5 steps to vacuum seal liquids in chamber vacuum sealers
1) Step 1#: Pre-chill product prior to vacuum sealing liquids to maximize vacuum draw
3) Step #2 – A simple paper towel can stop seal failure when you vacuum seal liquids
4) Step #3 – Angled pouches are one of your best insurance policies
5) Step #4 – Reduce boilovers with some extra mouth space
6) Step #5 – Speed up your vacuum sealing process with skip functionality
Today we discuss the basic principles or steps of how to vacuum seal liquids in a chamber vacuum sealer! Here are 5 steps to vacuum seal liquids in a chamber vacuum sealer: Pre-chill product, clean the mouth of the pouch, gravity-feed product in the pouch, increase headspace in the bag, and use a SKIP function, if present on the unit. These 5 steps help promote seal integrity, maximize vacuum draw, demote the opportunity for freezer burn, and prevent liquids from boiling over!
Step #1 – Pre-chill product prior to vacuum sealing liquids to maximize vacuum draw
Lower temperatures maximize vacuum draw! Pre-chill your homemade soup, marinades, and more beforehand to maximize your vacuum draw. Decreasing temperature increases the vacuum draw you can pull before reaching boiling point.
How does rapid boil affect vacuum draw? Can’t I continue the vacuum process after the boiling starts?
Once a rapid boil takes place, you have officially hit the maximum vacuum draw potential for that specific pouch. You could pull for an additional 10 minutes after the rapid boil commences and all you will achieve is a mess, a bad seal, and no more vacuum draw than when the boil began.
If you were to toss a hot liquid in a chamber pouch to vacuum seal it, you would notice the liquid boiling much quicker than a chilled one! Maximize your shelf life by pre-chilling your liquids ahead of time!
Step #2 – A simple paper towel can stop seal failure when you vacuum seal liquids
Just an ounce of liquid on the sealing area of the pouch can result in poor seal integrity. Place paper towels on the mouth of the pouch and wipe away any extra fish sauces, meat marinades, or general soups that may have been left over. Keeping the mouth clear of liquid or debris will help optimize seal integrity and reduce frustration. Vacuum seal correctly with a debris-free mouth.
Step #3 – Angled pouches are one of your best insurance policies
Once a product begins rapid boiling it will continue to climb out of the pouch and into your vacuum sealer! Step #3 is more of a preventative measure to ensure a mess-free operation and promote optimum seal integrity. Stop the mess and bad seals by angling your pouch at a 10°-20° angle so that your liquid is gravity-feeding to the base of the vacuum bag or chamber pouch. Take this extra step to keep that liquid away from the seal area of the bag. Liquid on the mouth of the pouch will cause seal failure.
Step #4 – Reduce boilovers with some extra mouth space
Leave about 2-3″ of space at the bag mouth to help prevent boilover! Increasing the distance from the edge of the liquid to the mouth of the pouch gives you more time to respond. Selecting a larger size pouch will increase the gap between the liquid and the mouth of the pouch. The more significant the gap, the better! Create a nice tight seal with just a little extra space. This method is just another way to make vacuum sealing more of an enjoyable process instead of a miserable one.
Step #5 – Speed up your vacuum sealing process with skip functionality
Some vacuum sealers and some chamber vacuum sealers do not have the functionality to exit the vacuum cycle and enter the seal cycle. Many units force the user to exit out of any and all cycles involved in the process. This means stopping the entire unit, adjusting the vacuum cycle time, and restarting. For most users, this is not a big issue because many of us are sealing the same temperature and volume of soup over and over. For others, this will be problematic because the user is constantly changing the types of homemade soups, temperatures, volume, and viscosity.
How do you vacuum seal juicy foods?
Vacuum sealing meat is a concern that many of our customers have because of the rapid boiling that takes place in the juices. The smaller the quantity of liquid, the more minimized the impact of vaporization from the boil. Some meats have a higher moisture content. We suggest not pouring all the liquids in with the meat to minimize the impact of vaporization. The less liquid you have, the less of a concern of the impact on vacuum draw. Also after sealing many high moisture content products, we suggest making certain you get your oil pump nice and hot to expel any unwanted moisture from the pump.
Can I use a mason jar to vacuum seal liquids?
Yes! You can use a mason jars to seal up liquids if you prefer this method. Vacuum sealing liquids in a mason jar does not have any other benefit when compared to a chamber sealer pouch. Chamber pouches on the other hand do. Boil water, place soup in pouch in the pot of water, pull out after 5 minutes, and enjoy your lunch or dinner without making a mess!
What type of vacuum sealer is most appropriate for the job of vacuum sealing liquid rich foods?
Selecting the proper sealer whether it be a low-level vacuum sealer or industrial-grade chamber vacuum sealer is everything when sealing liquid rich foods properly. Let’s discuss the factors that can majorly impact your final seal when dealing with wayward liquid.
Dry piston vacuum pump vs oil pumps: One of the biggest factors behind longevity
Most typical low-end external models such as edge or suction vacuum sealers host what is called a dry piston pump. An external vacuum sealer might not be the best selection for liquid food. What about a chamber vacuum sealer? Some lower-end chamber sealers will even have this type of pump at the heart of the unit. So if you are considering entire liquid food items, you may want to read on!
Dry piston pumps are more than fine if you are sealing only dry food only. Once a dry pump, alternatively known as a “maintenance-free pump,” starts vacuuming any type of moisture-content products, the pump will slowly internally corrode eventually leading to an unusable pump. The downfall of a “maintenance-free” pump in this situation is that it lives up to its name: maintenance-free.
Oil-lubricated rotary vane vacuum pumps on the other hand are able to expel moisture content preventing internal corrosion with proper care. Oil pumps, once they are hot, will separate the water and oil. The liquid in the pump will then vaporize and exit out of the exhaust, but continue to circulate the oil. Selecting the proper vacuum sealer with the best vacuum pump means a better life span, higher vacuum draw faster, and more! Learn more here on the differences between dry pumps and oil pumps.
What is the best vacuum sealer for liquids? Why a chamber sealer is best suited to vacuum seal liquids
Find a chamber vacuum sealer that checks all the boxes! Everyone is looking for an all-around, good chamber vacuum sealer with good customer service.
The JVR Vac100 chamber vacuum sealer is one of the best industrial-grade vacuum sealers for vacuum sealing liquids, general vacuum sealing, sealing retort pouches, mylar bags, sesal the largest and highest quantity of mason jar simultaneously, and so much more! Seal and freeze liquids without any opportunity for freezer burn! Vacuum seal food, use your external vacuum accessories from Foodsaver with our unit and so much more.
Learn more about what makes the JVR Vac100 one of the best chamber vacuum sealers in the market today! Click to read more.
Any further questions?
Please feel free to call JVR Industries to discuss the subject further. We have specialized in vacuum packaging for over 50 years! Vacuum sealing food, vacuum sealing meat, vacuum bags, external vacuum sealers, how to create a seal, fragile foods under vacuum, and other topics are something we would gladly discuss!
JVR Industries is available Monday-Friday, 8:30 am – 5 pm EST for any further questions or technical support. You can reach us at (716)206-2500.
