Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Freezing and Storing Groceries is Easy with a Vacuum Food Sealer

A Vacuum food saver is a must for the large family. The cost of groceries has steadily been on the increase throughout the United States, yet salaries have not necessarily been increasing. As families begin to feel the financial strain from higher food costs, there is one, money saving tool on the market available to them. With a vacuum food saver, families can store food items they purchase at a reduced rate from discount stores and membership-only wholesale grocers, like Cosco, and save hundreds of dollars on their grocery bill.



By shopping for food in bulk, a family can save a lot of money. The list of food items one can purchase to store for later use is not limited only to dry foods. One can also store meats, cheese, fruit and vegetables. For instance, cheese may be purchased in blocks. It is best to slice the cheese, if it is to be used on sandwiches or similar meals. By using the vacuum feature on the vacuum food sealer, all the air is removed from the container or plastic bag. The seal feature locks the bag and it is ready for storage.



Cheese will keep fresh for weeks stored in the fridge. It can also be frozen for several months. This is especially recommended for shredded cheese like mozzarella. Purchasing a large block of mozzarella cheese is much cheaper than purchasing the shredded version. By shredding the cheese at home, one can expect to save several dollars. What is also very nice is that many healthy and tasty meals can be prepared using shredded cheese. A few examples include, pizzas, lasagna, and tacos. Cheddar cheese also freezes very well.


Meats also can be stored using a vacuum food sealer. Meats should be cut into smaller sizes. Once the smaller sizes have been placed into the freezer bags, one can use the vacuum feature to remove excess air from the bags. Then the bags are placed in the freezer to store for months. By sealing and freezing in smaller size, there is no need to defrost the entire cut frozen months earlier.



This procedure also works well with meats that have been prepared and cooked. One can prepare stews, chili, even roasts. After allowing the prepared meat to cool down, it is simply a matter of placing dinner size portions in the heavy use plastic bags that come with most vacuum food sealer models. Once sealed, one only need to vacuum and toss in the freezer for later use, or in the fridge to use within a few days. Frozen meals may be defrosted by placing the sealed bag into a sink filled with tepid water, or for faster results, may be dropped into boiling water to serve right away, or may be heated in a microwave.



As the cost of groceries increases, resourceful families can find some solace in knowing that with the help of a sturdy vacuum food sealer they can buy food items in bulk and they will save a bundle of money by dividing the groceries into smaller portions to seal, vacuum shut and freeze for later use.



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