Most people see the bagging as the limiting factor in Sous Vide. nearly everyone I tell starts with, "But I don't have a vacuum sealer" I do and have since I first moved out because my dad bought one for the family back when it was an infomercial late night ad. which is why I DO watch infomercials. most of it is junk, but, every once in a while, a REALLY innovative and fantastic item shows up.
So, since I DO have a Food Saver, packaging was not a limiting factor for me. But, I ran out of bags one day, and, frankly, vacuum bags are a tiny bit pricey for this purpose... so, instead, I grabbed a Ziploc freezer bag. first time I did, I lowered the bag into the water, pressed out as much air as I could with my hands (the water will hold it closed but isn't really strong enough to push it all out) and I still had more air than I wanted. so, I grabbed a soda straw, partially closed the zipper and drew a vacuum with the straw. "
HEY! you cut ups on the back row! hush up! keep your minds out of the gutter and pay attention to the class......
Anyway, that worked well enough. but, I DO like to add a few things into the bag for flavor when I cook, especially with chicken cause, well, it's chicken....
So, I was cooking chicken and put in some Chicken Caramel and some Lemon Confit Syrup, and added the bird. then, it was obvious. if I just pressed the bag onto itself,, just like I do everything I store in ziplocs, I could press it all against the meat, the sauce in the bag filling in the smaller spaces, and roll the bag up, spreading the sauce and pushing out the air, and zipping the bag almost closed, pressing out the last bit, closing it and VIOLA! perfectly packaged Chicken and sauce in a zip lock with NO air. doesn't create the vacuum ON the meat that worst to speed a marinate, for instance, but it DOES create the airless interior which is really the reason for vacuum in Sous Vide, because air impedes heat transfer.
This is a great answer for cost if the only goal is no air. and that means it will be one of the primary ways to cook sous vide. the ONE thing to remember is use FREEZER bags, not storage or sandwich bags. they may break down under the heat in the cooker. but, still, less expensive than Food Saver Bags.
And, for the piece de resistance, here is the Caesar salad I made with that Chicken breast. Standard Caesar. Romain lettuce with grated Parm, Garlic Croutons & Dressing. Chicken seared off with butter and Chicken Caramel, deglazed with bag juices, those cooked down to another caramel glaze and placed in the custard cup for a dip.
So, since I DO have a Food Saver, packaging was not a limiting factor for me. But, I ran out of bags one day, and, frankly, vacuum bags are a tiny bit pricey for this purpose... so, instead, I grabbed a Ziploc freezer bag. first time I did, I lowered the bag into the water, pressed out as much air as I could with my hands (the water will hold it closed but isn't really strong enough to push it all out) and I still had more air than I wanted. so, I grabbed a soda straw, partially closed the zipper and drew a vacuum with the straw. "
HEY! you cut ups on the back row! hush up! keep your minds out of the gutter and pay attention to the class......
Anyway, that worked well enough. but, I DO like to add a few things into the bag for flavor when I cook, especially with chicken cause, well, it's chicken....
So, I was cooking chicken and put in some Chicken Caramel and some Lemon Confit Syrup, and added the bird. then, it was obvious. if I just pressed the bag onto itself,, just like I do everything I store in ziplocs, I could press it all against the meat, the sauce in the bag filling in the smaller spaces, and roll the bag up, spreading the sauce and pushing out the air, and zipping the bag almost closed, pressing out the last bit, closing it and VIOLA! perfectly packaged Chicken and sauce in a zip lock with NO air. doesn't create the vacuum ON the meat that worst to speed a marinate, for instance, but it DOES create the airless interior which is really the reason for vacuum in Sous Vide, because air impedes heat transfer.
This is a great answer for cost if the only goal is no air. and that means it will be one of the primary ways to cook sous vide. the ONE thing to remember is use FREEZER bags, not storage or sandwich bags. they may break down under the heat in the cooker. but, still, less expensive than Food Saver Bags.
And, for the piece de resistance, here is the Caesar salad I made with that Chicken breast. Standard Caesar. Romain lettuce with grated Parm, Garlic Croutons & Dressing. Chicken seared off with butter and Chicken Caramel, deglazed with bag juices, those cooked down to another caramel glaze and placed in the custard cup for a dip.
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