In this video, I'll share how I use my vacuum sealer to organize frozen goods, thaw things quickly, and make food last longer. I'll also show you how you can seal food in generic ziplock bags so you don't have to break the bank.
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*** A full transcript can be found at www.marblejar.net. ***
Hi, everyone. This is Lara Hammock from the Marble Jar Channel and in today's video, I'll share how I use my vacuum sealer (www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-FM21...) to organize frozen goods, thaw things quickly, and make food last longer. I'll also show you how you can seal food in generic ziplock bags so you don't have to break the bank.
I'm completely in love with my vacuum sealer. I put off getting one for a long time, mostly because I'm cheap and didn't want to spend money on the expensive custom bags that you are supposed to use with the sealer. But eventually, the reasons for getting one got more compelling AND I figured out how to vacuum seal somewhat successfully with cheaper Ziplock bags, so now I'm a total convert. Real quickly, here were my reasons:
* Quick thaw - I'd like to tell you that I'm the kind of person who always takes meat out of the freezer several days in advance so that it is all ready to go on the night of the meal. But I would be lying. Sometimes I plan ahead well, but sometimes I don't. And on those days, I want a solution that doesn't involve microwave thawing, which almost always results in a portion of the meat being cooked in the process. If you freeze meat in the original packaging or in a huge lump, there really isn't any other option other than letting it thaw naturally or microwaving it forever. HOWEVER, if the meat is vacuum packed as flat as possible, it only takes about 20 minutes per inch of thickness to thaw in running water. This is a definite plus for our hectic lifestyle. I also got myself a large collapsible bowl for quick thawing that fits most of my meat and stores easily under my sink.
* Compact Storage - In addition to wanting to be able to thaw things quickly, vacuum sealing portions as flat as possible has also made it easier to fit more things into my freezer. I like to store thing standing up whenever possible, particularly for my bottom freezer which is just like a big drawer. Piling things on top of each other is a good way to lose track of what is in there. Plus, freezing things in uniform portions helps store more meat in a small place. And finally,
* Long Lasting - Vacuum sealing wards against freezer burn. Meat and other foods stay good longer when they are vacuum packed with all of the air removed. In addition, I now vacuum seal small cooked portions of meat, leftover veggies, and other random sundries that might go bad in the refrigerator, but that I can thaw and use right away from the freezer.
I don't really have a strong feeling about which Vacuum Sealer you choose. There are a bunch on the market. I picked the FoodSaver FM2100. It had all of the features I needed, plus it was small, so it stores perfectly in an easy to access drawer in my kitchen. I know myself -- if it takes too much hassle to get to something, I'll never use it. Okay -- I'm just going to quickly go over the functions here. The locking mechanism on the side has 3 modes: Open which allows you to freely open the top, Store which I don't use, and Operate, which you use when you are sealing and I also use for storage. The storage mode is supposed to lock down the top, but when I choose that mode it kept flying open and catching my fingers, so I just use Operate mode for storage as well to make sure the top stays closed. Since I have yet to use the accessory port, this machine has really just 2 functions: sealing alone and vacuum and sealing. Sealing alone is this red button. It is just going to make a nice seal on whatever plastic you clamp inside the machine. I'll show you how it works:So, you can see that there was no vacuum sound, it just used heat to create this seal. There are two reasons to do this: one is so you can create a bag. FoodSaver has two different options for bags. You can buy them pre-made, meaning you just have to put the food in and seal the top, OR you can buy a roll which you put into the machine, you cut the plastic to the right length using this cutter here, and then you seal the bottom using the Sealing Only function to create a bag to put food in. . . .
20 июл 2024
