33
votes
Accepted
Repackaging shelf-stable products
Exposure to germs is the problem, once you open these they are exposed and the clock starts. If you vacuum seal you are vacuum sealing the germs in with the food, and not taking steps to kill the ...
- 75.4k
24
votes
Technique for filling vacuum seal bags without getting any food on the rim
It's hard to answer without seeing what your bags look like or how rigid the material is, but often it's useful to fold the top of the bag outwards over itself. Putting the bag in a suitable container ...
- 11.9k
19
votes
How can I keep large packs of ham fresh longer?
The only sensible way is put them into the freezer:
Shortly after purchase, package it into lots that are suitable for eating within a couple of days of thawing. Place packets into a freezer and thaw ...
- 13.8k
10
votes
Repackaging shelf-stable products
The first question is maybe how long they should last after opening? A week or two? Months? Years?
The second question is IMHO the "mode" of spoiling for that produce and what conservation agents are ...
10
votes
Technique for filling vacuum seal bags without getting any food on the rim
I don't have a vacuum system, but when using ziplok type bags I use a wide necked preserve funnel for wetter items like soup or casserole, and improvise a temporary inner sleeve for things like ...
- 3,204
8
votes
How does vacuum sealing something in a mason jar help?
The idea is to remove oxygen and moisture and get a good seal on the jar. The vacuum pulls the lid against the jar, forcing the gasket more tightly against the rim. Note that the seal won't be as good ...
- 58.2k
8
votes
If a large can is divided into smaller containers, is it still shelf stable?
No. You can freeze items like that, and they will stay safe indefinitely in a fully functional freezer, but once you break the seal on the can, items like that are subject to same 2/4 hour shelf ...
- 58.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Are there disadvantages to storing bread in a vacuum box?
Bread gets dried out and stale through retrogradation which requires moisture. Your vacuum bags are not keeping the bread fresh because of the vacuum, they are keeping it fresh by providing a very ...
- 236
7
votes
Technique for filling vacuum seal bags without getting any food on the rim
I'm going to re-evaluate the assumptions on this one:
It is my assumption that a good seal requires a perfectly clean rim.
This hasn't been my experience. It certainly helps to keep the rim as clean ...
- 171
5
votes
Can commercially sold, vacuum-packed beetroot (cooked) be stored under room temperature?
Forgot to update.
They went bad (blew up actually) after a week or so, when the expiry date on the packet is months away.
So at least in my case, some beetroots in vacuum packaging should be stored in ...
- 171
5
votes
Using a vacuum sealer to marinate?
I tried to read a lot about the vacuum marination and was a bit surprised that there are so many different theories out there. One thing that really surprised me is that people talk about marinating ...
- 51
5
votes
Accepted
Thawing vacuum-packed fish
Typically the plastic used for vacuum packed food is polyethylene, which has a low melting point, depending on the plastic it could be as low as 110°C, or 230°F. Once it melts you have liquid plastic ...
- 75.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Sous Vide for infinite shelf life
No, you most certainly haven't.
First off - boiling water is not sufficient to sterilize it. Even if you could raise the water to your 215 F (101 C) point (unless you live beside the Dead Sea you won'...
- 13.8k
4
votes
Using a vacuum sealer to marinate?
Vacuum is quite commonly used in the industry to expel air. When you apply vacuum what you are actually doing is reducing the atmospheric pressure on liquid and soft porous material. A liquid will ...
4
votes
Using a vacuum sealer to marinate?
I have a small bucket of beef jerky in a Best Value Vac's system sitting at 25.5 Hg on the dial for several minutes. I allow air slowly back into the chamber and watch the marinade level slowly lower ...
- 41
4
votes
Using a vacuum sealer to marinate?
I don't think there is any physical principle that forces marinade into a meat under a vacuum by itself. Putting it under pressure, not vacuum, could have this effect. The vacuum removes air and some ...
- 41
4
votes
Accepted
How does vacuum packing affect safe meat storage time?
Vacuum-packing elongates food storage times because by removing the air you remove the oxygen, which aerobic organisms (in this case bacteria) thrive on. No oxygen means no bacterial growth. This is ...
- 3,022
4
votes
Accepted
Meat loses weight after some time
If the outside of the bag was wet (such as if it were rinsed after sealing), that water will have evaporated. There may have been some small amount of outgassing from the plastic itself. Neither of ...
- 26.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Technique for filling vacuum seal bags without getting any food on the rim
I use a large french fry scoop as a funnel. It's shape slides easily into the bags and, because it's open on one side, it's much easier to remove it without having anything drip onto the bag.
- 1,907
4
votes
Technique for filling vacuum seal bags without getting any food on the rim
I like the freezing into pucks idea, for those things amenable to doing that.
To re-address the folding over the top of the bag approach, I believe I'm correct in saying that each time mentioned here, ...
- 41
4
votes
How can I keep large packs of ham fresh longer?
Freezing is the way to go, but vacuum sealing into packages each of which you can use within a few days might be an efficient use of freezer space. It's not an efficient use of plastic, so I freeze ...
- 43.7k
3
votes
For slow cooker meal prep should I freeze the vegetables separately from the meat and sauce?
If you're doing a one step cook in the slow cooker, you can freeze everything together. If you want to brown any ingredients first you'll need to keep them separate. I do tend to, so I'd have a bag ...
- 43.7k
3
votes
Are there disadvantages to storing bread in a vacuum box?
Vacuum bread bins were manufactured some years ago as I owned one. I’m single and was looking for a solution to keep my bread \fresher for longer without freezing it. The bread bin I purchased was a ...
- 31
3
votes
Sous Vide Spoilage
Yes, it can both spoil and be unhealthy, even deadly. The micro organisms and toxins they can produce were there before you put it the bag and vacuum sealed it to cook it sous vide. If the temperature ...
- 2,281
3
votes
Accepted
How do I reconstitute vacuum sealed Tibetan Barley Wine?
I wonder whether something was lost in translation, as @Echerwal points out and also suggests that your packet may be yeast.
From a Tibetan friend in the US, here's how he makes dru-chhaang, the ...
- 2,785
3
votes
If a large can is divided into smaller containers, is it still shelf stable?
No, it would not be safe to do so. You can divide it up and freeze it. That is the best and safest method.
I would not, for the sake of safety and not making someone sick or worse, re-can anything ...
- 41
3
votes
Shipping Homemade Mozzarella
Mozzarella needs to be refrigerated, outside the fridge it has a limited shelf life, see our generic question: How do I know if food left at room temperature is still safe to eat?
So shipping without ...
- 58.5k
3
votes
Using a vacuum sealer to marinate?
I have seen a website of somebody who tried to infuse various fruits in high vacuum, as well as some meat.
I could not find the link, but I remember the conclusion was that this method works well for ...
- 424
3
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to freeze raw garlic in vacuum-sealed (FoodSaver) bags?
Clearly, your concern is clostridium botulinum. Freezing does not kill the spores, which potentially produce the toxin that causes botulism. However, it does stop their growth, as long as you freeze ...
- 73.8k
3
votes
Technique for filling vacuum seal bags without getting any food on the rim
I use vacuum bags/sealers all the time. I don't use them for sauces or liquids. So I find even a very wide mouth funnel (like a canning funnel) too awkward to use. A big sloppy, marinated steak is ...
- 1,056
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