Peter Aitken > wrote in message
m...
> "notbob" > wrote in message
news:6_uvc.38600$js4.3426@attbi_s51...
> > On 2004-06-02, Peter Aitken > wrote:
> > > Another way to save money is to avoid buying pointless
> > > gadgets like the foodsaver. I am sure it saves time but it
> > > does not do anything that careful wrapping cannot do.
> > >
> > I DID take the expense of the Food Saver into account. But,
> > in the long run, I know vacuum packaging is far superior to
> > ANY other method of preservation in a freezer[0]. I also
> > bought it to preserve whole hops for brewing beer. Without
> > vacuum sealing, even the best wrapping method will eventually
> > render the frozen food to desert-arid mummification within 3-6
> > months.
> >
> I don't doubt the foodsaver does a good job, but if your
> non-foodsaver wrapped food is suffering freezer burn in 3-6
> months then it is not wrapped well. But remember the original
> question was about saving money. Buying stuff on sale and
> freezing it for a few weeks hardly requires a vacuum packing tool.

I buy foods in bulk and do not go through full rotations within a few weeks.
I supplement with fresh in between, too, from the farmers market and local
farmers (again buying in bulk). My Foodsaver is a gahd-send and is one of
the most-used gadgets in the house. It makes sealing ground beef, steaks,
chops, filets, chicken, coffee, fruit, and vegetables a snap. SWMBO and I
can easily portion several 3-4 lb. fryers into meals and have them sealed
for freezing within 20 minutes; tops.

I never understood the distaste for these tools.

The Ranger
--
The 56k modem teaches us patience, humility, and the love of quiet
contemplation, grasshopper.
-Kylie, AM Nov. '02