How Do You Preserve Your Food?

Recently we were given the opportunity to try out the Foodsaver V3460.  In our house, we are totally new to the Foodsaver system, I've always wondered about them, but never invested.  We have friends who swear by their Foodsaver systems, so we were pretty excited to test our own.  

Given the amount of food that goes through our house in a given week, we are big on "stocking up".  Whether it be meat purchases or fruit when it is in season, we like to get good value for our money and keep a freezer full of good food choices.

I didn't do any research on the Foodsaver prior to using our new system.  I didn't want to be swayed by anyone else's opinions.  When the box arrived, we were surprised at its size.  It's not huge by any means, but it is a decent size, given what it can do for us.

I will admit that when we first opened her up to test her out, we were a little overwhelmed.  Not quite sure how it was all going to work, but we read through the instructions, did our first run "step by step"...and after that first run, we were all "hey, this is totally easy!"  My hubby got quite involved in the process and quickly set to work making our own bags.  It didn't take long to package up our chicken and pork for the freezer.  Easy breezy!

So now that we've given it a go (and have discovered how easy the process is) - I took a look online.  I learned a lot!  I found this great chart on storage comparisons, which I just love:

Food Storage Comparisons

FREEZER	Ordinary Storage	FoodSaver System
Beef, Game & Poultry	6 months	2-3 years
Fish	6 months	2 years
Soups & Stews	3-6 months	1-2 years
Coffee Beans	6-9 months	2-3 years
Vegetables	8 months	2-3 years
Bread	6-12 months	1-3 years
REFRIGERATOR	Ordinary Storage	FoodSaver System
Cheese	1-2 weeks	4-8 months
Lettuce	3-6 days	2 weeks
Berries	1-6 days	1-2 weeks
PANTRY	Ordinary Storage	FoodSaver System
Flour & Sugar	6 months	1-2 years
Rice & Pasta	6 months	1-2 years
Cookies	1-2 weeks	3-6 weeks

I am particularly pleased with the difference in storage times for the freezer items and the berries.  While I don't expect any of our food products to remain in our freezer or fridge for the extended periods of time shown above, I am happy to know that the option is there should we need it!

The Foodsaver will be a welcome addition to our kitchen - especially for our bulk purchases and ensuring they last as long as we are needing them to!

If you want to learn more about the Foodsaver system, head on over to their website and Facebook page!


Disclosure - I received product in exchange for my honest opinion.  The views expressed in this post are solely my own.