Next to questions about the feasibility of adding veggies to salad in a jar (answered here), readers ask me most often which vacuum-pack machine to buy. I’ve done some homework and tried out a few different systems to save you the trouble and give you some choices.
A simple FoodSaver vacuum-pack machine with the requisite port needed for the wide-mouth attachment
When I started vacuum-packing salads, I used a FoodSaver machine like the one above. I ordered the wide-mouth attachment and purchased wide-mouth (easier to seal and fill than regular-mouth) quart-size glass canning jars. Unless you have great plans to vacuum-pack most of the food in your refrigerator and freezer, you don’t need a fancy machine. However, to make salad in a jar my way, you must have the following:
- a port on the machine (see picture above)
- the wide-mouth attachment (ordered separately)
- a hose
Please note the hose comes with the machine, not the attachment. You can order a replacement hose here.
The reuseable flat lid goes on top of the jar inside the attachment when lettuce is ready to be vacuum-packed. Once sealed, remove the attachment and place the metal collar on top of the flat lid as insurance to keep the jar sealed in the refrigerator.
I still love my FoodSaver and use it occasionally, but I’ve found some cheaper and space-saving alternatives.
The handheld system seen below is also manufactured by FoodSaver but costs only about $20 and sometimes you can find it for less. You still need the wide-mouth attachment as seen in the picture, but not the hose. You must press firmly against the opening in the top of the attachment to seal the hole so the machine can vacuum properly. It’s rechargeable. This gadget can also be used with specially-designed zipper bags sold by FoodSaver.
Press firmly to create a seal on top of the attachment.
Another option I recently discovered is a hand-held sealer by Reynolds called a Handi-Vac. Although I think they may be out of production now, they are still available at some Big Lots stores for only 3 dollars. Again, you don’t need the hose, but you still need the wide-mouth attachment.
Battery-powered Reynolds Handi-Vac
This works the same way as the Food Saver hand-held device. Position the nozzle over the top of the wide-mouth attachment and press the button to suck the air out of the jar.
Cover the hole and press firmly to create a seal that will allow air to be sucked out of the jar.
This is my personal favorite because it is cheap, small, relatively quiet, and it works! Hope you can find one.
Oh– and one more thing…it works with Ziploc vacuum bags sold at the grocery store but only if you purchase this little rubber adapter sold by Reyn-Lock.
WORKS GREAT with Ziploc vacuum bags!
At 19.95 for one of these adapters, it is incredibly over-priced, and I could only justify it in the name of research. The seal doesn’t seem to hold quite as long or as tightly as a regular FoodSaver machine does with custom-cut bags, but the Ziploc bags are more convenient due to the ease of resealing– perfect for cheese and nuts.
I do have one more option in case you already own a regular FoodSaver machine and a large FoodSaver canister. Attach the hose to your machine and the canister lid. Put the jar inside the canister and seal. Immediately remove the jar and place the metal collar on top of the flat lid and repeat with your other jars. This is a really good use for these canisters because they are not good for storing food. My experience, shared by many, is that these canisters quickly develop cracks, making them useless–except for sealing salad in a jar.
Best use I can think of for these canisters sold by FoodSaver
I have not tried any other brand of full-size vacuum-pack machines because I have not found any with the large-mouth jar attachment. If you know of one, please let me know.
Also, I have not received one dime for references to FoodSaver, Reynolds, or Reyn-Lock in this post. Just sharing what works for me.
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{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
Such an informative post! Thank you, Paula!
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THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!! I was wondering if my cheapy hand held would work and you totally answered my question!!! YAHOO!!!!!
GASP!!! I have one of those Reynolds Handi-Vac thingys, and have been disappointed because you can’t purchase the bags anymore! THANK GOD I didn’t throw it out! And THANK YOU for doing this research – I’ve been bummed because I can’t afford one of the big sealers, now I don’t have to!!!
Lots of great information in this post! Thank you.
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Awesome post! Thanks for all your research!
You did all the work for me! You’re awesome!
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After seeing your site a while back, I purchased a “Pump N’ Seal”, which is a manual product that works a little like a bicycle pump. It’s best for jars (not great with bags & so on) and the way it works allows you to reuse things like spaghetti sauce jars. It provides a very good vacuum, is small for storing, and my lettuce is generally fresh for at least 7-10 days. I also use it to keep dry things from going stale, like trail mix and other snacks from the bulk section. Check it out, even if just to see the incredibly corny infomercial they use to sell it! I think mine was about $37 after tax for the device and a strip of 100 of the little vacuum seal stickers it uses. If you like to seal bags a lot it’s probably not a wonderful option but I like glass better anyhow so using jars wasn’t a big deal for me.
Great post Paula. Lots of good information. I have a food saver and use it a lot , and now I know what I can do with that canister!
Mimi
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Oh Paula, thanks for this post – I wanted to try this but couldn’t justify the cost of a Food Saver – thanks for all these great tips on how to do this inexpensively! You always have wonderful tips!
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Thank you so much for this!!! I’ve been lurking on your site for almost 2 years. Your Greek yogurt recipe is a staple at our house now but what originally drew me in was your salad in a jar. Have wanted to try the technique for so long but couldn’t justify the purchase of a big FoddSaver. Just ordered the handheld and jar attachment. I’m so excited.
Mandi, I probably should just say, “I don’t know.” But I looked online and I’m wondering if the jar attachment you are referring to is made for a large canister. If so, and if it is large enough, you can try putting the Mason jar inside in the samr way I did in the last picture on this post. pr
Hi Melissa, Love to hear from lurkers-since I am one myself to many blogs. Hope you like the salad in a jar. pr
Today is my first SIAJ experience! Found you on Pinterest and just got all my supplies. Borrowed my in-laws’ Foodsaver and was pleasantly surprised when I saw this blog entry….I can get away with a hand-held…yay!!! I did romaine in one jar, green leaf + shredded cabbage in a few others, kale and then spinach. Anxious to see how they all hold up over the course of the week?!? Adding fresh vs. frozen veggies to my morning smoothies is going to be fantastic. Thanks so much for your “research”
Hi Leanna,
Please write back and tell me how your experiment turns out. I have not had much luck with anything but Romaine lettuce. Other lettuce types seem too fragile to hold up more than 2-3 days, especially spring mix and spinach. Some veggies work pretty good but nothing lasts as long as Romaine so I don’t mix them. pr
After reading your post, I have a handheld FoodSaver on order, so thanks for the research Paula! I landed on your website by way of Susan V of Fat Free Vegan fame. This salad idea is such a great concept I can hardly wait to get into production. I don’t even CARE about the dieting aspect at this point (although I could stand to lose several lb’s), I just want to stop losing my lettuce and other salad veggies because I forgot about what was in the produce drawer. Having the ready-to-go salad jar out front and center will really cut the losses. And I already re-use glass jars for pantry staples, so there’s even more justification for the purchase!
One question- have you reused the canning lids after vacuuming, or are they toast after one use, like they are after being super-heated in a canning process? I would think the vacuum process would not be as detrimental to the lids, and that they could be reused.
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Carolyn,
You can reuse the lids over and over….until they bend or rust. In other words, for years! pr
So glad for this post but I have a question. I was all excited to get going on this and purchased my jars, adapter and tubing to use with my old Foodsaver. After several attempts (even my husband tried it to make sure it wasn’t “just me”), I called Foodsaver. They were somewhat helpful but basically said my unit was not powerful enough to do the jar sealing. When I mentioned the handheld as an option, the rep told me no way would that work. So I’m confused..either she just wanted to sell me a newer Foodsaver or I’m thinking of something different. I was all ready to order a new, more powerful Foodsaver until I reread this post and no am wondering if I should try the handheld first. Any ideas on why I would have been told no on the handheld unit? What else is it normally used for? TIA for your help!
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Brenda,
Despite what some readers told me, I used to think the handheld wouldn’t work either. And it doesn’t work with the hose. But remove the hose from the adapter and press the handheld tightly on top of the adapter to create a seal as shown in the picture above, and it will seal.
One more trick you might try with your old FoodSaver is to put two lids in the adapter. Of course, only one will seal to the top of the jar and the other will fall out of the adapter when you are done. Worth a try.
I had another reader who couldn’t make her machine seal and she also enlisted her husband’s help. Just like you, it still didn’t work. She later reported they bought a new FoodSaver and it worked like a charm. I suspect your old one may indeed not be powerful enough to seal a jar anymore, just like the FoodSaver rep indicated.
If I were you, I would get the handheld and try it, knowing you can return it. Of course the full-size FoodSaver can be used for many more things if you prefer to go that direction for more money. Would love to hear how it goes. pr
I’m also interested in what people have to say about the handheld foodsaver and the mason jar attachment.
Reading the reviews on Amazon it seems to be a mixed bag. Some say it works like a charm, others say they are not compatible at all and don’t waste your money.
I’m really hoping that this works because before I found this site I was always rushing to eat my salad (I like to prep ahead too) before it goes bad, but geez, I can only eat so much of it at one time.
I looked at some of the reviews. Didn’t find anything that said the handheld and the mason jar attachment were incompatible. Probably just missed them. Anyway, they are obviously not designed to be used together but it does work if you press the handheld firmly against the attachment to create a seal tight enough to facilitate suction. Be sure to screw the collar on top of the flat lid after vacuum-packing to hold the seal. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the response Paula. I just love your site!
I decided to order the hand-held foodsaver and both mason jar attachments despite some of the negative reviews that I read on there (I went through hundreds so I don’t blame you for not seeing them!).
I’m going to make your yogurt recipe again tonight! It’s so delicious and easy!
I am just catching up on posts, but I wanted to thank you for this information. I have hesitated to do the salad in a jar because of the cost of the equipment. Now even I can do it! And I bought the ingredients to try yogurt very soon…maybe this weekend!
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UPDATE: Well it’s been 6 days and every jar (leaf lettuce w/shredded cabbage, romaine, spinach, and kale) are all perfect!!!! The spinach and kale probably wouldn’t be *fantastic* raw in a salad but I mix them into smoothies and they are great! All of it was bought fresh (nothing bagged), washed, cut and spun dry before packing. I also ran out and bought the handheld (was borrowing my mother in law’s V3840..works great btw) and it sealed just fine! I used quart jars with the wide mouth attachment for this round but went and bought pint jars so I’m not constantly re-sealing. I’ll do one jar per day and the pint jars are enough for 1 serving of salad and 1 serving of spinach or kale for my morning smoothie.
Paula, I just wanted to let you know that I finally ordered a new Foodsaver (2244 I think) after trying the handheld unit (which will be returned). The Foodsaver unit worked terrifically! I was so excited my family thought I was nuts for being so excited. But I think this will be life changing…more salad more often and less spoiled lettuce. Guess the compost pile will not be the same anymore–LOL! I’m excited to try cabbage as mentioned in a previous comment–I’ve got half a head I wasn’t sure just yet what to do with. I think I’ll be a serious experimenter now. Love this idea–thanks so much!
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