Why Finally Buying a Vacuum Sealer Made Sous Vide Cooking So Much Easier
By Heather Bilyeu of Fueling a Southern Soul
I am not going to lie.
When I first got my immersion circulator, I did not have a vacuum sealer. When I was Googling, Youtubing, and learning how to sous vide, I saw so many people using a vacuum sealer for their food.
It wasn’t until about 2 years into using my sous vide for both the blog and my personal cooking that I finally got a vacuum sealer and OMG! YES!
While you don’t necessarily have to have a vacuum sealer to sous vide, it has been a game-changer! Just like my immersion circulator, I use my vacuum sealer more than I ever thought I would.
The biggest reason is I am finally able to get all the air out of my bags and not having whatever I am sous viding float to the top of the water bath. Inevitably, no matter how much I tried to get all of the air out of a zip-top bag, I just never could. Which means I was fighting to make sure it was fully submerged in the water bath throughout the cooking time, every time.
I would lay cups full of water or heavy heat-proof items on top of the water bath to make sure food would stay submerged and to be honest, it never really worked that great. It is important for full submersion so that you ensure an even cook throughout. If part of my steak was sticking up out of the water, then that part will be a “cold spot” and not get fully cooked, which is no good.
Not only does vacuum sealing get all of the air out of the bag so quickly and easily, it also:
- is sealed tight 100% of the time. No leaking or water getting in my bag anymore!
- allowed me to vacuum-sealed egg bites in small mason jars in a pinch when I realized I didn’t have clean lids on hand. It worked like a charm!
- is so quick and easy to do!
So, say goodbye to fighting with bobbing items not fully submerged when cooking and say hello to an easier way of sous viding with a vacuum sealer.
You will see the difference immediately and understand what a useful kitchen tool this really is!