# Foodsaver bags not holding a vacuum?



## unregistered29228

This week I vac-sealed a bunch of mixed, dried veggies, and today I found that 6 of the 10 have air in the bag. Is this common? Is it something I did? Should I just cut the bag open and reseal? Maybe I should seal twice with the heat part?

I'd hate to have to deal with this over and over, as I get my pantry in shape! I have a Foodsaver, and I love it....except if the bags don't stay sealed!


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## virtualco

I have this problem also.

I read last week (?) about someone here wiping sealing strip every fifth bag. Can someone comment on this again?

I have been sealing twice, I guess this works, have to check items I sealed last week.


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## MELOC

whenever i had that problem it was usually moisture on the bag at the seal area. the other few times it was an obvious wrinkle at the seal area. be sure the bags are dry where they get sealed. anything more than that is beyond my experience.


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## sparkysarah

I have never had this problem with a dried food. I don't use foodsaver brand bags though. I get them from www.thesweetattack.com Prices are fantastic. 
Oh yeah, I just remembered I did have that problem once doing tomatoes and it was because the juiced got sucked up before it could seal. I learned real fast to partial freeze in the bag before I sealed.


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## Common Tator

I have had the same problem, even when there is no visible wrinkle. Usually about a 50% failure rate. It hasn't been moisture problems, and usually has nothing to do with what I am sealing.


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## ajharris

My problem with my food saver is it doesn't vacuum the air out, I have to squeeze what air I can out without spilling the food everywhere.


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## shellycoley

Sometimes if you don't use a big enough bag you don't get a good seal. I also find that turning the machine so that the bag lays flat on the counter (as opposed to hanging off the edge) helps. And make sure what your packing is as flat and even as possible.

Shelly


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## unregistered29228

sparkysarah said:


> I have never had this problem with a dried food. I don't use foodsaver brand bags though. I get them from www.thesweetattack.com Prices are fantastic.


They DO have great prices, and I like that the bags are already cut and ready to use. I often goof on the size I need when I'm cutting my own.

Thanks for the link!


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## sparkysarah

I also make sure I plug my foodsaver in several minutes ahead of time. Someone mentioned once that it needs to heat up? If it's not heated up it won't seal thoroughly?!


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## Jim-mi

I kinda dought that . . ."plug in to heat up"
It only heats on demand for the seal.
And it even says to give a certain amount of time between sealing so that that heating element doesn't overheat.


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## sparkysarah

My bad...
But that's what works for me.


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## tn_junk

I have tried three different brands of machines and several different brands of bags. I have never gotten better than a 75% success rate. 
Have decided to use other methods.

alan


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## goatlady

The most common problem is that DRIED veggies poke teeny tiny holes in the bags when the vacuum happens! I put my dried veggies into a zip-lock first, the put the UNSEALED zip-lock into the vac-bag and seal. Haven't lost a vacuum yet doing this. Same with vac-packing meat with bones - I wrap the exposed boney ends in papertowels which prevents bag puncture. Just a suggestions that works for me every time.


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## turtlehead

I have a high failure rate, too. 

I'm still using the vac-seal because I figure a foodsaver bag with a faulty seal is as good as a Zip-Lok or a plastic square freezer box with snap-on lid.

But I'd sure like to know why there's such a high failure rate. I double-seal, I put a folded paper towel in with moist foods, and I wipe the bag dry if sealing moist foods.

I might try freezing and then sealing. Most of the stuff I freeze is kind of moist: blanched veggies, meat.


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## unregistered29228

goatlady said:


> The most common problem is that DRIED veggies poke teeny tiny holes in the bags when the vacuum happens! I put my dried veggies into a zip-lock first, the put the UNSEALED zip-lock into the vac-bag and seal. Haven't lost a vacuum yet doing this. Same with vac-packing meat with bones - I wrap the exposed boney ends in papertowels which prevents bag puncture. Just a suggestions that works for me every time.


Goatlady, thanks for the idea. I'll bet that's what has happened. I resealed the edges on the failed bags last night, and two of them still don't stay vacuumed. No biggie since they'll be packed into a bucket, but at least I know what might have caused it.

I'll also try the paper towel on meats, since I had a few scares watching the juice go towards the (unremovable, uncleanable) vacuum crack. That's a design flaw, IMO. What if something dirty gets in the crack?


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## virtualco

goatlady, I too will try a bag in a bag. After checking vac sealed items, they could have leaked due to the product I was sealing punching a hole in them i.e. Frosted Mini Wheats, some white rice and so on. 

Thank you Mom_of_Four for starting thread.


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## ailsaek

I'm appreciating this thread because I don't have a vacuum sealer yet. I am considering getting one, but it's good to know that they aren't a magic bullet.


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## Nana2boys

Rice is bad to poke a hole in the bags. So is certain type pasta's


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## Catlover

unregistered29228 said:


> This week I vac-sealed a bunch of mixed, dried veggies, and today I found that 6 of the 10 have air in the bag. Is this common? Is it something I did? Should I just cut the bag open and reseal? Maybe I should seal twice with the heat part?
> 
> I'd hate to have to deal with this over and over, as I get my pantry in shape! I have a Foodsaver, and I love it....except if the bags don't stay sealed!


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