereal. My recipe is organic oats, local maple syrup, dehydrated strawberries that I raised and turned to powder, organic coconut, etc. I shared the recipe on my channel. Doesn’t it taste so much better? The only cereal I buy is organic. No Lucky Charms for me!

I don’t. I feel that it’s redundant since the air has been removed. But some people like that extra security. It won’t hurt anything if you do both.

I prefer to vacuum seal mine.

Watched your video. Great info. Ty fir being though

@@melodytoufekoulas3653awww. Thanks so much for your encouragement.

Nope. No need to. The oxygen is removed when it’s vacuum sealed.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead thank you very much.

We use Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers .

@@jb69muff thank you, appreciate it

I’ve never heard of using clay containers. I only use canning jars so I don’t know.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead ❤️

I have a manual one. It’s a tube that you pull the lever and it pulls out the air. They’re fairly inexpensive to buy.

It’s just temporary. I have new shelves coming.

It’s personal preference. I don’t. Many people swear by them. A vacuum sealer never gets all the air out. I’d I had them, I’d probably use them.

@@oneTLJ58 lol. I’m no spokesperson. I originally used one of those mason jar sealers. I sealed it. Put on the ring. And the lid loosened (or popped) because the seal wasn’t strong enough. When I took off the ring, the lid just fell off. It was no longer attached to the jar.

Yes! You’ll get some air in at the lid but the oxygen absorber will definitely help!

In my experience…no. It depends which one you bought. The cheap ones (less than $30) simply aren’t powerful enough to keep a long term seal. They may originally seal but eventually give out. You’ll only know by trying.

I don’t know. I’ve never used clay.

I have a video on making granola. It also tastes so much better! Thanks for sharing.

It varies greatly according to variety, temperature in storage, and how old they were when they were sealed. My almonds and walnuts only made a year.

I’ve vacuum sealed sunflower seeds. I’ll have to look into others.

It is. The difference is I use jars because mice can get into the foodsaver bags. And rats can chew in plastic buckets. But unless they knock a jar over hard enough to break, rodents can’t get into glass. And many food items like rice can go far longer than a year.

EXCELLENT idea!!! How long do you dehydrate it for and what’s the ratio to water when you cook it?

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead you take normal regular rice, dehydrate it as is. Not to sure about the time. 4 hrs, I think. But it turns the rice into "minute rice"

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead The methods I use is : 1) Cook rice, cool outdoors in shed (cold seasons) and/or fridge after it cools down. Then break up clumps and dehydrate at 145 F for as long as it takes. Usually in about 8 hours its bone dry. ( most time I go 12 hours. After 4 hours of dehydrating, I stir the rice around to ensure even drying. To cook, use 1:1 rice:water ratio and cook like minute rice. 2 ) My new favorite way (makes a fast light-roasted rice). I rinse and drain rice till water runs clear. Then I dry roast rice in un-oiled cast iron high sided pan until golden yellow. If I am flavoring the rice, I soak rice in 1/2 volume of broth/juice for about 1-2 hours or until liquid is absorbed. Then dehydrate at 145 F until bone dry (less time then water cooked rice). I always 'case' dehydrated foods once cooled to room temp. 1/2 gal jars/3 gal ice cream bucket/ 5 gal bucket (depending on volume of run). I add discanting packets according to size. This I allow to case for a couple days, stirring every so often and returning packets if they are still okay. If not, the soaked packet goes to redrying jar and fresh one replaced in bucket. Most times, they stay dry for many runs if foods are well dried from dehydrator. To cook, use 1:1.25 to 1.5 rice:water ratio. Bring to boil for 5 minutes, remove from heat covered. Let it sit undisturbed for 10-15 minutes or water is absorbed, then fluff up with fork.

@@lindayoung2959Com'mon! Really? Neat! Thanks!

I’ve tested how they taste a year later. Some were perfectly fine like rice and pasta. Others started to decline in taste. Those were mostly mixed ingredient foods like crackers and cereal. You can find all the research on the internet. There are charts everywhere. Many many foods go far longer. 1 year is the bare minimum. Salt for example is at least a decade and could easily go far longer. 😃

I used to. But I need to see what I have. Out of sight, out of mind. So I line my shelves and in a quick glance I know exactly what I have. But I’m glad you found a system that works for you. I’m just hoping more people see what’s going on and stocks up as soon as possible. Thanks for sharing!

So many great ways to store food. Store what you can. Biggest mistake is to store nothing. Store something. That is the best. Thanks for all your good deeds. @SomethingHomestead

I have vac-sealed a lot. They are fine in bucket with gamma lid. Also have in buckets tons of sacks of sugar, flour, rice, beans. Use as I need. Here in far north California there is little or no humidity. It's dry. The only time something might get stale is during the summer when the swamp cooler is on and brings that humidity in, and a chip bag is left open.

It’s a FoodSaver FM5200.

Ohhh. Good to know!

I’d say something is wrong with your sealer. It takes less than 30 seconds.

@@mamabear1135 Between floods, 2 more potential hurricanes, a drought that wiped out many American crops, a potential port strike, and an upcoming shaky election at best, the price of food will definitely go up. Cheap, no brand eggs just jumped here 2 weeks ago and I have a long waiting list of people wanting to buy mine. Nope, I will continue to stock up.

We’ve never had an earthquake here. But I’ve thought of that.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead I thought the same for here. Sometimes we get to feel a tiny rumble from a quake 500 miles away. Then one day we got hit with a 4.5 @ 10 miles from shallow epicenter. Shook the house good like it went over potholes for 45 seconds. Found out it happens very rarely around here, something like once a century.

Great Question! You use rings for vacuum sealing but not for canning. In canning if a seal pops but there is a ring you may not know it’s not sealed and you could get sick. In vacuum sealing you won’t get sick but the food can become stale. So if the lid pops but a ring is holding it, there’s a better chance that the food stays fresh.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm pretty much just beginning this journey.

I’m not sure what you’re asking. I seal them just like the bigger jars. They are either regular or large mouth lids.

@@JustDoSomethingHomestead I'm asking if the vacuum device fits over the small jars. Make another video. More content is good.