With a global increase in food prices, many Australians are looking for ways to reduce the amount of money they spend on their weekly groceries. While many are resorting to growing their own food gardens, others are looking for simpler ways to preserve the food they already buy.
One of the best ways to do this is to use a domestic vacuum sealer machine to seal leftovers and perishable products. These nifty little sealers, which you can purchase from a local packaging company, will help you save food and money.
Vacuum Sealing Explained
If you’ve ever only heard of vacuum sealing in passing, then it’s time to get on the bandwagon. Essentially, vacuum sealing refers to the process of sealing plastic bags by removing the air from the bags. Doing this removes the bacteria and moisture that builds up on the food.
To perform this function, you’ll need a vacuum sealer. These are available in smaller models suitable for domestic use and larger models for commercial and industrial use. When opting for a smaller domestic vacuum sealer, you’ll need the accompanying channeled or embossed food vacuum bags.
Always a Good Reason to Vacuum Seal
Recent statistics have shown that Australia wastes about 7.6m tons of food every year. This in turn costs households about $19.3 billion. In case you’re wondering exactly how much that is in simple terms, consider this:
- You could easily fill the Melbourne Cricket grounds at least nine times.
- Food waste equates to 312kg per person in Australia.
- The Australian economy loses $36.6 billion per year
- to food waste.
It’s with this in mind that many homeowners are taking it upon themselves to reduce this. You’ll be amazed to learn that vacuum sealing your food is an effective way to reduce food spoilage which will see you saving money at the grocery store.
1. Preserve Food
The number one reason to use a vacuum sealer is to preserve perishable foods. As we’ve already mentioned, this happens when you eliminate bacteria and moisture from getting into your food. This is an excellent way to extend the shelf life of veggies, meats, fish and fruits.
When fresh food is vacuum sealed, it can last up to two weeks in your refrigerator. Typically, this is more than double the usual three to five days that you can usually keep produce in your fridge.
2. Reduces Freezer Burn
You can indeed put most food types in your freezer without the need to vacuum seal. However, doing this can result in freeze-burn, or ice crystals forming on your food. While freezer burn on its own doesn’t make food bad, it does make it dry in spots. Overall taste and texture are also affected. Avoid this by vacuum sealing your food as this keeps freezer burnout and flavour in.
3. Excellent for Leftovers
The vacuum sealing process also makes it easy to store leftover food immediately. Doing this means expensive ingredients don’t end up being wasted. Safely storing your leftovers means that you will have a ready-made meal for another day.
Vacuum-sealed portions can last for months in the freezer, so there’s also no need to eat the same meal for several days in a row if you’ve cooked a large pot of food. If you have sealed each family member’s meals individually, simply add a label to make everything so much easier!
4. Reseal Snacks
Just about every home has the problem of snacks such as chips biscuits being opened, not finished and then going stale. These stale snacks then get chucked out, which is essentially, more wasted money.
Avoid this by vacuum sealing your snacks. Keep in mind though, you will need to follow the instructions of your sealer model to ensure that you don’t crush the contents. For most models, this means not selecting the vacuum suction option and allowing a few inches of open space at the top of the bag.
5. Create Ready Made Portions
If you and your family are trying to implement portion control, then vacuum sealing is a handy way to do this. Simply prepare food, allow it to completely cool down and then divide into portions for each person. Label with the food name, date made, and person it’s for.
6. Prepare Travel Size Snacks
Going on a road trip or family vacation? Use your vacuum sealer to create mixed snack bags of everyone’s favourites. Create portion-size bags and keep them handy to regulate blood sugar or provide a much-needed energy boost.
- Seal Liquids
Vacuum sealing isn’t just for snacks and veggies. You can also seal liquids such as gravies and sauces for future use. To do this, simply place the liquid in the freezer to harden a little. Place the partially frozen liquid into one of the sealing bags, with a small space at the top for sealing. Once sealed, label and place in the freezer for easy use in the future.
Final Thoughts
Vacuum sealing makes preserving food such as produce, snacks, and leftovers so much easier. It’s an excellent way to reduce food waste and save money. Once you start vacuum sealing your food, you’ll soon find yourself upgrading to a larger sealer because the ways these machines can simplify your life are simply endless!
