First it was Smokers and now it is Vacuum Packers

[Wade]

My wife has finally got used to me collecting smokers (...ish) but she is now she is getting concerned about my growing number of vacuum packers. My new ready-to-eat vac packer arrived yesterday. Same model as my main one but just a little shorter in chamber size. This packer will be used mainly for packing cheese and smoked salmon.

Something strange about my local suppliers pricing though. They had it at priced online 20% higher than the manufacturers own UK site. Naturally I went to buy it direct from the manufacturer but I found that their UK distributor WAS my local supplier !!! They happily supplied it to me at the cheaper price though and it also included a free service kit and 1,000 bags.

[valve90210]

Very smart looking, I'm assuming this is so raw meat and cooked meat get packed in different machines?

I can see the fascination of such bits of kit having got myself a domestic one, it's SOOOO useful!!

[Wade]

Yes - EHO are very hot on that these days. You used to be able to sanitise a single unit between the two - but not any more.

I started with a domestic one (Eiffel) a few years ago. Once you start using them you wonder how you ever did without one.

[Liomer]

What make is the new one?  I've got a Foodsaver one, which is great, but thinking of something else as well.  Also, possibly a silly question, but how do you prevent liquid being sucked out?  At present I put kitchen towel between the food and the open edge, but there must be a better way (or not, perhaps!)

[valve90210]

35 minutes ago, Wade said:

Yes - EHO are very hot on that these days. You used to be able to sanitise a single unit between the two - but not any more.

I started with a domestic one (Eiffel) a few years ago. Once you start using them you wonder how you ever did without one.

It's probably a good thing as it'll prevent any accidental contamination from poor or forgotten sanitising.

You're absolutely right, I've been vacuuming packing all sorts of things and wouldn't now be without it!!

[Wade]

1 hour ago, Liomer said:

What make is the new one?  I've got a Foodsaver one, which is great, but thinking of something else as well.  Also, possibly a silly question, but how do you prevent liquid being sucked out?  At present I put kitchen towel between the food and the open edge, but there must be a better way (or not, perhaps!)

It is a Henkleman Jumbo 42. My other packer is a Jumbo 42 XL which will take the length of whole salmon and racks of ribs.

Because these are chamber vacuum packers rather than side suck you do not get the same problem with liquids getting sucked out. The air is sucked out of the whole chamber - both inside and outside of the bag. The bag is then heat sealed ensuring the vacuum remains inside the bag before the air is let back into the chamber. One issue you do have to watch out for with bags that are quite full of liquid is the liquid starting to boil as the air pressure in the chamber decreases. If the liquid has a high protein content or is just very thick then it can cause the contents to bubble out of the bag. To overcome this you can either use a bigger bag or else click the manual seal button during the cycle as the liquid starts to boil.

With a side suck vac packer it is best to have the vacuum sealer elevated above the pouch with liquid as as the vacuum is forming watch the level of the liquid inside the pouch. As it almost reaches the sealer bar you just press the seal button.
Alternatively (and actually the best way) is to simply freeze the liquid before sealing it inside the pouch.

[Liomer]

Ah - way outside my league, but thanks anyway!  Re the liquid, thanks again.  With the first option, thought about that, but I'd be worried about too much air left inside. Re the second, I hadn't thought about that, but it looks good.  I'll try it next time.  Thanks again!

[valve90210]

 

15 minutes ago, Liomer said:

 Re the liquid, thanks again.  With the first option, thought about that, but I'd be worried about too much air left inside. Re the second, I hadn't thought about that, but it looks good.  I'll try it next time.  Thanks again!

The pic above is from when I vacuum packed the jelly from juices off a pulled pork. I'd let the juices set in the fridge overnight before packing so I could skim off the fat. You can see round the edge where the liquid is starting to spread; when you're vacuum packing something more liquid you you can fairly clearly see it moving up the channels in the bag as the vaccum sucks the air out so it's actually fairly easy to keep an eye on it and hit the manual seal button early enough that most of the air is removed but before the liquid goes too far.

If it is something that will set like the jelly that does make it easier, but as Wade has said, freezing it prior to vac packing would be the best way if possible.