Ramblings-n-Writings

Archive for October 3rd, 2008

Are you looking for a vacuum sealer? Don’t buy the clunky counter top kind. Consider buying a Reynolds Handi-Vac.

We received ours as a gift last Christmas, and I have to admit that this is the most useful gift we received! We live on a farm, do our own butchering and grow our own vegetables. Vacuum sealing is the perfect way to preserve our meat and harvests for longer periods of time. The Handi-Vac meets the challenge too.

The Handi-Vac operates on 6 double A batteries. It uses special gallon and quart bags similar to Zip-Locs instead of a roll of plastic that you have to trim before sealing and then cut open later to access your meat or veggies.

The pros:

• The price is relatively cheap. The Handi-Vac Starter Kit (sealer and bags) retails in most stores for under $10, and coupons are often available for $2-4 off. The bags are about $3 per box, but go on sale frequently.
• The bags are resealable which is great for pepperoni, frozen chicken, cheeses and veggies. Store a larger quantity in a gallon bag, take out the portion needed, and reseal.
• The HandiVac is easy to use. Just place the suction piece on the proper spot on the bag and press a button. No need to lean your weight on the sealer so it seals properly.
• The bags prevent freezerburn.
• The batteries last quite awhile. Ours have lasted for almost a year and we’ve sealed at least 100 bags, probably a lot more.
• The compact size of the sealer makes it easy to fit in your hand and easy to fit in a kitchen drawer for storage.

The cons:

• Sometimes the mark on the bag for where to place the sealer suction piece isn’t on the exact spot. It takes a little bit of wiggling to find the exact spot which can be frustrating.
• I’d like to sound realistic and give more cons, but I honestly can’t think of any.

Below is a bag that’s been zipped (left) and then sealed (middle)…

Curious about how to prepare fresh green beans for freezing? Jump over to Garden Vines for my tutorial.