How To Make A Bag From A Foodsaver ® Vacuum Sealing Roll; Guidelines For Vacuum Packaging; How To Vacuum Seal With Foodsaver; Vacuum Sealing Bags - FoodSaver V3840 Reference Manual

How to Make a Bag from a
FoodSaver Vacuum Sealing Roll
®
Lift Roll Cutter
Fig. 1
1. Open the appliance door and place the roll into the
Roll Storage Compartment (K). For Best results, insert
the roll with material flap down. Note: Bags can be
sealed with the appliance door either open or closed.
2. Lift up the Roll Cutter Bar (H) and place bag material
beneath the cutter bar (See Fig.1).
3. Pull out enough bag material to hold the item being
vacuum packed, plus 4 inches (10 cm). Lower the
Cutter Bar and slide the Roll Cutter (H) across the
Cutter Bar (See Fig.2).
How to Vacuum Seal
with FoodSaver

Vacuum Sealing Bags

®
Insert Bag
Fig. 3
1. Begin with a FoodSaver ® Vacuum Sealing System Bag
(or create a bag as described in the "How to Make a
Bag from a Roll" section above).
2. Place item(s) in bag, allowing at least 8 cm (3 inches)
of space between bag contents and top of bag.
3. Using two hands, insert open end of bag curl side
down into Vacuum Channel (E) until clamp motor
starts (See Fig.3). The vacuum progress lights will
illuminate.
4. Continue to hold bag until vacuum pump starts. You
may now release bag. Note: To prevent crushing
delicate items, you may press Seal Button (C) at any
time to begin automatic sealing process.
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Slide Cutter
Fig. 2
4. Press the Seal Button (C). The red seal light will illuminate.
5. Using two hands, insert the open end of the bag into
the Vacuum Channel (E) until the clamp motor starts.
Bag must be centered between arrows.
6. When the red seal light (10) turns off, sealing is
complete. You may remove the bag from the Vacuum
Channel (E).
7. You now have one sealed end.
8. Now you are ready to vacuum seal with your new bag
(See below).
5. When red Seal Light (10) turns off, remove bag.
Refrigerate or freeze if needed. (See the safety tips
section) Note: Wait at least 20 seconds between seals
to allow appliance to properly cool.
Guidelines
for Vacuum Packaging
Vacuum Packaging and Food Safety
The vacuum packaging process extends the life of
foods by removing most of the air from the sealed
container, thereby reducing oxidation, which affects
nutritional value, flavor and overall quality. Removing
air can also inhibit the growth of micro-organisms,
which can cause problems under certain conditions:
Mold – Easily identified by its fuzzy characteristic.
Mold cannot grow in a low oxygen environment;
therefore vacuum packaging can slow the growth
of mold.
yeast – Results in fermentation, which can be
identified by smell and taste. Yeast needs water,
sugar and a moderate temperature to grow. It can
also survive with or without air. Slowing the growth of
yeast requires refrigeration, while freezing stops
it completely.
Bacteria – Results in an unpleasant odor,
discoloration and/or soft or slimy texture. Under
the right conditions, anaerobic bacteria such as
Clostridium Botulinum (the organism that causes
Botulism) can grow without air and sometimes cannot
be detected by smell or taste. Although
it is extremely rare, it can be very dangerous.
To preserve foods safely, it is critical that you maintain
low temperatures. You can significantly reduce the
growth of microorganisms at temperatures of 4°C
(40°F) or below. Freezing at -17°C (0°F) does not
kill microorganisms, but stops them from growing.
For long-term storage, always freeze perishable
foods that have been vacuum packaged, and keep
refrigerated after thawing.
It is important to note that vacuum packaging is
NOT a substitute for canning and it cannot reverse
the dete r io r ation of foods. It can only slow down the
changes in quality. It is difficult to predict how long
foods will retain their top-quality flavor, appearance
or texture because it depends on the age and
condition of the food on the day it was vacuumed
packaged.
IMPORTANT: Vacuum packaging is NOT a substitute
for refrigeration or freezing. Any p erishable foods
that require refrigeration must still be refrigerated
or frozen after vacuum packaging.
Food Preparation and Reheating Tips
Thawing and Reheating Vacuum Packaged Foods
FOODS INSIDE BAG CAN BE DEFROSTED BUT NOT
REHEATED IN MICROWAVE OVEN.
Defrosting - Always thaw foods in either a refrigerator
or microwave — do not thaw perishable foods at room
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temperature. Make sure to cut the corner of the bag
before placing it in microwave. It is recommended that
you place bag on a microwave-safe dish to avoid liquids
from spilling out. Make sure not to exceed maximum
power of 180 watts, maximum time of 2 minutes and
maximum temperature of 70°C (158°F).
Reheating - To reheat foods in a microwave oven, remove
it from bag and place it on a microwave- safe dish.
You can also reheat foods in FoodSaver Bags by placing
®
them in water at a low simmering temperature below
75°C (170°F).
Preparation Guidelines for Meat and Fish:
For best results, pre-freeze meat and fish for 1-2 hours
before vacuum packaging in a FoodSaver Bag. This
®
helps retain the juice and shape, and guarantees a
better seal.
If it is not possible to pre-freeze, place a folded paper
towel between meat or fish and the top of the bag,
but below the seal area. Leave a paper towel in the
bag to absorb excess moisture and juices d uring the
vacuum packaging process.
Note: Beef may appear darker after vacuum
packaging due to the removal of oxygen. This is not
an indication of spoilage.
Preparation Guidelines for Hard Cheeses:
To keep cheese fresh, vacuum package it after each
use. Make your FoodSaver ® Bag extra long, allowing
2.5 cm (1-inch) of bag material for each time you plan
to open and reseal in addition to the 8 cm (3-inch)
room you normally leave between the contents and
the seal. Simply cut the sealed edge and remove
cheese. When you are ready to repackage the cheese,
just drop it in the bag and reseal.
IMPORTANT: Due to the risk of anaerobic bacteria,
Soft cheeses should never be vacuum packaged.
Preparation Guidelines for Vegetables:
Vegetables need to be blanched before vacuum
pack a g i ng. This process stops the enzyme action that
could lead to loss of flavor, color and texture.
To blanch vegetables, place them in boiling water or
in the microwave until they are cooked, but still crisp.
Blanching times range from 1 to 2 minutes for leafy
greens and peas; 3 to 4 minutes for sugar snap peas,
sliced zucchinis or broccoli; 5 minutes for carrots; and
7 to 11 minutes for corn on the cob. After blanching,
immerse v egetables in cold water to stop the cooking
process. Finally, dry vegetables on a towel before
vacuum packaging.
Note: All vegetables (including broccoli, brussels
sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, turnips) naturally
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