sous vide
VACUUM PACKAGING 101
THE BASICS AND BENEFITS OF VACUUM PACKAGING:
Purpose: What is the main purpose of a vacuum packaging machine? • Food storage • Food management (portioning, waste reduction, savings) • Culinary techniques like Sous Vide cooking
Labor: Is food production labor a problem in the operation? For example, do you have chefs with specialties in food preparation, but they can’t be available to work 7 days to produce those recipes? • Higher-skilled, higher-paid cooks can prepare sauces and combine perishable ingredients then vacuum pack them so lesser-skilled cooks can use them later. Hard to produce delicate sauces or other products can be ready to go during rush times to ensure quality and consistency. • To reduce labor, vacuum packaging allows food products to be ready when needed. Food preparation can take place anytime during the day or even days ahead of time and then be held ready for the cooks. • Employee turnover in the kitchen can cause food to be prepared differently, negatively affecting your repeat customers. Using vacuum paclaging, expensive center of the plate proteins can be pre-seasoned and packaged in batches, so cooks can ensure the flavor consistency customers demand. Food Cost: Is food cost control a problem due to food spoilage or shrinkage? Does this result in you serving food that is not top quality due to deterioration during improper storage? • This is the primary reason for vacuum packaging – extending the shelf life of any food product. • Expensive meat and seafood loses water and shrinks during normal storage. Vacuum packaging prevents that from happening while extending the storage life and freshness of the product.
Are you planning to use the vacuum machine for storage or cooking? • If primarily storing (keeping food fresh in vacuum):
o Chamber sealers are faster and more versatile than chamber machines, but are more expensive. o A chamber machine is ideal if you are packaging items with liquid (more than a marinade). o If you are packaging 30 pouches a week or fewer, the external might be sufficient. • If storing while also performing culinary techniques (cooking): o Chamber sealers allow for the largest versatility in storage, flavor infusions, texture and color enhancing, while also allowing fast marinades and the ability to use jars for storage. Are you planning to vacuum package wet or dry foods? • Out of Chamber Machines: Can only process dry foods; liquids can ruin them so all foods must be dry or at least “patted” dry. o In Chamber Machine: Can process liquid and all types of wet or dry foods.
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