I have just purchased a food vacuum sealer and I have just tried to seal a heap of sliced fresh onions, but I can't get a good seal on the bag, because it keeps sucking juices from the onions. Does anyone know whether I am doing something wrong here?
By Pat from Victoria, Australia
Produce such as onions, beets, winter squash, and pumpkin should not be blanched. Simply wash, chop and spread on a baking sheet before sealing and freezing. Create vegetable mixes, such as onion, garlic, and pepper and store for easy additions to recipes. Does it have info with it? Good luck.
You could also try freezing your onions on a baking tray/sheet before you use the sealer. Spread a fairly thin layer on tray, when frozen or nearly frozen remove them and fill your sealer bag, then vacuum seal. No need to cover onions on the tray if you are able to seal in bags fairly quickly after they freeze. I also do this with things such as soups and stews, by freezing them in a container first, remove item from container by running water over the bottom of the container until the frozen food is released, and then I vacuum seal the frozen food.
We seal fresh onions all the time. Have no problem. Just chop, place in bag & seal.
If you don't want to pre-freeze them, try wrapping them in a paper towel prior to placing them in the bag.
Thank you everyone for your responses to my onion delema. Also 'roadrunner' & 'kffrmw88'', thanks for the ideas seems like I'm going to have a lot of fun with the sealer.
According to my instruction manuel on a food saver I just bought, you should NEVER vacuum seal raw onions due to the danger of aenerobic bacteria. This is a bacteria that does not need oxygen to grow. It is the same thing as improperly home canned green beans, in that case its botulism and is deadly.
You can take a piece of paper towel and place inside the bag in Between the sealer and what you are sealing....make sure it goes from side to side...than as u seal the juices will be sucked up by the p.t....this works good with meats that are bloody
When vacuum packing meats and poultry, I find that if I have the food VERY cold or frozen, there is not such an issue with the juices interfering with the seal. Otherwise, I use a folded paper towel (or part of one) as suggested here. Works very, very well.
Freeze the onions in an open vacuum seal bag until the juice is solid then vacuum seal the onions.
FoodSaver makes bags with liquid traps. They are basically a piece of absorbent material attached to the inside of the plastic bag. I improvise. I fold a Bounty Towel and place it in the bag before sealing. Fold the towel so it fits the width of the bag. As you seal, the liquid will get sucked into the paper towel. Hope that helps. Freezing BEFORE vacuum sealing is also a great way to seal things with liquids. I even vacuum seal my homemade gravy and soups.
Fold paper towel place in top of the bag and seal.
It says not to super save onions, botulism
Fold paper towels into a thin line then place in bag on across the top of the onions that will block most of the juice from getting out
Place a folded up paper towel inside the bag 1/2 from where it will seal to soak up juices trying to escape. Done over 100 deer with this method.
I am new to vacuum sealing and have only sealed a whole onion. Ive not yet tried any other method. The red onion ruined. Turned brown and mushey within a week or so.
I am new to vacuum sealing and have only sealed a whole onion. Ive not yet tried any other method. The red onion ruined. Turned brown and mushey within a week or so. The yellow onion held up much better but still got a bit moist in the same time. Just asking is there a special prep you do before vacuum sealing? TYIA!
You need to get a chamber vac and ditch the food saver type sealer. I get chamber bags for about .03 cent each.
My understanding is you cannot vacuum seal onions because of the gases that they produce it can cause the bag to break to open but you can slice and freeze them
I use a silicone muffin pan to freeze eggs, first whisk each egg individually and pour each whisked egg into each slot, and freeze, and after they pop out easily and then vacuum seal and they will store for over a year in your freezer
I did the same thing with my onions and all the juices came out and almost ruined my vacuum seal. Have to dry first with a towel and then freeze on a sheet pan with parchment paper and then vacuum seal.
