Sous vide cooking has become increasingly popular in recent years with most chefs drawn to the hands-off cooking process that’s so precise that you can be assured of a delicious dish every time. But before you can sous vide steak or chicken breasts you’ll need the right tools for this unconventional cooking method. Some of the paraphernalia is non-negotiable such as the immersion circulator a large tub to hold the water bath binding clips to keep the sous vide bag submerged and the bag that holds the food. A vacuum sealer however isn’t a must-have. Instead you can vacuum seal using the water displacement technique.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
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 Christina Wylie | 2014-09-22 06:01:27 |  74,070 Views |
Water Displacement Method for Sous Vide Cooking
The only items you need for this sealing method are probably ones you already have in your kitchen. Start with a large tub or pot that is half full of water. Then instead of a vacuum seal bag grab your freezer zip-top bag and evenly place the ingredients you want to cook inside. Close the zip-top so that there is only about an inch open at the end. Now slowly submerge the bag into the water and you will notice it deflating as the water squeezes out the air. Close the open corner just before it is submerged. And that’s it: your vacuum sealed food is ready to cook.
You’re probably already familiar with vacuum packaging as a way to preserve your food to prevent freezer burn. It also extends the shelf life of food in the refrigerator or at room temperature by keeping it fresher for longer. But what role does this type of packaging play in sous vide cooking?
The mechanism of sous vide cooking is based on one main concept: keeping the water bath at a specific (low) temperature during the cooking process allowing the food to cook at that exact controlled temperature. To achieve this precise cooking environment the immersion circulator was invented to heat the water to a set temperature and circulate it around the packaged food. In addition the packaged food is kept in contact with the heated water to ensure that it cooks at the same temperature. This is where the vacuum seal comes in.
