Kirbie's Cravings

Uses for the FoodSaver® System and a Giveaway

This post is sponsored by FoodSaver® Brand and SheKnows.

Today, I’m sharing the many ways I use the FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System. I am also hosting a giveaway for a $100 Visa gift card!

You might recall that a few months ago, I shared with you one of my most used kitchen tools, my FoodSaver® System. In that post, I covered a lot of kitchen uses with the FoodSaver® System, like keeping groceries fresh longer and saving space in my fridge. I also briefly mentioned that I had some non-kitchen uses for The FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System which led to quite a few people asking me to elaborate. So this time around, I wanted to share a few more ways I use The FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System.

Vacuum Pack Clothing to Save Space

photo of a suitcase with clothes sealed in a bag

Whether you need more space in your luggage or you are storing seasonal clothes in your closet, vacuum sealing your clothes is a great way to save space. Now that it is the holiday season, we’ll be doing a lot of traveling. Since I’m constantly cold, I tend to wear a lot of layers when I go visit my family and I always have trouble fitting all of my bulky sweaters and jackets into my suitcase. Enter, the FoodSaver® System.

photo collage showing one suitcase with folded clothes and another with the clothes in a bag showing how much room is saved

Here is a side-by-side comparison to show you how much space is saved. It’s almost unbelievable, isn’t it? I get such a thrill every time. I can’t believe how so many clothes can be shrunk down into a tiny little package.

Seal Travel Liquids to Prevent Leakage. 

photo collage showing toiletries and ones stored in a bag

We always have a small bag of travel liquids containing various items like contact solution, lotion, make-up remover, etc. I’ve had a hard time finding small liquid containers that are completely leak-proof. As a result, they usually do leak into the bag and sometimes that leads to them leaking out of the bag. However, when we seal the travel liquids, it prevents them from leaking out of the bag. No more needing to double/triple bag everything!

Reseal Chip Bags

photo collage showing an open chip bag and after it's been sealed closed

This is another one of my favorite uses. Most people think of  the FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System as only being able to vacuum seal items, but you can actually just use the seal button by itself. When I shop for chips, I usually buy several flavors at once. And even though my parents raised me to finish one bag before starting another, now that I’m an adult I like to open all the bags at once. I’m just too impatient to wait to try another flavor. Completely resealing the chip bags allows you to store the chips much longer than if you were to simply clip them, so now my chips don’t go stale after I go on a happy tasting spree.

Waterproof Pouch for Electronics

photo of a cell phone sealed in a bag

If you’re going on a trip where your electronics might get wet, you can seal your electronics into a pouch with the FoodSaver® System. Here, I’ve sealed my husband’s phone and charger. We did a loose pouch, using only the seal function rather than vacuum sealing it because when you vacuum seal it, it will actually do such a good job that it seals the power and volume buttons down so you can’t turn the phone off. However, if you do a looser pouch, you can even use your phone while it’s within the pouch and you can even plug your charger into your phone as well.

Seal Coffee Beans for Longer Storage

photo of vacuum sealed coffee beans

We love coffee and are constantly buying roasts that we try and enjoy at various coffee shops. Unfortunately, we buy far more coffee than we can finish in the short amount of time coffee beans can last. However, you can extend the life of coffee beans by vacuum sealing them. Now we vacuum seal our beans right after we buy them so that we can enjoy them longer.

These are some of the other ways I use my FoodSaver® System that I didn’t previously share. The uses I spoke about last time included vacuum sealing foods to create extra space in my fridge, vacuum sealing meats before freezing them so they don’t get freezer burn and can be stored longer, portioning out foods like berries for my daily yogurt, sealing granola and other snacks to keep them fresh longer, sealing fresh fruit to keep them fresh longer, vacuum sealing grapes, avocados and pesto before storing them to keep them green (instead of them turning brown).

overhead photo of a food sealer with different sized bags

Depending on the item being sealed, we use different types of bags. The FoodSaver® System has many different bag options such as heat-seal customizable length rolls, pre-cut Quart and Gallon bags, Liquid Block bags, Expandable Rolls, Portion Pouch bags, and FoodSaver® FreshSaver® vacuum zipper bags. We usually purchase a variety pack at Costco or Amazon. They are also available on the FoodSaver® website. You can learn more about the FoodSaver® System here. You can also follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Youtube

Now onto the giveaway. I’ve shared nearly a dozen ways I use the Foodsaver® System, but I’m always curious for more. How do you use your FoodSaver® System to create, seal and share during the holidays? Tell me in the comments for a chance to win a $100 VISA gift card!

 

Entry Instructions:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

1. Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post with the hashtag #SweepstakesEntry

2. Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: “#SweepstakesEntry”; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

3. Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post or with the hashtag #SweepstakesEntry, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

4. For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older (or nineteen (19) years of age or older in Alabama and Nebraska). Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. The notification email will come directly from BlogHer via the sweeps@blogher email address. You will have 2 business days to respond; otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 12/7/2015 – 12/31/2015

Be sure to visit FoodSaver’s brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts!

 

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114 comments on “Uses for the FoodSaver® System and a Giveaway”

  1. i would seal baked goods and give them to people like the mailman and neighbors etc

  2. I would use the Foodsaver for all my holiday sweet treats. I would also use it when freezing fruits and vegetables.

  3. I use the foodsaver to seal up chips and candy that i’ll finish later.
    #SweepstakesEntry

  4. I sent out a tweet: https://twitter.com/electricstar/status/682633703709884416 #SweepstakesEntry

  5. IF I HAD ONE I’D USE IT FOR COOKIES AND LEFTOVER MEATS DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON! THANKS FOR THE CHANCE!

  6. I use my food saver for ground beef, chicken & steak #SweepstakesEntry

  7. I tweeted here:  https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/682600953309192194

  8. Since I don’t have one of these, I can’t say.  But I do think that I would use it for keeping bread fresh longer.  

  9. good ideas i would have used it only for cookies

  10. I would use the vacuum sealer to store out of season clothing since my storage space is quite limited.

  11. I would use it to seal all the fudge and other baked goods I bake and share with family and friends. #SweepstakesEntry

  12. i posted a tweet here:    https://twitter.com/purplepanda1966/status/682398745183436800

    #SweepstakesEntry

  13. i’ve just started using my foodsaver so i’m just now learning ways to use it.  You have certainly mentioned some options i would never have thought about

  14. I would use it for baked goods like cookies. #SweepstakesEntry

  15. I love to make sweet breads as gifts. This would help them stay fresh.

  16. I love to use mine to save plates of food and sweets for the elderly in our community! #SweepstakesEntry

  17. Homemade beef jerky, vacuum sealed #SweepstakesEntry

  18. I shared on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/FireRunner2379/status/682240575064637440.

  19. I would use the FoodSaver to preserve pre-made meals for my elderly parents during the holiday season! I often worry about their nutritional intake. #SweepstakesEntry 

  20. This would be awesome to make Chai blends to give to friends or freeze cookie dough that they can cook when they want! #SweepstakesEntry

  21. Would be great to keep my nuts fresh for when I need them for my baked goods.

  22. I’m going to gather up the leftovers from the cookie trays and vacuum seal them so they stay fresh. #SweepstakesEntry

  23. I’d use a FoodSaver for my vegetables and leftover Christmas meats.
    #SweepstakesEntry

    westiemks5 at yahoo dot com

  24. I would use this to keep my holiday baked goods fresh.

    cshell090869 at aol dot com

  25. tweet  https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/680986701695725568

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  26. #SweepstakesEntry  I would use it to keep my brownies fresh for family

    tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com

  27. I would use it on meats and crockpot frozen meals.

  28. i will use it to save all the food I have made! #SweepstakesEntry

  29. I bake Christmas cookies and seal them up and give them out.

  30. I would use my FoodSaver System to store my baked goods after the holidays.

  31. tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/680048624420655105

  32. I would buy in bulk at costco to save money, then store in food saver bags to keep items fresh. 

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    wildorchid985 AT gmail DOT com

  33. I use my FoodSaver when I cook in advance. During the holidays when unexpected company comes over I know I can always pull out an additional serving. 

  34. I would use the food saver to keep my cookie dough fresh and share with family until ready to bake.  love your idea on packing!

    amy [at] utry [dot] it

  35. I’d love to have one of these. I’d use it to seal the Christmas cookies I bake throughout the month of December.

  36. i don’t have one but could really use one in our home. #SweepstakesEntry

  37. I don’t have one, but I would use it to store and ship holiday cookies.

  38. opps I left the wrong link above! we use it for treats for family. #SweepstakesEntry

  39. we love to use it for the holiday treats we share with family https://twitter.com/skhekh/status/677247925622304771

  40. Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/677149254377435136

  41. I use it to keep my baked holiday items fresh for the ones I bake prior and then keeping the extra good to go for when we want it.

  42. i would use this to portion and freeze cookie dough

  43. I’d use it to keep leftover and cookies fresh.

  44. I’m planning a big road trip for sometime shortly after the holidays and would use this system to prepare meals for along the way!

  45. We have something similar and we use it to make super flavorful salsa 🙂

  46. This would be great for extra produce and freezer meals!

    chambanachik(at)gmail(dot)com

  47. I try to plan and cook/freeze many meals on the weekends. I usually use freezer bags and try to ‘suck’ as much air out before throwing in the freezer. This #SweepstakesEntry would make this process sooo much easier, and keep the freezer full longer. Never thought about using it for packing- I travel a fair bit for work and always have issues in the winter time w/the sweaters. But do the clothes come out very wrinkled?

  48. I would use it to sous vide and get more flavor into the food!

  49. I would use it to seal up my bulky winter sweaters!

  50. I would use it to seal up meat for Christmas! #SweepstakesEntry

  51. I would use it to seal up meat for Christmas!

  52. It’s great for meats to Sou Vide! #SweepstakesEntry

  53. i will use this for pre-made lunches for my husband. #SweepstakesEntry

  54. tweeted https://twitter.com/mummytotwoboys1/status/674352542596407296

  55.  I would use it to prep vegetables for holiday meals, such a time saver and no waste!

  56. I don’t have one, but would love to use it for my yummy cheeses. That way they would dry out

  57. I would use them to store leftover food for guests to take home after the Christmas party…

  58. For sealing leftover ham and turkey! #SweepstakesEntry

  59. I would use FoodSaver® System to create, seal and share during the holidays by giving away baked holiday treats to my friends and family. We love to giveaway Christmas cookies to loved on

  60. I would use it for freezing bulk meats and vegetables.

  61. tweet-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/674043514204741632

  62. I would use FoodSaver System to seal coffee and meat during the holidays.
    tcarolinep at gmail dot com

  63. I forgot to add #SweepstakesEntry to my comment!

  64. I would use the foodsaver vacuum sealer to keep the cookies I make for my brother and friends fresh. My brother lives a thousand miles away and I want the cookies I bake to be just as tasty when he gets them! I would also use it to keep holiday leftovers fresher for longer!

  65. I would use it for all the things! Probably sealing meat and freezer meals most though. 
    #SweepstakesEntry

    This is a real question– how do you vacuum seal the clothes for the return trip? I can see you saving the space but what about when you come home (inevitably with souvenirs and more stuff)?

    • Thanks for your question! I’ve actually searched for some sort of portable/smaller sealer I can take with me on vacation, but I haven’t had much success. However, I’ve been fairly lucky that usually the places where I am traveling to that I need it the most (like my parent’s house!) there is a vacuum sealer there for me to use. So I usually just make sure I leave a little extra length on the bags so that when I cut them open there, I can then reseal them on my return. If they ever do start selling a good portable one, I’m buying it!

  66. tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/673978783834243073

  67. It’s great for saving holiday cookies.

  68. I’d use a FoodSaver to package my frozen foods- there never seems to be enough room in the freezer! #SweepstakesEntry

  69. I would use the FoodSaver for pantry goods to keep them fresher longer. #SweepstakesEntry

  70. I would use the Food Saver to seal meat for freezing.  I always buy in bulk and divide up the meat into portions and freeze it.  The Food Saver would help prevent freezer burn. #SweepstakesEntry

  71. seems like a great way to prevent food waste! i would use the vacuum for freezing sauces #SweepstakesEntry

  72. Wow! It’s a good idea to seal the medication for travelling.

  73. I would us the Food Saver for the cookies I am shipping off as gifts.

  74. wow i love the coffee bean and phone idea!! i would love to use it for packing clothes!

  75. Tweet:
    https://twitter.com/ErinLoves2Run/status/673882450754330624
    Erin 
    ErinLoves2Run at gmail dot com

  76. I don’t have a food saver, but if I did I would use it to store leftover cookie baking bits such as coconut, sprinkles, and chocolates. Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
    Erin 
    ErinLoves2Run at gmail dot com

  77. I think I remember my husband asking me if he could use it to seal up some shells for hunting (ammo) and some batteries!?

  78. I don’t have FoodSaver® System, but if I had it I would use it to keep the Christmas cookies fresh

  79. I would create, seal and share gingerbread men cookies during the holidays.

  80. tweet-https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/673857794739605504

  81. I did not know that you could use the Foodsaver system for other items that is not food. I would seal my coffee beans. I would seal my Flaxseeds in portions and my chia seeds. I would seal my walnuts and almonds into individual packets to keep them fresh. There are so many awesome ways to use the Foodsaver. I would vacuum seal my medications when I take them on vacation.

  82. tweet-https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/673786590473261057

  83. I would use the food saver to create sealed food packages for family, friends and neighbors, and then use the system for all the holiday food leftovers. #SweepstakesEntry