The Struggle Regular Vacuum Sealers Have With Fish
While vacuum sealers are a great invention and offer a good solution for most food types, there is one major problem they cannot seem to wrap their head around. They have a hard time sealing fish. Due to all the oils found in fish, these machines struggle greatly. On top of that fish naturally contain a lot of water and may still be wet from the water they were caught from. This combination of two slippery, hard to handle, fluids is causing problems for vacuum sealers. It may even break them. In this article we will help you find the right vacuum sealer for fish.
Why Would You Need a Vacuum Sealer For Fish?
Well, fish are known to degrade quickly. There is a reason we call something fishy and it has everything to do with a chemical called: Trimethylamine. This builds up in fish after they die and causes the infamous rotten fish smell. They use trimethylamine detectors in factories that handle fish to check if they are still safe. But even at lower concentrations, it may still decrease the dining experience.
Two steps must be taken in order to preserve fish:
- Remove oxygen
- Keep it cool, or even better: frozen
Vacuum sealing is the perfect solution, as it removes oxygen completely and prevents frostbite at the same time. Except for the fact that most devices can’t handle fish, which brings us back to the main topic.
Why Vacuum Sealers Break When Sealing Fish
As the vacuum sealer sucks out the remaining air it will also suck out some other loose particles still present in the bag. These fluids will harm the engine of the vacuum sealer. Depending on the type of vacuum sealer you own, other parts may have a hard time too. Vacuum sealers are made to handle a small amount of fluids because most food contains some form of fluids. Fish contain way too much of these fluids, and on top of that these fluids may be squeezed out by the vacuum sealer. Causing even more fluids to cause problems.
Made a mess of your hardwood floor while vacuum sealing fish?
Please check our article on that too.
Here are 5 Key Features to Look for in a Vacuum Sealer for Fish
If you want to use your vacuum sealer for fish and also use it for a normal timespan, then you should make sure you are getting the right one for the job. Only vacuum sealing a fish every once in a while won’t break most vacuum sealers. But if you regularly need a vacuum sealer for fish then this is what you will need to look for:
- Get an automatic vacuum sealer. No manual.
- Choose one with a double seal feature.
- Look for a vacuum sealer that does not squeeze the item it is sealing. Or one with a moist food mode.
- Pick the one with a (extended) warranty.
- Get the one with the highest sealing speed.
Considering the above will help increase the lifespan of the sealer enormously, but unfortunately, it won’t allow you to seal fish like you would with other food types. Some extra attention and care is still required.
How To Use a Vacuum Sealer For Fish Like a Pro
Prepare The Fish
Preparing the fish is unsurprisingly the most important step. You would want to make sure the fish is as dry and clean as it can be before you seal it. If you notice that your vacuum sealer, even in moist food mode, still squeezes the fish too much it is worth considering pre-freezing the fish. Don’t fully freeze the fish, but let it stiffen up a bit before you run it through the vacuum sealer.
Choose The Right Sealing Bags
Make sure you use the right bags for the job. Preferably, pick a heavy-duty bag that is moisture-resistant. Don’t forget the bag must be suitable for a double seal. And, I hate to state the obvious but don’t use AliExpress sealing bags for fish.
Apply The Paper Towel Barrier Trick
When the fish is in the bag and it’s time to have it sealed it is important to get as much air out of the bag as you can. After that rip a thin strip of a paper towel and place it as a barrier alongside the place where the seal will come. This will absorb some of the moisture that may still enter the machine. Paper towels aren’t a health concern by the way, given it was clean to begin with. Make sure it is not in the way of the seal though.
Take Good Care of Your Vacuum Sealer for Fish
Follow these steps and you should definitely be fine. Feel free to experiment with these to fit your needs and observations. Not all cases require the same amount of caution. Just check your vacuum cleaner every once in a while. Pay attention to its results, weird noises and have a peek inside sometimes.
Final Words
So now you know how to pick the right vacuum sealer for fish. Please note that this article is not affiliated in any way. Feel free to reach out if you run into any problems along the way. We like to hear from you.
