It only took me ten years to get around to using FoodSaver reusable vacuum sealer bags... I got a quart size and a gallon size box. (Both are Amazon affiliate links, thanks).
I own an oldie (but goodie) FoodSaver model that's been a workhorse since 2012ish.
Lately I've been on a parfait binge since staying at a lovely local B&B in Melbourne Beach, Florida (Seaglass Inn) - totally recommend the place. Alison and Karl take great care of their guests and their breakfasts are the talk of the town!
Back to the task at hand. I've got three videos lined up for your viewing pleasure. I had one request of my film director (hubby Alan) to NOT get me in the shot because I didn't have my lipstick on LOL.
I had the brainwave of keeping the fresh fruits in their respective containers so they wouldn't get crushed in the vacuuming process.
For the record, I did NOT wash the fruit first as I don't want them getting mushy or moldy (though I know that's why we're at least removing excess air to aid in the decay-delay-department. I just invented that phrase!)
Because it's hard to tell what I'm saying (the noise and my accent!) I'm including the transcript here (Feel free to scroll past the transcripts if you understand my Lancashire, UK accent!):
Okay. Hey. Susan here. I know you can't see me. Told my husband, don't get me on the thing. I've no lipstick on today.
I've decided to get these FoodSaver bags so as I can save these strawberries. I am having a hard (time) ... there we go. I was having a hard time shutting it up. And you can see I've left it in the container because I don't I don't wanna crush the strawberries.
This is a very old FoodSaver had it about, what, twelve years? You turn it on, press canister, and watch. You see it's taking out a lot of the air. And this is to stop it from crushing the box, basically. And cool. I'm just gonna do that. That wasn't meant to happen, but that's Murphy's Law. Righ
There we go. And that's it with a lot of the air removed. So I've got two sizes here, a quart and a gallon. That was a gallon. I've got a a oops. I've got a see if that'll fit in. But you see, I don't wanna crush the berries.
Food is so expensive now before I get a chance to dehydrate them. Let me see if I can get this in here. (Laughs) I can always edit this video. Yay. But will I be able to zip it? Yeah. Probably not.
That's too tall - oh never mind. Let me see if I can try. Oh, yes. I can if I try hard.
Most boring video watching Susan zipping a bag up.
It doesn't look like that sealed? These are supposed to be reusable bags, by the way. It's only taken me ten years to actually try them out. So let's try that again. Let's hope that this thing stays on the end. Put the lid down, canister on. What I'm gonna do this time is turn it off here.
Right? And this time, it just came off without coming apart. This is, like, fourteen dollars and you get two of them at, good old Amazon. Alright?
And there you go. So that's the a lot of the air removed from the blueberries, air removed from this thing, punnet, whatever they call them, box of strawberries. And, again, it's a quart and, gallon sized FoodSaver bags. Alright. Not the cheapest, but they are special. Oh, by the way, this is so old. I had to buy this because you do need this soft rubber.
Can you see how soft it is? That suctions itself onto that.
Before I did this was trying to put it in there on its own. It's that oh, futile Susan. Spend fifteen dollars for goodness sake, you know. Right. Over and out before this turns into a a fifty minute long video on how to take the air out of stuff. Thanks for watching!
It's a demo of me vacuum-sealing the blueberries and how to use the bag closure clip. Look, I didn't KNOW that the bags came with this clever clip. That's why I HAD to make these additional videos because I can hear ya from here yelling at me, "Susan, use the clip! Use the bag closing clip!"
Hey. Susan here again. And guess what? After I'd made those two videos, showing you how awful it was to close them up, I went rooting around in the box. Accidentally found - accidentally found this. Watch this.
Put it on here and watch this. (Laughs) A lot easier. Right? So let's just see that that worked. Oops. And that'll do. Look at that. So that was brilliant. Right? And then when you wanna open it again, just get your nails in there and just pull it apart. Trust me. It did because I've I'm making now a, a yogurt smoothie thing, parfait.
Couldn't think of a parfait. So that's it for now. I just wanted to show you, whoops, that I found this. And I said to my husband, please film me with this.
FILM me. That's old-fashioned, isn't it? Get the dang cell phone out and record me with this thing. Alright. That's it for now. Thank you for watching. Susan signing off from Easy Food Dehydrating. Have a fabulous day.
Here I am drawing the air out of a punnet of strawberries:
I'm just making parfaits, yogurt parfaits. Well, I will be in a minute if I shape with this video, and I'm gonna repack these strawberries. The other videos I've shown you that I've left them in the container, and now I've got this handy dandy gadget that came with the bags. But I'm putting it on first so it's easier to get on. I've also noticed if I put the container upside down, it's easier to thread it in.
Right. So there it is. Now watch this. Whee. I think that is amazing. A lot better than my horrible demonstration. So let me go over here.
So we've got the old FoodSaver that I've had for ten, twelve years. And there it is, doing its job.
I'm keeping hold of it because this is a bit springy. And then turn it off when it gets close. That's enough, because I don't wanna crush the strawberries. But, there you go, that's a lot of air removed. That will go in the refrigerator along with the berries. Now it's time for me to get on with this yogurt parfait.
We're starving. It's quarter to three in the afternoon, not morning. Okay. Susan signing off from Easy Food Dehydrating.
Have a fabulous day.
I am very impressed with the quality, and the seals are holding up well.
My (old) FoodSaver came with a vacuum tube for canisters but it didn't work for these bags. So back to Amazon I went, and purchased the clear and green-ended accessory hose you see me using in the videos. It's compatible with my FoodSaver model. (Amazon Affiliate link, thanks).
I wanted to add a note about some fresh broccoli I had in the fridge. It was in its thin flimsy veggie bag and I thought, "Why not leave it in that produce bag so it'll help keep the FoodSaver bag clean?" So I did.
I didn't draw 100% of the air out, more like 90%. Yeah, I'm guessing there. But doing that small step ensures my broccoli will last (a bit longer) until I fee like steaming and eating it!
Thanks for watching and reading.
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