Do I need a vacuum sealer and bags to go with a sous vide?

(TJ Borden) #21

I have a food saver and the wider bags are 11” wide then however long you want. You can bag some pretty good size pieces, but most large cuts (full briskets or big pork belly slabs) need to be broken down into smaller pieces.

(Brian) #22

Good to know! Thanks for the info.

So far, I haven’t tried to do anything at that high of a temperature. I’m sure it would come up at some point, though, so good to know.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #23

Most of anything I do that high, I do very fast. My egg custards go that high, but it’s 25 minutes and they’re in mason jars. I did an onion this past weekend, at 185 but it was an hour and the quart ziplock was fine.

The gallon freezer bags seem the most prone to failure, based on what I’ve seen in the wild. I find for individual servings, I like the quart freezer bags best. Single steak sized, 6-7 shrimp (10-15/lbs), what have you.

#24

To help insulate my pot, I wrap it with several layers of that mylar/bubble wrap stuff. Works very well. Yep. Looks weird. I don’t care.

For a lid of sorts, I use a ‘slab’ of Styrofoam covered with aluminum foil (attached with pins or tape on the upper side) and cut to accommodate what is necessary.

I saw reference somewhere about using jars with sous vide … it lead me to several desserts including cheesecake in individual containers (small mason jars). Egads! Must make some later today.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #25

Mason jars are amazing for small liquidy things. I do my egg custards in them. Super portable, too.

(Sophie) #26

I got some of the little 4oz mason jars. Not only are they cute, they’re the perfect size!

(Brian) #27

This might seem like a stupid question, but do you seal them up to keep them from getting the cooking water into them? Or do you only put enough water in the pot to come to just the top of the jars? Or do the jars have enough air in them that they float in the water?

I understand the concept but just don’t quite have the actual application in my mind’s eye.

(Randy) #28

Anyone besides me concerned about cooking in plastic bags?
Everything I’ve heard about leeching chemicals from water bottles and never microwaving in plastic make me wary of cooking in cheap plastic bags.

(Sophie) #29

It’s just like canning in a water bath. You fill the jars to just below the rim, and lower into the pot to cover with water. You only finger tighten the bands so air can escape. If they are too tight the jars will crack.

(Brian) #30

Aah, understand completely! Thanks!

#31

Yes this is my concern too but I believe there is a very long separate thread debating this

(KCKO, KCFO) #32

You can get silicone baggies that seal well for sous vide too. If you cook the foods in plastic bags, you run a risk of chemical leakage. Silicone does not have that problem.

(Banting & Yudkin & Atkins & Eadeses & Cordain & Taubes & Volek & Naiman & Bikman ) #33

Seal finger tight.

(Bacon is a many-splendoured thing) #34

You people are TOO MUCH. “Emerson method” and “autocarrot” had me literally laughing out loud! I love this place! :heart: :bacon:

(Chris W) #35

The plastic bag material that is used for Vacuum sealing is BPA free, and for the Sous Vide cooking I do, the temperatures are not very high (about the same temperature as hot tap water)

I don’t worry about the plastic bags any more than I worry about the plastic container I use to carry my lunch to work.

That said, I never microwave in plastics. Even in the best microwave ovens, localized hot spots commonly exceed the temperature at which the plastic begins to break down and/or flow. At that point there is a very real possibility of getting plastics or plastic byproducts into your food :frowning: