Gadgets that save waste rather than creating waste

V Kay wrote:

Judith Pi wrote:... I currently use a Pump-N-Seal hand pump with mostly recycled twist-top jars. I used the little tab valves in the past (and made my own with electrical tape and strips cut from plastic bags) but now put jars into a larger container with their marenating lid to form a vacuum chamber. That way I don't have to pierce the lid which is a spot where rust can form, and the tabs can be damaged by critters. I lost a whole bunch of 1/2 gallon jars full of nuts and seeds that way :-(

We lost a jar of food to similar rodent intrusion, and solved that by putting a slightly larger piece of metal tape (used in HVAC, for example) over the electrical tape/tab valve. Simpler, takes up less room than putting jars into an outer container.

Judith's post was interesting, so I looked into the vacuum sealers.
In addition to the original Pump-N-Seal which requires poking holes there are at least two methods.

This one only works on Mason jar lids:

https://vacuumsealersexpert.com/jar-vacuum-sealer-machine-can-used-sealing-mason-jars/

The second is probably close to what Judith does now.
The jar to be sealed sets inside a larger  jar,  you apply the vacuum, and the smaller jar is sealed when you are as K the seal on the bigger vessel .
This link talks about both the jar top sealer and the jar in a canister method:

https://www.oakhillhomestead.com/2012/01/vacuum-sealing-jars.html?m=1

Judith seems to be using the jar in a canister method with a hand powered pump, another cost saving innovation.

Aside from using these jars for saving food,  I'm wondering about their insulation value,  but that is definitely  for another thread.

William Bronson wrote:

The second is probably close to what Judith does now.
The jar to be sealed sets inside a larger  jar,  you apply the vacuum, and the smaller jar is sealed when you are as K the seal on the bigger vessel .

Yes, the method show about half-way down the page of the second link, using the Food Saver canister, is closest to how I do it. However, I use either a stainless steel canister or large glass vessel with the Pump-n-Seal marinading disc as seen in the second half of this short video . The disc shown in the video, btw., has a rubber mat underneath to provide the squishy seal between two hard surfaces. It is held in place with a little water - something they don't show in the video, though you can see the cream-coloured underside as he moves the disc to the bowl. Some canisters have suitabe lids which could be drilled (1-2mm) to take a check tab/valve. Metal canisters with clip-tops and rubber gasket work well as a vacuum chamber. You can even vacuum seal glas-topped preserving jars (e.g. Fido, Kilner, Weck or Le Parfit) inside vacuum chambers as they have nice squishy gaskets. On my short-term to-do list is experimenting with brine fermenting in an initial vacuum which removes the oxygen. When the active CO2 producing, vacuum destroying phase slows down, give it a few more pumps to prevent air ingress. It may even work without weights or float guards. No oxygen, no mould or aerobic spoilage bacteria. The initial suction will also draw trapped air from rough or irregular-surfaced produce like chopped cabbage or broccoli, just as it is used in degassing resin casts. That P-n-S video above is an impressive demonstration of how liquids are pulled into the food and air is expelled.

I've written a post on the P-n-S and adapting the Vacu Vin pump to be used on the little tabs, but have not yet updated the post with the vacuum chamber idea.
http://www.judyofthewoods.net/diy/pump.html. There is an article I link to from there about converting a bicycle pump and using a chamber. One thing the article points out, something difficult to observe but to kind of feel, is that the vacuum in the inner jar is formed when you quickly release the vacuum. It slams the lid shut. That might explain why sometimes getting a vacuum is hit and miss - too slow opening the valve and the vacuum is lost.

Coincidentally I just landed via google on this permies thread about hand vacuum pumps https://permies.com/t/83732/kitchen/Hand-pump-version-vacuum-sealer.

My wife homeschools.   The amount of paper that is generated in teaching children overwhelmed our compost even when shredded.

Using chalkboards and overhead projectors helped, but the paper was mostly being generated by desk studying and work.

Then we got the idea of actually painting their desktops with chalkboard paint.   Most of the schoolwork in the elementary grades that requires repetition is done directly on the desk top.   We also have an 8x11" chalkboard similar to the ones used by our great great great.... grandparents for each of our children.