How To Preserve Food In Magic Vac ® Bags; How To Preserve Food In Magic Vac ® Containers - Magic Vac Jumbo Operating Manual

HOW TO PRESERVE FOOD IN MAGIC VAC
Vacuum packing for the freezer
First of all, use the freshest possible food. The MAGIC VAC
only if it is properly preserved. Some foods have a soft consistency which could be damaged by vacuum packing the
product when fresh. To prepare delicate foods like meat, fish, berries, bread, etc., it is advisable to pre-freeze them first. In
the first twenty-four hours there is no risk of freezer burns, so you can vacuum pack the products frozen the previous day
in MAGIC VAC bags, and then keep them in the freezer for long periods so as to preserve all the nutritional values and
®
flavour of the product you have packed.
When vacuum packing soups, stews or other liquid food, pre-freeze it in a pan or high-strength dish. When the food
becomes solid, vacuum pack it, add a label and replace in your freezer.
To vacuum pack vegetables, peel them and then blanche them briefly in boiling water or a microwave oven until they are
warm but still firm. Then vacuum pack them in convenient portions.
If the food is not pre-frozen, leave an extra 5 cm in the length of the bag to allow for expansion due to freezing. With regard
to meat and fish, it is advisable to place the food on a paper towel and vacuum pack it with the towel in the bag. This will
absorb any moisture in the food.
To preserve food like focaccia, crêpes and small hamburgers, stack them on top of each other, placing greaseproof
paper or film between each piece. This will make it easier to remove some of the food, repackage the rest and replace it
immediately in the freezer.
Vacuum packing for the fridge
For busy households, food can be prepared in advance, then vacuum packed and kept in the fridge for use at different
times, ready to be heated as and when necessary.
Vacuum packing for the larder
Even foods that can keep at room temperature (like, for example, coffee, flour, pasta, sugar, etc.) can benefit from vacuum
packing. If these products are to remain unused for several days, such as when you go away on holiday, it is advisable to
protect all foods by vacuum packing. They will keep better and moisture, mould and insects will not attack and ruin them.
Defrosting MAGIC VAC bags
®
To defrost vacuum packed food such as meat, fish, fruit, vegetables or other delicate foodstuffs, place it on the lowest
shelf in the fridge to defrost slowly; bread and focaccia should be left at room temperature, while soups or other liquid
foods should be immersed in hot water still in the vacuum bags until they reach the right temperature. When you leave
food at room temperature or heat it in a bain-marie, make sure you cut one corner of the bag to let the steam escape.
When the food has been defrosted, it must be consumed immediately. Do not re-freeze it
Repackaging pre-packed food
Many foodstuffs, like cheese and meat, are sold pre-packed in factory-prepared vacuum bags. To retain the flavour and
freshness of these foods, repackage them in MAGIC VAC
Pre-packed foods must always be consumed by the use-by date shown on the original package. They must also
be handled with the greatest care and hygiene when repackaging.
Useful tips...
- For food with tapered ends or sharp edges, like bones and spaghetti, pad the edges with paper towels to prevent
perforating the bag.
- Fragile and delicate foodstuffs like strawberries, crackers or biscuits should be preserved in MAGIC VAC
- There are many non-food products which can be vacuum packed, such as camping equipment including matches, first
aid kits and clean, dry clothes. You can even preserve the emergency triangle in the car. Silverware and collections can
also be vacuum packed to protect the items against oxidation, etc.
HOW TO PRESERVE FOOD IN MAGIC VAC
Warning: Do not use plastic or glass containers that are not suitable since they could implode under the vacuum
pressure of MAGIC VAC
®
Freezing in containers
To freeze food in plastic containers use only MAGIC VAC
glass suitable for freezer temperatures.
Vacuum packing food in containers
Vacuum packing in containers is ideal for products that you use frequently. Dried foodstuffs like pasta, rice, flour, sugar,
crisps, savouries or biscuits, and pet food, will maintain all their shape and freshness.
Salad foods and vegetables can be cleaned for the whole week and kept in a MAGIC VAC
and fresh. To absorb excess moisture, fold a paper towel and place it on the bottom of the container.
and cause injury.
® system will allow you to retain all the freshness of the food
bags after the factory package has been opened.
®
containers or, in the case of glass receptacles, used tempered
®
37
BAGS
®
containers.
®
CONTAINERS
®
container. They will remain firm
®