*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary FoodSaver Fresh after attending the event, I was neither asked nor required to review this product, though I did so because I absolutely love it. 😉
You know you’ve entered the realm of adulting when you get really excited about household products. I mean, really, genuinely excited. A couple of months ago I was invited to an event to take a look at the FoodSaver in action, and to pick up some tips from Food Network star Damaris Phillips. If you’re not familiar with it, the FoodSaver is a vacuum-sealing system that helps you keep your meals fresher, longer.
On average, FoodSaver users can save up to $2700 a year (compared to other food storage methods). At the event FoodSaver debuted their new FoodSaver Fresh appliance. The FoodSaver is a compact (hello, my fellow space-limited NYC apartment dwellers!) vacuum sealing device that works with both the classic FoodSaver bags, but also their new FoodSaver Fresh containers.
I was totally intrigued with the device, especially when we were told that FoodSaver has the potential to keep certain foods fresh for twice as long. I immediately pictured the piles of money that I’ve spent at the Union Square farmers market and our local CSA, only to watch pricey fruits, vegetables, and herbs wilt, whither, and rot in mere days. I am all about supporting local growers and artisans. I only wish that I had more time to process my produce before they made an early departure. Since I’m not getting any less busy, the FoodSaver is exactly what I need.
Damaris showed us some of her favorite ways to put the FoodSaver to work. My favorites were food prep, marinating, food saving, making a breakfast parfait that can be eaten all week long, and even using the FoodSaver containers to keep bakery treats like muffins and pastries fresh for even longer. Oh, and how can I forget, brown sugar! Keep your brown sugar from getting hard as a rock between uses.
The FoodSaver team sent me my own FoodSaver fresh and since then I have been using it non-stop. If I’m making stir-fry, I like to cut up all the veggies I’m using the day before. I store it all in a food fresh container and streamline cooking the next day. When I do my weekly Trader Joe’s run, I stick by butter lettuce and spring lettuce mix into one of the containers and vacuum seal it up. The lettuce stays fresh and does not get bruised at all – which means salads all week. I can’t believe how addicted I’ve become to using the FoodSaver Fresh and those containers! The containers themselves are ridiculously sturdy, easy to store, and they don’t stain. I actually feel like I’m running out of them because I find so many uses for them.
The FoodSaver FM1510 Food Preservation System clocks in at about $100, but when you purchase it directly from FoodSaver, you also get 2-quart vacuum zipper bags, 2-gallon vacuum zipper bags, 1-5 cup Fresh Container, 1-8 cup Fresh Container, and 1 produce tray (which fits the 3,5, and 8 cup containers). For more information, including all sorts of impressive details and uses for the FoodSaver, check them out here.