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Vacuum Sealing Tips and Tricks

There’s no better way to keep your food fresh and ready to use than in vacuum sealed bags. These bags are great to marinate steaks and other meat products, store fresh and crisp veggies and avoid freezer burn if you want to freeze your food. The bags used for sealing usually come in rolls. They can be cut to the desired size and sealed on both ends. It’s good to know a few tricks of the trade to make the best use of your vacuum sealer.

Storing liquids and powdered food

There’s always some soup leftover after a party. So if you want to save it up for a lazy afternoon, all you have to do is freeze the soup before vacuum sealing it. This way you can avoid liquid disasters when the vacuum sucks the liquid out of the cover while you seal it. Most vacuum seal bags are microwave-safe too, so that makes reheating your soup just as easy.

Be extra diligent about running your vacuum sealer through its complete cycle – first the vacuum and then the sealing. For powdered food, double pack it by emptying the contents into an inner cover and vacuum sealing the external cover to avoid powder getting sucked in by the vacuum. Vacuum sealing powdered food can help avoid lumps, and in case of sugars you can prevent hardening too.

Storing meat and fish

If you are wondering how to lock in the juices in your meat and get them to marinate quickly, vacuum sealing them is the best option. The vacuum helps open out the pores in the meat allowing it to marinate faster. Similarly, tray-freeze fish and meat to lock in their juices before vacuum sealing them. Meat and fish can be stored this way for over two years.

Fruits and vegetables

You don’t have to worry about your fruits and veggies losing their bite – they’ll retain their freshness for months and sometimes even up to two years if vacuum sealed. Blanch your veggies and tray-freeze them before sealing them. In case of fruits, just tray-freeze them before sealing them in.

Prepping food for vacuum sealed storage

If you intend to put away the food for a while, take the time to prepare it suitably as well. Wash and dry food items like fruits, vegetables and meat.

Avoid transferring bacteria and germs onto the food by avoiding direct hand contact. Tongs and ladles can help you clean and put away your food conveniently and hygienically. Also, label your food products so that you have an idea how long they’ve been in there.

You can go beyond storing your food only in plastic bags and buy accessories to seal canisters and jars too.