Preparation for Vacuum-Sealing

1. Prefreeze meat or fish for about one to two hours prior to vacuum packaging to retain the shape and natural juices.

2. Blanch vegetables on the stove in a stockpot filled with boiling water for one to two minutes for leafy vegetables or peas, and three to five minutes for vegetables such as broccoli or carrots. Plunge the blanched vegetables in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking, drain in a colander, then dry the vegetables with paper towels.

3. Freeze whole fruit--such as berries--spread out individually on a baking sheet for one to two hours in the freezer.

4. Freeze liquids--such as soup stock or gravies--in a loaf pan or ice cube tray until completely frozen, then remove from the freezer.

Shrink-Wrapping and Vacuum-Sealing

1. Open the top of a vacuum sealing bag, and place the food you want to seal inside the bag; allow at least 3 inches of space above the food and the top of the bag.

2. Hold the vacuum bag with one hand on each side of the bag, then place the open end of the vacuum sealing bag into the vacuum channel of the vacuum sealer. Close the lid of the sealer over the mouth of the bag. Press the "seal" or "start" button.

3. The lights on the vacuum sealer start to light up to show the sealing progress. Hold the bag until the vacuum pump starts to pull the air out of the bag and it shrinks around the food, then let the bag go.

4. Watch the vacuum sealer progress lights until the red "seal" light turns off. Remove the vacuum-sealed food and place into the freezer.