Just wanted to leave a message for Kim saying how much I appreciate her recommendation of the Pump-N-Seal. I recently put a lot of grains in 1/2 gallon canning jars and couldn’t believe how quickly and easily the Pump-N-Seal sealed all the jars. It will be no problem at all to open and take out what I want to use and reseal quickly. I am so pleased, as a Foodsaver just isn’t in the budget at this time. Actually, for my uses, the Pump-N-Seal is better. I’m more interested in sealing things in glass jars than in bags, plus the Pump-N-Seal will continue to work even when/if there is no electricity.
I would highly recommend this item to anyone who is interested in being able to seal their dry storage items in glass jars.
So, that’s where all the 1/2 gallon canning jars are! I like to pick up two boxes at a time at my ACE and they’ve been out of them a lot lately. :-) Where did you get your pump and seal? I’ve been thinking about getting one to seal wide mouth jars(for when the power goes out). Glad to hear it works so well.
Just FYI - for those with a Foodsaver, it will seal glass canning jars (I tried this with marshmallows to be sure). There is an attachment made to do this, if you didn’t get one with the Foodsaver, I’m sure you could get one by itself.
However, the Pump-N-Seal would be a better option if electricity becomes a problem. I will have to find one!
Thank you for posting this. I looked at the Pump-N-Seal just recently, after buying a food dehydrator, and am considering adding it to my next round of preps, since a Food Saver won’t work without electricity.
You can get the Pump-N-Seal here http://www.pump-n-seal.com/ or sometimes you’ll see them on ebay. They do work really well, is truly less hassle to use (and store!) than a FoodSaver, and the price is far below that of an electric vacuum sealer. It’s an easy, affordable solution for those doing food storage.
Oh good, Kim, I’m glad you saw this post, because it was entirely due to your recommendation that I got the Pump-N-Seal. Another thing I like about using it is the tab of tape that you put over the little whole punched in the lid---it makes it so easy to open the jar. I read somewhere that, if you run out of the tapes provided with the Pump-N-Seal you can use electric tape. I seem to have plenty of the tapes, but it’s nice to know there’s something taht will substitute if need be.
Silversage---I’m sure your right, I’ve cornered the market on 1/2 gallon canning jars, between my old stock and new. Of course, I’ve also been grabbing up the quarts and pints, too, so if you have any trouble finding those you’ll know whom to blame. :) That is, only if they are Ball (had trouble with Kerr jars and lids a lot of years ago and have not bought any since) and wide mouthed.
Genoa, thanks for the tip on possibly using electrical tape to seal a jar with the Pump-N-Seal. I’d never heard of that, I’m gonna have to try that out and see if it works!
Kim, I am sure some of my 5 gal. plastic buckets filled with rice, grain, and beans have an airtight seal on the rim. Could one drill a small hole in the lid of the bucket and vacuum-seal THAT VOLUME of space with the Pump-N-Seal?
Also, if one later wanted to restore the integrity of the lid, one could use an item like “boot jel” to seal the small hole. Wal Mart carries the jel in their shoe department. That jel is a great “fix-it” item in its own right. I have used it for years for various purposes.
This item looks great, but how exactly does it work? You just punch a small hole then use the sealer? And can you do ANY jars, or just mason jars?
Thanks!
Laura, I looked up some information before buying the Pump-N-Seal, as I was very resistant to the idea of putting wholes in the lids---it just didn’t make sense to me. There were some lengthy explanations, and I don’t pretend to understand all the details; but, basically, using the tape provided with the Pump-N-Seal, it creates a one-way valve which allows the air to be pulled out but not seep back in. I haven’t been using mine long, but I can tell that the lids are obviously sealed when I finish. Also, when I opened one yesterday by pulling up the tape, there was definitely evidence that the seal had been broken. It sounded just like when I open a jar of home-canned food. I was also easily able to reseal the jar after removing the portion I needed.
I have only used my canning jars. If you save other jars from food products you can also use them, and I am saving some for future use. However, what I’ve been putting in jars so far has been better suited to the large 1/2-gallon or full 1-quart jars. It is my understanding that only jars with lids containing a rubber-type gasket can be sealed, as the gasket forms the seal with the jar rim. I’m sure Kim or someone else more knowledgeable will correct me if I’m wrong about this.
Oops---meant “holes” not “wholes” in lids.
I bought pump-n-seal, used it on all sorts of jars - peanut butter jars etc - as well as mason jars. Lots of fun, cheap, seems to work just fine. Great to have in case of power outage if you’ll might want to open and reseal a container, or open a large container and transfer parts to smaller containers to reseal.
Then I bought foodsaver, and was happily sealing bags of dried peas etc until I started noticing the cost of all those bags, even in rolls they aren’t cheap. Duh, so that’s why y’all are buying all those mason jars! I kept assuming when people talked about mason jars they were canning; no, jars (of any kind with a good top) are reusable for vacuum packing, long term much cheaper than foodsaver bags.
Has anyone vacuum packed meat into jars for freezing? I can’t see any financial advantage of buying meat in larger quantities if you’re going to vacuum pack it into expensice bags.
LizB - I have the Food Saver and use it all the time for meats. The cost savings if you can buy meat in bulk at places like Costco - eg. boneless, skinless chikcen breast at Costco is like $279/lb vs $5.99/lb at my local grocer. Yes the bags cost but I thinkI’m making up for it with the savings - normally I would have had to put that all in say ziplock bags, freeze it and hope freezer burn doesn’t get to it. Im’m pulling meat out that is ages old and it’s pperfect, and a million times better than freezing in the package from teh grocery store!
The main reason I’m interested in this option is for storing dry items + haivng items on hand to give to people in need - on top of not needing electricity. It’s just that it sounds a little “too good to be true.”
Laura, I don’t have a Foodsaver, but I do know that it’s possible to buy an attachment for many of the Foodsavers which will allow you to seal a canning jar. I believe they have attachments for both regular mouth jars and wide mouth jars.
One thing about the Pump-N-Seal that I like is how easy it is to open the jar after sealing it (just lift up the tape slightly and you’ll hear a “whoosh” as the vacuum is released) and also to reseal the jar. I only have to pull out a small pump from the drawer, press the tape back down, and reseal. I have no personal experience with this, but I have read that some who use the Foodsaver for sealing jars occasionally find it difficult to open a jar after it’s been sealed without bending the lid enough to make it difficult to reseal (again, just what I’ve read---don’t know how often this actually happens).
Finally, there’s the obvious advantage of it being non-electric. It will supposedly seal bags, also, but I probably won’t try that---it involves what sounds to me like a rather messy procedure of coating the top of the bag with oil to facilitate the sealing. Plus I really prefer using reusable storage containers, when possible.
I will add that I have not been using the Pump-N-Seal for long. I will defer to others, such as Kim, who have had more experience with it to confirm or correct what I’ve written.
Genoa-I use a wine pump and a valved rubber cork for my opened bottles of wine. I feel resistance to the pumping action as the vacuum is created. Is it similar with the Pump-N-Seal, (the feeling of resistance), as you reach that desired vacuum state?
Medical Maven, while I don’t know for sure the answer to your question about using a Pump-N-Seal on 5 gallon buckets, I would say that the answer would be yes. The hole required is small (think a hole the size that a thumbtack would make). I’ve used the Pump-N-Seal successfully on 1/2 gallon jars… the more air that you need to suck out the longer you’ll have to pump, but as long as the pail is airtight and has a good rubber seal inside the lid, I think it’s perfectly doable. Pack your rice, grain or beans in, shake it to settle the contents, then keep adding more and shaking til you’ve really got it as jam-packed as possible.
I do know one thing, when packing powders (like milk, coffee, etc) you need to put something on top of the powder so it’s not drawn up into the hole and interferes with the ability of the tab to seal tight against the lid. A coffee filter, paper towel, something along those lines will work.
Genoa is right, ANY jar with a rubber gasket in the metal lid will work. Most such jars have the soft metal “button” in the center of the lid that sucks down when a vacuum is achieved and pops out when the vacuum is broken. Stuff with plastic lids is NOT going to work, they just don’t seal down tightly enough to hold a good seal.
I have dehydrated stuff in jars that were packed 5 years ago, they still have a perfect seal and you’ll still hear the satifying “pop” when you release the tab to break the vacuum. I can reliably pick these jars up just by the lids (canning jars with canning lids only, no rings) and have the lid stay fast, in fact you can only get one of those lids off by either releasing the tab or by prying the lid off with an opener (and either way, you’ll hear that pop as the vacuum is released). I trust the seal from a Pump-N-Seal MUCH more than the seal from a FoodSaver attachment… I’ve had too many of the Foodsaver “seals” loose all their vacuum within a few weeks.
I do use my FoodSaver for packing meats and frozen veggies, although the bags are expensive. You just have to figure in the cost of the bags when you purchase these foods to see if it’s still a bargain. I also quit trusting the seal of my FoodSaver for the frozen stuff, too much of it was losing it’s seal while in the freezer. Since I also have an Impact heat sealer that I use in my business, I now immediately do a double seal with it after using the FoodSaver (it’s a PITA, but worth the peace of mind). Maybe I just have a crap unit, I don’t know, but I know I can’t trust it. I have NEVER had a jar sealed with a Pump-N-Seal loose it’s vacuum.
Kim, that was a great summary. It told me everything I needed to know. Next week I will order one. For the cost it really is a no-brainer.
I know it’s hard for folks to believe that something so small, simple and inexpensive could perform so well, but it really does. It is easy enough that even a kid could use one successfully. I too thought that because it was so simple that it must just be a gimmick, but it has worked faithfully for me, every time, with no hassles. One of the best features is that it requires no electricity… if the power goes, then my FoodSaver is just (another) paperweight taking up space.
I’m a firm believer in doing things the easy way whenever possible, and the Pump-N-Seal is SO suited to that way of thinking. Pump-N-Seal weighs a few ounces and fits in a kitchen drawer, versus the FoodSaver which weighs a few pounds and is stored on a bottom shelf, along with the jar sealer attachments for it. The Pump-n-Seal is just E-A-S-Y, whereas with the Foodsaver you feel like you’re undertaking a real construction project whenever you use it (or at least I do).
If I had to give up one or the other, the FoodSaver would be kicked to the curb before I’d ever give up the Pump-N-Seal.
I bought pump-n-seal on the theory it’s probably junk but other people seem to like it and it’s cheap enough I can afford the risk.
It works! It’s easy!
Rarely, I don’t place the tape right, but you can tell right away - the vacuum either gives up within barely minutes or it holds just fine.
You aren’t really taping the hole shut in the usual sense. The tape is held in place over the hole by the vacuum. So any air-blocking covering will do. Their tape has glue on the sides (to help you place it and avoid knocking it out of position) but no glue over the hole itself - when you pump, air is pulled out through the hole below the tape, then the initial vacuum pulls the tape down over the hole; pump again to remove more air and create a stronger vacuum pulls more air out because the hole isn’t glued shut, just blocked by non-sticky part of the tape.
Brilliant. Why didn’t we think of it? :)
I’m skeptical about their claim of sealing baggies with it. Has anyone tried that?
Yes, the tabs seem to have a very thin piece of foam or similar material in the middle that fits over the hole (like a tiny little bandaid). I haven’t yet tried using electrical tape instead of the special tab, I’m interested to see if that works. You can also tell visually if you have a seal or not because you’ll actually be able to see the tab sucked down slightly into the hole… it’s a small hole, but you’ll be able to see it’s distinct little outline in the tab.
I’ve tried sealing baggies with it without much success. I don’t know if this is because I’m a klutz, because I simply lack the patience to really fool with it, or because it really doesn’t work well on baggies. I have heard of people who HAVE used it successfully for that purpose. I don’t think that most baggies are really airtight anyway, except maybe for some of the high-quality freezer bags, so I just don’t fool with that aspect of it. If you’re interested in sealing up baggies though I’m sure it would at least be worth a try, nothing ventured nothing gained. I’m perfectly happy with just sealing up jars with mine.
I am freezing my dried fruits-tart cherries, raisins, apricots, cranraisins, and currants. If and when the Grid goes down, I plan on placing them in mason jars (I have many) and using Ball rings and lids and the Pump-N-Seal. Now with any of these named dried fruits do I need to worry about anerobic microbes setting up botulism?
Why are you freezing your dried fruits? Aren`t fine just in jars or bags? I put my dried stuff in Mason jars, should I be doing something more?
cactus-I read the “best by” dates on what I buy, and I figure that I certainly would extend the “best by” date by also freezing the dried fruits. And then when they become “not frozen” the “clock” would start ticking again towards that ‘best by” length of maximum nutrition.
And I also thought I could then lengthen that time of “best nutrition” further by removing air, but I don’t know if I am setting myself up for botulism by doing that.
Medical Maven – at 18:10
I can’t see that you would be increasing the chances of botulism with your plan. Some selected quotes from the Wikipedia article on Clostridium botulinum (the bacteria which productes botulin, which causes botulism):
“These rod-shaped organisms grow best in low-oxygen conditions. They form spores that allow them to survive in a dormant state until exposed to conditions that can support their growth.”
“In the United States, outbreaks are primarily due to types A or B, which are found in soil, or type E, which is found in fish. Optimum temperature for types A and B is 35–40° C (95–104° F). Minimum pH is 4.6. It takes 25 min at 100°C (212° F) to kill these types.”
“Clostridium botulinum is a soil bacterium. It affects foods that are of neutral pH.”
I guess the key piece of information is the pH of your dried fruit. If it is low (if the dried fruit is acid) then botulism seems unlikely. It would also seem prudent to use fruit that was picked from the tree (not grounders) and fruit that was cleaned before drying.
Dennis in Colorado at 18:36-I also did some googling. You are on the money with your information. And I will add that my supposition is correct that freezing dried fruit would further extend its nutritional life and overall usability. And by freezing dried fruits for 48 hours or more you would also destroy any insect eggs that might cause problems down the line.
I also found a USDA table on the pH of various foods, and all dried fruits on that table were more acid than a pH of 4.6 and generally in the 3 range. (Bananas were not given a pH for dried, but “fresh” were in a range of 4.5 to 5.20. But I did notice that all fruits that had both fresh and dried categories increased in acidity when dried, generally significantly.
The other significant bit of information was that drying greatly reduced the chances for the development of botulism. So with dried fruits in general you have two big factors working against botulism-their low pH and the act of drying them in the manner which is prescribed by the experts.
Also it was noted that each time that one exposes a jar of dried fruit to air that it will be taken down a notch nutritionally, and that is why single portion containers are recommmended.
Six to twelve months shelf life for dried fruits was the standard in all of my sources.
So, (buyer beware), I have come to the conclusion that I can project my stash of dried fruit far into the future by freezing it until the Grid goes down, and then create a vacuum for it in a mason jar AFTER it has reached room temperature AND further dried during that time it takes to reach room temperature.
i ordered my pump ‘n seal tonight! thanks for all the great information!!
Tonight I decided there’s an advantage to using mason jars instead of peanut butter or other jars for vacuum packing. On a mason jar, it’s easy to tell if the seal has broken - the lid falls off. On a peanut butter jar, there’s no easy way to tell. The lid dents in a bit when vacuum packed, but the ones that have been sitting on a shelf for a year that I opened tonight, the lid stayed that way, and the tape over the hole stayed dimpled even after the lid was off the jar.
If I had used mason jars, I’d have had the extra assurance that yes, the vacuum held, by the lid being still firmly held down by the vacuum.
I ordered my pump-n-seal on the 22nd and got it today, I am way impressed with the service of this company. Haven’t used it yet but still happy! I love getting boxes in the mail.
KimT --- So glad you’re happy so far. Mine arrived very quickly, also. I think you’ll be even happier once you have an opportunity to try it out. (I know I was.)