Also check over at the Cooking Forum. Lots of responses over there.

Thank you sushipup! I'll head over there.

I read the results of a test and they found that freezer bags are just as good as vacuum bags.

EmmaR-

Freezer bags aren't oxygen-free like a vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bag, nor are they as tightly wrapped over the food. Oxygen is always an enemy in food storage - including frozen foods. The freezer bags, because of oxygen remaining in the bags, allow for the migration of moisture from the food into the bag, and the moisture forms into ice crystals which equals a loss of moisture and flavor in the food item. Food that is vacuum-sealed doesn't get freezer burn, nor does it suffer from moisture loss like freezer bags do.

If you don't mind, would you please site the information?

-Grainlady

"Drain. Add 6 oz. cream cheese, 1 c. sour cream, 1 c. sour cream, 1/2 c. butter. Mash. "

Is there a reason you split out the 2 cups of sour cream?

There is no comparison between freezer bags and a good vacuum sealing system. Personally have seen the difference between fish that is just bagged and fish that is sealed.

I am probably on my third(?) food saver. They do make commercial units but they aren't cheap. I do find that either the wire gets too hot are maybe the motor gets hot, but it will shut down and I have to give it a rest. The only time this becomes a problem is when I am bagging large quantities of salmon.

I use the universal lid to jar lettuce. I usually buy the 6 pack of romaine. I clean, cut, and spin the lettuce and then put in quart jars. Easy to pull out and use for salads. Just gently pry off the lids and you can clean and reuse the lids.

We also use it for stuff you don't want to get wet. I do it for stuff that we carry in first aid kits. The only drawback with stuff you "bag" is that you will also need to carry a knife or scissors in order to open the bags.

Bags aren't cheap but how much are you throwing out? Buying in bulk is cheaper, but only if you don't end up with freezer burn. For me it's more convience than savings. I like going to the freezer and having my homemade food. When you make meatballs do large quanities and freeze. Use the same principle for your other favorites. Today I was using it to bag some prime rib that was cooked on the traeger for a party last night. We also had steelhead that was removed from a food saver bag.

Listen to Grainlady. She knows what she's talking about when it comes to food preservation.

LuAnn-

Thanks for catching my mistake. The recipe should read:

5# potatoes (cooked and drained)
Add:
6 oz. cream cheese
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. butter
------------------------------------------------------------

Housefairy-

I'm with you.... Lettuce, vacuum-sealed in a canister or a 1/2-gallon jar, keeps fresh for much longer. Vacuum-sealing is specially good when picking fresh leaf lettuce in the spring.

A vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bag VS a freezer bag example:

I found 3 vacuum-sealed All-Beef Fairbury Franks from Nebraska (an expensive item here in Kansas when you can find them ;-) that were sealed Dec. 2010. I think I was saving them for a special occasion, but they got lost in the rotation shuffle. Anyway, they got cooked for our 42nd Wedding Anniversary last week because we were in the middle of "The Blizzard of Oz" and didn't want to go out to eat. They were as good as the day I vacuum-sealed them. You'd never get anything other than freezer burned, dehydrated, hot dogs if you stored them 26-months in a zip-lock freezer bag! We had them with a gift jar of home-canned sauerkraut and Freezer Mashed Potatoes. This is as good as it gets when it comes to a favorite meal for me. And one we'll remember as the Anniversary Special.

-Grainlady

It was reported on TV when they first came out. It didn't really interest me because I have never kept more than a month's supply in the freezer. I try to keep life simple and I don't go into fancy tools like a lot of people do. I use mostly soap and water for cleaning. I bought a swifter mop and when I got ready to buy more replacement cloths, I was shocked at the price, so I use old thin wash cloths on the mop and throw them in the laundry.

I've just glanced through the replies as I just popped in here for a minute before heading out to work.

Grainlady, one comment you made did catch my eye and I wanted to ask about it. You mentioned freezing strawberries. How do you do this? Every time I've tried freezing strawberries, I end up with a mushy mess that is totally inedible.

I can't wait to get home tonight and really sit down and read all the comments!

You will get good results with strawberries by quick-freezing them on a cookie sheet first, then vacuum-sealing them. Make sure you put them in a single layer in the bags (with the bag opening to the side) when you vacuum-seal the bag.

I quick-freeze nearly everything before I vacuum-seal it in a bag to store in the freezer.

Hope that helps you out.

-Grainlady

I freeze bacon, smoked sausage and a few other things by putting them on a cookies sheet in serving sizes, then bagging them. It's a wonderful to way to keep food fresh for a single person.

"You will get good results with strawberries by quick-freezing them on a cookie sheet first, then vacuum-sealing them"

Quick freeze???
As in faster?
How do you get them to freeze faster?

I am familiar with flash freezing, but that is not possible with a regular household freezer.

"Quick freeze" is freezing them ONLY until they are solid enough to withstand vacuum-sealing. You could also call it flash-freezing, but technically flash-freezing requires a much colder temperature than what most home freezers are set at. "Quick freezing" is also a term used in my FoodSaver manuals. Anyway, once a food item is frozen you should vacuum-seal it as soon as possible to prevent moisture loss in the freezer, which can affect the flavor and texture.

I often load the FoodSaver bag with the food in a single layer and lay it on a flat surface in the freezer. When the food is frozen (15-60 minutes depending on the type and thickness), then I vacuum-seal it shut. Things like blueberries, cooked grains or beans can be done this way, or you can place them on a rimmed cookie sheet lined with sheet of parchment paper. Once frozen completely, lift the parchment paper to loosen the food items and use the parchment paper as a funnel to fill the bag/s.

Hope that helps...

-Grainlady

Hello,

This thread has been so enlightening. I hope someone can help me. I am not generally a stockpiler, nor do I have experience with many "emergency" type foods. I found you guys through a google search.

I am preparing a box to send overseas to a friend who lives in South Sudan where fruit and meat and dairy are difficult to come by. She has asked for freeze dried things and I have found a local store that sells them in 10# cans.

I can't mail the cans due to their size and weight. I am going to be buying freeze-dried chicken and freeze-dried mozzarella. Can I open the 10# cans and put their contents into foodsaver bags and vacuum seal them before mailing? I notice that you said some things can't be stored in bags but I could not determine if meat and cheese were among those things.

Would putting them in the foodsaver bags extend their shelf life and make them ok to mail (it takes about a month for them to get their mail as it's brought over from Kenya once a month)?

Thank you in advance for your help!

If it matters, the products I am looking at are:
http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/freezedriedchickencan.aspx

http://store.honeyvillegrain.com/freezedriedmozzarellacheesecan.aspx#.UfPiyo0qbzc

According to the site you linked to, the non-refrigerated shelf life of the food is one week after the can is opened. I don't believe that the home vacuum sealing bags and machines can give you the completely airless environment needed to safely store the meats.

SnowflakeJen-

I would give the friendly folks at Honeyville Grain a call (888) 810-3212 for guidelines and information. They may suggest mylar bags with an oxygen absorber instead of a FoodSaver, or perhaps adding an oxygen absorber to the FoodSaver bags.

I gleaned this information from Chef Tess Bakeresse web site (she's a Honeyville Grain representative). She repacks whole meals made from freeze-dried foods in canning jars (it can also be packed in mylar bags), and that might be something you would want to send. She has lots of recipes and videos at her web site and don't miss her new book - "The Gourmet Food Storage Handbook - by Stephanie Petersen (aka Chef Tess).

NOTE: The repacking of Freeze Dried Meat must be done within 24-48 hours of opening the can and must be done in a dry environment. Once repacked you must use an oxygen absorber to make sure there is a vacuum oxygen free environment.

I would measure the cheese or meat in small amounts - not more than 1-2 cup per bag - and would probably double-bag it and vacuum-seal shut. Place the small bags into a large bag and vacuum-seal it shut with an oxygen absorber for shipping and longer storage. This way the entire #10 can amount won't have to be used quickly once it's open. Each small bag can be used as needed.

-Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: Chef Tess Bakeresse