In article >,
"Julie Bove" > wrote:

> I am wondering if I need one of these? I was told I could use one to make
> single serve packets of nut butter but I would have to keep them in the
> refrigerator. You can get shelf stable single serve packs of almond and
> peanut butter, but daughter is allergic to both almonds and peanuts. I
> can't find any other nut or seed butters packaged this way. She likes to
> take nut or seed butter and jam in her lunch along with a hermetically
> sealed package of gluten free bread. But now that we know of her almond
> allergy, she can't do that. Unless of course I use a snack bag and just
> scoop some nut or seed butter into it.
>
> So... I know I can use a Food Saver to make little single serve packets.
> But what else is it good for? It looks like I could package up stuff for
> the freezer, but... I don't really freeze too much food. I do shop at
> Costco but I can get chicken breasts packaged in 2 breast portions and
> ground beef in 1 pound portions. I know they sell other kinds of meat but
> those and bacon are really the only meats I eat. I buy other stuff like
> pork chops in smaller quantities for my daughter and husband, but they don't
> eat them often so I can't see buying a big pack of that.
>
> We don't have a big freezer. Just a side by side. So not a lot of freezer
> space.
>
> Can the Food Saver be used for other things besides just freezing? I was
> going to ask for one for Christmas, but when I saw the price, it seemed like
> a lot of money to spend just to package up nut butter.

I've had my Food Saver for 4 or 5 years now and it has sure come in
handy for freezing stuff but the only way to may non-shelf-stable stuff
shelf-stable is by the use of preservatives. The Food Saver uses a
vacuum but that, in itself, does not make foods shelf-stable.

I use mine for all kinds of other things too, especially for
refrigerated and frozen items. Generally, I freeze things first in my
non-self-defrosting freezer and then vacuum-seal them. I keep cheese a
very long time... of course I wrap it in cheese cloth or wax paper
first. Can't recall the last year I had any cheese go moldy. We wash
and reuse bags. I get the rolls and cut my own. It's one of the best
investments I ever made in my kitchen.

Isabella
--
"I will show you fear in a handful of dust"
-T.S. Eliot