Sealing liquids, soups and wet foods
Share
The rule: freeze first, then seal
A vacuum pulls liquid towards the valve. If you seal a bag of soup straight from the pot, you'll draw stock into the nozzle and make a mess of the unit. So don't.
- Pour the liquid into the bag and close the zip.
- Lay it flat in the freezer for 2–4 hours, until it's solid or nearly solid.
- Then vacuum seal it as normal.
You get the same result, flat-packed, and nothing goes near the pump.
Marinating — the one exception
Marinating is where you want the liquid, and it's one of the best things this does. Use a small amount of marinade, keep the bag upright with the valve at the top, and don't overfill. The vacuum drives the marinade into the meat far faster than a bowl in the fridge — hours instead of overnight.
Wipe the inside of the zip dry before you close it. Oil in the seal is the most common reason a marinated bag won't hold.
Wet but not liquid
Fresh meat, fish, and anything that weeps a little is fine sealed straight away. Pat it dry with paper towel first, and put a folded square of paper towel in the bottom of the bag if it's very wet — it absorbs the run-off and keeps the valve clear.
Better still: use a container
For soups, stews, sauces and anything you're doing weekly, a vacuum seal container skips the freezing step entirely. Same vacuum, rigid walls, no liquid near the nozzle.
If liquid did get into the unit
Stop, unplug it if charging, and stand it nozzle-down to drain. Let it dry completely before using it again — at least 24 hours. If it's still not right after that, email us.
hello@sealit.com.au — we answer every message.