# Seal-a-meal type vacuum sealing, food preservation in humid climates



## pengyou

I have moved to Taiwan - a very beautiful island, just off of Fujian province in China.  While Shanghai was humid, I find that Taiwan is even more so.  I am looking for suggestions to keeping fruit, veggies, cooked food and other materials from spoiling.  My mind turned to the seal a meal thingie - will that be useful?  There is a restaurant supply shop not far from my home that sells flour, cocoa powder and other yummy things at about half price in bulk - more than 10 or 20 pounds, depending on the product.  I have rather limited fridge space right now and the space that I have is ruined by the impractical arrangement of the shelves 

This is my situation...here is my plea...help!


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## justplainbill

Vacuum sealing of perishables is not a substitute for refrigeration.  Vacuum packing of powdery substances like flour and cocoa is problematic because of the tendency of some of the powder to migrate into the vacuum pump.  We use vacuum packaging mostly in conjunction with freezing meats, and storing dried fruits, nuts, and mushrooms


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## Dawgluver

Yes, please don't leave perishables unrefrigerated!  

For powder, maybe try this: put some of your powder in a ziplock.  Zip it almost closed, roll up and squeeze really well,  finish zipping.  Then, put a few bags in the seal-a-meal, and seal. 

Another thought, save up some antidessicant packets found in some vitamin supplement bottles, do the same thing but put the packet in with the powder.

I agree with Bill, a seal-a-meal would work fine for everything else but powder.  Great for nuts, dried fruits, jerky, etc.  Things needing to be refrigerated should be in the fridge, seal-a-meal or not.


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## justplainbill

Dawgluver said:


> Yes, please don't leave perishables unrefrigerated!
> 
> For powder, maybe try this: put some of your powder in a ziplock.  Zip it almost closed, roll up and squeeze really well,  finish zipping.  Then, put a few bags in the seal-a-meal, and seal.
> 
> Another thought, save up some antidessicant packets found in some vitamin supplement bottles, do the same thing but put the packet in with the powder.
> 
> I agree with Bill, a seal-a-meal would work fine for everything else but powder.  Great for nuts, dried fruits, jerky, etc.  Things needing to be refrigerated should be in the fridge, seal-a-meal or not.


The contents of sealed ziplocks will not benefit from the evacuation of the air accomplished by vacuuming.  Anti- dessicants which are not already saturated with moisture or have been de-moisturized can be a useful even without vacuuming.


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## pengyou

Thanks!  You have mentioned some things that I had not thought about.  I was not going to use it as a substitution for refrigeration, rather as a way of trying to protect fruit and veggies that are not usually stored in the fridge - like bananas - from the effects of humidity.  I like the idea of sealing bags of flour, etc with the seal a meal.  I thought I had seen some sealers advertised that had a "powder setting" - am I wrong?  or maybe that was a liquid setting, to seal soups, juices and stews?


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## Dawgluver

I haven't seen a "powder setting", though I could be wrong.  Mine has a hose for sealing liquids in canisters.


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