We've all seen those vacuum sealers on the infomercials. Sure, they might be handy, but at those prices you might as well just buy the minimum amount of food and not worry about food storage. But thanks to the DIY imagination of Eric Foreman, you can make your own vacuum sealer for about $30!

The parts list is pretty simple:

1. A brake bleeder / vacuum pump
2. A Tila FoodSaver Mason Jar adapter
3. MasonJars with lids
   

Obviously this won't allow you to leave out spoilable foods, but it's a great way to keep other things fresh. Use it to store things like tea, your expensive coffee beans, pasta, and bulk spices. And if the survivalists are right, this will turn out to be a very handy contraption to have!

[Via instructables.com]

As that Cheetos orange cheetah tells us, "It ain't easy bein' cheesy!" True, but I didn't know how true until I read this article on the cheesemonger's top ten rules. The first eye-opener is that cheese is a living, breathing thing. It makes sense when you think about the bacteria, but who thinks of it in that light?

As for me, I like odoriferous cheeses like blue cheese, so I was happy to learn that it just keeps getting better. Other things I didn't know -- like the fact that I've been storing cheese the wrong way. You should actually use cheese paper. Who knew such a thing existed?

Don't just rely on what the package says. Taking some DIY responsibility for your cheese is important to you and your family. Read the article yourself to learn:

• how to tell when it's gone bad.
• the shelf life of different types.
• the do's and don't-do's of storage.
• and more!
  

Turns out the cheetah was wrong; it actually is easy bein' cheesy, as long as you know what the cheesemonger does!

[via www.thekitchn.com]