The invention of vacuum sealing occurred during World War II and its ability to keep food fresher for longer is now well-known. But you may find yourself wondering whether vacuum food sealers are an appropriate tool for chicken, where it’s important to prepare and cook it thoroughly to avoid food poisoning. 

The great news is that this versatile technique can absolutely be applied to chicken. So, if you already have a vacuum sealer (or need another reason to purchase one!), then you’ll soon be on your way to less food wastage and big cost savings! 

What is Vacuum Sealing?

The principle of vacuum sealing is to suck all the air out of a specially designed non-permeable plastic bag, leaving just your food inside. When you seal the bag airtight, air cannot re-enter to react with the bacteria and thus extends the shelf-life of your food. A machine known as a vacuum sealer or vacuum packer can both extract the air and seal your package. 

How Does Vacuum Sealing Preserve Chicken?

The freshness of food can be impacted by oxygen and moisture, both of which may react with bacteria on your food to develop into mould. Removing the air in your vacuum-sealed package helps to preserve your chicken for longer. 

What Are the Benefits?

One of the main advantages of vacuum sealing your chicken is that you can maintain its freshness, which means you can benefit from bulk purchasing power to reduce the cost of your chicken as well as reduce waste. This process can extend the shelf life of meats from the typical 6 months of conventional freezing to 1-2 years. 

You can also protect your chicken from freezer burn. Normal freezing leads to moisture evaporating from your meat, leaving it looking grey and dehydrated. A vacuum-sealed packet of chicken prevents the loss of moisture, maintaining its quality for longer. 

Tips for Vacuum Sealing Chicken

Vacuum-sealing chicken takes a little more effort than simply popping your supermarket packaging straight into the fridge or freezer, but when you consider the benefits, it’s well worth the effort. 

How Do You Prepare Chicken for Vacuum Sealing?

1. Remove your chicken from its original wrapping. 
2. Clean and dry your meat quickly to help maintain freshness. 
3. Divide your chicken into usable portions, cutting a whole chicken into smaller pieces to remove any air that may be trapped in the cavity.
4. Pop your prepared chicken into a vacuum-sealing bag and follow your vacuum packer’s instructions to seal the bag.

Can You Vacuum Seal Raw Chicken?

Raw chicken can be sealed following the steps above. Without vacuum sealing, it will typically last 3-4 days in the refrigerator, but placing it in an airtight bag can extend its lifetime to 13 days. 

Should You Freeze Chicken Before Vacuum Sealing?

You don’t have to vacuum seal frozen meat as it is a sturdier food product than fruit, so it doesn’t require flash-freezing first. In fact, flash-freezing meat can lead to freezer burn. 

How Do You Defrost Vacuum-sealed Chicken?

Defrosting vacuum-sealed chicken can be done exactly the same as defrosting any meat. The most common and safest method is to thaw your chicken in the fridge, overnight. Simply pop the whole package onto a plate to capture any melting ice and leave it in the fridge until you need it. 

Alternatively, the cold-water method can also work if you’re in a hurry. Fill your sink or a small container with cold tap water and place the whole vacuum seal bag inside to thaw. 

Can You Cook Chicken in a Vacuum Sealed Bag?

Vacuum-sealed chicken can be cooked directly in the bag. A common method is to sous-vide the bag and its contents, which produces juicy, flavourful chicken dishes. Of course, you could also simply boil the bag if you don’t own a sous-vide machine. 

How to Tell if the Chicken is Still Fresh

On the whole, a defrosted vacuum-sealed chicken can last up to 13 days in the fridge[KS1] . But just how do you tell if your chicken is still safe for consumption? 

Appearance

If your chicken has changed colour, then there’s a good chance that it’s spoiled. Raw chicken should have a light pink colour, while cooked chicken is usually white. It’s also worth checking the texture – if your chicken is slimy or feels like mucus, don’t eat it. 

Smell

Chicken has gone bad if it smells pungent or foul. Quite often you’ll know your chicken is bad if it smells of rotten eggs – the smell is distinctive, and you can’t miss it. Take extra care if you’ve marinaded your meat as the spices can sometimes mask the smell of spoiled chicken. 

Taste

For cooked chicken, you can check if it’s still safe to eat by taking a small nibble – just make sure not to swallow! Chicken that’s spoiled will typically have a sour taste and won’t taste good at all. 

Conclusion

In our search to save ourselves a few pennies, vacuum-sealing foods can be a great way to preserve food, reduce waste, and take advantage of cheaper bulk purchase prices. Like many types of meat, chicken can be vacuum sealed safely to be enjoyed later. 

Discover Our Food Vacuum Sealers

At First Food Machinery, we stock a wide range of vacuum pack machines to meet your business needs. Get in touch with us today to find out more.