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Friday, February 26, 2016

Widgets

Vacuuming And I Don't Mean the Carpet.


The week  I write this Coles had on special 5 kgs of Basmati Rice is $8.75, normally they are  double that. This means it is the same price as normal long grain rice, so I decided to get a bag. As you would all know though opening up a bag this size would mean all the bugs around would home in on this delicious grain. So that's where vacuuming comes in handy. Once that is achieved this rice will last 30 years, if kept in a cool dark place. You can also put any packages in the freezer to kill any bugs if needed, before putting it away.


My Vacuuming Machine

 Vacuuming is a process of drawing out every last scrap of oxygen out of the special bags and then sealing it across. You can do it for meat, then freeze or keep in fridge up to a month ( remember no oxygen to spoil meat) and dehydrated food, sugar, flour, medical, precious photos or documents. If it fits in the bag you can vacuum it.



  To each bag I also add an oxygen preserver, which also draws out oxygen once exposed to air, just to get that last little bit.



We normally shop for all the basics about once every 3 months, so often I will 2  or 3 4kg. bags of sugar for example and vacuum it in 2 kg. lots,  not only does this keep but also reduces in size, with no air in the bag. I always have plenty of sugar on hand as I never know when I will be preserving  fruit in my jars, like the plums I did recently. Large bulk bread flour, or bulk anything is much cheaper and can be divided up to quantities our family can use.


All set to Pack Away
 
You can also prepackage complete items such as cake mix, flour, sugar, commercial dried milk, commercial dried egg, and any dried fruit or chocolate bits you wish. Just a case of adding water, and "voila"  cake mix ready to cook, no dragging out all the bits and pieces. Same for pancakes, banana bread, ordinary bread, gluten free. Any oil in a recipe is recommended to add once opening. The key to all this though is good labeling, on every item.

 For our camping trips I can leave anything in the van, knowing that it won't spoil at all. It also takes up less room.

The bags once you cut the top off are reusable, once washed and clean. They get smaller and smaller as you use them but as I vacuum herbs also the smaller ones are quite handy for this.
I don't vacuum meat although I have heard of putting marinade and meat in together, then vacuuming it, and also it can give you neat packages in the freezer, I tend to use freezer bags for my meat.

I have had a rough time this week as mum fell over and knocked herself out at the nursing home. Gave herself a very nasty bruise over her right eye, plus cut her right arm and knocked her shoulder about. Several days later they called an ambulance, an she was in hospital all day, but found nothing. Today when we visited, she was not with it at all. This is taking up a bit of my time, and I am trying to blog as often as I can. On the 20th Feb. we had Dad's 1 year anniversary of his passing.  Suddenly I feel very unorganized.

Till next time.

3 comments:

  1. you can marinate meat but with mine I use a special container made for it as you do not want the liquid to accidentally get into your machine

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    Replies
    1. Yes I read somewhere that you have to be very careful, so probably why I don't do it. I have a jar sealer coming presume you can marinade in that just for the evening meal.

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