Two weeks ago, I wrote about testing the Handi-Vac vacuum sealer. The results are in, folks.
I’d expected that vacuum sealing, whether to freeze or refrigerate, would make food last longer. True indeed.
After 16 days, the Handi-Vac green beans were a little slimy, but still firm. They were beginning to turn, but still didn’t have a noticeable odor. While I wouldn’t call them tasty, let’s just say that a small bite didn’t do any harm.
The beans kept in a regular Ziploc bag, on the other hand, were pretty rank. The beans were quite slimy and soft. And as you can see below, the rot had definitely set in. No bites were taken.
While I originally wrote that I’d only test the green beans for 10 days, I wanted to give the two storage options more time to distinguish itself. Basically, both looked pretty good after 10 days.
That means two things: First, vacuum sealing food makes more sense for long term use (and since Handi-Vac is aimed more at freezer storage, that makes sense). Second, food lasts longer than you’d expect if stored properly. (I was careful to get as much air out of the Ziplock as possible.
The prognosis: The Handi-Vac’s convenient size makes it a useful device for people who often store food for more than a week or two. But if you routinely freeze large cuts of meat, etc. it might be worth considering a more powerful device like the Frisper Freshkeeper, both for its quicker sealing and reusable bags.
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Sorry to say, but some foods were harmed in the making of this post. Just know that the poor green beans who made the ultimate sacrifice are now in a better place–my compost pile.
Comments
4 responses to “Vacuum-sealed Results”
Great write up! I enjoy these before-after posts, Jon. Product reviews are good, but I think what I enjoyed most about this is the very simple reminder of how long things really can last when stored properly. I’d love to see more posts like this one.
I know this isn’t a site for recipes and such, but in general, it’s fun to see how you do things in your kitchen and with your food.
Keep up all the good work!
Now try comparing the ziplock and vacuum seal with a sealed package containing a non-oxidizing gas. You would probably have difficulty getting argon (If you are lucky enough to know a welder nitrogen should be avaible.) but you could put a bit of dry ice in the bag and allow the CO2 to push out most of the air.
How timely as I was going to do some “preserving” – i know i know am i delaying the inevitable, will these foods get burried –
I have gotten quite good and keeping inventory and using up my stock in my fridge. Our freezer is also quite small, which means I can’t over stock it anyway.
My husband and I are going away for several weeks, meaning the fridge WILL be empty, short of some condiments, and having some preserved produce (in small quantities) means I can pull some thing out when we get home.
When I put stuff into ziploc bags, I often seal the zipper almost all the way, and then I insert a little(reusable!) plastic straw into the small opening. Then I suck as much air out as a can and then I finish sealing the zipper.
This method probably isn’t quite as effective as the stuff you’ve tested, but it’s really cheap!