Instructions for a Dazey Seal-a-Meal
Pioneers cured meat and dug root cellars to make vegetables last through long winter months. Twentieth-century homemakers found numerous ways to stretch their food budget by home canning and freezing. The Dazey Seal-a-Meal was a mid-century marvel that vacuum-sealed fresh foods, extending their shelf and freezer life. While the Dazey-Seal-a-Meal is no longer manufactured, if you still own one or find a vintage machine and bags, follow this set of easy instructions.
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Plug in the Seal-A-Meal unit, open the lid, and allow it to warm up for approximately two minutes.
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Fill the Seal-A-Meal bag with food, leaving about 2 inches of headspace, and ensuring the bag is no more than about 2/3 full and about 1-inch thick. If you are filling bags with food that is wider than 1 inch, take care not to over-fill the bag. For example, if you are sealing corn on the cob, place only one regular-sized ear, or two small ears, in each bag.
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Pick up the bag, taking care not to spill the contents, and force some of the extra air out of the bag.
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Hook the Seal-A-Meal bag onto the left-hand peg of the unit and pull tautly. Hook the other side on the right-hand peg.
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Smooth away any wrinkles and force out any remaining air.
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Ensure there is no food in the sealing area. Close the unit and count to three.
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Lift the lid and remove the sealed bag, pulling from the left-hand peg first.
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Close the lid, which will turn off the unit.
Tips
- You can boil food in the Seal-A-Meal bag.
- To open the bag, cut or tear open the bag at the notch just below the seal.
- Bags are also appropriate for protecting valuable papers from moisture; protecting heirlooms; and storing flower or vegetable seeds.
Writer Bio
Kristie Brown is a publisher, writer and editor. She has contributed to magazines, textbooks and online publications. Brown holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Texas at Austin.
Photo Credits
- Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images
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