Vacuum packing

Vacuum packaging is not only the ideal way to keep food fresh longer and more compact. You also use it to efficiently marinate and for sous vide preparations. How does vacuum packaging work? What do you need to package ingredients and preparations airtight? And what do you consider when choosing a vacuum packaging machines? We are happy to explain it to you.

After this, you have several options for your vacuum-packed food. It keeps for two weeks in the refrigerator, even months in the freezer. Marinating becomes much easier because the marinades soak deeper into the meat during the vacuum packing process. Or try sous vide preparation. That special cooking technique, in which you cook the airtight bag while retaining all the flavors of the ingredients, is especially widely used for meat preparations in French cuisine.

The benefits of airtight packaging

Vacuum packaging is highly recommended for anyone dealing with food from far or near. In fact, this inventive preservation method offers many advantages.

• Preserves longer: bacteria and fungi grow and multiply in oxygen-rich environments. By vacuum-packing your food, you no longer store it for several days but for months.
• Retains freshness: the moisture and juices are “trapped” in the airtight bag. As a result, your preparations taste just as good when you take them out of the bag as when you put them in, no matter how much time is in between.
• Saves time: by unfreezing and reheating packages, you conjure up food on the table much faster than getting behind the stove again, with still the same delicious results.
• Saves money: by buying, preparing, vacuum-packing and freezing food in bulk, you work much more economically than ordering small quantities each time.
• Protects contents: the airtight bag is a barrier against moisture. Vacuum packaging in the freezer is therefore protected against freezer burn from outside water and from drying out.
• Efficient storage: when vacuum packing, products shrink to a minimum size, thus taking up less space during both transportation and storage.
• More culinary possibilities: airtight packed food keeps much longer in the freezer, but vacuum packing is also interesting for marinating meat or preparing sous-vides.

Supplies for vacuum packing

In D’Heldt’s webshop you will find professional vacuum packaging machines. These offer you all the control over the process. Vacuum packing is not only fast but also thorough, with vacuum percentages above 97%. Vacuum packaging is done with the devices of specialist in the field Henkelman, of which D’Heldt is an authorized distributor. In addition, you will need vacuum bags, which you can also get at D’Heldt.

Here’s how to choose the perfect machine for vacuum packaging

Which vacuum machine is best for your catering business depends on several factors. Consider the application, such as vacuum packaging for preparation or storage, and the capacity needed, which is determined by the dimensions of your products.

Airtight packaging devices are available with vacuum chambers of various sizes, from the size of a fist to an industrial tank. The standard size are bags of 30 x 40 centimeters. For that, a 42-centimeter sealing bar is sufficient.

Modern devices, such as those in D’Heldt’s range, have sensor control as standard. With this, you do not set the number of seconds the vacuum pump operates, but rather the required vacuum percentage. Other options include an advanced control system, with more programs for different products, and a liquid control system, which stops vacuum packaging when the sauce or other liquid begins to boil.