Yesterday I prepared field peas, okra and tomatoes to put away in the freezer. I was looking forward to using my Food Saver suction/sealer because I thought it would protect produce better than just plastic bagging. When I tried to use it, I found that the suction no longer works. Internet reviews of the newer models of Food Savers seem to give poor marks. Has anyone used one of the newer suction/seal systems? If so, could you give a review of which brand, model and how it works for you?
Vacuum sealer for produce
If yours is a Tilia brand you can go to their website for customer service. Some brands just aren't very good.
I have been using a drinking straw and just sucking the air out of my Ziploc bags. If you make the rest of the seal tight around the straw and then pull it out quickly and pinch the seal shut it works pretty well.
I have a new food saver (v2440), and love it. I have sealed close to 100 bags so far.
I have found, however, that if there is too much moisture in the food, it gets sucked up to where the bag is supposed to seal, and the moisture interferes with the seal. So, I do a couple of things: 1.) make absolutely sure the food is dry (easy with green beans, not so easy with par-boiled squash), 2.) sometimes take a towel and wipe the inside of the bag before sealing it, 3) check the bag after sealing it to make sure there aren't any gaps in the seal. If there are, I either reseal it, or put the bag in the kitchen freezer instead of the chest freezer in the garage), to help me remember to use it more quickly.
Good luck! -Patty
greenhouse_gal - It's good to know that I'm not the only one who uses a straw to get the air out of zipper bags. DH laughs at me, but I think it work great.
happygirl345 - When I'm vacuum sealing wet foods, I keep an eye on the bag as it's sealing. When the liquids gets near the sealing area, I quickly hit the SEAL button to stop the vacuuming process. I realize this may leave some air in the bag, but so far it hasn't been a problem.
Straw method used here, too.
Happygirl: Another thing you can do is, after you've put your produce in the bag, stick it in the freezer for an hour or so before you seal it. That stops the surface moisture from getting sucked up.
I have a Sears Kenmore, and I've been happy with it.
I had the same problem until I figured out about the moisture problem. So now I usually use the straw method and zip lock type bags and vac pack only drier things. Good luck.