Freezing vacuum-sealed food is a great way to save time and money. If put to good use a vacuum food sealer can be a highly beneficial kitchen tool to have. Using a vacuum sealer can generally extend your food’s shelf life by 3-5 times. Vacuum sealer bags also keep your food free from dehydration and freezer burn as the y keep out any air around the food. Vacuum sealed foods also retain all their flavour and juices and maintain all their original nutrients. This means you still get to enjoy your food at its peak while enjoying the great convenience of having it vacuum-sealed and frozen.

Another great advantage of a vacuum sealer is that it increases the efficiency in organising and packing your stored foods. Proper organisation saves on storage space which means that you can store more food and manage your food’s storage safely. This article will look at how to best freeze food with a vacuum sealer to save you the most time and money possible.

Pre-Freezing

Sometimes it is helpful to first freeze your food before vacuum-sealing and storing it in the freezer. For example, if you were to suck the air out of a freezer bag filled with fresh berries, the fruit will be squashed. So to best preserve some fragile items like vegetables, fruits, and meatballs, spread them out and pre-freeze them on baking sheets before vacuum-sealing. Saucy items like pasta and soups are best when first placed in plastic containers, packing them down with a spatula or spoon to get rid of any air bubbles. Once they are frozen, pop out the frozen food blocks of food and vacuum seal them.

Freezing Cooked or Uncooked Food

There are some foods that are best frozen once cooked, and some that are best frozen uncooked. For example, foods such as sauces and soups reheat very well. For others, assembling and vacuum sealing without cooking is the best option, such as freezing raw prepared meatballs. So always consider which option is best before vacuum sealing your food for the freezer.

Always Label

While vacuum-sealing a package for your freezer you may think you will remember what is in it, but six months down the line it may not be that clear to you. So to avoid any confusion and culinary disasters, be sure to always label the bags with a clear name and the date it was made. A label maker is a great option for this, but a permanent marker can work just as well.

Cook & Freeze Extra Meals

If you own a vacuum sealer, one of the great advantages to it is being able to prepare double the amount of food and then freezing half of it conveniently for another time. So for dishes that freeze well, double the recipes when preparing and then vacuum seal the extras immediately to preserve the meal at its peak. Then when you want the frozen meal, all you have to do is defrost and heat in the oven.

Use The Correct Bags

There are bags specifically designed for vacuum sealer machines and these are the best bags to use, especially when it comes to freezing as the bags will be under harsh conditions and most likely for a longer length of time. Vacuum sealing bags are better suited for keeping their content free from moisture and giving it a very tight seal. Apart from vacuum-sealed bags that are used for raw meats or any other food produce prone to bacteria remnants, most of the bags are safe for reuse once cleaned. Just be sure to thoroughly clean and dry before reusing.

Portion Carefully

Buying in bulk and dividing into portions is a great way to also save money as bulk produce is oftentimes cheaper. To make things easier for yourself, it is best to freeze a meal’s worth of a food product in each bag. For example, buy a large package of mince, and divide it into meal-size portions and then freeze. This will make it easier to defrost and use when the time comes and it will also help to lessen any wastage. It can also be helpful to include the amount in the bag when labelling it.

There are many wonderful advantages to owning a vacuum sealer. We hope this article has highlighted some of these features and demonstrated how best to take advantage of them when it comes to freezing food.