Food Saver Bags

You probably never stop to thank Napoleon for those food saver bags that you use to seal up leftovers to make them last longer in the refrigerator or freezer, do you?  After all, people living in the time of Napoleon didn’t even have refrigerators, and their idea of food preservation was to dry it, salt it, or else stop eating it once it made you sick or tasted and smelled so bad that you couldn’t stomach eating it.  But, in an odd way, Napoleon is indirectly responsible for vacuum food sealers and food saver bags and rolls.
Napoleon was undoubtedly one of the most charismatic generals in French history.  Even if you know nothing about French history, you probably know that Napoleon was famous for his martial successes and for ALMOST conquering Europe.  Napoleonic France was awash in war.  In those days, as now, an army moved on its stomach.  In order to win wars you needed men, and in order to lead men you had to feed them.  With the turmoil of so much warfare, and with so many armed men to feed, Napoleon could no longer rely on outlying villages to supply his troops.  In 1795, his government offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could figure out how to preserve food for its army and navy.  Chef Nicolas Appert won the prize by cooking food and then reheating in sealed glass jars.  This was the earliest form of canning.
People today know OF canning, even if they don’t know the details of how to do it themselves.  Canned food, for many of us, only comes from the grocery store, and in cans, not mason jars.  But w all know OF canning, and the concept that evacuated food lasts longer than food that is simply refrigerated.
The food saver vacuum sealer isn’t canning, but it shares the concept.  Food is placed in a food saver bag, the air is removed, and the food is refrigerated.  The simple step of removing the air extends the useful life of refrigerated foods by two or three times.  Food savers are very common devices in kitchens where the householder has no idea of how to can food, and would probably poison everyone if he or she tried, but the vacuum sealer is very simple to use.  It can be used to contain prepared foods, like leftovers or precooked meals, as well as to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Removing the air from the bag prevents freezer burn on materials placed in the freezer.
The food saver system provides a convenient way to buy food in bulk and freeze portions for later, so as to get quantity discounts on meat purchases.  The containers come as clear lexan plastic, with a spout for attaching the vacuum tubing and a valve to close off the container when the air has been withdrawn, as plastic bags of precut sizes, and in plastic rolls which can be sealed off to create custom size bags.
So the next time you vacuum-seal those extra chicken legs or a few steaks, remember to thank Napoleon.

You probably never stop to thank Napoleon for those food saver bags that you use to seal up leftovers to make them last longer in the refrigerator or freezer, do you?  After all, people living in the time of Napoleon didn’t even have refrigerators, and their idea of food preservation was to dry it, salt it, or else stop eating it once it made you sick or tasted and smelled so bad that you couldn’t stomach eating it.  But, in an odd way, Napoleon is indirectly responsible for vacuum food sealers and food saver bags and rolls.

Napoleon was undoubtedly one of the most charismatic generals in French history.  Even if you know nothing about French history, you probably know that Napoleon was famous for his martial successes and for ALMOST conquering Europe.  Napoleonic France was awash in war.  In those days, as now, an army moved on its stomach.  In order to win wars you needed men, and in order to lead men you had to feed them.  With the turmoil of so much warfare, and with so many armed men to feed, Napoleon could no longer rely on outlying villages to supply his troops.  In 1795, his government offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could figure out how to preserve food for its army and navy.  Chef Nicolas Appert won the prize by cooking food and then reheating in sealed glass jars.  This was the earliest form of canning.

People today know OF canning, even if they don’t know the details of how to do it themselves.  Canned food, for many of us, only comes from the grocery store, and in cans, not mason jars.  But w all know OF canning, and the concept that evacuated food lasts longer than food that is simply refrigerated.

The food saver vacuum sealer isn’t canning, but it shares the concept.  Food is placed in a food saver bag, the air is removed, and the food is refrigerated.  The simple step of removing the air extends the useful life of refrigerated foods by two or three times.  Food savers are very common devices in kitchens where the householder has no idea of how to can food, and would probably poison everyone if he or she tried, but the vacuum sealer is very simple to use.  It can be used to contain prepared foods, like leftovers or precooked meals, as well as to extend the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Removing the air from the bag prevents freezer burn on materials placed in the freezer.

The food saver system provides a convenient way to buy food in bulk and freeze portions for later, so as to get quantity discounts on meat purchases.  The containers come as clear lexan plastic, with a spout for attaching the vacuum tubing and a valve to close off the container when the air has been withdrawn, as plastic bags of precut sizes, and in plastic rolls which can be sealed off to create custom size bags.

So the next time you vacuum-seal those extra chicken legs or a few steaks, remember to thank Napoleon.

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