Food Saver Vacuum Pack

[wedge40]

I use ours for nearly everything I freeze; have not used it in the past when freezing roasted Hatch peppers, or okra, but I intend to in the future. Have not used it for fruit, but mainly because fruit is so wet and juicy, but also because we don't freeze much fruit at all.

I vacuum seal fruit all the time. Mainly blueberries. I freeze the berries first and when I get them out to thaw I open the bag right away.

Wedge

 

[Bird]

SO! is it the consensus that freezing veggies after just a rinse then to the vacuum is the "better" way? Come on fellas, "sale" me on the Foodsaver!!

Well, I'm not going to say that's a "better" way because I'd be contradicting the "experts", but it's sure the way I'm going to do it.

And farmgirl, I'll have to try the grilled okra. As I've said, I like okra lots of ways, but my wife won't eat it unless it's fried.

 

[farmgirl19]

Convince her, Bird! I grew up eating it only fried, and occassionally pickled. I wouldn't touch it any other way, back then. After learning to grill okra, I prefer it, and is easier, and less clean up. I've had folks tell me they don't like okra and "will not eat it, even fried". Get them to try it grilled, and they want to know how to do it that way all year long. Unfortunately, it only works with fresh okra. All other should be used fried or in soups, stews and the New Year's black eyed peas. I eat it fried about 4-5 times a year now, and used to be 2-3 times a week. Didn't change for some diet, but because I enjoy it better grilled. I still do it in okra and tomatoes from the garden, each summer though.

 

[sodamo]

So, I have an okra story, nothing to do with Foodsaver though.

Back in the late 70's I was stationed on Oahu. Managed to buy a little house on a piece of property 50ft wide. Believe me when I say these were days when frugality was very important. I had 6 eggplant bushes that would feed the neighborhood. My next door neighbor was an older Hawaiian man who sort of adopted me and took me under his wing. Probably never a time we didn't have fresh caught fish in the freezer. Anyway, I wanted a garden, as did the wife of the time. Probably didn't have more than 6 inches of dirt before hitting coral. My neighbor knew someone that raised rabbits and we had all the palletized fertilizer we needed. I wanted to garden the last 25-30 ft of the back of the property. Naturally, this was all hand work. Well, I got all but about the last 20 ft of width and got too busy, but the rest of the area was doing well and every morning I'd take care of it. One of my fond memories is picking enough corn on New Years for a small party. That last patch just got overgrown, but I didn't have a clue what was there. Before I knew it, something was growing more than 6 ft tall. Then I noticed some podlike things. Turned out to be okra. I'd have to bend them down to harvest. Guess we probably ate them about anyway we could, as well as sharing. Only problem, if I didn't pick in a timely manner, let them pass a couple of days, they were better candidates for firewood. LOL. Sure were good when picked right though.

David Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[Bird]

Only problem, if I didn't pick in a timely manner, let them pass a couple of days, they were better candidates for firewood.

Yep, I always cut okra every other day, because if you skip 2 days instead of one, you'll have some to throw away because they're too big and tough. When I was a kid, okra was my first money crop. Early in the season, grocery stores would give me 35 cents a pound and by late in the season, it would be down to a nickel a pound.:laughing:

 

[farmgirl19]

Okra has to be picked DAILY, once it starts coming in!

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Okra has to be picked DAILY, once it starts coming in!

In this same vein, my Sister In Law noticed some plants coming up in her flower bed. She opined that it was okra; albeit not typical, in that it was closer to round in shape than elongate like okra normally is. She proceeded to harvest it, slice it up and fry it like okra, and allowed as how it was delicious. Some of the plants matured, and the "pods" burst open into what was obviously cotton boles, much to her chagrin. We had a good laugh at her expense. In doing some research later, it seems that cotton is related to the okra plant, and evidentally the immature boles are edible.

 

[sseelhoff]

In this same vein, my Sister In Law noticed some plants coming up in her flower bed. She opined that it was okra; albeit not typical, in that it was closer to round in shape than elongate like okra normally is. She proceeded to harvest it, slice it up and fry it like okra, and allowed as how it was delicious. Some of the plants matured, and the "pods" burst open into what was obviously cotton boles, much to her chagrin. We had a good laugh at her expense. In doing some research later, it seems that cotton is related to the okra plant, and evidentally the immature boles are edible.

Don't they make candy from cotton?

 

[sodamo]

Only cotton candy.... Which can be stored with your Foodsaver

David Sent from my iPad using TractorByNet

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Don't they make candy from cotton?

You talking about them eatin' britches?