Vacuum sealing Mason jars is kind of a hit and miss game for me. I have the attachment on the hose that fits on some vacuum sealers but not all. It doesn’t fit on the one I currently have in the house but I have one in the sewing room and it does fit on that one. I also have a hand held gizmo that works only if the battery is charged. It will not work if the battery is dead, even if it’s plugged into the wall. It’s fine for one or two jars but more than that and I’m having to wait for it to re-charge. I have three of these things and with any number of jars at all, I end up with three dead batteries before the jars are all sealed.
Because I will probably store most of my freeze dried foods in jars, just this morning I was saying to Vince . . I wish I had a better way to seal jars. He immediately got online, watched a couple of videos, said “I can do this a whole lot better than what they’re doing!” In 5 minutes he was dressed and out the door! I was thinking .. did what I think just happened really happen? Vince does not have a high speed and most every crazy idea I have, I get this “you’ve got to be kidding look” and it’s only after he decides that doing it is easier than listening to me try to convince him to do it.
He went to Harbor Freight and bought a vacuum pump. Went to Home Depot and got a few parts. Went to the hardware store and got a few more parts. Before lunch, he was home and had the crazy thing put together!
Vacuum Pump
I can load 7 jars in a single layer or 14 jars in a double layer in a pressure canner, attach this pump to it (no heat required), pull a vacuum and seal every one of those jars in no time at all!
I used my oldest canner but all it required was taking one part off the top so it isn’t ruined, in case I ever need to use it again as a canner. Since just the lid is “modified”, I can use it on my short, one layer canner or use it on my taller two layer canner.
I’m pretty impressed that Vince stopped, went to town, came back and made that thing. I believe he’s excited about the freeze dryer and having the vacuum chamber will be so helpful for sealing jars.
Wanda says
Can you do a us what ?looks like on pressure lid? Tell us what parts so we get get out husband’s to make one if need too. Thanks
Karen S. says
Would Vince mind posting his directions for making the vacuum chamber? What a great idea!
Judy Laquidara says
Yes, he will do that.
Deb Brown says
Woohoo. I can’t wait!
Ruth Chow says
That sounds pretty neat. I had one of those battery things and finally got rid of it as too slow and also, usually dead. So I have to get out the vacuum sealer to do jars and wrangle the top and tubing each time but I’m used to it now. I would love to try Vince’s method if I had a pressure canner but I haven’t and don’t do enough canning to justify it.
But I am curious–do you just put the flat lid tops on and they seal or do you put the rings on?
Judy Laquidara says
Those battery things are a pain. I don’t know why they don’t make them where you can just plug them into the wall and forget the batteries. Watch Goodwill and garage sales. They go for nothing. You don’t even need the gauges or regulators on top for this. It would need a gasket and if the gasket is old, you might need to replace it but they’re cheap. If you aren’t vacuum sealing a lot at once, there are small canners that hold 4 jars. That would be great to find used.
About the rings/lids . . you put the lids on and loosely put the rings on just to keep the lids from being knocked around as you’re adding more jars.
Rebecca in SoCal says
Very good, Vince! Yes, I think maybe he likes the idea of freeze-dried food.
Judy Laquidara says
I think he does too and I think at this point, he figures whatever keeps me busy and out of his hair is worth his effort to get it all set up.
Tee says
the vacuum sealer for jars on my sealer works so half assed, I stopped putting salad in jars. It was just not worth the aggravation.
Judy Laquidara says
I got a little plastic hand pump with some fermenting set and it actually works better than anything else but I would not want to hand pump 14 jars at one time . . but it might help my flabby arms.
Deborah A. says
I started laughing as I read this post. I was waiting for you to say that Vince asked you to go to town.
Nelle Coursey says
He is a good, smart man to have you are lucky!
Jackie says
Wow, he is one smart guy.
dezertsuz says
Yay! Vince saw a need and a solution and off he went. Retirement may yet hold many surprises. =) Looks like a handy thing to have. Once I realized what you were doing with the pump and the canner, I was amazed.
Rhonda L Russell says
Awesome! You have a very talented husband. I tried the salad in a jar after reading your last post about it. I have fallen in love with it! I can come home from work, pop open a jar of salad and a jar of grilled chicken and I have an instant mean. It also made for a quick taco salad!
I have a pressure canner but no husband to make me a vacuum sealer so I am going to have to continue to do one jar at a time. Bumming. 🙂 Thank you for sharing all of your wonderful ideas.
Kay L Ford-Sollimo says
Do I understand that Vince went to town WITHOUT YOU?!?!?!? Oh, and he may just be a genuine g-knee-yus!