Vacuum Sealed Food and Food Safe Temperatures

CHEFTALK 

Vacuumed food and food safe temperatures

Vacuum sealing food is THE way to prolong shelf life, maintain freshness and to increase the overall quality of food, either by chilling, freezing or dry storage.  Vacuuming raw, cooked or dry food alone does not guarantee success, there is a little more to it.

Find your vacuum sealer here:   www.vacupack.com  for USA and www.vacupack.ca for Canada.

Every type of food, whether vacuum sealed or not vacuum sealed need to comply with a set of temperature measures to make them safe for consumption when they need storing for a period of time.

Enforcement at home

These temperature measures apply to all foods, raw, cooked, marinated and also dry foods. Guidelines have been set by various departments of public health, but often apply, or seem to apply to catering businesses and related food retailing businesses like supermarkets, restaurants and cafés, seldom have they referred to households. 

We all know that caterers need compliance with food safety measures, but how do these measure translate when we store and cook food at home. 

Caterers and food retailers basically do the same thing as what homemakers do at home. Food is ordered, received, stored and prepared, quantities may vary, but the principal remains the same.  

Main difference is that caterers and other food handling businesses are checked at intervals by enforcement officers where homemakers are not. Does this mean that we can rely on the integrity of caterers and supermarkets? 

The answer is NO! Homemakers have their own part to play.

When foods are sealed in a vacuum and left unchecked on a kitchen counter they are as much subject to spoilage in a caterer’s kitchen as they are in a domestic kitchen.

Safe temperatures

The danger zone lies between 41 F and 135 F. This is the temperature range bacteria love and multiply at rapid speed. Bacteria multiply individually, meaning one becomes two, two become four and four become eight. If you would start with one bacterium, (which is highly unlikely) you will have 4000 bacteria after 4 hours considering that particular bacteria multiplies every 30 minutes.

This proves the importance of food storage under refrigerated or frozen conditions.

Vacuum packing food, slows the process of bacterial growth considerably, but does not stop it, in fact nothing does, shelf life of vacuum sealed food becomes however interesting prolonged as the chart below will show.   

Vacuum for prolonged shelf life

Food	Stored in	Normal shelf life	Vacuum shelf life
Large cuts of meat, beef, poultry, lamb and pork	Freezer	6 months	2-3 years
Ground meat: beef, lamb, poultry, pork	Freezer	4 months	1 year
Fish	Freezer	6 months	2 years
Berries	Refrigerator	1-3 days	1 week
Cheeses, hard, semi, soft and pasteurized. Soft cheeses should not be vacuumed	Refrigerator	1-2 weeks	4-8 months
Cookies, crackers	Room temperature	1-2 weeks	3-6 weeks
Coffee beans	Freezer	6-9 months	2-3 years
Coffee beans	Room temperature	4 weeks	16 months
Tea	Freezer	6-9 months	2-3 years
Tea	Room temperature	4 weeks	16 months

 

 Source: Dr. G.K.York, Dept. of Food Science & Tech, U of California, Davis

It is important to note that laboratorial test are usually performed under perfect conditions, conditions homemakers cannot comply with, even if they want to.

Food Safety Guide Lines

We don’t walk around with thermometers when we do our grocery shopping, well at least I don’t. It is nevertheless good to keep some guide lines in mind which will help improve food safety standards.

·         Ensure to buy fresh meat and fish that has been stored in a chilled environment.

·         Avoid buying food in damaged packaging, for example: dented cans, damaged caps on jars and other sealed products.

·         Ensure that frozen food is in full frozen condition. (not half soft when handled)

·         When your travel time from store to home is longer than 30 minutes, store fresh food in a cooler box with frozen cooling elements.

·         Store food immediately in the respective storage, freezer or refrigerator, after returning home from the store.

·         Place a refrigerator thermometer in your refrigerator and check regularly if the temperature is constant.

Best temperatures for storage

Refrigerated potentially hazardous food	41 F or below
Frozen foods	0 F or below
Dry storage	50 – 70 F

    

When cooking food before vacuum seal storage, ensure to cool rapidly!

·         Do not cool at room temperature

·         Use an ice water bath to hasten cooling

·         Divide food in small units or spread it out to make a thin layer and refrigerate

·         Cool the food from boiling temperature to 70 F within 2 hours and then to 41 F within 4 hours.

·         Transfer to food to new clean vacuum seal bags, vacuum pack and freeze or chill immediately.

·         Thaw frozen food overnight in the refrigerator or on the defrost mode in your microwave.

·         Reheat food for consumption to 165 F  

A few simple measures and a bit of common sense, go a long way when it comes to food safety

By: Marinus Hoogendoorn

            

CHEF TALK, Learn How to Save Money with Bulk Buying and Long Term Food Storage.

CHEF TALK

Learn How to $ave Money with Bulk Buying and Long Term Food Storage

We all like to save money, to some of us the ‘Buck Thrill’ is a way of life. Couponing is one favorite, takes a lot of time and being organized but it pays off. The fact is we do not all have the time to cut coupons and go to stores where the coupons are on offer at that particular time.

How to buy in bulk

Another good one is buying in bulk. This can be the ultimate bang for you. The warehouse type of stores are getting more and more “small” customer friendly and better still, they have quality stuff. Problem arises, what should I do with a 10 pound jar of pickles, there are only two of us in my house hold.

Well, you just have to be smart about ‘bulk’ buying and then these warehouse stores will work for you.

                                                                                   

First of all make a decent shopping list, if possible plan a weekly menu (or at least have some recipes on hand before you walk through those doors). Discipline yourself when you shop. With that, you do not overbuy and come home with all sorts of stuff you do not need.

       Buddy shop, go Dutch with a friend, family member, neighbor or colleague and share things that are too much to handle for your family.  

This works definitely for dry goods like toilet paper and multi packed smaller packaging (24 small packets of nuts in a big plastic bag). But how about large meat cuts you would normally avoid buying. Best 'to be vacuumed' money saver. The 7 or 8 Lbs strip loin below can be transformed into 24 or 25 great steaks in no time. Vacuum share, freeze and save money!  

Before

After

       

Make sure to shop with an ordinary shopping cart, these flat bed carts cheat your eyes, even the biggest packaging looks small on those things.

Go with the treasure hunt idea in mind. This is what I like and this is what I am going to cook with. Share your ideas with your buddy shopper and share the purchase. 

It works for him.....

Learn about new ingredients and how they can work for you. This is a great way to explore new foods, healthy and nutritious produce that you would normally stay away from.

There was a time that the thought of buying meats in a warehouse store would make ones stomach coil. Not anymore, times change and these bulk stores are an excellent place to buy top quality meats. If you do not see what you are looking for, ask. Bulk stores are realizing that people are interested in cooking with local and seasonal ingredients.

Money savers

And then there is another great money saver. It is your vacuum sealer. Why? You just read the answer, your bulk buying pays of even more with the help of your vacuum sealer.

Studies reveal that that you may save up to $ 2.700.00 per year with the help of your vacuum sealer. 
Find them here: www.vacupack.com  www.vacupack.ca

One of the best aspects of storing vacuum sealed foods is that it is extremely economical. Vacuum sealed foods last 3 to 5 times longer than ordinary packet fresh foods.  As a result the food maintains its color texture and appearance longer. Further, because vacuum sealed foods can last longer, you can buy in bulk, ‘save money’ and re-pack in the portion size that suits you.

Bring this to your advantage and make menu planning, buddy shopping and idea exchange a fun thing. Larger packing sizes are no concern anymore, vacuum and freeze perishables. Freezer burn is eliminated because vacuum packed food does not come in direct contact with the cold air in the freezer.

Advantages of vacuuming                                                                    

No more issues

Dry foods, such as brown sugar that you do not use on a daily basis, do not become hard because there is no air to absorb the moisture.    

Insect infestation is eliminated in the flour and sugar you bought in bulk.

The pores in fresh protein foods, meats and fish, open up when vacuumed. This allows better marinating and faster marinating times.

Less air in packaging will give you better organized storage options.

Some problems may arise when vacuuming liquids. Here are two tips to avoid that.

• 1      Freeze the product in a vacuum bag, then seal. The seal will prevent air from entering the bag.
• 2      Leave products like ready cooked meals and sauces to chill overnight. They will get a much firmer consistency. Many sauces will even gel up. When you vacuum the chilled products you will get the desired result.

Conclusion                                                                  

Your money saver

                                     www.vacupack.com  www.vacupack.ca

                                      

To conclude: Vacuum sealing your food and non-food preps is an economical and extremely effective way to save money and maintain a varied pantry. If you plan to use this method of saving money, prolonging the shelf –life of products and buddy shopping, I assure you a fast return of investment in a good quality vacuum sealer.   

By: Marinus Hoogendoorn

HOLIDAY TIME-SAVER COOKING IDEAS

HOLIDAY TIME-SAVER COOKING IDEAS

Holiday cooking is a chore that must be done but it doesn’t have to be a bad chore.  With a few time saving ideas, it will go smoothly and allow more time for family and friends.With the holiday season fast approaching, my thoughts are running with anticipation of the time spent with out-of-state loved ones who will be visiting.  There is a lot of prep work to do, which usually is not a problem, but on the actual holiday, cooking time steals from my family time.

This year, I got busy early.  I mixed my stuffing ahead of time and vacuum sealed it with the Vacupack Elite.  I put it into the freezer and now all I have to do is cook it in the bag in boiling water and it will be just as tasty and fresh as if I made it that day.  I also put aside cookies and pies the same way.  I can simply take the cookies out of the freezer the night before and thaw for serving the next day.  The pies can be taken from the bag and popped into the oven to quickly bake them just before serving so that they are hot, fresh and flavorful. 

Fresh vegetables are pricey during this time of year and waiting for sales is tedious.  I simply use some of the fresh vegetables that I vacuum sealed and froze during the harvest season.  I thaw them out for salads and vegetable dip trays. 

 All of us groan at the thought of eating leftovers for days and days.  If you vacuum seal your leftovers, you can freeze them and use them for meals later.  Frozen turkey leftovers will make excellent soup later in the winter when you crave a hot and healthy meal.  Or, make the soup now and freeze it for heating later.  Individual serving packages make hot soup a convenient lunchtime idea instead of the old, tired sandwich and chips.

Turkey can be vacuum sealed and frozen for sandwiches, too.  You can make individual serving sizes and just take out what you need when you need it.  Leftover stuffing might taste good the day after the holiday meal but it can get a little tiring after that.  Instead of wasting it, vacuum seal it, freeze it and use it another day!

I usually start my holiday shopping and cooking about a month in advance and having a vacuum sealer is a valuable time saving tactic.  I cook a lot of things (like pies, cookies and stuffing) ahead of time in large batches and divide them up, one package for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.  

The Vacupack Elite is a top of the line vacuum sealer built for durability.  It has a moisture trap that diverts moisture away from the pump, which makes for a tight bag seal with no leaks.  It cannot be beat for sous-vide cooking, which is becoming more and more popular in the United States.  Instead of canning food, storing it for sous-vide cooking is a safer and more reliable way of storing food.  Purchasing large quantities of meat and poultry when it is on sale and cooking it in the sous-vide method for storage will save money and free your time for other activities.

From the PMG crew to you and your family, we wish you all the very best Thanksgiving and Holiday Season.  

Written for PMG

By Jacqueline Moderson 

SEO Professional Writer

Find the Vacupack Elite online at www.vacupack.com

Instock in Canada at www.vacupack.ca

What does a bad retort pouch look like?

One of the biggest questions we get is "How do I know if a bag is bad or not, if it is safe to eat?" 

1) The bag is leaking right out of the canner. Most of the time we find this when the vacuum sealer used is not up to standard for sealing retort bags.
2)  Microscopic pin holes in the seal is another issue we find with vacuum sealers that are not rated for retort canning or when an impulse sealer is used.
The larger wide open seals will generally be seen right away. Washing and inspecting each bag before it is stored is good advise.  The microscopic holes in the seal will be seen in a few weeks when the product has rotted.  Usually the smell is obvious the food has turned bad.

We highly recommend acquiring the proper vacuum sealer before attempting retort canning.  More than one sad story has been told of those who have lost hundreds of pounds of food due to the chamber vacuum sealer they were using.   We have done extensive testing with all types of sealers and vacuum chamber units. If in doubt give us a call before you buy a unit, find out what our tests turned up on a wide range of vacuum sealers.  If we have not used it, we can help you tech it, to find out if it will work or not.
Toll Free USA and Canada  1-800-227-3659 

3) The bag will puff up like a balloon. 
The 3 bags pictured are still sealed but have blown up like little balloons or pillows. These bags were sealed with a top rated vacuum sealer designed for retort canning.  These did not go bad due to the vacuum sealer but rather a test of temp and time.
 Normally these bags would be tight or flat against the product.  All three of these bags were a test to see if canning at a lower heat for less time would adversely affect the product. 
Our answer YES.
 Do not alter home canning times and temps when using retort bags.  For best results the bags should be snug in the canner to keep the pressure inside from bursting the seams.  Run the canner for a longer period of time to ensure the entire mass is heated through.

The highest success rate vacuum sealers we have tested come from the MiniPack Torre line and the Sammic line. 
The MiniPack Torre line needs to be upgraded in the heat bar.  But the Sammic line comes retort ready. 
Take a look at both of these manufactures here.
http://vacupack.com/commercial-vacuum-sealers-packers

Retort Canning of non acid foods has NO Scientific data from the FDA or USDA. Can at your own risk! We are expressing our experiences, but by no way are these experiences authorized or official data.

Small Batch Retort Canning

Over the summer our little garden only produces a few tomatos, beets, carrots, and so on a day.  After we eat what we want for that day. There is never really enough left at one time to can an entire batch of sauce but far to much to consume right then. 

We use our vacuum packer to vacuum pack and freeze these small batches daily.  Then at the end of the summer when the garden is done we remove the frozen tomatos, cook them down, cool in the fridge, then retort vacuum seal and can them. 

We never waste from the garden this way and make easy work for canning retorts for a full canner batch. Then it becomes food storage for the winter months. All from our own garden or collected from the local Farmers Market. 

Here is some pictures of our Tomatillos this past summer. The picture shows them frozen just out of the freezer thus the frosty white look.

After we thaw the frozen tomatillo tomatos we will cook them down, add seasoning and cool the batch completely.  When the sauce has cooled we are able to put 16oz of the sauce in an 8oz pouch *remember retorts hold more liquids than solids*

They were then vacuum sealed in our Sammic 204T  then canned it at 10lbs of pressure for 45 minutes.  We want to make sure we start everything off cold so the entire mass comes up to heat at the same time.  We added 20 minutes to this process to make sure all bags were evenly cooked. 

This is the finished bags after they cooled to zero pressure for 30 plus minutes.  When we opened the canner the bags were still very hot but not so hot that they pushed out of the canner.  We put the hot bags in a sink of ice water. This process instantly shrinks up the retort bags and lets us see leaking bags easier.

We now have 16oz bags of Tomatillo tomatos to use in recipes until next year. 

Bad Retorts!

We have had several people ask how can one tell if a retort bag has gone bad? 

The answers are:

1. Can you smell the product? There should be no odor just like smelling a can on the shelf. If you are able to smell the product good or bad do not eat it.
2. Has the bag puffed up like a balloon?  The seals do not need to be open and the bag can be clean with out any moisture.  But if it has blown up puffy like a partially inflated ballon or even gone so bad as a tight ballon.  Do not open it or eat it.
3. An obvious open seam that has been on a shelf for more than one hour do not eat it.
4. To be extremely safe reheat all canned products back to a boil for 3 minutes before consuming. This will kill all harmful bacteria.  

Really the same principles apply for retort bags as any other canned product when in doubt don't eat it.

Call us if you have any questions about your retort canning projects.
Toll Free USA and Canada  800-227-3769 

See us online at http://www.vacuumpacker.com

Retort Canning of non acid foods has NO Scientific data from the FDA or USDA for home canners. Can at your own risk! We are expressing our experiences,  by no way are these experiences authorized data.

Successful Retort Canning

Over the past 4 years since we were introduced to the retort canning bag. Here is a few tips for success.  The credit goes to our many customers who have reported back their process for all types of foods, temperatures, pressures, canners and most important vacuum packers. 

The excellent results and the disasters have made up the knowledge we currently use.  Here are a few quick tips. 

1. Keep the pressure while cooking between 10-12 lbs. 15 plus lbs have higher failure or even exploded the bags. 
2. Cook the product at least 20% longer then in jars or cans to insure the mass is cooked throughout.
3. With liquids the retort bags can hold more. Example 8oz pouch can hold 16oz water.
4. With solids such as meat. Cut the meat in thinner slices, load flat, do not put a big lump in the bag.
5. Approximate 2 oz more meat can be put in the bag so long as it is flat.
6. Load the bags snugly on their edge, off center of each other. 
7. For double layers, cross the opposite direction for the 2nd layer.
8. The caner must be snug but not over stuffed. To loose they failure rate doubles.
9. Fold the edges of the bag into the center before putting on the lid to avoid cutting the bag with the lid.
10. Use a vacuum sealer with domed and crimping heat wire one or two wires does not make a difference.
11. Increase the seal time 3.2 to 4.3 depending on the unit.
12. Flat band heat wires either one or two will have the highest rate of failure.  Upwards of 50% as they do not crimp the bag but rather burn it. 
13. Let the canner cool to 0 pressure before opening it.  Usually this is 30 to 45 min or more.
14. Open a properly cooled canner but still hot product and place the bags in ice water.  This will shrink and collapse the bag showing the still vacuum sealed product. Washing the bags will also allow you see if you have leaks. 
15. Do not let the pressure off the canner with the cock pit.  An overly hot opened canner will allow the bags to pop out and burst open the side seams.  This is the biggest reason for failed bags after cooking. 
16. Wash the bags check all the seams completely if a seam looks to be weak, place it in the fridge and eat do not store it.
17. Use bags of water to fill a partial canner.  This creates sterile water for emergency uses and fills the canner to keep the other bags from expanding to much. These bags can be made new each time or reused over and over.
18. Since the products can only be vacuum sealed when they are cold place cold water in the canner, allow for extra time to heat the entire mass before starting the clock for canning.
19. Shelf life is looking like upwards of 6 years for meats in a cool storage area. 
20. Rotate, Rotate and more rotation is best. 

If you have other ideas you would like to contribute to this blog please let us know.  This is a fun exciting new way of canning and storing foods. This information has come from the thousands and thousands of bags canned trial and error. 

Retort Canning of has NO Scientific data from the FDA or USDA for home canners.  The concerns come from non acid foods such as meats!  We are expressing our experiences, but by no way are these experiences authorized data. Can at your own risk!  
As they say, "Re-Heat before you Eat" on any home canned product in glass, cans or retort for best safety practices.  
All home canning is AT YOUR OWN RISK! 

It's Canning Time! Retort Bags or Jars

It's Canning Time!


Have you discovered the advantages of retort canning?

Canning is a great way to preserve and stock food. Every year, people break out the Mason jars and pressure cookers to prepare batches of fresh fruits and vegetables, jellies and jams, pickled condiments, or even meats, for year-round storage. But did you know there's a better way than bulky Mason jars or metal cans?

Retort canning, the latest in food storage technology, is both convenient and efficient. This method uses special retort packaging, made with flexible metal foil and plastic laminate—think Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) or Capri Sun pouch drinks—that are vacuum sealed to improve the canning process and increase storage times.

How does retort canning work?

The methods for retort canning are very similar to jar canning. You use the same pressure-cooker boiling methods you're used to for regular canning—it's just the storage container that changes.

For retort canning, simply place your prepared food (sliced or diced fruits and vegetables, jams, jellies, pickles, chutney, cooked or leather-style meat) into retort pouches, and seal with your vacuum packaging machine. Please note that retort pouches require higher sealing temperatures than regular vacuum bag, so you'll need either a machine that's designed for retort canning, or an upgraded sealing bar.

Then, boil your pouches in a pressure cooker, just as you would Mason jars. While retort pouch seals are also susceptible to bursting during the pressure-cooking phase, the average rate of burst retort canning seals is less than 1 percent.

Why should you choose retort canning?

There are plenty of advantages to retort canning. These include:

 Improved flavor. With retort canning, all the juices remain in the bag—there's no water transfer either into or out of retort pouches inside the pressure cooker.

 More volume. When you use lower canning pressure of no more than 10 pounds, you can fit an extra 1 to 2 ounces of product in each pouch with no increases in burst seals.

 Elimination of bacteria. Vacuum sealing protects your preserves from bacteria. One note here: Make sure your product is completely cooled before vacuum packaging to ensure 100 percent efficiency.

 Longer shelf life. Retort canned goods last 3 to 5 years or longer—and still taste just as great as the first day they were canned.

 Store more in smaller spaces. Slim, flexible retort packaging takes up less space than traditional Mason jars, so you can put up more food where storage space is at a premium.

In addition to canning, retort packaging has plenty of additional uses. We love retort canning to store emergency water rations. You can also use this method to store quick-serve individual meals—one of our favorites is lightly grilled hamburgers.

Enjoy the advantages of retort canning this season!
http://vacupack.com/bag-flat-commercial/retort-canning

At VacuPack, we're introducing two new chamber units, just in time for the canning season. They're smaller, less expensive, and come with upgrades for retort canning. Check out the MiniPack MVS20 and the Sammic 204T on our website—http://www.vacupack.com/ and happy canning!

Written by Melissa
wordsbymelissa.com

Copywrite PMG 2012
All links must remain active in this article if republished.

Retort Canning of has NO Scientific data from the FDA or USDA for home canners.  The concerns come from non acid foods such as meats!  We are expressing our experiences, but by no way are these experiences authorized data. Can at your own risk!  
As they say, "Re-Heat before you Eat" on any home canned product in glass, cans or retort for best safety practices.  
All home canning is AT YOUR OWN RISK! 

Bulk Up Your Stash

Bulk Up Your Stash Why vacuum packing is perfect for emergency survival food More people than ever are looking for long-term food storage solutions for a variety of reasons, from economic to preparatory. Whether you're looking to save money, you're a hiker or outdoor enthusiast, or you just want to be ready in case the world ends, there are plenty of benefits to incorporating vacuum sealing into your emergency survival kit.
Reasons for using vacuum packing If you're preparing large quantities of survival food, there's no better method than vacuum sealing. This technique has several advantages over dry storage, canning, and even deep freezing, including:
 Shelf life. Vacuum-packed foods last longer than other storage methods. For food that requires refrigeration, you can prepare, vacuum-seal, and freeze them, and they'll keep for one to two years. If you dehydrate the food first, the shelf life is extended to two years or more. For dry goods and non-perishables, vacuum packing also provides two or more years of shelf life.
 Storage space. Vacuum packages have a slim, flat profile, making them easy to store in piles, or even stacks of boxes. They take up far less space than typical canning storage, so you can store more food in a smaler space.
 Nutrition and flavor. Vacuum-sealed food retains more nutrients and flavor than other traditional storage methods.
 Food safety. Because vacuum packing keeps oxygen away from the food, mold and bacteria can't develop. In addition, the lack of oxygen prevents insect infestations, and the prevention of escaping odors keeps wildlife from invading your stash.
How to make your own MREs MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat, are a great staple for any outdoor trip or emergency survival kit—but they can get expensive. Making your own MREs with vacuum sealing is an affordable—and lightweight—way to build up your emergency food supply. With homemade MREs, you can seal a full day's rations into one package. Here's a quick menu idea for one day:
Breakfast: Two oatmeal packages, two tea bags, 4 oz. ground coffee Lunch: Dried beef jerky, whole-wheat crackers, dehydrated fruit mix Dinner: Beef stew mix (dehydrated vegetables, rice or quick-cook pasta, meat jerky broken into pieces, salt, seasonings)
To vacuum-seal an MRE, package the components for each meal in a separate, regular zip-lock bag, place the bags inside a vacuum pack bag, and then close with your vacuum sealing machine according to the instructions. Be prepared for anything Vacuum sealing can help you put up plenty of emergency survival food for any occasion, ensuring that you're well-stocked at all times. It's the ideal low-cost, space-saving, long-term solution for survival and food storage.

http://www.vacupack.com/
http://www.vacupack.ca/

Author
wordsbymelissa.com

Copywrite PMG 2012

Fast Food

Fast Food Making your own vacuum-packed “cup of soup” meals Just about everyone is familiar with the “cup of soup”—prepackaged foam containers with instant noodles, dehydrated vegetables, and flavoring. Just pour boiling water into the container, wait a few minutes, and you have a ready-made meal. But did you know that you can make your own instant soup with a vacuum-sealing machine? It's easier than you think, and comes with a lot of great benefits. The advantages of homemade soup packets
One of the best things about making your own cup of soup packages is that they're healthier than instant store brands. You can prepare them using fresher ingredients, and the vacuum packing process keeps more nutrients in food for longer times. Vacuum sealing also preserves flavors, so your soup will taste better. Homemade soup packets are inexpensive, especially when you buy the ingredients in bulk. They're fairly easy to prepare, and don't take a lot of time to assemble and package. In addition, vacuum-packed dehydrated food takes up less space, so you can store more.
Making your own ready-to-cook soup is a great way to prepare for emergency survival conditions. You can also bring a bunch along on camping or fishing trips, or use them as a quick, nutritious meal anytime.
How to make them To prepare your homemade soup packets, you'll need a vacuum sealing machine and a food dehydrator. If you don't have a dehydrator, you can dry out vegetables either at low temperatures in your oven, or with solar power—simply place sliced or cubed vegetables between two screens and lay them outside on a sunny day. However, the USDA cautions against using these methods for drying meat, due to the risk of salmonella. You should use a dehydrator for meat, purchase pre-dehydrated meat or jerky, or use textured vegetable protein (TVP) in place of meat. also offers pre-cooked dehydrated Chicken, Beef and Sausage by the pound or in bulk. This is a long term storage meat already used in many prepackaged meals.
Place quick-cooking pasta or instant rice in a vacuum packing bag, and then add dehydrated vegetables, powdered or cubed bullion for flavoring, and dehydrated meat or TVP. Seal the bag according to the instructions for your vacuum-sealing machine—remember to leave at least an inch or two at the end of the bag to ensure a good seal.
When you're ready to prepare your soup, simply drop the bags into boiling water for a few minutes, and you'll have a hot, tasty meal, ready to eat.
A great solution for emergency food storage and more Whether you want to build up your stock for potential emergency survival situations, or just want to have quick, easy, and portable meals at the ready, making your own dehydrated, vacuum-packed soups and other convenient rations is a great way to be prepared for anything.
Article is copywrite PMG 2012. All use of this article must have all links active. Words By Melissa

Dried Eggs, How do I use them???

Food Storage:
Many of you may have seen the National Geographic series on people they call Prepper’s. The series can be viewed on YouTube.
The National Geographic series shows people who believe for one reason or another their calm quite world may be disrupted in a massive way. These people have taken steps to dramatically change their lives to survive or endure these so called coming disasters.

Vacuum packers have been around since the 40’s and really have not changed much. Unlike the electronic industry with a change almost monthly to blog. The vacuum packing industry is pretty basic with few changes from year to year. Creating an exciting blog can be a challenge.

With that said the Prepper’s have given us a new thing to blog about! (We are in the packaging industry, preppers need packaging. We stand neutral on the disaster information discribed in the series)

Vacuum packing food for long term storage is not new. Buy food, vacuum pack, and use when you are ready. A smart way to save money, eat today at yesterdays prices. The best way to eat high quality food at home.

But how do you cook with dry eggs, dry beans, whole grains, and so many other products that in everyday life are usually bought in a fast easy to fix box or can?

Food storage is generally raw whole items for maximum storage time. Vacuum packing raw almonds will last 10 years as with roasted salted Almonds only have about a 1 year shelf life. Unless you like eating unsalted un-roasted Almonds, one needs to know how to prepare them as your family is used to eating them.

We did a poll.
What #1 stored food items are most confusing to prepare.
• Dried Eggs
• Raw Nuts
• Bean Dried
• Whole grains
• Dehydrated Meat
• TVP
• Powder Milk
• Powder Cheese
• Tomato Powder
• Sprouting Seeds

We did some research on each of these and many more items people are storing and how to actually use them, and most importantly want to eat them.


#1 Dried Egg

What we found with eggs is they are dangerous to dehydrate in your home dehyrator or oven do not try to make your own dehydrated eggs…. Eggs carry Salmonellae bacteria, when ingested can cause illness. Salmonellae reproduce rapidly at temperatures between 40 degrees F, and 140 degrees F. We do not recommend dehydrating eggs for storage. Only buy eggs that have been professionally dehydrated under strict manufacturing guidelines. These manufacturing plants are required to test each batch for Salmonellae. Only store professionally manufactured FDA approved dried eggs.

• Reconstituting Dried Eggs

To make as a scramble: Mix 2-1/2 tbls part dried egg with 2-1/2 tbls parts warm water, whip together and cook as you would 1 raw egg.
To use in baking: Mix 2-1/2 tbls dried egg equals 1 raw egg. Raw eggs do not add moisture to a recipe. There is no need to add water to the recipe when using dry eggs. If you feel your recipe is dry then add water at the end, most times there is no need to add water with dry eggs to cakes, muffins, biscuits, and breads.

• Breakfasts:

Scrambled Eggs *6 eggs*
1C. dried whole eggs
½ T. salt
1/8 T. pepper
2 T. dry milk
1-1/2 C. water
Tbls oil

Mix or whip eggs into water until blended. Add salt, pepper, and dry milk and mix together. Add oil to frying pan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until dry and crumbly. Add more flavors. Rehydrate diced bell peppers, onions or garlic, also consider TVP or dehydrated Sausage. Cooking with dried eggs is as easy as raw eggs once they are rehydrated. Just like a raw egg, rehydrated dried eggs store properly chilled and use within 12 hours, best to mix and use immediately.

• Baked Eggs:

1 c. dried whole egg
1c. water
Salt and pepper to taste
4T half and half
4t margarine
Rehydrated eggs and beat well. Pour mixture into a shallow baking dish or 4 custard cups. Season to taste, maybe add some bacon bits, TVP or dehydrated Sausage. Spoon 1T. Half and Half over each serving, dot with 1t. Margarine
Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees until eggs are set about 15 minutes.

• Whole Wheat Pancakes:

2 C. Wheat Flour
2t. baking powder
4T. sugar
5T. dried whole egg
6T dried milk
½ t salt
2C and 5T water
4T oil

Sift dry ingredients. Add water and oil, stir until moist. Cook on griddle or pan at medium heat. Serve with topping.
Another variation rehydrates sausage, chicken, beef, TVP, or dried vegetables, mix into batter before cooking to make a filling meal.

• Main Dishes:

Homemade Egg Noodles
1-1/3 C sifted dried whole eggs. *When eggs have been vacuum packed they pack very hard it is necessary to sift the eggs to properly measure*
2 C. sifted flour
¾ C. water
1-1/2 t. salt

Sift dry ingredients together. Add water to the dry ingredients and mix well. Knead the dough lightly. Separate into smaller portions to roll our very thin on floured board. Cut rolled dough into strips. Cut the stirs into desired size pasta portions. Or while rolled out flat use a glass or cookie cutter to cut shapes for stuffing with cheese or meats for ravioli. The options are endless with the dough make the pasta the size and shape you enjoy eating.

To store noodles, spread out on wax paper and dry thoroughly at room temperature. When dry, store in a covered container in the refrigerator, or freezer. This makes about 1 pound of dry noodles.
To cook noodles: Cook dry noodles in boiling water or broth for 12 minutes. No extra salt is needed buy may be desired.

• Egg Pizza

1C. dried whole eggs
1-1/3 C. Water
½ t salt
¼ t oregano
Pepper to taste
2T. Margarine or oil
1/4C Pizza sauce
½ C. Shredded Mozzarella cheese or if using storage food rehydrated Mozzarella cheese.

Beat dried egg, water, salt, oregano and pepper with whip. Heat margarine or oil in skillet until sizzles from a drop of water. The oil needs t be hot enough for the egg mixture to set at the edges at once. Pour in egg mixture. Before the eggs cook completely spread pizza sauce and sprinkle with cheese. If you like more items on your egg pizza add rehydrated TVP, sausage, chicken, beef, or vegetables of your choice. Slide from pan and slice like a pizza to serve.

• Bread or Rolls

3T. dry yeast
2-1/4 C lukewarm water
1/3 C. dried whole egg
1/3 C. water
¼ C. dry milk
¼ C sugar
1T. salt
1/3 C. oil
9 C. flour

Reconstitute the dried egg with 1/3 cup of the water, beat well. Combine the yeast and lukewarm water in another large mixing bowl. After yeast is active about 3-5 minutes, Add egg and dry milk, gently mix. Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the eggs and dry milk and yeast. Mix all ingredients so far together well. Turn dough out on floured board, suing remaining flour, kneed until smoother and elastic.
Form dough into a smoother ball, place back into a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until dough is about double in size. Punch it back down. Turn out on a floured board and allow to rest 15 minutes. Shape into loaves or rolls and place in lightly greased pans. Let rise in warm place until dough doubles in size. Bake at 359 degree F. for 40 minutes for bread and 14 minutes for rolls. This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread or 5 dozen rolls.

These are just a few recipes’using dried eggs. The dried eggs are versatile and easy to use in everyday life. FDA approved professional dehydrated eggs, a great item to have on hand.