Vacuum sealing of moist food

Jul 21, 2022

Vacuuming food is becoming increasingly common in the kitchen. By vacuuming food, you can store it more efficiently and for longer. Handy to prevent food waste. And also good for the environment and your wallet.

You will be surprised how many different types of food can be vacuum packed. And did you know that vacuum packing is not only limited to solid food, but that moist and even liquid food can also be vacuum packed?

You may be wondering how to vacuum pack moist foods and why you would go to all that trouble. But trust us, once you learn this ‘kitchen hack’, you will never store your homemade soups, marinades and other moist foods in any other way again.

So, get rid of that hodgepodge of containers in the refrigerator and freezer, and from now on just vacuum-seal moist food.

How can you vacuum pack liquid products?

First of all, don't make the mistake of not letting your freshly prepared food cool down sufficiently before you start using the vacuum sealer. By vacuuming food while it is warm, you create a pleasant environment for bacteria. The food will spoil quickly and food safety is compromised. In addition, you run the risk of the vacuum bag tearing open, because steam from the warm contents cannot escape from the sealed bag. So cool your food down first.

Only then can you vacuum moist food properly and safely. And you can vacuum in five different ways .

5 Ways to Vacuum Seal Moist Food

Method 1: Freeze first, then vacuum seal

The easiest way to vacuum pack liquid products is to freeze them first . For example, you can pour soup into an ice cube mold first and then put the cubes in the vacuum bag.

Another option is to place the empty vacuum bag in a container and then fill the bag. Place the container with the filled vacuum bag in the freezer for a few hours until the contents are frozen. The bag can then be removed from the container and vacuumed.

The disadvantage of this method is that it is of course extra work and takes more time. Moreover, it is not always the intention to freeze the food. Sometimes you just want to store it in the fridge or you want to prepare it directly in the sous vide. Fortunately, there are other (and better) options for vacuuming wet preparations and foods.

frozen-food-vacuum-packing

Method 2: Use the pulse button on your vacuum sealer

The better vacuum sealers are equipped with a pulse button with which you can manually control the vacuum. Not only useful when you want to seal food that can easily be crushed by the force of the vacuum sealer, but also ideal to prevent moist food from being sucked into the device during vacuum sealing.

This way vacuuming liquid food is easy. Let your prepared sauce, soup or other meal cool down sufficiently first. Put the desired amount in the vacuum bag (pro tip: portion immediately) . Place the bag in the appliance in the right way and use the pulse button to suck air out of the plastic vacuum bag. Stop vacuuming before the liquid can reach the seal seam. Then seal the bag permanently and you're done.

Method 3: Using a professional chamber vacuum device

Vacuuming like a pro, you do that with a chamber vacuum machine. These are professional vacuum devices in which the entire vacuum bag is placed.

For simple home-garden-and-kitchen use, these professional vacuum sealers may be a bit too much of a good thing. However, if you regularly have to vacuum seal a lot of moist food or perhaps even have a (small) business, then it can certainly be worth investing in a good vacuum sealer with chamber . Vacuum sealing moist food is quick with such a vacuum sealer and it is ultimately more cost-effective, because you can use the regular (and therefore cheap) vacuum bags.

The big difference with a 'normal' vacuum device is that the air is not sucked out of the bag, but that the air pressure in the vacuum chamber is manipulated. The advantage of this is that the liquid is not sucked out of the bag by the machine, but simply remains there. An example of a chamber vacuum device is this model!

moist-food-vacuum-chamber-vacuum-device

Method 4: Use gravity

Hang the vacuum bag over the edge of the counter or worktop or simply place the vacuum sealer on a platform. The second option is much more convenient, because otherwise you will have to hold the vacuum bag with liquid firmly with one hand while you have to clamp the bag between the vacuum sealer and operate the device with the other hand.

With this approach we are actually fooling the vacuum sealer a little bit. It looks like there is no liquid content in the vacuum bag, because the liquid content of the bag is lower than the vacuum machine and gravity does the rest.

At the end, just before the device seals the bag, some liquid can come out. So keep a close eye on the process and when necessary, press the seal button of the vacuum machine in time to seal the vacuum bag immediately.

If any liquid does get into the seal, it could be that the bag is not properly sealed. That is a problem, because air will eventually get into the vacuum bag. Air not only affects the shelf life of your product, but a bad seal seam also ensures that water will get into the bag during sous-vide preparation.

Method 5: Use special vacuum bags for moist food

Liquid in the seal seam of your vacuum bag causes poor sealing. But there is another annoying problem: when liquid gets into the vacuum machine, it causes damage to the device.

The very best way to vacuum seal liquids or wet preparations is to use vacuum bags specially developed for that purpose.

Vacuum bags for liquid food have a moisture-absorbing strip in the bag. This paper edge in the vacuum bag ensures that moisture is collected before it can enter the vacuum chamber of the device, so that the place where the seal is placed remains dry.

If you want to vacuum seal liquids or moist food, a vacuum bag with moisture-absorbing strip ensures a much better seal. Damage to the vacuum sealer can be prevented and the quality and shelf life of the contents are guaranteed.

vacuum bags moisture absorbing strip