Vacuum marinator?

[Oleg]

I was wondering if anyone has any experience with vacuum marinators. Do they only save time or do they marinate differently.

 

[SonnyE]

I've tried a couple of ways.
My Daughter has a couple of the typical types sold under the Food Saver brand name.
I used them to make Teriyaki Jerky for them. I felt it sped things up, doing in 2-4 hours what took overnight in a sealed Non-vacuumed container in the fridge overnight.
For my own use, I have a couple of 1/2 gallon Mason Jars I pull a vacuum on with the attachment that came with my Ziploc Brand vacuum sealer machine. (I had to buy the attachments that fit the jars.)
It was painless because I also make Al's pickles, and vacuum pack those.

I do have reservations about drawing a vacuum on a glass jar that has much air in it. If it ever implodes, it could possibly send glass everywhere.

For that reason, I would recommend getting the real deal 2.25 quart plastic chamber.
IMHO, I believe a 1 quart Mason type jar could suffice as well. I haven't tried it, but my ~2 pound loads of Jerky meat could probably work fine in a simple quart size.

I know there is a lot of debate about Vacuum Marinading, but for me, I think it is a winner.

My SIL thinks by pulling the vacuum, then breaking it and repeating, that it drives the marinade into the meat. Easily done with the chamber.

Here is more on them, different types.

 

[chilerelleno]

Marinating, brining or pickling, they save time getting the flavors or solution into the item.
But for any chemical reactions such as tenderizing, you'll still need some time, albeit a minimum of time.
I'd be cautious with tenderizing.

 

[SonnyE]

Marinating, brining or pickling, they save time getting the flavors or solution into the item.
But for any chemical reactions such as tenderizing, you'll still need some time, albeit a minimum of time.
I'd be cautious with tenderizing.

Never thought about vacuum tenderizing.
How does that work Chili?

 

[Oleg]

Thank you all! Makes perfect sense. I was thinking about a vacuum tumbler. Will continue researching.

 

[johnmeyer]

I think this one is a myth.

I got my Foodsaver back in the mid-90s and soon heard about marinading in a vacuum jar. The idea is that it "opens up" the meat's pores, and the marinade can penetrate more quickly. It seemed plausible, so I tried it dozens of times. Someone even gave a specialized, large rectangular vacuum tub designed for marinading.

The more I did it, however, the less I was convinced it was doing anything. I began to question whether it was worth the extra effort.

Then, a few years ago, America's Test Kitchen mentioned in one of their episodes that they'd done tests and found no advantage from marinading in a vacuum chamber. I couldn't find that episode when I went looking for it just now, but I did find the following really good, scientific test on my favorite "food science" site:

Pressure & Vacuum Marinading Don't Work

The tests seem pretty conclusive to me. As the author points out, meat & chicken have no gas or air inside, and therefore won't react to a vacuum. Instead, meat of any kind is basically liquid and solids, neither of which compress under pressure, nor expand when air is removed.

So, I don't do it anymore, even though I did it for over a dozen years.

 

[Oleg]

Johnmeyer,
Very interesting test. How about just the tumbler function - no vacuum?

 

[SmokinAl]

Well I know it sure makes pickles a lot faster.
Instead of 6 weeks, it takes 5 days if they are in a vacuum cannister.
Al

 

[johnmeyer]

Well I know it sure makes pickles a lot faster.
Instead of 6 weeks, it takes 5 days if they are in a vacuum cannister.
Al

Al,

You might very well be correct. Plants would almost certainly be different than meat because I think they often contain open cell structure, like the cellulose in wood, which is full of tiny holes. If there is any sort of structure that contains something other than liquid, then I think the marinade "trick" would work, and probably work well.