Retort Canning and My Vacuum Sealer

NEW INFORMATION! WE NOW RUN OUR HOME CANNER 30% LONGER TIME THAN WHAT USDA RECOMMENDS FOR JARS. THIS IS DUE TO THE NEED TO HAVE THE BAGS SNUGLY PACKED IN THE CANNER AND ENSURING THE ENTIRE CANNER COMES UP TO TEMP FOR THE NEEDED TIME. 
ALSO THIS BLOG IS ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCES.  IT IS NOT FDA OR USDA APPROVED! THERE IS NO SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT RETORT CANNING AND HOME CANNERS.  THE FDA INFORMATION AVAILABLE IS FOR COMMERCIAL USE AND AUTOCLAVES NOT HOME CANNING.   

This summer has been a different canning experience.  We have been using retort pouches to can our summer fish, meats and other food products. Retort pouches are flexible cans and contain no BPA.  The loaded retort bag first must be vacuum packed with an industrial vacuum sealer equipped with a heat bar upgrade to seal the bags. Most industrial vacuum sealers do not have the proper heat bar to give the correct seal to the retort bag. Ask here(1-800-227-3769)
 Then the product is placed in a pressure cooker.  We usually run meats at 10 lbs of pressure for 75 to 90 minutes depending on the amount of product in each bag.  Ready cooked meals, such as soups, stews, pastas, are canned at 10 lbs pressure for 60-90 minutes depending on the ingredients, such as vegetables only or meats included.  Meat products run longer and higher pressure than just fruits or vegetables only. We have followed our canning instructions found in the Ball Canning books or our pressure canning instructions manual, they are very specific for each type food and quantity for time and pressure.

The finished product is a flexible can, shelf stable, easy to open and non breakable.  They are lite weight, wonderful for back packing and hiking.  We put them in our RV and some in the boat, in the cabin and in the trunk of the car for emergency times. These wonderful  homemade meals can stay in these locations with out worry of spoilage.  Protect them from rodents in a bucket or container if needed.  Although rodents can not smell the product they can chew threw the flexible can.

We have found that we can fit 24 of the 4oz packs in our small #7 caner. They stand on their sides with plenty of air space between bags.   They fit into a small box after canning and take up 1/4 the space the glass jars take up in our storage room.  We may still use some glass jars just because we have them, but the retort pouches are very easy and fast becoming the item to grab for a quick lunch or travel companion.

We found video information about how to do this at
http://www.vacuumpacker.com/index.php/Canning-vacuumpacking-vacuum-packing-sealing/Operating-Instructions-Home/cat_id/34740

Here are some home pictures of our canning experience. 

The above picture is a 4 oz retort and 1/4 pint jar they equal the same product.

The above picture is our MiniPack MVS31 from http://www.vacuumpackers.com/

It has the upgraded heat bar to seal retort packages.  We can fit 2 of the 4oz packs or 1 of the 8oz packs per vacuum process.  Remember while packing the food in the retort bags, put the already vacuum packed product in the refrigerator or on ice. Do not let the vacuum packed product become warm or even room temperature as this is dangerous and can cause serious bacteria call botulism to grow. Retort canning is very safe when proper food handling procedures are followed.

The above picture is 24 of the 4oz retort packages filled with food kept very cold and ready to be pressure canned. The packages are very cold, the water in the caner is cold.  The process starts off "completely cold". With every batch the caner reaches steam evacuates the air, we closed the valve and allow the pressure to come to 10 lbs. We then set the timer for 60 to 90 minutes depending on the product.  The product must run at the correct pressure for the entire time.  Do not start you timer before the proper pressure has been obtained. Try to not allow the pressure to rise very high and back down as fluctuation expands the bags and can burst the seams. 

Same 4oz packages after 90 minutes at 10 lbs of canning pressure.

This picture was taken when the packages were still very hot even after the pressure valve had gone back down to zero.  When they cooled they shrank down and deflate to a compressed vacuum packaged look. It is easy to see which bags are still vacuum packed and which bags opened up during processing. When all is cooled check the packs closely to see which packs worked and which did not, just like with canning in a jar some seal some do not.  We place the open retorts in the fridge and eat with in 24 hours about >1% break open. The successful canned retorts will be stored in a box or on a shelf for later use.

To avoid open retorts after canning:

1) Be sure to measure the exact amount of food for the bag. This equals 4oz bag 4oz of product!

2) Keep the seal line clean when vacuum packing, no food product in the seal line.  Same as your regular vacuum packed products.

3) Use a commercial vacuum sealer with the proper heat bar. We like the MVS31 but others are capable ask the experts at PMG 1-800-227-3769

4) Keep the pressure constant, do not fluctuate extreme highs to lows while canning.

Great News! Retort Pouches do not contain any BPA very safe and toxic free canning!

This is the look of our final product.  We labeled each one with the ingredients and date, placed them in a box ready for the shelf.  This has been not only a fun project but space saving. We also no longer have to store glass jars either before or after use. These retort vacuum packed and canned meals are easy to use, taste great ("that is if we use great ingredients") they are safer than glass and have a 3-5 year shelf life maybe more depending on the ingredients used. 

To order retort canning pouches or the proper commercial vacuum sealer contact

PMG at http://www.vacuumpacker.com/  1-800-227-3769 

Written by HD

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 very successful 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! 

Spoiled Food and Saving Money

Have you ever tried to store your food in what you thought will make your food last longer such as putting it in the fridge, then finding out later on that it did not work? Or have you ever tried saving up the ingredients because you plan to cook a special dinner, then once you took it out it is already spoiled? These are the common problems of the people who want their food and ingredients to last longer. You might think that you can just buy those stuff once you are going to need it so as not to deal with spoiling, but you must remember that there are some ingredients that are seasonal and it does not only involve the ingredients, but also the snacks that you make for your child in school. Everyone wants to make their food fresh, and you and I are no exception to that.




This is the main reason why vacuum packing was created. Vacuum packing is a method of storing food in an airless container so that food spoiling will be prevented. It is created from the principle that most (not all) bacteria can not grow and multiply without air. This method is usually seen in the market so that the products being sold will have a longer shelf life, as well as keep the food sterile since it is for sale. Vacuum packing is usually done to the delicate food items to prevent its spoiling. It is normally seen in processed foods or vegetables since these types of foods are more prone to spoiling.



Vacuum packing is not only limited for industrial use, in fact, it can also be used at home. There are now portable vacuum packers for sale that are created especially for home use. It is efficient, easy to use, and extremely helpful if you are fond of making home made processed foods for you and your family, or if you are selling small scale processed foods to earn extra cash. It can also save more space in your fridge since your foods can be neatly stored in vacuumed packages. It can even be used to keep your child’s snacks for school fresh. A lot of things can be done if you have your own vacuum packer so it is a wise investment to have one at your home. It can even help in your savings since there will be lesser spoiled foods to throw away. If you want to know more and purchase your very own vacuum packer, you can visit www.vacuumpacker.com to check out the different types of vacuum packer that will be most efficient and useful for you.

Written By
andybev on Monday, June 21 2010