Category Archives: Food

Food

How Would a Vacuum Food Sealer Be a Benefit for You?

Vacuum Food Sealers are devices that every modern homemaker should have in their kitchen. They are available in either battery-operated hand-held models or nice looking units that plug-in and sit on the countertop. In short, they remove air (oxygen) from plastic bags of food and seal them shut. Easy to use, just divide the food into the bags that come with the unit, insert the neck of the bag into the sealer, push the lid closed to lock and push a button to operate. The air is removed by vacuum and when the proper pressure is obtained, the heat sealer is activated to seal the bag closed.

These bags of food can then be stored in the freezer for up to three years before using. The Vacuum Food Sealers are lightweight, sleek designed quality apparatuses that are easy to store or take up limited space on the counter. Quite a bit of time and money is saved when food can be purchased in bulk quantities, and either separated into prepared portion sizes and stored in large quantities that won’t spoil.

The modern homemaker can save money with Vacuum Food Sealers by shopping less often and buying food in economical bulk prices. By shopping less, the economic advantages start to multiply into other areas like saving money on automobile costs. You are driving less, buying less gasoline, causing less wear and tear on the car and keeping the mileage figure on the car lower.

The average family throws away 25% of purchased food monthly, from not preparing leftovers and/or fresh foods properly. By storing leftovers in bags sealed with Vacuum Food Sealers reduces food waste to zero. Frozen foods packaged in sealer bags that are devoid of oxygen will avoid freezer burn and will not lose their taste or nutritional value.

Vacuum Sealer accessories include containers to seal fruits and vegetables in to keep them fresh longer without crushing the contents. The containers can also be used to marinate meals by opening the pores of the meat to let the marinade penetrate deeper into the meat for a better flavor. The containers can also be used for storing dry food items such as tea, flour, cereal, noodles, chips, crackers and rice.

The home Food Saver Sealers are perfect for families that grow their own fruits and vegetables. They are not restricted to eating these quality healthy foods just during the growing season, but can package them with Food Saver Sealers and store them in the freezer cheaply to enjoy all year-long. What a delight for the family to have garden grown tomatoes and corn on the cob in December!

The concept of vacuum sealing for food has been used in commercial packaging for years to maintain the quality of the food products and now is available for all conscientious homemakers. These same devices can be used for storing non-food items as well. Sealing items to keep them dry for camping or boating trips is a big plus. Because all the air is removed from the bags when sealing the amount of space that items take up is an added benefit for packing.

Food

Pickles and Other Preserved Foods

Pickling is just one of the many ways of preserving food. Historically, early records show that people first preserved their food during the war. This is necessary to maintain food supply. Today, we preserve food, fruits and vegetables to avoid spoilage, to keep them fresh and to still enjoy them even when they’re out of season. Preserving food also makes it more tasty, adding more flavors and even texture to the food.

In pickling, vegetables are soaked in brine and vinegar solution for a day or more and placed in a tightly sealed jar. The solution is first brought to a boil and then poured over the vegetables. Cucumber is the most common vegetable used. Sometimes, to produce a half-sour taste, no vinegar is used in pickling food.

Another method in preserving food is drying. By evaporating water content in food, this reduces bacterial activity usually conducive in moist environments. Dried fish and meat are some examples. Dried raisins and mangoes are some snack treats that are preserved using this process.

Freezing is a method of preserving food by preventing microbial growth using extreme cold temperatures. Meat, fish and sometimes also vegetables such as peas are frozen to maintain their freshness. Refrigeration also slows down food spoilage but do not preserve the food in its edible state for a long time. Fruits and vegetables are refrigerated to keep them fresh for a few more days.

Using sugar to preserve food is one very tasty of doing it. Cooking the food in heavily sweetened syrup creates a condition unfavorable for bacterial survival. Fruit jams and jellies use this method of preservation. So almost any fruit can be enjoyed even when they are not in season. Strawberries, mangoes, oranges, peaches and many other fruits that were used to be enjoyed only once a year can now be tasted year-long in jams or jellies. One type of this method is glazing where fruits are coated with sugary syrup but is extracted from the syrup. Apples and cherries are some examples of glazed fruits.

Smoking fish and meat can also preserve them. Heat from the smoke dehydrates the food thus reducing conduciveness for bacterial growth. This method also makes the food tasty by giving it a varied aroma and sometimes spices are also added in the preservation process.

Using fat can also preserve food for a day or two. Frying fish and meat for example extends its edibility. And there is also a method of preserving meat called potting where meat is set in a pot and sealed with a layer of fat. Potted liver is an example.

There are many more ways of preserving food. Knowing what is the best method to use for a particular food stuff helps in avoiding food spoilage. Food can be recycled and even common food can be made interesting and more tasty. Preserving food using different types of methods also offers a range of taste and variety to the food making it more enjoyable and sometimes even more nutritious.