Food Saver Vacuum Packer

I recently purchased a Food Saver Compact II by Tilia, and wanted to pass along my findings as I begin to use it for food storage.  Since things should be removed from the cardboard packaging both to get rid of a potential bug problem, and to conserve storage space, I thought vacuum packing would work great as the primary storage method.  Not only does it get rid of the cardboard problem, but it also turns the contents into a BRICK!  It seems that one big issue is the fact that this really can't be used on anything soft or wet.  It exerts such a vacuum, that it crushes soft things.  It will also pull the liquid up and out of the bag. I think that these things can be vacuum-packed, however, a wide-mouth jar or specialized canister would need to be used - or frozen first to firm them up. I'll continue to play around with different things and let you know what else I discover.

The first thing I vacuum-packed was some instant coffee. That worked out great.

Next I packed a couple of cups of brown rice along with the instructions for preparation (what a concept, huh?).

Then on to a wrap with the raw shrimp.

Because I travel on business a fair amount, I packed up some pretzels and raisins - after all, a road-warrior needs to be prepared. The neat thing about this type of food storage is that the vacuumed stuff ends up brick hard. Packing it in my briefcase, I don't have to worry about it getting crushed or smashed.

Then, for more fun, I did a couple of kinds of pasta. The bowties were dicey because they have sharp points which threatened to poke through the bag.  I had some frozen stew that I wanted to vacuum seal,                -  and also some BBQ Pork that needed to be protected from freezer-burn.

Then, for the next test, I took some scented candles and vacuum-packed them.  This should help to lock the fragrance oils in so they still smell good when we finally get around to using them some chilly evening this winter.

-  Another thing that lends itself to this technique of storage is toiletries such as the travel size of shampoo, soap and lotion.  This keeps them contained, dry and readily storable in a locker somewhere in the head.