Oh, no! I did it!

[heidibowman]

I finally got a Food Saver!

I've been wanting one for years but my SO has always rallied against getting one. However, yesterday we were in Costco and apparently a 3 pound package of flank steaks finally turned him around! He said since I've been cooking so much lately (thanks a lot to you guys!) and buying in bulk that I'd better get one! Yea!

I know there've been threads before regarding the Food Saver and I intend to go back and read them after I finish with this post.

However, just wondering if anyone has any new helpful tips, new recipes using theirs, or any other comments in general. Also, what accessories can't you live without? I'm already jonesing for the square container so I can marinate meat in a half hour (which, incidentally, would've come in really handy tonight since I was planning on making the adobo flank steak with the corn and tomato relish from the June issue, but I didn't notice beforehand that it's supposed to marinate 24 hours. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif ) I'm having a hard time justifying the $24.95 for it, though. Does anyone know if they sell the accessories in any stores?

Please excuse me now. I must go vacuum pack my entire refrigerator! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Mamasue]

Two things......

#1 - I gaaareentee that you will vacumn pack everything!

#2 - You will love this appliance and wonder how you ever lived without it.

I have the standard model which just seals bags and not canister vacumn. Maybe some day I will upgrade mine. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[funnybone]

Originally posted by heidibowman:
I'm already jonesing for the square container so I can marinate meat in a half hour (which, incidentally, would've come in really handy tonight since I was planning on making the adobo flank steak with the corn and tomato relish from the June issue, but I didn't notice beforehand that it's supposed to marinate 24 hours. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/frown.gif ) I'm having a hard time justifying the $24.95 for it, though. Does anyone know if they sell the accessories in any stores?


I don't have one - yet - but have seen the infomercial and they marinate in one of the bags - and they say it only takes minutes (not sure how many). So, instead of a container, use one of the bags. I would hope there is something in the instructions on it.

Congrats on your purchase. It's the Ultra that you got, right? I have seen them there and intend to get one soon. One question about your model. Do you have to hold the button down to seal the bags, or it is automatic? I want the automatic one.

[TamiK]

I just got mine, too! I stayed up half of Thursday night and "neglected" my grandaughter on Friday(translation: she had to play with Play-Doh without me) so I could vac-pac everything in sight. I got a dozen quart size mason jars and a dozen pint size--they all have stuff in them. I realize I might be overdoing it when I vac-pac half of a 44 cent bunch of cilantro, but I had an extra jar. What can it hurt?

My husband started out dubious, but I showed him the $40 or $50 worth of food I threw out when I went through the freezer due to freezer burn. I've also demonstrated to him how a few hours one day translates into easy prep for meals for the next several days. I think I've won him over.

I'm so excited to finally have this product. Next to my professional knife sharpener, this is probably the best investment I've ever made. Thanks to all of you for your glowing recommendations--they pushed me over the edge to make the purchase!

[Curleytop]

Heidi, Regarding the foodsaver containers:
I have had my Foodsaver for many years, and I have several of the round containers.
If your recipe tells you to marinate for 24 hours, you can use the foodsaver and do it in perhaps an hour. Ordinarily you only need to marinate for 1/2 hour. Did yours come with a VCR CASSETTE with instructions?
You might want to play it a few times!
I don't use the bag material too much since it is quite expensive, but you can use it over. Invest in some Ball Jars, with the wide top. You can store nuts, cereals, grains and so on, then just put the lid on and vacuum the jar. I have quart, pint and 1/2 gal containers. Some of the containers are "freezer" jars. I buy my yeasts in Costco, the regular and the fast, and store them in the freezer. They last for over a year! You will have such fun!

[Jewel]

Congratulations Heidi! I've had mine now for about a month, and I'm wondering how I got along without it. My main peice of advice is don't put it away! If you can find a place on your kitchen counter for it, do it. You need to have it out and ready to use all of the time! If I had it in a cabinet and had to haul it out every time I wanted to use it, I would probably use it less.

So far I like the rolls of bag material, because I can cut my own sizes. I also love re-using the bags. I'm not the type to vac-pack my grains, cereal, etc. My main focus has been meat, cheese, onions, ginger root, stuff like that. We keep salad in the 2.5 qt canister in the fridge, which really has cut down on time and money! I haven't bought the mason jars yet, but I have the wide mouth jar sealer, which I use for the canisters. So far, the 4 canisters I have work fine for me!

It's little stuff that amazes my husband though. When I buy a ginger root I rarely am able to use the entire thing before it goes bad, 'cause there's not too many things that call for fresh ginger in a week's time! I vac-pack the root, and it's there waiting the next time! If I use half a package of bacon or sausage, I transfer what's left to a foodsaver bag and vac-pack it. DH's favorite, though, is deli lunch meats. After two or three days his turkey or roast beef always got that slimy stuff on the outside, and since we vac-pack it each time we open the bag, it stays fresh! I've had a pound of deli ham in that fridge for three weeks, and it's still good. We've still got about a 1/4 lb to go, but we'll make it!

You'll find lots of uses for it as you go. Just keep it in sight!! By the way, Cooking.com has FoodSaver stuff at really good prices, but they're OUT of the square canister right now (I'm supposed to get an email message when they're in stock!) and they're out of the 3-canister set (I got the last one! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif ) The bags and bag rolls are cheaper there! Here's the link:
http://www.cooking.com/products/shprodli.asp?Keywords=food+saver&DeptNo=All&ClassNo=All&BrandNo=All&Price=All&Advanced=True&x=12&y=10

Have fun!!

[Norma]

TamiK, no I certainly don't think you're overdoing it vacuum packing cilantro. That stuff is so hard to keep for any length of time. I've had some in my frig now for over two weeks. I think this is the first time I've ever used a whole bunch of the stuff without it getting slimy and throwing it out.

My yeast is vacuum packed in a mason jar and is sitting on the cupboard shelf. I don't even bother putting it in the freezer. I buy the 2 pound bag at Costco, and it takes a while to use it, but it has never died on me.

[TamiK]

Curleytop, where have you found 1/2 gallon mason jars? I'd love to have some, but haven't found them at Wal-Mart, Target, or the grocery store.

[Grace]

Tami, you can use the mason jars just like the square canister to marinate your meat. That's how I do it, (just "stuff" the meat into the jar! For flank steak, I kind of roll it up) and it works fine. Congrats on your purchase, you will indeed love it.

[Vanessa]

Congrats on your food saver. I have been looking at them for a while. I guess my new "to get" list includes that and an ice cream maker http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[Curleytop]

Originally posted by TamiK:
Curleytop, where have you found 1/2 gallon mason jars? I'd love to have some, but haven't found them at Wal-Mart, Target, or the grocery store.

Do you have an "Ace Hardware" in your area?
They can special order them for you. You do have to buy a case of them! Of course they last forever. My kitchen/laundry room
opens into the garage, and I store all my jars in the original boxes they came in.

[heidibowman]

Grace - Great minds think alike. I did end up stuffing the flank steak into the medium sized container and marinated it for 1/2 hour. It worked great!!!

BTW - the adobo marinated flank steak with summer corn and tomato relish is AWESOME!! I absolutely loved the corn relish, although next time I'm going to reduce the oil in it, maybe even eliminate it altogether. I didn't think it was entirely necessary. I love the taste of the sherry vinegar. It was really hard to find, however. I ended up getting it at AJ's which is an upscale grocery store here. (They even have valet parking!)

I also purchased pint and quart ball jars and sealed all sorts of stuff in them, including my fresh herbs that always seem to melt before I've used even 1/4 of the containers.

Jewel - Great idea on the ginger! I'll have to use that one. Also, thanks for the cooking.com idea. I was going to look at their website yesterday and got sidetracked.

[heidibowman]

Originally posted by funnybone:
It's the Ultra that you got, right? One question about your model. Do you have to hold the button down to seal the bags, or it is automatic? I want the automatic one.

Yes, it's the Ultra but yes, you do have to hold the button down. It's incredibly fast, though, so it's really not much of an inconvenience.

I'm already highly smitten with this appliance and definitely recommend getting one. I'd also recommend getting the one at Costco because it comes with so many extras. You get 3 canisters in graduated sizes, 2 universal jar lids, the mason jar sealer attachment, 2 bottle stoppers (kinda look like Vacu-Vin stoppers), and 2 rolls of the bag material in 2 different sizes.