The MealSaver
TM
Appliance
1 . Alw a ys unplug appliance bef ore cleaning.
2. Do not immerse appliance in wat er.
3. A void using abrasiv e products or mat er ials
to clean an y appliance components. These
cleaners can scr atch the surface and
damage the blac k f oam rubber pads.
4. Use a mild dish washing soap and a warm,
damp cloth to wipe a wa y food r esidue inside
or around components .
5.
Empty reser voir af ter each use . W ash in warm
soap y wat er or place in t op rac k of dishw asher .
6. Allow r eser v oir to dry befor e replacing onto
V acuum Nozzle.
IMPORT ANT : T o r em o v e
Reservoir from V acuum Nozzle:
E xt en d V ac u um N oz zl e f r om
un it , w hi le ho ld in g V acu um
No zz le wi th on e ha nd pu ll c lea r
Reservoir a wa y from Nozzle.
FoodSaver
®
Containers
1 . W ash all F oodSa ver
®
Container s in war m
wat er , using a mild dish washing soap .
2. Dr y thoroughl y befor e reusing.
3. FoodS av er
®
Meal Container s are
micro wa ve and dishw asher saf e
(top r ack onl y).
A ddi tio nal cont ain er s in v ar iou s s izes ar e
av ailable at www .foodsav er .com
Adaptor Storage
Con venientl y store Adapt or on
back of unit.
T roubleshooting
Nothing happens when I try to
vacuum package:
1 . Check po wer cord t o see if it is r mly
plugged into electrical outlet.
2. Examine pow er cord f or damage.
3. Check electrical outlet by plugging in
another appliance.
Hose WILL NOT retract
Extend the hose b y gently pulling the V acuum
Nozzle aw a y from the unit. Allo w the hose to
gently r etract int o the unit housing until the
hose seats into place . Do not ext end past the
V acuum Packaging & Food Safety
The vacuum pac kaging process e xtends the lif e
of f oods by r emoving most of the air fr om sealed
zipper bags and container s, thereb y reducing
o xidation, which af fects n utritional value, avor
and ov erall quality . Removing air can also inhibit
gr owth of microor ganisms, which can cause
prob lems under cer tain conditions:
Mold – Easily identi ed by its fuzzy
charact eristic. Mold cannot gr ow in a low o xygen
envir onment, theref ore vacuum pac kaging can
slow the gr owth of mold.
Y east – Results in f ermentation, which can be
identi ed by smell and tast e. Y east needs water ,
sugar and a moder ate t emperature t o grow . It
can also sur vive with or without air . Slowing the
gr owth of yeast r equires refrigeration, while
fr eez ing st ops it completely .
Bacteria – Results in an unpleasant odor ,
discoloration and/or sof t or slimy te xture . Under
the right conditions, Clostridium botulinum (the
org anism that causes Botulism) can gr ow without
air and sometimes cannot be detect ed by smell
or tast e. Although it is extremel y rare, it can be
very dangerous . T o pr eser ve f oods safely , it is
critical that you maintain lo w temperatur es. Y ou
can signicantly r educe the gr owth of micr oor -
ganisms at t emperatur es of 40°F (4°C) or below .
F reezing at 0°F (-1 7°C) does not kill microor gan-
isms, b ut stops them fr om gr owing . For long-t er m
stor age, alw a ys fr eeze perishable f oods that
hav e been vacuum pack aged, and keep
refrigerat ed af ter tha wing.
It is impor tant to not e that vacuum pac kaging
is NO T a substitute f or canning and it cannot
re verse the det erioration of f oods. It can only
slow do wn the changes in quality . It is dif ficult to
predict ho w long foods will r etain their top-quality
av or , appearance or te xture because it depends
on age and condition of the f ood on the day it
was v acuumed pack aged.
IMPORT ANT : V acuum packaging is
NOT a substitute for refrigeration
or freezing.
Any perishable f oods that require r efrigeration
must still be r efrigerated or froz en af ter
vacuum pac kaging.
Food Safety W arning
Use fresh, perishable f oods soon aft er harvest
or purchase . Even under pr oper storage conditions ,
f oods lose freshness and nutritiv e value if the y
are st ored t oo long.
T o r etain quality and nutritive v alue, st ock onl y
the kinds and amounts of f ood you can st ore
properly . Alw ay s stor e the most per ishable items ,
including meats, poultry , sh, eggs and dair y
products , in the coldest sections of the refrigerat or .
Label f ood with the date so that the f oods can be
used within a saf e time.
R ef ri ge r at e o r fr ee z e le f t o v er f ood s wi th in 2 ho ur s
af ter cooking . Maintain the refrigerat or temper ature
at 40° F or below . Maintain a freez er temper ature
of 0° F or below . Arrange items so cold air can
circulat e freel y . Monitor the t emperature with an
appliance thermometer .
Fo od Pr epa rat ion &
Reheating Tips
Thawing and Reheating V acuum
Packaged Foods
Alw ay s thaw foods in either r efr igerator or
micro wa ve – do not tha w perishable f oods at
room t emperatur e. T o reheat f oods in a
micro wa ve r emov e from Zipper Bag.
Preparation Guidelines for
Meat and Fish:
F or best results , pre-fr eeze meat and sh f or
1 -2 hour s bef ore v acuum pack aging in a
F oodSa ver
®
V acuum Zipper Bag. This helps
ret ain the juice and shape, and guarant ees
a bet ter seal. If it’ s not possible t o pre-fr eeze,
place a f olded paper to wel bet ween meat or
sh and top of bag , below v alve ar ea. Leav e
paper to wel in bag t o absorb ex cess moisture
and juices during vacuum pac kaging pr ocess.
NOTE: Beef may appear darker af ter v acuum
pack aging due to the r emoval of o xygen. This is
not an indication of spoilage.
Preparation Guidelines for
Hard Cheeses:
T o k eep cheese fresh, v acuum package it af ter
each use. W hen you ’r e ready drop it in bag
and reseal.
IMPORT ANT : Soft cheeses should
never be vacuum packaged.
Care, Cleaning & Troubleshooting
Guidelines for Vacuum Packaging
Instructions
P r ep ar at io n G ui de l in es f o r
V egetables:
V egetables need to be b lanched before v acuum
pack aging. This process stops the enzyme action
that could lead to loss of avor , color and te xture.
T o b lanch veget ables , place them in boiling
wat er or in the micro wa ve until the y are cook ed,
but still crisp . Blanching times range from
1 to 2 min utes f or leafy gr eens and peas;
3 to 4 min utes f or snap peas, sliced zucchini
or broccoli; 5 minutes f or carrots; and 7 to 1 1
minut es for corn on the cob . Af ter b lanching,
immerse v egetables in cold wat er to st op the
cooking process . Finall y , dr y vegetab les on a
to wel bef ore v acuum packaging .
NOTE: All v egetables (including br occoli,
Brussels sprouts, cab bage, cauli ower , kale,
turnips) naturally emit gases during st orage.
Theref ore, af ter blanching , they m ust be stor ed in
freez er only . W hen freezing v egetab les, it is best
to pr e-freez e them f or 1 -2 hours or until solidl y
froz en. T o fr eeze v egetab les in individual
ser vings, r st place on a baking sheet and
spread them out so the y are not t ouching. This
pre vents them from fr eezing together in a b lock.
Once they ar e froz en, remo ve fr om baking sheet
and vacuum pac kage vegetab les in a
F oodSav er
®
V acuum Zipper Bag. Af ter
they ha ve been v acuum packaged, r eturn
them to the fr eezer .
IMPORT ANT : Fresh mushrooms,
onions, & garlic should never be
vacuum packaged.
Preparation Guidelines for
Leafy V egetables:
F or best results, use a cont ainer to st ore leafy
veget ables . Fir st wash the v egetables , and then
dr y with a to wel or salad spinner . Af ter the y are
dried, put them in a container and vacuum
pack age. Store in r efrigerator .
Preparation Guidelines for Fruits:
When fr eezing sof t fruits or berries, it is best to
pre-fr eeze them f or 1 -2 hours or until solidl y
froz en. T o fr eeze fruit in individual ser vings, r st
place on a baking sheet and spread them out
so they ar e not touching . This prev ents them
from fr eezing together in a b lock. Once they are
froz en, remo ve fr om baking sheet and v acuum
pack age fruit in a FoodS av er
®
V acuum Zipper
Bag. Af ter the y hav e been vacuum pack aged,
return them to the fr eezer . Y ou can vacuum
pack age por tions for baking , or in your f av orite
combinations f or easy fruit salad all year r ound.
If storing in the refrigerat or , we recommend
using a F oodSav er
®
Container .
P r ep ar at io n G ui de l in es f o r
Baked Goods:
T o v acuum pack age soft or airy baked goods,
we r ecommend using a FoodS av er
®
Container
so they will hold their shape . If using a bag,
pre-fr eeze f or 1 -2 hours or until solidl y frozen. T o
sav e time, make cookie dough, pie shells, whole
pies, or mix dry ingredients in adv ance and
vacuum pac kage for lat er use.
Preparation Guidelines for
Make-ahead Meals, Leftovers and
Sandwiches:
Ef ficientl y stor e your mak e-ahead meals,
lef to ver s and sandwiches in the stackab le,
light weight F oodSav er
®
Container . They are
micro wa veab le, t op rac k dishwasher saf e and
come with a custom adapt or . The light weight
container s will be ready t o head of f to the of fice
or school when you ar e!
Preparation Guidelines for
Snack Foods:
Y our snack f oods will maintain their fr eshness
longer when you v acuum package them. F or
best results , use a FoodS av er
®
Container f or
crushable items lik e cracker s.
Vacuum Packaging
Non-Food items
The MealSa ver
TM
vacuum pac kaging sy stem also
prot ects non-f ood items fr om o xidation, corrosion
and moisture . Simply f ollow the dir ections to
vacuum pac kage items using F oodSa v er
®
V acuum Zipper Bags, Cont ainers
and Accessories.
T o v acuum pack age silver , wrap f ork tines in soft
cushioning material, such as a paper to wel, t o
av oid punctur ing bag.
Y our FoodS av er
®
V acuum Zipper Bags are
ideal f or outdoor ex cursions. For camping and
hiking, k eep your matches , maps and f ood dr y
and compact. If you ’ re going sailing or boating,
vacuum pac kage your f ood, lm and a dry
cha nge of cl oth es. T o keep eme rgen cy k its
saf e and dr y , vacuum pac kage ares, bat teries,
ashlights, matches, candles and other neces-
sities. Y our emergency items will st a y dr y and
org anized in y our home, car or boat.
You nished your meal and now your ready to seal...
grab your convenient MealSaver
TM
Compact Vacuum Sealing System
and let’s get started!
Care & Cleaning
Step 1
Place food in FoodSaver
®
Vacuum
Zipper Bag. Do not place food in
area under the green circle. Lay
Zipper Bag at with green circle
facing upwards, align grooves
and slide ngers across zipper
to close bag.
Step 5
Gen tly exte nd th e Ret rac tab le Ac ces sor y
Hose to retract it and return the Vacuum
Noz zle to the unit .
Step 3
Appl y gentl y downwa rd pres sure
over the green circle an d press the
gree n Power Button. The Vacuu m
will automa tical ly stop when all of the
air has been evac uated from the bag .
Step 2
Plug cord into outlet. Pull Retr acta ble
Hose Vacuum Nozzle out of the unit
and place over the green circle.
Step 4
Stor e a bag with per isha ble food in the
refrigerator or freezer or store a bag
with non-pe risha ble goo ds in a cabin et.
Sealing FoodSaver
®
Vacuum Zipper Bag
Step 1
Plac e food in con taine r. Plac e
the lid on the conta iner . Apply
gent le pres sure on the lid to
snap it into place.
Step 2
Plug the cord into outlet. Pull
the Retractable Hose Vacuum
Nozzle out of the unit. Attach
the Adaptor onto the Vacuum
Nozzle by pressing the tip of
the Adaptor into the bottom of
the Vacuum Nozzle as show
in the illustration.
Step 3
With the Adaptor attached, place the
Vacuum Nozzle over the gray valve
on the lid of the container. Press the
green Power Button. The Vacuum will
automatically stop when all of the air
has been evacuated from the container.
Step 5
Remove the Adaptor and gently extend
the Retractable Accessory Hose to
retract it and return the Vacuum Nozzle
to the unit.
Step 4
Store a container with perishable food
in the refrigerator or freezer or store a
container with non-perishable goods
in a cabinet.
Sealing FoodSaver
®
Containers
I MP O R TA N T : S ho u l d l iq u id b e c o l l ec t e d i n t he r e s e rv o ir , s t o p v ac u u mi n g
once liquid fills to the Max fill line.
gr een marking on the hose. T o r etract, pull
V acuum Nozzle out 2 or 3 inches and GUIDE
the HOSE slowl y back int o the unit.
V acuum tur ns off befor e air
is evacuated:
1 . Make sur e the V acuum Nozzle is upr ight
2. Empt y liquid from R eservoir .
3. Make sur e no f ood is beneath the green
circle of the zipper bag .
Air is still in the bag:
1 . Make sur e zipper is fully closed and
appliance is working correctl y
2. Examine bag f or leaks. T o see if y our bag
has a leak, seal bag with air , submerge it into
wat er and apply pr essure . Bubbles indicat e a
leak. Use a new bag if b ubbles appear .
Air was removed fr om the bag,
but now air has re-enter ed:
1 . Examine zipper and v alv e of bag. Food
debris in zipper or val ve ma y cause leakage
and allow air t o enter .
2. Sometimes moisture or f ood material (such
as juices, gr ease, crumbs, powder s, etc.)
along seal edges of the zipper or beneath
the val ve pre vents bag from sealing pr oper ly .
Wipe the inside of bag ar ound zipper and
beneath value and at tempt t o reseal.
3. If you ar e vacuum pac kaging shar p food
items , bag ma y hav e been punctured. Use a
new bag if ther e is a hole. Cov er shar p food
items with a sof t cushioning material, such
as a paper to wel, and r eseal.
4. If you ar e still e xperiencing diff iculty with
air in your bag , f ermentation or the release
of natural g ases from inside the f oods may
hav e occurred. W hen this happens, food ma y
hav e begun to spoil and should be discar ded.
The FoodSaver
®
Container
will not vacuum:
1 . Make sur e rubber gask et on lid is free fr om
f ood materials.
2. Examine rim of container f or crac ks or
scratches. Any g aps can pre vent container s
from v acuuming properly .
If Y ou Need Assistance:
1-877-777-8042 (U.S.)
1-877-804-5383 (Canada)
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92-0109-032 MealSaver-IM.indd 3-6 3/16/09 10:41:22 AM