Handheld vacuum-system by FoodSaver
Some people say it can’t be done. They say you can’t seal salad in a jar with a handheld vacuum device, which would mean you must use a more expensive full-size vacuum machine that takes up a fair amount of space in your kitchen.
IT’S NOT TRUE. Don’t believe it.
Reynold Handi-Vac also works.
To convince the skeptics, I made a quick little video to show you how. This same method works with the FreshSaver by FoodSaver and the Reynolds Handi-Vac. Between the two, I prefer the Reynolds Handi-Vac because it seems a little easier, but they both work. I have not tried any other brands. Of course, you may prefer the regular, full-sized vacuum-pack machine because of its versatility, but the handheld is cheaper for those of you who want to dip your toes in the water before diving head first into the world of vacuum-packing.
Have you tried sealing quart jars with the wide-mouth attachment and a handheld device? I would love to hear about your experience.
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{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
For some reason, it always tickles me when you post videos!
thekitchenwitch recently posted..Vacation: The Up, The Down and The Ugly
It worked perfectly! A fresh salad ready for whenever you want to enjoy it
Lorraine recently posted..Think On These Things #2
Started following your blog last week when I found Pinterest and pinned your blog. I’m interested in the whole salad preserving idea and am browsing for fairly priced stuff to use. I’ve found a large mason jar lid with Food Saver then I found this: FoodSaver FSFRSH00 FreshSaver Handheld Vacuum Sealing System at a reasonable price. Any reason you’re recommending the handheld Reynolds or other brand over this?
I love this site as well! I purchased the Reynold brand at Amazon and I love it I did not want to invest in a big sealing system so was thrilled when you did your post on the Reynolds brand and using it on the jars it works like a charm thank so much for all the great info you share it is very much appreciated
I’ve been using the Food Saver hand-held device for several months now. I haven’t had any problems, it works easily and perfectly! We love it! My daughter and I have enjoyed having salads for lunch on a much more regular basis thanks to this method. We are having more salads at dinner too, because it’s so easy to throw a salad together when the lettuce is in the frig and ready to go. Because we are a family of 5 and frig space is limited, I use 1/2 gallon sized jars to store our lettuce. We usually get more than one meal out of a jar, I just reseal it when I’ve taken out what we need.
Paula,
I love your video! I have a food saver so I really need to give this a try.
Mimi
mimi recently posted..Carrot Ginger Cream Pie
Tracy, I’m so glad you mentioned how you reseal your lettuce. Great idea, especially if you don’t have many jars. PR
Good information…great video.
Paula recently posted..Apple Pizza Pie
I loved this idea the first time I happened upon your blog. I already had the Food Saver jar attachment and had never used it. Upon reading your blog entry I ran over to my local Big Lots and was lucky enough to find a Reynolds Handi-vac for $3.00 (a bargain!). I not only seal my lettuce, I also trim and seal my green onions, leftover slaw mix, homemade granola and less often used grains and legumes. I am tempted to stock pile one or two more Reynolds units since I believe they are discontinued. The first one I bought had to be returned – the batteries had leaked and it no longer worked – so check before you leave the store.
Joanne,
OK, I’ll admit I bought an extra Handi-vac myself. At $3, how you go wrong–unless somebody comes up with something better soon.
Works great for me! I’ve been doing it for several months.
Chelee recently posted..Fun around San Tan Valley
Ok, I’m so incredibly intrigued by this that I had to do some research as to where I could find the Reynolds Handi-Vac (since it’s d/c and not available at my Big Lots … because I ran out of the house dying to find one LOL) …
Apparently, Reynolds market couldn’t find enough consumers to purchase this product, so they sold the rights/licensing to Debbie Meyer (http://www.debbiemeyer.com/) … not affiliated in any way. Just wanted to share in case anyone is as interested/desperate to find this product as I am
So glad I stumbled across your blog! Thank you for a brilliant idea!
Just found your blog today. Wanted to let you know that I have been doing the same thing for quite some time with a Foodsaver machine and mason jars. I recently discovered that you can also use the $4.25 hand vac by Ziplock that is used for their ziplock bags. I use the pump with the Foodsaver widemouth attachment. It is less expensive, and no batteries or electric needed. (I do not like the bags the pump was designed for because they do not hold a seal for very long).
I further discovered that you can use old pickle and spaghetti glass jars. You simply clean the jar, prick a hole through the top with a push pin, cover with a small piece of electrical tape, place the Ziplock manual pump over the tape, and pump maybe 10 -15 times, and it’s sealed! I have had good success maintaining the seal even through the tape. This way, you can still vacuum seal in jars for only $4.25 (the price of the pump) and you can re-use those old spaghetti and pickle jars. As long as the lid has a rubber seal on the inside (and most grocery jars do) you are good to go. This is much like the Pump-N-Seal method. You can see a demo on You Tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VbnJfs6YUE. You absolutely do not have to have a pricey machine or even a battery operated one for this to work. This brings the cost down so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of vacuum sealing!
Quick Q that I forgot to ask: is it necessary to purchase a salad spinner in order for this method to effectively work? Or can I just use my regular old colander to rinse my greens?
Many thanks for any help!
Christine
Hi Paula,
So glad I found your blog! I read it in the evening on my iPad while my husband is watching the Yankees! Just wanted to let everyone know that you can get the Handheld Foodsaver for free this week at Target! I got mine today. There is a $10 coupon on the Target website for the Foodsaver Handheld and also a coupon for it at Coupons.com. They let you use both and their price is $19.99 so it is entirely free! How cool is that!
Looks like that Target deal has disappeared…
Elaine,
Wow! Free? Doesn’t get any better than that.
Wendy,
Sorry about that.
if you live close to a Big Lots, you might check there for a Reynolds sealer–only 3 dollars.