Vacuum packaging machines are widespread throughout the catering and hospitality industries, and with good reason. Not only do they provide an economical and hygienic way of transporting and storing food products, vacuum pack machines are also extremely versatile.
A quick internet search will provide you with a wide range of unexpected uses for these machines. This can be helpful if you’re not initially sure whether a vacuum food sealer is right for your business. Getting advice from a machine distributor, such as First Food Machinery, is also a wise move.
One unexpected use for vacuum food sealers is desserts. It’s true that many would need to be ruled out to avoid an unholy mess, but there are a number of options that work really well in this context.
This brings the advantages of being able to pre-prepare desserts and transport them safely. The airtight sealant also protects against cross-contamination, allowing your desserts to be transported alongside other food types.
Furthermore, if your dessert can be frozen, it will last much longer and remain in much better condition when packed by a commercial vacuum sealing machine. This is due to the lack of oxygen within the vacuum pack slowing the rate of bacteria growth and protecting against freezer burn.
We’ve listed below a few of our favourite desserts that you can safely vacuum pack and freeze for later. We’ve also listed some examples where you can pre-prepare some of the components to make for quicker assembly later on.
Cookies
These respond well to vacuum packing machinery due to their structural density. They also freeze well – combine the two processes and you’ll soon have an ample quantity of cookies in storage. Defrost them the night before and they’ll taste as good as they did before they went in the freezer.
Cupcakes
One handy feature boasted by vacuum packing machinery is the ability to control the amount of air being removed. This comes in handy when it comes to cupcakes. Simply cook your cupcakes as normal (don’t ice them) and use the vacuum pack machine to gently form a seal around each one. You could then freeze a batch and defrost / ice them when needed.
Pancakes
Much like cookies, these also respond well to being vacuum packed, albeit with a bit of care to ensure they’re not overly compressed. They can also be easily reheated in the toaster or the microwave. You can also package multiple pancakes together by putting a piece of wax paper between them to stop them sticking together.
Wedding Cake
Hosting weddings? Add a bit of extra value by offering to vacuum seal any leftover wedding cake. Newlyweds are often encouraged to keep some of their wedding cake and eat it on their first anniversary. By vacuum sealing (and then freezing) their cake it will help ensure it’s just as tasty a year later.
Dough
Vacuum packing and freezing dough will keep it fresh for months, meaning you simply need to defrost it the night before you want to use it. If you pride yourself on your dough-making skills this is a sure-fire way to ensure you always have some to hand.
Apple Pie Filling
Create amazing homemade apple pies using seasonal apples at any time of the year! Wash, peel and core your apples then cut into wedges. Roll them in your chosen sugar and spice mixture and put them in a vacuum sealed packet. They’ll be ready and waiting for you months later. The same approach could be taken for other seasonal fruits.
Custard Filling
You might think it’s not possible to vacuum pack a liquid. It depends a bit on your machine; in some cases it could do a lot of damage. To play it safe, the easiest solution is to put your liquid (in this case custard filling) in a vacuum pack bag and leave it in the freezer until it becomes a solid block. Then place the bag in the machine and compress as normal.
If in doubt, experiment!
These are just a handful of the ways you can exploit a vacuum pack machine to safely and efficiently store desserts, either in their complete or component form. And this doesn’t include the countless opportunities provided by sous-vida cookery.
Even if your business focuses entirely on desserts a commercial vacuum sealing machine could help you make significant time savings without compromising on quality. With an ever-increasing range of options on the market there’s bound to be one that is suited to you and your business.