I got my Foodsaver in and just finished watching the DVD, so I have some questions if anyone has some ideas for me.
I have the better part of a side of beef in my freezer. All wrapped up and marked in freezer paper. Can I vacuum seal the meat as is, leaving it in the paper? Will this add life to it do you think, or perhaps not as much life as if I had used the Foodsaver within days of when I first received the side? I'm thinking leaving it in the paper wouldn't be much different than sealing a canister with air pockets.
Has anyone vacuum sealed crab legs for the freezer? Will they poke through? I don't want to have to wrap them up in paper towels (like they suggest for forks, but crab shells are a lot sharper than the tip of a fork) and if I need to wrap them in something..... well, here's where that freezer paper thing comes up again. A vacuum is a vacuum no matter the air pockets that were there before creating the vacuum, right?
Why can you simmer an unopened bag, but need to slit it to microwave it?
What is a "mylar" bag, as in resealing chip bags? The foil ones, the clear ones, any bag that potato or nacho chips or pretzels would come in?
Thanks for any help.
Oh, and on a sidenote;
They make tops for resealing wine bottles, but I didn't catch how much this would extend the life.
And, she said for using the Foodsaver for soups, to always let the soup cool to "room temperature" before sealing