Most folks is guilty of bulk buying with good intentions, but they don’t know how to store their food propery and panic when they open their freezer to see a bunch of frozen, unidentifiable lumps. The cause isn’t typically the food, it’s the air. Air accelerates oxidation, dehydrates texture, and attracts molds that turns food to compost in a matter of days. Up to ninety-nine percent of the air can be removed by vacuum sealing, thus extending the shelf life five times more then with regular zip-lock bags or plastic wrap.
There’s no voodoo at play here, but seal your raw chicken properly and it will last two years in the freezer. Without tasting like cardboard. Instead of having to guess what will go bad first (the reason you waste so much at grocery store), use the chart above for a list of time frames for various food stored without air.
How to Use Vacuum Sealers for Food Storage
Fresh fruits and veggies makes a world of difference. In fact, some berries only have a three-day shelf life before going mushy, while others can last for two weeks in the refrigerator and almost a whole year in the freezer with proper care. By removing them from ambient air, you stop their biological clock.
Many people think all frozen items keeps indefinitely as long as they’re packed, not realizing this is an expensive mistake. Sublimation (ice crystals turning into bitter, dried areas) are what causes freezer burn on meat and fish, which is why a vacuum seal help prevent it.
That said: Not all food goes into a vacuum bag, and starting out here can be costly. Ripe peaches or other soft fruit will immediately crush under the suction pressure of the vacuum sealer head. Vegetables like cauliflower and broccoli gives off gases when picked that will either blow open the bag or expand it. To avoid this, you’ll want to blanch crucifers (and other foods with enzyme activity) before sealing to halt any enzymatic action. Mushrooms, raw, also won’t work well; they leach in the bagged state, creating an environment helpful to bacteria growth instead of preventing it.
There are exceptions, and it’s worth knowing what those are, not just how to seal something correctly; in case the book raises one of its own red flags for your situation. What you purchase is not as important as how well you prepare for it.
Hot foods will creates condensation within the bag. The moisture will ruin vacuum seal and encourage bacterial growth. Don’t try to vacuum seal hot meat such as roast chicken; it won’t keep for weeks. All items should of been cooled to room temp first.
For things like broths and soups, freeze these liquids in a thin layer on a tray before attempting to vacuum seal. Otherwise, the liquid will be drawn up into vacuum sealer’s pump and ruin it. Wipe down the bag edges carefully before passing it through the sealer. A little bit of moisture (or even grease) will prevent plastic layers from bonding together. A poor seal lets air right back in, making all your work useless.
Select appropriate bags: Meats and dry goods works best in embossed channel bags, which help expel air evenly. Sharp objects (e.g. Bones) or anything that could poke holes in a thin bag require heavy duty bags. Rigid vacuum canisters keeps coffee, nuts, or other pantry staples fresh yet uncrushed.
Mushrooms release moisture; coffee beans emit CO2 after roasting. Allow these to settle before sealing, or the bag will blow up and pop. Every bag must be labeled with a date. Perfect seals do not last forever; perishables degrades as they age. Without proper organization, any system will fail.
At the end of the day, it’s all about fighting waste. On average, households throws out 40% of their food because it went bad. Properly sealing reduces that number significantly. It allows you to stretch those ingredients out further. This helps you enjoy them before they go bad.
It turns shopping into an entirely different experience, where you can purchase things when they’re on sale and keep them stored for months rather than running to the market every couple of days. Your freezer becomes a pantry, not a graveyard. No longer will you be tossing cash down the drain (along with your wilted spinach).