It's good to buy fresh items from the shop to use when preparing meals in your home. However, it's sometimes a struggle to keep these items fresh and in good condition. Often food gets wasted because it goes off before it can be used.

Vacuum packing food can help to keep food fresh for longer and reduce wastage. Vacuum packing involves the storage of food in packages where the air is removed prior to sealing. The intent of this process is to remove oxygen from inside the packaging so that the lifespan of a product can be extended. Using vacuum packaging means that you can store food in your home for longer periods. There are also other benefits that you can get from vacuum packing food.

What are the benefits of vacuum packing?

You may be surprised at just how beneficial vacuum packing can be when trying to make best use of fresh food in your home. Here are a few of the benefits that you can expect.

Preservation of food

The biggest advantage to be had from vacuum packing food is that the process extends the lifespan of the food. As mentioned earlier, this happens because all oxygen is removed from the packaging before it's sealed.

The lifespan of food is significantly extended using the vacuum packing process. For instance, if meat has been vacuum packed it can be kept for around 2-3 years in a freezer. In normal packaging it could only be kept for around 6 months. You should pay careful attention to recommended storage times when you are vacuum packing products as they vary depending on what type of food is involved.

Protection of food

Preserving food is not the only thing that you need to be concerned about. You also need to make sure that food remains in good condition. Using vacuum sealed packages helps this to happen as it provides an extra layer of protection for the food. Vacuum packaging can also protect food from freezer burn when it's been stored for long periods in a freezer.

Preserving the taste of food

Let's face it, everyone wants the food that they eat to taste good. The good news is that using the vacuum packing process helps to ensure that the flavours and nutritional value of food are maintained.

The ability to buy in bulk

On many occasions, buying in bulk means that you can save money. If you are able to vacuum pack the food that you buy, you can make bulk purchases quite easily. This helps to make your household budget go further.

How to use a vacuum packing machine

One of the best things about vacuum packing machines is that they are not difficult to use. You will usually find that there are two common forms of vacuum packing machine that you can use; one is an automatic machine, the other has a manual pump. let's examine how you use both of these machines.

Vacuum packing using an automatic machine

Here are the steps that you need to take when using an automatic vacuum packing machine.

Make sure that all food is properly prepared and washed before packaging. This includes scrubbing fruit and vegetables and making sure that excess skin is trimmed away from any meat which is to be stored.
Place the food inside the vacuum packaging. It's important to note that different machines use different types of vacuum bags, so you need to check which type of bag you need before you start.
Place the edge of the bag which is open into the sealing machine.
Begin the sealing process. Many vacuum sealing machines have an automatic sensor which means that the process starts as soon as the edge of the bag is in the machine. If this is not the case you may be required to press the button to start the process.
Once the vacuum packing process is completed remove the package from the machine and place it in a fridge cupboard or freezer.

Vacuum packing with a machine that has a manual pump

This is the process that you need to follow when using a vacuum packing machine that has a manual pump.

Make sure that food is thoroughly washed and prepared in the same way that you would when using an automatic vacuum packing machine.
Place the food into the appropriate vacuum sealing bag or container. In many cases, when a manual vacuum sealer is being used, containers are used instead of bags.
Seal the bag or tighten the lid on the container.
Place the nozzle that is at the end of the pump into the space that is provided in the bag or container.
Keep pressing down on the pump until all the oxygen has been removed from the container or bag.
Remove the nozzle of the pump from the gap where it was inserted and place the container or bag in a fridge, freezer or cupboard.

Taking these steps to use a vacuum sealing machine in the right way means that you can get all of the benefits that vacuum sealing provides.