Sous vide air bubble, still safe to eat?

Sous vide air bubble, still safe to eat? - Back view anonymous male military pilots wearing khaki uniform in cockpit and helmets flying armed helicopter

I am making this recipe for pulled pork, planning to do 24 hours at 75 deg C. After coming home from work, I discovered I did not suck the air out properly and there is a big bubble in the bag, causing it to float to the top and for the top of the meat to be not submerged properly. I have now put a bowl on top of it to weigh it down for the next 12 hours. Will it still be safe to eat? Will it taste good?



Best Answer

Air in the bag can be a result of two things: (a) you did not properly eliminate it, or (b) bacterial growth. The main problem is that the portion of the protein that has floated above the water will not be at the same temperature as that which is under the surface. We don't know what portion of the meat was above the waterline, nor for how long. So, I won't make any guesses about safety or quality. Given your description it is difficult to determine whether your issues is related to (a) or (b)...or maybe even both, if you did not notice floating immediately. In the future, firstly make sure you seal properly, by using a vacuum machine, or barring that, submerging your bag, which has been sealed most of the way, in water to force the air out. At the last moment, seal the rest of the way. You can inhibit bacterial growth on long cooks at low temperatures by either giving the protein a quick sear on all sides, or a 10 second dunk in boiling water. If you are using sturdy vacuum bags, you can dunk in boiling water after you bag the meat.




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Is it OK if there is air in sous vide bag?

With sous vide cooking, it's absolutely vital that your bags stay submerged and that trapped air bubbles are pushed to the top of the bag and away from the food. This is the only way to guarantee that your food is heating properly, which is important for both food safety and quality.

What happens if air gets into sous vide?

What is this? Since the cooking time is so long, you actually don't have to worry about the air in the bag getting in the way of the meat cooking through. Eventually, given enough time, the temperature of everything inside the bag will reach equilibrium with the temperature of the water.

Can you get food poisoning from sous vide?

According to the USDA, any food held in the so-called temperature \u201cdanger zone\u201d (between 40\xb0F and 140\xb0F) for more than two hours presents a risk of food-borne illness from the growth of pathogenic bacteria \u2014 whether it's cooked sous vide or by conventional means.

What is the danger zone for sous vide?

The longer food is in the \u201cdanger zone\u201d \u2014 temperatures between 40\xb0F and 140\xb0F (4.4\xb0C to 60\xb0C) \u2014 the faster bacteria can multiply and the more dangerous they can become.



Is Cooking Sous Vide with Plastic Bags Safe? | Joe Rogan




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