Vacuum Sealing Meat Vacuum sealers have recently taken the nation by storm, offering a new way to keep your food fresher for longer periods of time. Many people have found that vacuum sealers do in fact accomplish this with many foods, but what about meat? Unlike rice or other foods that have a long shelf life, meat can spoil extremely quickly. So does vacuum sealing really help with this? And if so, how? If you’ve ever wondered about this, then read through our tips on vacuum sealing meat.
Always Be Careful The first thing you should be aware of when using a vacuum sealer is that it will not prevent meat from spoiling. Once again, just to be clear: your vacuum sealer will not prevent meat spoilage. While your vacuum sealer will remove most of the air in the package containing your meat, there are a number of bacterial strains that can develop in oxygen-free environments. Like botulism for instance, which happens to produce the most poisonous toxin known to man. So just be careful to always check meat before eating, even if it has been vacuum sealed.
Vacuum Sealers Extend Shelf Life Now that you know to be cautious, it is worth mentioning that vacuum sealers do help your food to last longer. You should always freeze meat prior to vacuum sealing, but once you’ve done that, fresh, vacuum sealed meat can last from two to three years in the freezer. Ground meat in a vacuum sealed package lasts around one year in the freezer.
Vacuum Sealing Isn’t Foolproof Ideally, your vacuum sealer will seal your food in a special bag from which most of the air has been removed. And generally, this tends to happen. However, there are always exceptions, like when your vacuum sealer bag develops a leak or is punctured by accident. So it’s a good idea to check up on the quality of your vacuum sealed goods.
Oxygen Absorbers While vacuum sealers might not remove all of the oxygen, some people have been putting oxygen absorbers into vacuum sealed bags along with the food, which helps keep the oxygen level to a minimum. This is an excellent way to further extend your food’s shelf life.
Is it Worth It? So after reviewing the various aspects to vacuum sealing, it remains an excellent way to economically and effectively prolong the life of your food. However, it is not without its faults and occasional downsides. So if you are interested in sealing your meat for future use, a vacuum sealer would be a good investment, provided that you stay vigilant and incorporate it with other methods of preservation, such as oxygen absorbers or multiple barriers against contamination.