What is vacuum sealing? FoodSaver® is a vacuum seal system that vacuums air out from bags and containers and then creates a commercial quality air-tight seal to lock in freshness and protect food from spoiling. Air is the enemy of fresh, as oxygen and moisture in the air causes food to degrade over time and lose flavour, texture and nutritional value. Ordinary food storage methods trap the air in with your food, FoodSaver® vacuums the air out. How does FoodSaver® extend freshness? By removing air and moisture from food, it prevents bacteria from growing and multiplying which keeps food fresher for longer. Vacuum sealing blocks oxygen & moisture, and eliminates freezer burn & dehydration. How long can the FoodSaver® system keep my food fresh? Extends freshness up to 5 times longer - will depend on a number of factors e.g. place of storage, age of food, vacuum effectiveness. FoodSaver® vacuums air out, then creates a commercial quality seal so food stays fresh up to 5X longer using FoodSaver® bags and rolls. Using the reusable FoodSaver® containers and zipper bags, keeps food fresh up to 2X longer. What are the benefits of vacuum sealing? **You save money because:** - foods keep their freshness up to five times longer. And, foods don't get freezer burn for several years because they don't come in contact with cold, dry air. - Foods last longer, so you throw less away. - You can buy lower-priced bulk quantities and re-package at home into smaller portions exactly the size you want. - Leftovers stay fresh in the freezer for several months. **You save time by:** - Making fewer trips to the grocery store because foods last longer. - Cooking several portions when you have time and vacuum seal single servings in a bag or right onto plates. - Marinating meat and fish in minutes instead of hours. **Also:** - Enjoy your favourite foods all year, even when they are out of season. - Protect non-food items from corrosion and moisture-damage. - Create first aid and emergency kits in the home, car and boat. - Outdoor enthusiasts can vacuum seal supplies to keep them clean and dry Can FoodSaver® be used just for food? No. Use for hundreds of non-food uses around the home, camping, outdoors and for kids e.g. waterproofing documents, keep paintbrush from drying out in between coats, store seeds for next season, keep home first aid kit together and waterproof, prevent silver and jewellery from tarnishing etc. Can cooked food be vacuum sealed? Yes, with the exception of tomatoes. Cooked foods must be at least room temperature before vacuuming or you run the risk of bacterial growth. Can I use it instead of placing food in the fridge? No. Vacuum sealing isn't a replacement for storage methods. It extends food freshness in the current storage method. Where do I insert the bag? After you have put the food inside the bag, you then need to vacuum seal it (vacuum the air out, then heat seal the bag closed). Make sure there is enough ‘empty’ bag material to reach centre of drip tray. Always allow 7.5cm extra space from the food to the end of the bag to allow a good seal space and allow the lid to close. This extra space also allows the bag to seal tightly around food contents. Gently stretch bag flat while inserting to ensure there are no wrinkles in the bag. Insert the end of the bag completely inside the vacuum channel/ drip tray. Ensure the bag opening is curled down and the bag opening sits inside the drip tray/ vacuum channel. Then push ‘Vacuum Seal’ button. Auto Off Vac/Seal. FoodSaver® machines have a handy auto off vacuum seal. Wait until the VAC/SEAL light goes off before opening the lid. Why won’t the bag insert into the machine? Gently stretch bag flat while inserting. Insert bag curl down into Vacuum Channel. Make sure there is enough ‘empty’ bag material to reach centre of drip tray. Always allow 7.5cm extra space from the food to the end of the bag to allow a good seal space and allow the lid to close. This extra space also allows the bag to seal tightly around food contents. Which side of the bag should be placed in the vacuum channel/drip tray? Place the embossed (rough) side/ curl side down over the heat seal bar. Can I remove the bag before the Seal or Vacuum Seal lights turn off? FoodSaver® machines have a handy auto off mechanism. The vacuum and seal cycle will automatically stop when complete and machine lights will turn off. If you remove the bag before the lights turn off, the vacuum and seal will not have been completed so the bag will not have sealed properly. Why is the Red Seal light flashing? The machine is overheated. Always allow 20 seconds between seals. Under heavy usage, machine will shut off automatically and Red Light will flash. Wait for 20 min. for machine to cool off. Latch has been left in On/ Close position rather than the store position so the gaskets/ rubber seals have compressed. Open the lid and allow 10 to 20 minutes for gaskets/ rubber seals to expand. If Latch was left in On position for 5 minutes and not used, the Red LED flashes to remind the user to turn Latch to Open or Store position. Vacuum pump running more than 120 seconds. Under heavy usage, machine will shut off automatically and Red Light will flash. What do I do if the Gasket is loose? Take out the gasket, clean it and re-insert the Gasket into the Vacuum Channel. If Gasket has minor damage remove, flip over and reinstall. How do I clean the gaskets and how often should I clean them? Remove them and wash under warm water with detergent, rinse thoroughly then leave out to air dry overnight completely. This can bring back elasticity to foam and ensure a better seal. What do I do if the Bag melts? Sealing Strip may have become too hot. Always wait at least 20 seconds for machine to cool down before you vacuum seal another item. Use FoodSaver® brand bags. Our FoodSaver® Bags and Rolls are specially designed for FoodSaver® machines. When do I use the Moist button? For optimal vacuuming and sealing of moist or juicy foods, press Moist Food Button which creates a longer sealing time. Do you have any tips for vacuum sealing Moist foods? Prevent moisture or liquid from being pulled into the Vacuum Channel or trapped in the seal preventing a vacuum. Pre-freeze moist food such as raw meat for 1-2 hours before vacuum sealing or place a folded paper towel between food and end of bag to absorb excess liquids. Just be sure to leave at least 7.5cm between food and end of bag so that bag seals properly with paper towel inside. When simmering food in a FoodSaver® bag, why does it split open at the seam? Only place bags with frozen food inside the simmering water. The coldness of the food will keep the bag from becoming too hot while the food is heating up. If the food in the bag was frozen, but the bag split anyway, your bags are most likely defective. Are there any tips for vacuum sealing liquids? Before you vacuum package liquids such as soup stock, pre-freeze in a casserole dish, loaf pan or ice cube tray until solid. Remove frozen liquid from pan and vacuum package in a FoodSaver® Bag. You can stack these “frozen bricks” in your freezer. When you’re ready to use, just cut corner of bag and place in a dish in microwave or drop into water at a low simmer, below 75°C. Will flour still get bugs in it after it is vacuum packed? Insects and their larvae cannot survive in a low oxygen environment, such as that created when you vacuum package your dry foods such as flour, corn starch, corn meal and cereals. Vacuum Pump is running, but why is the air not being vacuumed out? Ensure you are using a bag with one opening. If making a bag from a roll, make sure one end of bag is sealed. Adjust the bag and try again. Make sure the open end of the bag is down inside the Vacuum Channel. Check for wrinkles in bag along Sealing Strip. To prevent wrinkles in the seal, gently stretch bag flat while inserting bag into Vacuum Channel. Check gaskets/ rubber seals are in good order. Open machine and make sure gaskets are inserted properly and there are no foreign objects, dirt or debris on the gaskets. If the machine has been left in On or Close position rather than Store position, then the Gaskets may be compressed. Open the lid and allow 10 to 20 minutes for Gaskets to expand. Make sure the lid is latched down all the way. If the Latch does not catch the lid and bring it down, there will be a leak between the Gaskets. Why isn’t my bag sealing properly? Please check: Bag is placed correctly. The edge of the bag should sit inside the vacuum chamber/ drip. If cutting bags from the roll, please ensure the scissors are very sharp. Blunt scissors or blades will affect the cut and can prevent air from being vacuumed out completely. Rough side (curl) is down on the sealing strip. There is enough gap in the bag to seal. Leave 7.5cm gap from food to cut edge of bag. Wrinkles in the bag. Before you place the bag in the vacuum chamber/ drip tray, pull the side pleats of the bag tightly, so there are no wrinkles, then place bag flat against the sealing strip and insert bag curl down into the Vacuum Channel. A wrinkle on the seal will cause a slight gap and air will re-enter. Moisture on the sealing area of the bag. If there’s any moisture inside the bag at the point where you want to seal, then this moisture will stop it sealing properly. If this area is wet, then it’s impossible to seal. Chicken, fish, bacon, vegetables can have a surprising amount of liquid. Wipe this seal area with a paper towel or make a dam between the food and the join with folded up paper towel and/or use the moist food function. Sealing Lights went off before you opened the lid. Did you remove the bag before the Vacuum Seal or Seal lights went off? FoodSaver® vacuum and seal cycle will automatically stop when complete and machine lights will turn off. If you remove the bag beforehand, the vacuum and seal will not have been completed so the bag will not have sealed properly. There are 2 clean gaskets. There are 2 foam seals (gaskets) in the machine - 1 at top and 1 at bottom. Try swapping foam seals (gaskets) around, or remove them to wash under warm water with detergent, rinse thoroughly then leave out to dry completely. This can bring back elasticity to foam. If the machine has overheated. Always allow 20 seconds between seals. Under heavy usage, machine will shut off automatically and Red Light will flash. Wait for 20 min. for machine to cool off. Air was removed from the bag, but now air has re-entered Examine the seal. A wrinkle along the seal may cause air to re-enter the bag. To prevent wrinkles in the seal, place bag flat against the sealing strip and insert bag curl down into the vacuum channel/ drip tray. Sometimes moisture or food material (such as juices, grease, crumbs, powders, etc.) along seal prevents bag from sealing properly. If this area is wet, then it’s impossible to seal. Chicken, fish, bacon, vegetables can have a surprising amount of liquid. Cut bag open, wipe top inside of bag and re-seal. You can prevent liquids from being drawn into the machine by placing a folded paper towel at the top of the bag, but below the seal area, before vacuum sealing. Pre-freeze moist food such as raw meat for 1-2 hours before vacuum sealing or place a folded paper towel between food and end of bag to absorb excess liquids. Sharp food items may have punctured bag (spaghetti, bones). Use a new bag if there is a hole. Cover sharp food items with a soft cushioning material, such as a paper towel, and re-seal. Fermentation or the release of natural gases from inside the foods may have occurred. When this happens, food may have begun to spoil and should be discarded. Faulty bag. Bag could be punctured. Try another bag. The machine did not finish sealing the bag. Ensure you’ve allowed the FoodSaver® to finish sealing before opening the lid. FoodSaver® machines have a handy auto off vacuum seal. Wait until the VAC/SEAL light goes off before opening the lid. Natural Gases in Foods. The release of natural gases or fermentation from foods, (such as fresh fruits and vegetables) can add air back into a vacuum packaged bag. To prevent this occurring, vegetables can be blanched prior to vacuum sealing. Also pre-freezing meats prior to vacuum sealing can prevent natural gases being released. Why won’t my machine work? I have plugged into the power point, and the Power light and control panel lights aren’t on. The lid needs to be closed and locked, and the machine turned On. Make sure lid is all the way down and closed. Some FoodSaver® machines have a latch on the right side which then needs to be turned to On/Operate/ Close. The VS1500 and VS6100 machines have a push lid close mechanism. To close and lock the lid, with the heel of your palms double push on the bottom left and bottom right corner of the lid. The coloured buttons on the sides of the machine will pop out, indicating the lid is locked and ready for use. Are there any foods which shouldn’t be vacuum sealed or any food tips? Soft Cheeses. While it’s safe to vacuum seal hard cheeses, soft cheeses may mould faster under a vacuum. Raw Bananas & Mushrooms. Because of their natural ripening process, these may decay faster under a vacuum. Apples. When you vacuum seal apples, they must be sliced and put a small bit of lemon juice on the slices to prevent them from browning. Raw onions, garlic, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts. Some vegetables produce natural gases which will cause the bag to expand and may cause a loss of vacuum and the vegetables will go bad. The best way to store all vegetables is to blanch them first, then cool, dry, vacuum pack and freeze.

FoodSaver PowerVac VS1500