How to Seal Foods Air-Free Without a Vacuum Sealer
Here’s a quick, easy, inexpensive way to seal foods airtight in a plastic-bag. All you need is a zipper-lock bag, and a tub or pot of water.
If using this method for storage use freezer bags for a better seal. For cooking sous-vide, do not use this method for foods that need to cook longer than a couple of hours. For long cooks, use an actual vacuum sealer. Zipper-lock bags can fail with extended cooking times.
When it comes to plastic-bag storage, there are a lot of good reasons to remove as much air as possible. Marinating in an air-free plastic bag helps better distribute marinades around food. Excess air causes oxidation that can develop into off flavors or promote spoilage. Air pockets can exacerbate freezer burn in the freezer and slow down sous vide cooking. Removing that air is simple to do with a vacuum sealer, but what if you don’t own one or don’t want to use the expensive bags for a relatively simple storage or cooking task?
Here’s a quick, easy, inexpensive option called the water displacement method. All you need is a zipper-lock bag and a tub or pot of water.
I first learned about this technique when Dave Arnold demonstrated it to me as an alternative to vacuum sealers for sous vide cooking, but it has far wider applications.
To do it, you start by placing your food inside a zipper-lock bag, then seal the bag, leaving just the last inch or so of the seal open. Next, you lower the bag into a pot or a tub of water. As the bag gets lowered, water pressure will push air out of the bag through the small opening you left. Just before the bag gets completely submerged, seal off that opening and pull the whole bag out of the tub.
Ta-da! Food that’s sealed in a nearly air-free environment, no special tools required.
Stack your firewood to last the Winter and to dry perfectly with this handy graphic.
After you split firewood, you want to stack it up and store it to begin the seasoning process and prepare it for burning. Firewood should be stored for a minimum of 6 months, and during that time you want to ensure it loses as much moisture as possible by exposing it to ample sunlight and air circulation. As noted above, while both elements are important, sun exposure should be prioritized over wind direction. If your backyard or property has inconsistent wind patterns, the stack should be aligned so that it catches the west-to-east winds which are common in North America.
You’ll know when your wood is ready for stove or fireplace by sight and sound: Check the ends of your firewood for hairline cracks that spiderweb across the grain, and bang the wood together; a low thud sound means you’re good to go, but a sharp clap means it still needs time.
If you’ve waited six months and your wood still doesn’t seem ready, your stack may be out of whack; check the guidelines above for tips on how it might be improved.
Are you a wealthy and successful suit-and-tie yuppie businessman who has always had a secret dream that you would one day become a redneck? Have you always wanted to be a Bubba, but didn? t know how? Well, now you can!
Just follow these instructions. Purchase the following: one pair of overalls, one pack of chewing tobacco and six cases of beer. That? s all you will need to start!
Caution: These instructions MUST be followed in your BUSINESS OFFICE.
1) You are a dignified, well-groomed yuppie executive; therefore, as you read this, it is assumed you are wearing a pair of well-polished $800 Brooks Brothers black dress shoes and silk socks, a $2, 000 pinstriped Armani business suit tailored for you, a $150 silk necktie with matching pocket square and suspenders, a starched white shirt, monogrammed cufflinks, silver tiepin and a Rolex as you read this. FIRST, untie and remove fancy shoes. Peel off socks. DO THIS NOW! Be warned: these shoes and socks have been vital to your identity until now, so don? t deceive yourself. They MUST be removed to move forward into the wonderful new world that awaits you.
Note: This will also work with Johnston & Murphy wingtips or those Italian loafers with those little tassels on them.
2) Stuff socks in shiny shoes and drop in garbage can.
3) *URGENT* Do not, under any circumstances, put shoes back on. You MUST remain barefoot. If you fail, return to step one. This will take discipline! This is where most would-be bubbas fail! You will be tempted to put them back on – resist this!
4) Prop bare feet on desk, with soles facing open office door. Do NOT remove, even when co-workers, clients and/or boss enter office. Remove cufflinks and scratch soles of feet with them when others enter office and during office conference. Put cufflinks back on. Use necktie to wipe nose. Use tiepin and/or collar stud to clean toenails. Put tiepin or collar stud back in tie or shirt. Eat lunch with knife only. Wipe dirty knife on suit.
5) Open can of beer. Drink rapidly and belch loudly. Dribble on business suit. Discarded dress socks may be used to wipe mouth.
6) Place tobacco in mouth. Practice spitting stream of tobacco juice on to computer screen or on polished office floor or in the cuffs of the trousers of your pinstriped suit or those Brooks Brothers shoes.
Note: This is the ONLY time when you may retrieve shoes from garbage! See step #3
7) Remove necktie, cufflinks, pocket square, tiepin, suspenders and Rolex. Drop all items in garbage can.
8) Strip off expensive business suit, starched shirt and designer underwear. Toss in garbage can. Add briefcase, cell phone and daytimer. Cut up credit cards and throw away wallet.
9) Put on overalls.
10) Cancel subscriptions to Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Have cable disconnected.
11) If you have not already been fired, quit high-paying job and stop working altogether. Alternative: become a garbageman or janitor or sling has in a diner.
12) Make appointment with dentist. Have front teeth removed.
13) Make appointment with surgeon. Have all hair on top of head removed through electrolysis. Let hair grow on sides and back.
14) Shave ONLY twice a week. Be careful to leave stubble at all times.
15) Bathe twice a week.
16) Begin intensive redneck language course. Do not use more than five words in a sentence. Drop all? NG? endings from words -? havin? instead of? having?. Learn to yelp and woop and holler.
17) Sell Porsche.
18) Buy used pickup.
19) Sell condo.
20) Buy shotgun rack.
21) Give or throw away all remaining business suits, ties, shoes, socks, shirts and accessories.
22) Sell stocks and bonds and give all proceeds from these and sale of car and home to redneck charity. You will not need money.
23) Watch NASCAR and pro-wrestling every day. Do NOT miss episodes.
24) Find wrecked car and leave in front of shack.
25) Have name changed legally from? Mark? of? Andrew? or? Kevin? to? Cletus? or? Bubba? or? Jed?.
Congratulations! You, sir are now the Redneck you have dreamed of becoming! Satisfaction Guaranteed!
