Prior to the lock down, stockpiling was a thing. It became obvious that life routine will be distorted and people's movement outdoors would be limited, hence people made it of note to shop for the basic things needed in preparation. One among those basic things are foodstuffs, meats inclusive.

But the truth is, there is only so much foodstuff that could be stockpiled because hard as you try, they will most likely go bad in the freezer if kept for long. So, eventually, many people faced a problem of food wastage because they got too much of what they could preserve. It was even worse with meats.

What if we tell you there is a way you can preserve bulk purchases of meats without facing the scare of spoilage? What if we tell you that not only will the meats be fresh but they will maintain the same taste and flavour after being preserved longterm? I am sure you must think this is too good to be true but it is real. All you need is to vacuum seal the meat before storing it in the freezer and watch it last for years even.

Before we go neck-deep into discussing the process involved with vacuum sealing meats, let's get a surface understanding of:

What You Stand To Gain When You Vacuum Sealing Meats

(1) Long-term preservation of meats

This is like the most key benefit of all. Ideally, if you are to preserve meats in the fridge/freezer, they are barely going to last as much as 3 months before molds start growing on them and they start turning bad. When you vacuum seal the meats on the other hand before storing it in the deep freezer, they tend to last for as long as 3 years for the most part.

(2) Saves money

Let's say you got a very good deal on meats that're rarely hard to find, you thought to buy in bulk but because of the possibility of them going bad in a couple of months, you renege on the idea. By vacuum sealing meats, you don't have to be scared about that as you can now buy your meats in bulk at really favourable prices, helping you keep your spendings in check.

(3) Makes things less messy

Your freezer will most likely not be occupied by meats alone; you could have fruits, vegetables, and other food products stored in it. When you store the meats in the freezer without sealing, the juices from it are bound to get into the other foods in there and make them slimy. When you vacuum seal meats, you tend to maintain a certain level of organisation and orderliness in your freezer, keeping everything trim and proper.

(4) Helps preserve leftovers

Uncooked meats are not the only meat you can preserve for a long time, meats that are already cooked too could be kept to maintain the same condition after a long time too. This generally helps you avoid wastage.

(5) Marination

In any case where you want to marinate your meats and have them stay in a compact space for a while that promises retention of taste and flavours, then vacuum sealing is your go-to option.

(6) Doesn't require preservatives

As it is commonplace with other meat preservation methods, you have to add some chemicals which act as reservations to keep the food in check. With vacuum sealing of your meats, on the other hand, you tend to keep your cooked or uncooked meats without altering in any way by adding preservatives.

(7) Protection

When you leave your meat products out in the freezer without prior vacuum sealing, you make it susceptible to a microbial attack that will generally cause the deterioration of the meat. Vacuum sealing helps to avoid that a great deal.

Now that we have talked about some of the things you stand to gain by vacuum sealing your meats, let's get into the core aspect of this article, which is the processes involved.

What you would need

● Vacuum sealer.

● Sealing bags.

● Oxygen absorber (inconsequential)

● Pen

● Paper tape.

Things to do before vacuum sealing your meat

In order to ensure that the vacuum sealing is effective, you have to take some preliminary measures.

First of all, you want to make sure the meat you put into the sealing bags is fresh because in order to get fresh products after months of vacuum sealing, you need to make sure what was initially put in it was fresh in the first place too. There are two ways about that.

After taking the first precaution, wash and dry your meat. This is to rid your meat of any dirt or germs that may affect the meat in the long run. You want to make sure the meat that you vacuum seal is very clean.

Dice the meat into tiny bits as opposed to putting in bulk. By packing in small bits, you make the work easier for the vacuum sealer.

Vacuum Sealing the Meat

Get your small-sized sealing bag out in preparation for the sealing of meats.

Take out your diced meats and place them inside the sealing bag.

Ensure there is some space between the tip of the bag and the meat, this is to give your meat enough room and to make sure some of the juices from the meat doesn't get into the vacuum sealer.

Press the vacuum seal button and watch it trap all the air in the bag.

Label the meats with the dates with your paper tape and pen. This is to help you keep tabs on when you actually vacuum sealed the meat.

Repeat the process for as many times as possible, depending on the number of meats you have in mind to vacuum seal.

After vacuum sealing the meats, place the packs in your freezer, only to be requested for whenever you are in need of them.

After a while of vacuum sealing your meat and you eventually take out the meats from the sealing bags, it is only natural for the meat to have a slight odour. This is something that has been in an enclosed space for quite a number of months, so that's expected. So if you notice that, don't be worried that your meat has gone bad, give it like 20 minutes for the odour to fizzle out, then cook.

It is also important to note that discolouration of the meat (especially purple) is a sign that the meat is no longer edible. And this doesn't in any way imply that vacuum sealing is not an effective enough preservative means, it only goes back to highlighting the quality of meat you put in there in the first place. This is why it is of utmost importance that you check the meat you are vacuum sealing prior because you are most likely going to get that end result if you don't do due diligence.

While a couple of people consider the cost of getting sealing bags as a little pricey, it is very much worth it considering the value it promises. Any process that promises your meat to maintain its initial form and quality is worth it.

I hope this article has educated you well enough on what it takes to preserve your meats and the processes involved.