Vacuum seal

[James of Liverpool]

I’ve just bought a vacuum sealer and I’m a total newbie to it. After reading how it was done and watching some videos I noticed the supermarkets sell steaks in vacuum trays but they have a use by date on, usually about five days from after you buy them. But it seems to be the same as vacuum sealing curing. Are they pulling the wool over our eyes and these steaks can be left to cure past the use by date?

[Ron Pratt]

The commercial material the markets use is similar to Saran Wrap like we use in our homes. However in wide use nowadays the wrapping machine they use also adds a small amount of a gas which actually causes the meat to “bloom” meaning it turns red for the days until the best sold date. After that the meat will start to turn brown.

Just two more points while we are on this subject since you said you are a newbie…the Food Saver material is “solid” and therefore it can extract the air by creating a vacuum. In that condition the meat or contents can be frozen without fear of freezer burn.

And the other topic is the UMAi Dry® bag is unlike the Food Saver material in that it breathes allowing the moisture in the meat cells to be released during the aging.
Ron

[Thea]

Just to add to Ron’s response, different plastics have different properties. Laminated vacuum bags have multiple layers to most effective block oxygen, this is why they are called “barrier” bags. Household plastic bags, provide less of a barrier. Plastic wrap, even less still. Though they can modify the environment within the trayed meat with gas to “bloom” and hold the color, the plastic is quite premeable. Also, if meat has been removed from the processor packaging to be trayed, it has been handled and the surface is also too dry for UMAi Dry® to bond effectively.
If your question was “Should be dry age this meat?” The answer is “Probably not.”
If your question was, “Is this trayed meat vacuum sealed?” The answer is “Yes, and no.” It is sealed, but not to be stored for more than a few days.
If your question was, “Is this like UMAi Dry®?” The answer is most emphatically, “No.” UMAi Dry® is not a vacuum bag. It is designed to allow both moisture AND oxygen to go through the membrane to allow meat the dry age authentically within a protected environment.
Hope this adds to Ron’s response and provides all the information you need.

[James of Liverpool]

Thanks for that, I have a lot to learn. The vacuum sealer I have is just a kitchen type an Andrew James.

[Thea]

Just to recap, UMAi Dry® is not a vacuum bag. It is a moisture and oxygen permeable membrane that bonds with the protein coating on the meat. All it requires is 75-80% contact with the very moist meat surface and a modern frost free fridge located in a consistently room temperature environment.

UMAi Dry® is easiest to apply with a simple manual lid and latch FoodSaver model: https://www.drybagsteak.com/dry-age-cure-vacuum-sealer-comparison.php

If you want to try applying UMAi Dry® without a vacuum sealer, try this method: https://youtu.be/K9B7pozroe8

[Author]

Posts