I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
goodies.

What do most people use them for?

What should one not use them for?

What do I not know about them that I should?

Pastorio

Bob Pastorio wrote:

> I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
> goodies.
>
> What do most people use them for?
>
> What should one not use them for?
>
> What do I not know about them that I should?
>
> Pastorio
>
Keep it clean, particularly the vacuum area.

Kinda hard to vac seal liquids in a bag but you can freeze the liquid,
put it in a bag, and then seal it.

I keep all sorts of food in bags, mostly for the freezer, some jars of
dried foods sealed with lids and in the pantry. I buy bulk meats when a
good sale comes along, separate the steaks/roasts/chicken breasts/chops,
etc. and bag in quantity for two old people and a small dog.

Pretty basically you can do about anything to stuff with the Tilia as
long as you use caution.

The bags are reusable as I'm sure you already know. I turn them inside
out, hang them on the top rack of the dishwasher with clothes pins, let
them air dry, turn them right side out again and store for later use.

I freeze chopped chiles, onions, etc. on a bun pan. then they go into
appropriate sized vac bags and are sealed. The part of the seal that
will be cut off is perfect for writing on with a Sharpie just in case I
can't remember what it was. B-)

I make moussaka and caponata, put them in about quart sized disposable
aluminum casseroles, vacuum seal in a bag and freeze. Still good over a
year later.

Only problem is with whole fish, be sure to clip the fins or you will
get a hole and lose the seal.

George

I've heard not to use them for liquid. But I use mine all the time for
sauces, soups and stews.

--
Helen

Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift:
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God
is the object of our faith; the only faith that
saves is faith in Him

www.peagramfamily.com
http://www.mompeagram.homestead.com/

225/207/145
"Bob Pastorio" > wrote in message
...
> I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
> goodies.
>
> What do most people use them for?
>
> What should one not use them for?
>
> What do I not know about them that I should?
>
> Pastorio
>

In article >, George Shirley
> writes:

>Only problem is with whole fish, be sure to clip the fins or you will
>get a hole and lose the seal.
>
>George

I find that a paper towel also helps with sharp areas.


Larry Noah

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 01:46:00 -0400, Bob Pastorio >
wrote:

>I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
>goodies.
>
>What do most people use them for?

I mostly use mine for vacuum sealing jars. Any jar that'll take a
standard or wide mouth lid will work. You can greatly extend the
storage life of many dry foods this way.

You can marinade food in minutes via the vacuum process that would
otherwise take hours.

>What should one not use them for?

If it needs to be refrigerated or frozen when not vacuum sealed it'll
need to be refrigerated or frozen after it's vacuum sealed.

>What do I not know about them that I should?

The bags are somewhat pricey. Try not to suck dust or liquids into
the pump. I line the inside of my jar sealer adapters with cut down
coffee filters. Others use cotton balls.

Soft foods with a lot of loft (like breads and such) can be squashed
flat if you let the pump run to its maximum draw. Might want to
freeze such foods in advance then vacuum seal, or vacuum seal them in
rigid containers.

......Alan.


Post no bills

"LIMEYNO1" > wrote in message
...
| I've heard not to use them for liquid. But I use mine all the time for
| sauces, soups and stews.
|

I either freeze liquids in ice trays or other container and then seal in
bags. Ice trays are a great way to portion things out for easy measure
later.

A.T. Hagan wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 01:46:00 -0400, Bob Pastorio >
> wrote:
>
>
>>I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
>>goodies.
>>
>>What do most people use them for?
>
>
> I mostly use mine for vacuum sealing jars. Any jar that'll take a
> standard or wide mouth lid will work. You can greatly extend the
> storage life of many dry foods this way.
>
> You can marinade food in minutes via the vacuum process that would
> otherwise take hours.
>
>
>>What should one not use them for?
>
>
> If it needs to be refrigerated or frozen when not vacuum sealed it'll
> need to be refrigerated or frozen after it's vacuum sealed.
>
>
>>What do I not know about them that I should?
>
>
> The bags are somewhat pricey. Try not to suck dust or liquids into
> the pump. I line the inside of my jar sealer adapters with cut down
> coffee filters. Others use cotton balls.
>
> Soft foods with a lot of loft (like breads and such) can be squashed
> flat if you let the pump run to its maximum draw. Might want to
> freeze such foods in advance then vacuum seal, or vacuum seal them in
> rigid containers.
>
> .....Alan.
>
>
> Post no bills

My grandkids like to watch a jar full of marshmellows shrink down when
vacced then plump up again when you break the seal. Makes them think
granpa is a wizard.

On that vein we found out Sunday that we are to be great-grandparents
again, this one will be number 2 ggk when he/she comes along in 7 or 8
months. When we married 43 years ago we never thought we would be
looking at a line of descendants this long. <VBG>

George

Dave wrote:

> "LIMEYNO1" > wrote in message
> ...
> | I've heard not to use them for liquid. But I use mine all the time for
> | sauces, soups and stews.
> |
>
> I either freeze liquids in ice trays or other container and then seal in
> bags. Ice trays are a great way to portion things out for easy measure
> later.
>
>

I do that with fresh parsley, basil, oregano, etc. Also with lemon juice
from lemons on our tree. Freeze solid in ice trays then bag and vac.
Keeps stuff fresh for a long time. Helps with recipes too, the cube
trays I use have cubes that are exactly two tablespoons when filled.

George

Bob Pastorio wrote:

> I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
> goodies.
>
> What do most people use them for?
>
> What should one not use them for?
>
> What do I not know about them that I should?

Lots of nice replies. Thanks. The reason I asked the questions is
because we're talking about vacuum bagging on my radio program on
Thursday.

So if you still have ideas about any of the above, please let me know.

Next question: Beyond marinating, do you use it for any other culinary
process? Anything where it works better if it's in a vacuum? Any ideas
where using the vacuum feature can help make the food better or more
interesting?

Pastorio

George Shirley wrote:

> My grandkids like to watch a jar full of marshmellows shrink down when
> vacced then plump up again when you break the seal. Makes them think
> granpa is a wizard.

They'll be teenagers soon enough!

B/

Bob Pastorio > wrote:

>I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
>goodies.
>
>What do most people use them for?
>
>What should one not use them for?
>
>What do I not know about them that I should?
>
>Pastorio


Roll down the top inch or two when you are filling bags. It keeps
"junk" off of the sealing surface.

--
Susan N.

There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who do not.

"George Shirley" <
<snip>
: On that vein we found out Sunday that we are to be
great-grandparents
: again, this one will be number 2 ggk when he/she comes along in
7 or 8
: months. When we married 43 years ago we never thought we would
be
: looking at a line of descendants this long. <VBG>
:
: George
: =======]

Congratulations George and the rest of the family! Woo-Hoo!

Cyndi
<Remove a "b" to reply>

On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 12:08:02 -0400, Bob Pastorio >
wrote:

>Bob Pastorio wrote:
>
>> I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
>> goodies.
>>
>> What do most people use them for?
>>
>> What should one not use them for?
>>
>> What do I not know about them that I should?
>
>Lots of nice replies. Thanks. The reason I asked the questions is
>because we're talking about vacuum bagging on my radio program on
>Thursday.
>
>So if you still have ideas about any of the above, please let me know.
>
>Next question: Beyond marinating, do you use it for any other culinary
>process? Anything where it works better if it's in a vacuum? Any ideas
>where using the vacuum feature can help make the food better or more
>interesting?
>
>Pastorio

While not particularly useful try putting some marshmallows in a jar,
put on the jar adapter and pump it out. The marshmallows swell
tremendously as the air pressure falls. Visually impressive if
nothing else.

In a form of reverse marinading you can pull flavors out of something
into a liquid faster in a vacuum. I think Paul Hinrichs mentioned it
first that I recall when he put a nectarine in some form of alcohol
and pumped it out. The color and flavor of the nectarine came out
into the alcohol fairly quickly. I tried with some vodka and
quartered oranges. Very pronounced orange flavor after a day or so.

Probably make rumptopf in a hurry that way too, but I haven't tried
that.

......Alan.


Post no bills

Brian Mailman wrote:

> George Shirley wrote:
>
>
>>My grandkids like to watch a jar full of marshmellows shrink down when
>>vacced then plump up again when you break the seal. Makes them think
>>granpa is a wizard.
>
>
> They'll be teenagers soon enough!
>
> B/

Way ahead of you there. Got grandkids at the following ages: 23, 20, 17,
5, and 3. Greatgrands at 3 and still in the canner. Did I mention that
I'm old. <BSEG>

George

George Shirley wrote:
>
> Brian Mailman wrote:
>
> > George Shirley wrote:
> >
> >
> >>My grandkids like to watch a jar full of marshmellows shrink down when
> >>vacced then plump up again when you break the seal. Makes them think
> >>granpa is a wizard.
> >
> >
> > They'll be teenagers soon enough!
> >
> > B/
>
> Way ahead of you there. Got grandkids at the following ages: 23, 20, 17,
> 5, and 3. Greatgrands at 3 and still in the canner. Did I mention that
> I'm old. <BSEG>

Heh. I was reflecting on the natural progression of them thinking
you're a wizard, getting old enough to know EVERYTHING, and then getting
old enough past that to know they don't.

B/

"A.T. Hagan" wrote:

> In a form of reverse marinading you can pull flavors out of something
> into a liquid faster in a vacuum. I think Paul Hinrichs mentioned it
> first that I recall when he put a nectarine in some form of alcohol
> and pumped it out. The color and flavor of the nectarine came out
> into the alcohol fairly quickly. I tried with some vodka and
> quartered oranges. Very pronounced orange flavor after a day or so.

I've got a friend with a Meyer Lemon tree and make limoncello in the
spring/summer. This year, on January 2 or thereabouts I made it with
mandarin orange peels. Is grrreat schtuff.

Gotta have at least 100 proof vodka though.

B/

Ok, Bob

I don't have a FoodSaver brand, but here are some of the uses I put my
vaccum sealer to performing - in addition to those mentioned in precious
posts.

Packaging my homemade dry soup, stew, rice pudding, and various dessert
mixes to take camping. Also to maintain freshness for shipping cookies
(just limit the vaccum). Purchase bulk yeast, baking powders,
dehydrated eggs, divide into smaller amounts and vac seal to maintain
freshness/activity. Package brown sugar in amounts usually used in a
recipe - no hardness in over two years (test pkg.)

Save seeds from various plants - ships easily inside an envelope.
Package homemade jerky to send to friends in other climates. Seal
homemade dog and cat treats to send to friends. Keep high acid foods
(salsa, etc.) safe in cooler to take to outings (esp. to places where
jars, bottles, aren't allowed).

Kacey

Bob Pastorio wrote:
> Bob Pastorio wrote:
>
>> I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
>> goodies.
>>
>> What do most people use them for?
>>
>> What should one not use them for?
>>
>> What do I not know about them that I should?
>
>
> Lots of nice replies. Thanks. The reason I asked the questions is
> because we're talking about vacuum bagging on my radio program on Thursday.
>
> So if you still have ideas about any of the above, please let me know.
>
> Next question: Beyond marinating, do you use it for any other culinary
> process? Anything where it works better if it's in a vacuum? Any ideas
> where using the vacuum feature can help make the food better or more
> interesting?
>
> Pastorio
>

--
Outgoing messages scanned with Norton AntiVirus 2003

"Bob Pastorio" > wrote in message
...
| Bob Pastorio wrote:
|
|
| Next question: Beyond marinating, do you use it for any other culinary
| process? Anything where it works better if it's in a vacuum? Any ideas
| where using the vacuum feature can help make the food better or more
| interesting?
|

I smoke lots of fish (salmon) for friends at party times. Last year on New
Years Eve, I made the rounds to 5 friends homes with salmon hot out of the
smoker. I got the idea to cover a piece of cardboard with aluminum foil,
place the salmon on it in a foodsave bag, and seal it shut for the ride (in
a warmed cooler). Needless to say, every stop I made required a bit of
'socializing' before I could leave (along with me helping with the table
presentation of the salmon). Even the last piece delivered was as hot and
juicy as the first (although I was in worse shape).

When they saw the salmon coming out of a vacuum bag with all the juices and
the aroma, they were in awe. The fish didn't dry out and it was as aromatic
as if it had just come off the smoker. I told everyone to was their bag and
send it back next year (if they wanted a repeat).

In article >,
Bob Pastorio > wrote:

> I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
> goodies.
>
> What do most people use them for?
>
> What should one not use them for?
>
> What do I not know about them that I should?
>
> Pastorio


Well I use mine for all the standard stuff and also for cherry tomatoes.
Freeze 'em first on a cookie sheet for an hour and then vacuum seal
them. I did the same with chopped chiles George gave me a lot of ideas
all right. Lots of people vacuum seal things they don't want to get
wet when they go camping or on boat or float trips. Cheese is utterly
fabulous vacuum sealed--- keeps for ages without molding or drying out.

Phaedrine Stonebridge wrote:
> In article >,
> Bob Pastorio > wrote:
>
>
>>I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
>>goodies.
>>
>>What do most people use them for?
>>
>>What should one not use them for?
>>
>>What do I not know about them that I should?
>>
>>Pastorio
>
>
>
> Well I use mine for all the standard stuff and also for cherry tomatoes.
> Freeze 'em first on a cookie sheet for an hour and then vacuum seal
> them. I did the same with chopped chiles George gave me a lot of ideas
> all right. Lots of people vacuum seal things they don't want to get
> wet when they go camping or on boat or float trips. Cheese is utterly
> fabulous vacuum sealed--- keeps for ages without molding or drying out.


Oh yeah, love good cheeses. A local deli has some wonderful cheeses from
around the world. Occasionally they will have a sale and I will get some
of their cheeses, bring them home, vacuum seal them and put them in the
fridge. Open the bag, cut off a few slices, reseal, repeat until cheese
is gone and it's as good as it was when purchased up to two months
later. Of course some cheeses don't last two months in my fridge,
someone or something keeps eating them. <VBG>

George

"Bob Pastorio" > wrote in message
...
> I have a lovely, new FoodSaver ProII with bells, whistles and sundry
> goodies.
>
> What do most people use them for?
>
> What should one not use them for?
>
> What do I not know about them that I should?
>
> Pastorio

I've got my sugar in Quart jars, coffee in jars, potato chips in jars, a
vaccu-bag of paintballs (that was just for fun), I assembled a little
emergency supply kit by bagging some beans, fishhooks and cork, a mini
bottle of Grand Marnier, chicken and beef bullion cubes, and more and sealed
all that into a widemouth jar as a goofy gift for a friend of mine, my
pepperonis are sealed and ready for the next pizza, which reminds me I want
to get my flour in jars as well. In fact, I think I can vaccu-jar enough
flour for a pizza dough in one pint jar (I'm gonna have to try this one out)
and have measured out ingedients waiting on the shelf for pizza night. Oh!
Which reminds me, I havn't yet had a chance to vaccu-jar my pizza sauce!
Well, I actually hot water bath the pizza sauce but I've been thinking about
combining the two.

A question of my own to the group: Would it make any sense to suck the air
out of the sauce with the vaccu-sealer and *then* hot water bath to
sterilize?

--
Mark W. Stevens
www.goatlike.com - unusual watercolors
eBay Id: goatlike

In article >,
wrote:

> On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 08:25:30 -0500, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
> >Oh yeah, love good cheeses. A local deli has some wonderful cheeses from
> >around the world. Occasionally they will have a sale and I will get some
> >of their cheeses, bring them home, vacuum seal them and put them in the
> >fridge. Open the bag, cut off a few slices, reseal, repeat until cheese
> >is gone and it's as good as it was when purchased up to two months
> >later. Of course some cheeses don't last two months in my fridge,
> >someone or something keeps eating them. <VBG>
> >
>
> It's 'refrigerator mice'.
>
> They live in fridges and eat cheese. Being intelligent
> mice, they reseal the vacuum bag. Cheeky little devils!
>
> Pat


.. :: guffaws ::

wrote:

> On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 08:25:30 -0500, George Shirley
> > wrote:
>
> >Oh yeah, love good cheeses. A local deli has some wonderful cheeses from
> >around the world. Occasionally they will have a sale and I will get some
> >of their cheeses, bring them home, vacuum seal them and put them in the
> >fridge. Open the bag, cut off a few slices, reseal, repeat until cheese
> >is gone and it's as good as it was when purchased up to two months
> >later. Of course some cheeses don't last two months in my fridge,
> >someone or something keeps eating them. <VBG>
> >
>
> It's 'refrigerator mice'.
>
> They live in fridges and eat cheese. Being intelligent
> mice, they reseal the vacuum bag. Cheeky little devils!
>
> Pat

So who are those buggers who drink all the milk and leave an
empty carton? Refridgerator Raccoons?
Edrena

The Joneses wrote:
> wrote:
>
>
>>On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 08:25:30 -0500, George Shirley
> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Oh yeah, love good cheeses. A local deli has some wonderful cheeses from
>>>around the world. Occasionally they will have a sale and I will get some
>>>of their cheeses, bring them home, vacuum seal them and put them in the
>>>fridge. Open the bag, cut off a few slices, reseal, repeat until cheese
>>>is gone and it's as good as it was when purchased up to two months
>>>later. Of course some cheeses don't last two months in my fridge,
>>>someone or something keeps eating them. <VBG>
>>>
>>It's 'refrigerator mice'.
>>
>>They live in fridges and eat cheese. Being intelligent
>>mice, they reseal the vacuum bag. Cheeky little devils!
>>
>>Pat
>
>
> So who are those buggers who drink all the milk and leave an
> empty carton? Refridgerator Raccoons?
> Edrena
>

Aha! Keep forgetting to set a saucer of milk out for the pixies and
they're coming in and helping themselves. It's all your fault.

George

George Shirley > wrote in message >.. .
>
> My grandkids like to watch a jar full of marshmellows shrink down when
> vacced then plump up again when you break the seal. Makes them think
> granpa is a wizard.
>
> On that vein we found out Sunday that we are to be great-grandparents
> again, this one will be number 2 ggk when he/she comes along in 7 or 8
> months. When we married 43 years ago we never thought we would be
> looking at a line of descendants this long. <VBG>
>
> George

Well congratulations George!

BTW, there is some sort of weirdness in the Usenet propagation between
your ISP and mine. Absolutely none of your posts make it to the
Atlantic.net news server where I can see them. It wasn't until
someone else quoted some of your text that I even knew you were still
in the group.

Time to fire off an e-mail to the help desk. I wonder who else isn't
crossing my news server?

......Alan.