Vacuum cooking

Hello! I'm Elena, your nutrition expert from Castelló, and today we're going to look at a technique that has moved from high-end kitchens into our homes: vacuum cooking or sous-vide.

This morning, while preparing some cod loins at home, I was thinking about how revolutionary this method is. It's not just about "putting food in a bag," but a technical precision process where we control time and temperature to the millimeter. It's the ultimate tool for those who want to preserve aromas, juiciness, and, above all, the vitamins in food as much as possible.

What exactly is vacuum cooking?

Technically, it means placing food in an airtight, heat-resistant container, removing the air, sealing it hermetically, and subjecting it to a constant heat source. With no air present, heat is transferred evenly and the food's juices have nowhere to escape.

There are two main ways to apply it:

1. Direct: Start with the raw food and its seasonings.

2. Indirect: Carry out a prior treatment (such as blanching vegetables to set the color or briefly searing meats on a griddle) before packaging.

Temperatures and Safety: The key pairing

In this technique, the temperature varies depending on the raw ingredient. To achieve professional results, we usually use the Roner, which is a thermostat that keeps the water constantly moving and at the exact temperature:

• Vegetables and fruit: 100 °C.

• Fish, seafood, and pâtés: 90 °C.

• Poultry and white meats: 80 °C.

• Red meats and roasts: 70 °C.

The golden rule of cooling

Once cooking is finished, if you're not going to eat the food right away, you should cool the bag as quickly as possible (in under 2 hours) until it reaches 1-3 °C. An ice bath is perfect for this. That way, you can keep the dish in the fridge for 6 to 21 days with complete safety.

Benefits of cooking "without air"

• Superior nutrition: By cooking at lower temperatures and without contact with boiling water, losses of heat-labile vitamins are reduced.

• Concentrated flavor: All the volatile aromatic compounds stay inside the bag.

• Perfect texture: There is no weight loss from evaporation or drying out. The meat turns out incredibly tender.

• Organization: It's ideal for preparing meals for the whole week or for a student to take lunch containers that seem freshly made.

Tools from My Pantry

Since this is such a pure cooking method, seasoning inside the bag is essential for the flavor to shine.

• Flavor without Sodium: To marinate your meats or fish sous-vide without common salt drawing out too much of the food's juices too early, I always use Bonsalt 0% Sodium.

  • It's the one I choose because it provides the ideal salty taste with 0% sodium.

  • Add a pinch to the bag along with your favorite herbs before sealing.

• Healthy Reheating: When you're ready to eat the food, make sure the center reaches 65 °C. If you're going to heat the bag in a water bath or microwave and want to pair it with something refreshing, our Cold Lemon Tea (0 sugars) is the ideal companion.

Elena's technical warning: Although Bonsalt 0% Sodium is wonderful, remember that its technical properties are best appreciated when added at the end or in controlled marinades. When cooking sous-vide at low temperatures, it works very well inside the bag.

Elena's "Life Tip"

Watch out for Clostridium: Vacuum cooking creates an oxygen-free (anaerobic) environment where certain dangerous bacteria could grow if we are not rigorous with hygiene and temperatures. Always use quality bags suitable for cooking and make sure pasteurization is adequate. Food safety comes first if you want to enjoy a good meal!

Have you already tried vacuum packing at home, or does it still seem like something exclusive to restaurants? Tell me about your cooking experiments!