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3. VACUUM PACKING DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD
Vacuum packing is not a substitute for freezing or refri-
geration. Despite being vacuum packed foods still have
to be stored in the refrigerator or freezer or in a cool
place (e.g. dried meat products in a cellar).
Do not use bags or rolls for packing foods which
contain a lot of liquid.
Soups, sauces and liquids should be either pre-frozen
before packing in a vacuum bag or vacuum packed in a
vacuum container.
Boiled meat, raw meat and sh: For best results we
recommend you to pre-freeze meat and sh for 1-2
hours prior to vacuum packing to ensure the retenti-
on of juices and shape, and to help guarantee a good
seal. If pre-freezing is not possible, place a folded
paper towel between the meat and the top of the bag,
avoiding the area to be sealed. Leave the paper towel
in the bag when vacuum packing to absorb excess
moisture and juices.
Note: Beef may appear darker after vacuum packing
due to the removal of oxygen. However, this does not
indicate it is spoiled.
Vegetables: When storing in the refrigerator vegetables
should be blanched prior to vacuum packing. When
freezing the blanching is optional. The process of blan-
ching stops the enzyme action and preserves avour,
colour and texture. One to two minutes in boiling
water is enough for fresh leaf vegetables or beans.
For chopped zucchini or broccoli and other cruci-
ferous vegetables allow 3 to 4 minutes, for carrots
allow 5 minutes. After blanching, submerge the
vegetables in cold water to stop the process then dry
them with a paper towel prior to vacuum packing.
We recommend you to store leaf vegetables in vacuum
containers. They should rst be washed and dried with
a paper towel, and then stored in a vacuum container.
This way spinach and lettuce will stay fresh up to 2
weeks when refrigerated.
Herbs: Herbs containing a high portion of essential
oils, such as sage, thyme, rosemary or peppermint are
not suitable for vacuum packing but only for drying.
Basil, tarragon, garden dill, parsley and chive should be
frozen. If dried, they lose too much avour.
Mushrooms, raw garlic and raw potatoes: We stron-
gly recommend the "manual vacuum packing" function.
Only hard, meaty and fresh mushrooms are suitable
for vacuum packing and freezing. First wash and dry
the mushrooms, then chop them with a ne knife and
store them in small quantities. Almost all types of mu-
shrooms should be blanched. We recommend that you
put them in the freezer for half an hour before vacuum
packing. Do not thaw the mushrooms before preparing
them. Boil frozen mushrooms in hot salty water or add
them to sauces.
Coffee: If you want to properly vacuum package coffee
or other ground food with SV2000, leave the items in
their original packaging and place them into the Status'
bag. If you do not have the original packaging, use a
regular bag and insert it in the Status' bag. This way you
can prevent beans or ground items from being sucked
into the machine.
Thawing of vacuum packaged foods: Foods should
always be thawed in the refrigerator to preserve quality.
4. BENEFITS OF VACUUM PACKING
4.1. WHAT IS VACUUM?
Oxygen provokes a chemical change on food and is
an important factor in the formation of moulds and
bacteria. As a consequence, grease can go rancid,
food colour changes, moulds and bacteria
multiply, and avour, vitamins, aroma and minerals
are lost. Vacuum packing holds up such undesired
effects, prolongs shelf life and preserves food quality.
Only with the help of vacuum packing, i.e. removing
air from packing using manual or pump, a suitable
environment required to extend food freshness can
be established. The process of vacuum packing in
containers or bags creates negative pressure.