[pct-l] Vacuum Sealer Questions

[Eric Payne]

I found a REALLY cheap vacuum sealer at Walmart made by Reynolds called the
Readi Vac.  It costs less than $10, and reviews seem to make it seem like a
completely viable alternative to the huge vacuum sealers that melt and seal
off the end of the bag.  I have yet to use it yet because I"m not totally
sure that I need to vacuum seal my bags.

1) Can vacuum sealing preserve foods that are set to expire soon?  I am
thinking of buying a lot of granola by Kashi that is set to expire in a
couple of weeks, and wondered if vacuum sealing is enough to make it stay
edible for a few months?

2)  Is vacuum sealing energy bars that are set to expire a good idea even
though they are individually wrapped?

3)  Is vacuum sealing by itself enough to keep food fresh, so that nothing
needs to be stored in the freezer?

I picked this up after reading people recommending getting a vacuum sealer
on here.  I mainly just want a way to store my granola and GORP for my mail
drop person to easily ship to me without having to fill up the freezer with
15 lbs of food!