# Nonelectric Vacuum sealer



## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

I thought I remember a thread where someone posted that they had bought a non electric vacuum sealer to use on small mouth canning jars.
The one we have no longer works and before I go buy one to use with my electic food saver I thought I'd see if there is such a thing.

~~ pelenaka ~~


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I have a Pump-N-Seal, if that's what you are remembering. It looks like a bicycle tire pump, and works about the same way except it sucks instead of blowing. I love mine because it lets me us any type of jar and lid, instead of just canning jars. Plus it's much cheaper than an electric vac sealer and doesn't need electricity. I notice the price has gone up since I got mine, but it's still a great prep item.

http://www.pump-n-seal.com/


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

http://www.instructables.com/id/make-a-manual-vacuum-pump-for-under-$20-by-convert/
DIY using any bike pump.


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

Cyngbaeld said:


> http://www.instructables.com/id/make-a-manual-vacuum-pump-for-under-$20-by-convert/
> DIY using any bike pump.


That's very cool! Thanks for that, Cyngbaeld.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

I have a pump-n-seal too. I love it. I have friends who save their empty grocery store jars for me. I fill them with my dehydrated veggies and seal them. The only thing is to be sure to order lots of extra "bandaids" for the lids. 

I love the idea with the bike pump. I bet it would work just as well, or better than the pump-n-seal. But you'll still have to find a way to seal the hole with some type of "bandaid". Any ideas for that?


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## jennytw (Aug 7, 2009)

Spinner said:


> I have a pump-n-seal too. I love it. I have friends who save their empty grocery store jars for me. I fill them with my dehydrated veggies and seal them. The only thing is to be sure to order lots of extra "bandaids" for the lids.
> 
> What do you mean by "bandaids" do the lids break sometimes?


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

No, the Pump-n-seal uses a tiny tape thing that looks like a bandaid, which seals the tiny hole you poke in the lid. As you're suctioning out the air, the "bandaid" pulls away from the lid, allowing the air to escape. When you're done, the vacuum in the jar pulls the "bandaid" down over the hole and seals it.

Look at the video on the website and you'll understand better than I can explain it.

P.S. I've never had one of the tape "bandaids" fail on my PNS - the main cause of seal failure is the inside seal of the jar being bad.


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## carolb5 (Nov 14, 2007)

I've gone to this web site. Very interesting!! YMMV 

http://www.judyofthewoods.net/pump.html
carol


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

Mom_of_Four said:


> ... I've never had one of the tape "bandaids" fail on my PNS - the main cause of seal failure is the inside seal of the jar being bad.


I doubt it's possible for one of the tape "bandaids" to fail. The vacuum inside the jar sucks the seal tight so it can't come loose. 

Thanks for posting the link. It's nice to know how to make the little "bandaids" from tape and a shopping bag. That will come in handy when I run out of the supplied "bandaids". 

I haven't tried it yet, but reusing jar lids (such as pickle jars, etc) might work better if I treated them the same as reusing canning jar lids. If I remember right, you add a tsp or tbsp of baking soda to a pan of water and boil them for about 10 minutes to make the "rubber" seal swell up like new. I think the newer lids are being made with such thin sealing material that it may be hard or even impossible to reuse them.


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## unregistered29228 (Jan 9, 2008)

I've never done much with jar lids except wash them well with hot water and air dry. Once in a while I find one that won't hold a seal, and I just toss it. After picking off the little bandaid!


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Thank you all for those great links !
The pump & seal was exactly what I was looking for.


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