SOLIS 5701 Mode D'emploi page 48

VA CUUMI N G F OR F RE EZ E R S T OR A G E
1. Always use the freshest possible foods.
2. Delicate products such as meat, fish, berries etc. should be pre-frozen so that
they are not crushed during vacuuming.
Foods can be frozen for up to 24 hours without freezer burn occuring – this
fact is something we will make use of. Idealy food should be split into portions
before freezing. As soon as they are frozen (after about 24 hours) vacuum them
in Solis vacuum bags amd return them to the freezer.
3. If you wish to vacuum pack soups, stews or other liquid dishes, then they must
be pre-frozen, until they have a solid consistency. After vacuuming the dish can
be put back in the freezer.
4. The same method applies for products with high fluid content. The infiltration
of fluid into the vacuum system can cause damage to the appliance. This is not
covered by the guarantee.
5. If you wish to vacuum and freeze foods without pre-freezing them, the length
of the bag should be 5 cm longer than would normally be required since food
expands when frozen.
6. Fresh vegetables should be cleaned or peeled and before freezing they should
be blanched in boiling water (or if necessary a microwave oven can be used).
This ensures that the vegetables remain fresh. After allowing the food to cool,
it can be split into suitable portions and frozen in Solis vacuum bags.
7. If you wish to vacuum and freeze meat or fish without pre-freezing them then
we recommend that you line the Solis vacuum bag with kitchen paper so that
the kitchen paper will catch any escaped moisture. Foods that are meant to be
vacuum sealed in a number of layers (e.g. hamburgers, crêpes or tortillas) are
best placed in the bag separated by a sheet of baking paper.
D EF ROST I NG FRO ZE N S OL IS V AC UU M B A G S
Defrosting meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and other delicate foods: These foods should
be defrosted slowly in the refrigerator.
Defrosting bread and pastry: These foods can be defrosted at room temperature.
If this is the case you should cut open the bag to allow the steam to escape.
Always consume food immediately after defrosting and do not re-freeze.
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WHY D O V AC U U M PA CK ED FOO DS
s
LAST LO NGER ?
1. Chemical reactions in food with air, ambient temperature and dampness,
enzym-reactions, the formation of micro-organisms or contamination by insects
can spoil food.
2. The main reason why food nutrients lose their firmness and flavour is the oxygen
in the air. The formation of micro-organisms is usually caused by air, because
this removes the moisture of the foods, on the other hand, it also transports
ambient moisture back into the food if they are not hermetically sealed. Frozen
foods get in the freezer air often the freezer burn.
3. The vacuum-system removes up to 90% of air from the packaging. Because
21% of the air consist of oxygen, only 2–3% of oxygen remain in a vacuum
sealed bag. However in an oxygen content of less than 5%, most micro-organ-
isms cannot multiply.
4. In general, micro-organisms can be divided into three categories: mould, yeasts
and bacteria, they are present everywhere, but can only cause damage in
certain conditions.
5. In an environment with little air or moisture, mould cannot develop. In mois-
ture, sugar and warmth, yeast can spread with or without air, cooling slows the
growth of yeast and freezing stops it altogether.
6. Bacteria can spread with or without air.
One of the most dangerous bacteriums is Clostridium botulinum which can,
under certain conditions, spread without air – it only needs a temperature of
between 4 °C and 46 °C. It spreads in food without acid, in environments with
little acid and in temperatures that are above 4 °C for long periods of time.
7. The bacterium Botulinum cannot do any harm to frozen, dried or acid rich foods
or foods with a high salt or sugar content.
The following foods can be lightly infected with Botulinum:
– Foods without acid e.g. meat, seafood, poultry, fish, eggs, mushrooms and
olives in brine
– Foods with little acid like most vegetable
– Foods with moderate acid content such as tomatoes, onions, chilli-peppers,
figs and cucumbers.
8. To store the above at-risk foods, you should keep them in the refrigerator for
short term storage or in the freezer, for long term storage, and after heating
they need to be eaten straight away.
9. Some enzymes in foods can change the colour, texture and flavour of foods,
which depends on storage time, storage temperature and oxygen. To prevent
this enzyme reaction, vegetable should be blanched or steam cooked for a short
time, or cooked in the microwave. Foods with a high acid content such as most
fruits, must not be blanched. In this case, vacuum packing is enough to slow or
inhibit the enzyme reaction.
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