ECV - El Cheapo Vacuum Sealer!

[Kevin K]

Here's a little trick I picked up recently for those of you without a vacuum sealer:

If you want to make large batches of rub to store, you'll want to remove as much air as you can from the container you store it in to prevent clumping, and flavor loss.

Put your rub in a ziploc bag, and dunk it in a container of water (up to the seal of course!). The water pressure will force the air out of the bag and you can seal it tight! If you want, you can put the ziploc in a plastic shopping bag, so you can get the entire ziploc underwater without letting any moisture in, then seal through the shopping bag.

This works with any dense items (bags of brown sugar, bulk spices, etc).

Of course, if you BBQ a lot, you can always make enough rub to fill a container to the very top!

k

 

[Chris Allingham]

Kevin,

What are you dunking this in? Kitchen sink? Wash tub? 55 gallon drum? /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif

Chris

 

[Kevin K]

I just take it into the tub with me when I bathe every week. Coincedentally, it is a 55 gallon drum.

Actually, since I own a vacuum sealer, I don't do this, but my Aunt whom I observed doing this just uses a mixing bowl full of water.

k

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Kevin K...

Vacuum sealing will not help when it comes to flavor retention in spices. You should put the spices into glass jars and then keep them in a dark place(cupboard, etc).

This info comes from the folks who own The Great American Spice Company. Dan explained, that any plastic is breathable..as far as flavor loss is concerned, even if vacuum sealed. If you have ever ordered from them, you will notice nothing is vacuum sealed.

Just an FYI.

 

[Guest]

I put my rubs in Mason jars and vacuum seal them with the FoodSaver's jar attachment. Don't know if it helps or not, but the rub sure smells potent when I open the jar.

Steve

 

[Kevin K]

so much for my tip I guess. Now what excuse will I use to bathe with my rubs!??!

k

 

[David Munson]

Steve,

Does the mason jar attachment work well? (easy)

 

[Guest]

Dave,

Yes, the jar sealer works very well, as long as your lid is in good shape and your sealing surface is clean and dry. You don't need the screw-on retainers, just the flat lids. In addition to storing my rubs, I also use it for freezing jars of homemade soup (just make sure to buy freezable jars!).

If you buy a FoodSaver, make sure it has the port for the jar sealer, as some of the cheap models don't.

Steve

 

[Konrad Haskins]

The mason jar sealer works way better with Ball lids than other brands. Another vacuum sealer I have that is made in Switzerland and only uses water pressure to create the vacuum says you should only use Ball lids. I've had the Ball lids hold the vacuum for 9 years no problem.

 

[David Munson]

We got the 750 - from sams. It has the port but does not have the control over the amount of vacuum. The port was one of our requirements.

THANKS /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif for the advice about ball lids.

Have ya figured out how to marinate meat larger than will fit in the marinate pan? /infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

 

[Chris Allingham]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Kevin Taylor:
[qb]This info comes from the folks who own The Great American Spice Company. Dan explained, that any plastic is breathable..as far as flavor loss is concerned, even if vacuum sealed. If you have ever ordered from them, you will notice nothing is vacuum sealed.[/qb] <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm not a food scientist, but this seems to fly in the face of logic.

If a Foodsaver bag is airtight when vacuum sealed, then how can it breath? These are not ordinary plastic bags, but are made of a specially designed material for this purpose.

Penzey's doesn't vacuum pack their spices, either, but in their catalog they write, "Heat, light, moisture and air (my emphasis) all speed the loss of flavor and color. Our new barrier seal bags are great for storage, as they don't let any air in (other plastic bags do). Glass or barrier plastic containers are also very good."

I understand that many food manufacturers use modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) to replace all or some of the air with another gas like nitrogen or carbon dioxide to prevent chemical breakdown or spoilage. This process is impossible to duplicate at home (with the exception of those gadgets that fill partially full wine bottles with nitrogen for better flavor), but it seems logical that if I have a big batch of leftover rub, putting it in a Foodsaver bag or canister and removing the air would help protect the potency of the spices. Storing in a cool, dark location is important, too.

Just my thoughts,
Chris

 

[Guest]

I believe that Great American Spice Co. uses oxygen-barrier mylar bags in packaging their bulk spices. At least that what the bags I have appear to be.