Uses & Tips about VacMaster

Find for great uses for your VacMaster® that you might not have considered. If you’ve found some great ways to use vacuum packaging, please share with us! Email your tip or suggestion to us at info@cedarlaneculinary.ca

Storage

• Use your chamber machine to can food using canning jars (refrigeration required!)
• Vacuum brown sugar to prevent it from getting hard.
• Make pre-portioned snacks for the family on the go.
• Save money and buy coffee beans in bulk - vacuum package them for a long storage life.
• Vacuum package your winter wool hats/gloves/scarves for compact summer storage and to keep moths and bugs out of them.
• Save a few of your large plastic drink cups to use as a funnel to protect bags when filling with moist foods. Cut the bottom off and slide the cup down into the bag before putting in the food. This protects the open end of the bag so it will seal without having to wipe off the moisture and food particles. No more folding over the top of your bags before filling!

Cooking

• Package your homemade salad dressings using your chamber machine so that you can enjoy fresh dressing whenever you like, not just the day you make it.
• Package fresh herbs to extend their shelf life in the refrigerator and keep them flavorful and aromatic!
• Pre-measure and package dry goods for future baking.
• Making homemade frosting and decorating is such a chore. Put frosting into a chamber pouch and vacuum package it (or just seal). Cut off a small corner and decorate!
• Make Kool-Aid on the go - package the mixture and sugar, and then just add water at your outdoor picnic.
• Save time during the week - when prepping a casserole for a meal, put together two and freeze one in its dish. When frozen solid, pop the frozen casserole block out of the dish and place in a VacMaster storage bag and vacuum seal it. Label and place in the freezer for a quick weeknight meal.
• Place leftovers in a VacMaster bag and seal it for later. Store in the refrigerator or the freezer, depending on how long before you plan to use it. When you're ready to eat, simply drop the bag in a pot of gently boiling water until the food is up to a safe temperature. Cut the bag open and enjoy! It also makes for a LOT fewer dishes to clean up.

Gardening

• Package gardening seeds and bulbs to keep fresh until next spring when you can plant them.

Household and Hobbies

• Keep important documents safe from damage (i.e. passport, birth certificates, marriage license, etc).
• Safe keeping of memorabilia such as family pictures, children's art, old books, childhood keepsakes and vintage garments. Note: Photos and other older documents need to be stored first in archival quality paper and then secured in a heavy stock folder prior to vacuum packaging.
• Not done with that paint project? Don't wash out your brushes every time - keep them wet and vacuum package them for the following day. (Note: this will require a chamber machine as you do not want to suck paint into a suction machine)
• Vacuum package your silverware and silver jewelry to prevent oxidation that causes tarnishing. Hint: place a folded paper towel between sharp edges of the silverware and the vacuum bag to prevent puncturing.
• There are literally hundreds of uses for all your craft projects. Vacuum package your expensive craft papers, rubber stamps (so they don't dry out), sort beads and package to keep them organized, and keep modeling clay and play dough from drying out too - just to name a few!
• Hobbies can be expensive; don't let your collectables get ruined. Vacuum package your stamps, coin collection, and beer/wine making ingredients.
• Vacuum package tools to keep them from rusting.
• For a quick ice pack, fill a vacuum bag about half full with water and a few tablespoons of rubbing alcohol. Seal the bag - don't vacuum it - and place in the freezer. The alcohol keeps the water from freezing completely, resulting in a flexible ice pack to wrap around sore joints and minor injuries.
• Documents will need to be additionally protected. The vacuum pressure might crush or distort fragile documents or cause the print to transfer to the bag. To prevent this, place the documents between sheets of cardboard or another type of neutral backing. Or, you can simply seal the bag without vacuuming.
• When packaging coins, especially for long term it is best to store in the VacStrip® bags with the coins store in the smooth part of the bag or between cardboard sheets insuring that the strip panel does not transfer.
• Under vacuum your metals will not tarnish. It is important to consider the long term effect that the vacuum or bag might have on your metal items.

VacMaster® is a great way to store many different household items, however we cannot guarantee that vacuum packaging will adequately preserve your delicate or fragile documents.

Travel

• For a quick wet washcloth for children while on a road trip or while camping, wet some washcloths and vacuum package them. Use a zipper bag and keep reusing it when needed.
• Avoid toiletries that expand and leak when flying or driving to higher altitude. Vacuum package your items to insure you won't encounter a mess when you arrive!
• Use your VacMaster for portion control for your pets! Regardless of who is feeding them while you're out of town, they'll always get the proper amount. This also keeps the food fresh and the ants out. Pre-packed portioned food is easier to take with you when traveling with your pet too!

Outdoors

• Make camping easy! Make daily S'mores packs, vacuum package meals in advance for easy dinners, keep your toilet paper dry, make a camping kit (matches, flint, string, safety pins, netting, dry socks, maps, and an extra set of shoes or clothes, etc).
• Waterproof your camera - just seal (don't vacuum). This will insure your camera doesn't get ruined in wet conditions when outdoors. Use a zipper bag so you can keep use it multiple times.