Today I learned I can freeze food to make it last longer.

[Nitro]

What model is this and what replacement bags do I buy?

This is the one I own that I bought in a second hand store for $10
FoodSaver VAC 800 Food Sealer Storage Freezer Saver Vacuum Pack | eBay

I like it because it has the bulk roll storage area with the cutter for it.
My first one didn't cut the bulk rolls, so it was a pain to cut the bulk waffle roll material straight enough with scissors.

The other advantage on my newest one is the external vacuum port for pumping down the hard containers and even jars:

The containers are available in two port styles.
Earlier ones are more cumbersome to use as they require you holding the tube fitting in place:

the latest versions are more user friendly:

Bulk waffle bag material can be bought online and as long as it is waffled material, it doesn't have to be FoodSaver brand.
Like anything else, buying in quantity will lower the price.
Two 8"X50' Giant Bulk Rolls Food Saver Storage Vacuum Sealer Bags by FoodVacBags 819917011296 | eBay
4pcs 8"X50' Rolls Embossed Vacuum Sealer Food Vac Storage Bags- Food Saver mr 743828943837 | eBay

Ebay isn't the only game in town either, so if you are an Amazon user, try them out too.
My VAC 800 will also accept the use of 12 inch wide material, so your options are not limited.
8X50 & 11X50 FoodVacBags Rolls Embossed Vacuum Sealer Bags for FoodSaver machine 819917011302 | eBay

Available stuff for hard packaging:

Buying the machine retail will cost a little more, but after I tried my first one, I was hooked on the savings on my food and the ability to keep it for longer terms.

I watch my grocer's meat specials and even buy what they sells as use it today or freeze it discounts.
(The last run of ribeye steaks were purchased for $5.99 a pound and there were ten of them I put up)

 

[SimplyWandering]

I freeze bananas when they turn too brown to look appetizing. They make good smoothies because they provide "ice" without diluting the smoothie.

I've never had luck freezing cooked potatoes. Cooked pasta freezes well, though. I make a huge batch of lasagna which I freeze in disposable aluminum containers, just the right size for 2 people for dinner.

Hints from a chef:

Pasta is notoriously bad for freezing, you have to make sure that when they you freeze it, that is al dente (cooked just a tad under normal).

dairy milk becomes watery when defrosted. Cream will separate in a bad way.


cooked vegetables such as potatoes are not great in the freezer, you might think if you cooked some vegetables just right that it would be fine freezing, that isn’t always the case. Some times what you get from the freezer section had only been par-cooked/baked (which may mean partially cooked) or was gathered and sealed in a can or frozen at just the right time.

celery freezes poorly, most root vegetables need to be cooked as mentioned before - before freezing.

Hardboiled eggs don’t freeze well, they become rubbery.


stuff that freezes well casseroles, breakfast items you make (Pancakes, waffles,etc.), most leftovers. Chicken/beef that wasn’t previously cooked, stews, most soups.

when items get tomato sauces they freeze and come out better (Lasagnas.)

nothing replaces freshly made though

 

[grommet]

There are different brands of vacuum sealer you can get one that has a hard plastic box and you suck out the air with any fruit or vegetables if you want to preserve them for a short time put on lemon juice after you have cut them like an avocado.

You mean a storage container with a lid that can connect to a vacuum hose? In my research I saw those but did not understand how it worked. I think I see now that using a hard container would help protect something soft. I think that is clever. I wonder how much longer it preserves food that way compared to a ziploc bag.

 

[Judge]

Actually I've been freezing commercial 2-cup/8 oz. plastic pouches of grated cheese for several years without incident. Mexican and Italian blends, and Mozzarella. Though in most cases I consume them within 30 days.

 

[Aspychata]

Hard containers vs soft containers, hard containers take a little more room in freezer but may be kinder to the planet.

 

[grommet]

Actually I've been freezing commercial 2-cup/8 oz. plastic pouches of grated cheese for several years without incident. Mexican and Italian blends, and Mozzarella. Though in most cases I consume them within 30 days.

What pouches do you use?

 

[grommet]

Hard containers vs soft containers, hard containers take a little more room in freezer but may be kinder to the planet.

I just bought on eBay the Foodsaver 800 Nitro told me about. Can you please help me find a container I can use with it? I want to be able to store avocados that have been cut in half and pitted.

I am trying to find them myself but I am totally confused.

 

[Aspychata]

What l put in the search bar was - food saver food containers- this brought up a plethora of choices specifically for Food Saver machine. Just make sure the container accomdstes this machine. They may sell them at Food Saver site. Generic containers may be cheaper. Anyways good luck.

 

[Judge]

What pouches do you use?

The ones they're sold in.

So sue me. As I said, I've been doing it for years. Just understand that it takes a bit of time to thaw. Just make sure the tops of the pouches are properly sealed while taking as much air out of them as is possible.

Though I always keep one pouch in the refrigerator section in the coldcuts drawer that's ready to use. When it's close to empty, I just take one of the frozen pouch out and put it into the coldcuts drawer.

 

[grommet]

The ones they're sold in.

So sue me. As I said, I've been doing it for years. Just understand that it takes a bit of time to thaw. Just make sure the tops of the pouches are properly sealed while taking as much air out of them as is possible.

Though I always keep one pouch in the refrigerator section in the coldcuts drawer that's ready to use. When it's close to empty, I just take one of the frozen pouch out and put it into the coldcuts drawer.

View attachment 60184

You are able to vacuum seal these original retail packages? I feel like I am misunderstanding something. I thought the bags needed the patterns on them to work with the vacuum. I would be happy to learn otherwise.

 

[Knit Hat]

I did not know you could do this. It was very difficult having to go to the grocery so often because food would go bad. I worried about it a lot. What if I could not go in two days when things would need to be replaced? (rhetorical)

Today I was reading the package holding some bread and it said I could freeze it. I put it in a Ziploc bag, though unfortunately not a freezer specific bag, but if this works out, I can buy what I eat in larger amounts and always know I have enough. I did not know this.

There are lots of things that adult aspies can not know but seem obvious to other people. People have been very unkind when I have asked questions about things they though it was silly to not know. They have even accused me of lying about not knowing. So a long time ago I stopped asking.

But aspies can help each other, we can answer each other's questions. Today I learned about freezing food.

I'm a pretty avid gardner. If you ever need any tips or tricks as far as freezing veggie, I'd be more than happy to help!!

 

[Streetwise]

You are able to vacuum seal these original retail packages? I feel like I am misunderstanding something. I thought the bags needed the patterns on them to work with the vacuum. I would be happy to learn otherwise.

There are different systems one you can literally feel any bags with a hand sealer which seals everything in then there is another one where the bags are on a roll and it sucks out the air then there is another one with a vacuum pump and a hard container wish a circular top that sucks out the air don't know the names of them

 

[Judge]

You are able to vacuum seal these original retail packages? I feel like I am misunderstanding something. I thought the bags needed the patterns on them to work with the vacuum. I would be happy to learn otherwise.

The original packaging are conventional resealable bags you simply line the tops together and squeeze them shut. And if for whatever reason the seals don't work, you can always use wooden clothes pins to keep them shut. These days it seems there are many food products sold with their own resealable bags. Just be careful when you first cut the tops off these bags, being careful not to damage the seals.

But it is cheese. Not meant to be stored indefinitely in any freezer. That's true enough!

 

[Mary Terry]

We don't eat a lot of bacon so it tends to get slimy and stinky in the 'frig before I can use it up, so when I buy it, usually in one pound packages here in the US, I cut the bacon in half, wrap half of it in foil, write what it is and the date I froze it on the foil package, and toss it in the freezer. To thaw, just put the foil package on a plate in the refrigerator and it will quickly thaw.

 

[grommet]

I'm probably going to get scolded for this again, but I rely on my FoodSaver vacuum packaging machine for sealing my food air tight in heat sealed bags before freezing.
It can also force marinade food too.
I just had a two year old steak a few days ago that suffered no freezer burn.
The other advantage is the ability to thaw my meat products in the refrigerator and leave them in it for up to a week with no ill effects because of the lack of air.

It also has the ability to pump down reusable containers made specifically for my machine so it isn't all plastic waste by using it.

For those who will give me grief about the use of the throwaway bags, they can be washed clean and reused.
I don't buy the premade bags either, I buy bulk rolls of the waffled material and make my own.

Do not ever toss a butchered product directly in your freezer in the store wrapping, because the packages are designed to allow air into them.

Will this accessory hose work with this container?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T699C14/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Vacuum-Sealed-Fresh-

Container/dp/B01AJJ1UAK/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_pm?ac_md=1-0-VW5kZXIgJDIw-ac_d_pm&crid=WA8MMO315ENZ&cv_ct_cx=foodsaver+container&keywords=foodsaver+container&pd_rd_i=B01AJJ1UAK&pd_rd_r=7a25ac55-59b8-457c-adc1-dc671d7e85e5&pd_rd_w=6lz4h&pd_rd_wg=Er6MA&pf_rd_p=516e6e17-ed95-417b-b7a4-ad2c7b9cbae3&pf_rd_r=A5DCNRAPVRERYSEQBQJY&psc=1&qid=1581258829&sprefix=foodsaver+%2Caps%2C362&sr=1-1-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0

 

[Nitro]

Will this accessory hose work with this container?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00T699C14/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&th=1

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Vacuum-Sealed-Fresh-

Container/dp/B01AJJ1UAK/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_pm?ac_md=1-0-VW5kZXIgJDIw-ac_d_pm&crid=WA8MMO315ENZ&cv_ct_cx=foodsaver+container&keywords=foodsaver+container&pd_rd_i=B01AJJ1UAK&pd_rd_r=7a25ac55-59b8-457c-adc1-dc671d7e85e5&pd_rd_w=6lz4h&pd_rd_wg=Er6MA&pf_rd_p=516e6e17-ed95-417b-b7a4-ad2c7b9cbae3&pf_rd_r=A5DCNRAPVRERYSEQBQJY&psc=1&qid=1581258829&sprefix=foodsaver+%2Caps%2C362&sr=1-1-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0

The link to the container is bad, can you upload it again?

 

[grommet]

The link to the container is bad, can you upload it again?

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Va...2&sr=1-1-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0

 

[Nitro]

https://www.amazon.com/FoodSaver-Vacuum-Sealed-Fresh-Container/dp/B01AJJ1UAK/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_pm?ac_md=1-0-VW5kZXIgJDIw-ac_d_pm&crid=WA8MMO315ENZ&cv_ct_cx=foodsaver+container&keywords=foodsaver+container&pd_rd_i=B01AJJ1UAK&pd_rd_r=7a25ac55-59b8-457c-adc1-dc671d7e85e5&pd_rd_w=6lz4h&pd_rd_wg=Er6MA&pf_rd_p=516e6e17-ed95-417b-b7a4-ad2c7b9cbae3&pf_rd_r=A5DCNRAPVRERYSEQBQJY&psc=1&qid=1581258829&sprefix=foodsaver+,aps,362&sr=1-1-22d05c05-1231-4126-b7c4-3e7a9c0027d0

That one appears to come with the required adapter/hose.
It doesn't take the small round one that you linked to first.

 

[grommet]

That one appears to come with the required adapter/hose.
It doesn't take the small round one that you linked to first.

It doesn't show a tube or adapter in the photo. I have noticed two kinds of hoses, you showed them to me in photos of what you have. I want to be able to use containers with my Foodsaver but if there are two types, I do not understand which adapters and containers to get. I am wondering if there is a more modern version that uses a new adapter. What do you think?

By the way, I am sorry if I am asking a question that you have already answered. I am reading as carefully as I can but it is hard for me to understand.

Could you link a container to an adapter so I could get them both? I think the 5 cup container or larger is what I need.

 

[Nitro]

Round port container with round ended hose.
To release the vacuum, press the button on the container to the left of the port.
The round ended hose will fit your machine.
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Oval port container, adapter and hose:

To release the vacuum, pull up on the tab on the bottom of the seal as pictured here.
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Detail of both the hose and the oval adapter.
The hose will work on both of these systems.
-----------------------------
Bottom view of my oval adapter:

I cannot answer for certain what style of adapter is in use at the present, because I only have the used product that I presently own.