"Sous vide" (French for "under vacuum") is a cooking method in which food items are sealed in vacuum bags and cooked in a water bath maintained at a precise temperature. This technique has been used in restaurants since the 1970s. In recent years, sous vide equipment has become more accessible and affordable for home kitchens. With the latest technology—such as that offered by vacuum packaging manufacturer Variovac PS Systempack GmbH, based in Zarrentin, Germany—this process can also be carried out on an industrial scale.
What is the "sous vide" cooking method?
When using the sous vide method, raw or partially processed food items are placed into food-grade plastic bags, from which the air is removed (creating a vacuum). Typically, these bags are then placed in a water bath heated to a temperature between 65°C and 95°C; with Variovac equipment, this process can be integrated directly into a vacuum packaging line.
Because the water in the bath circulates constantly, there are no hot or cold spots. The food is cooked to the exact temperature set for the water bath. The sous-vide method can be used to prepare a wide variety of food products, such as:
Beef steaks
Pork cuts
Eggs
Various vegetables
Legumes and grains
If you do not have dedicated sous-vide equipment, you can adapt a slow cooker, rice cooker, or combi-steamer for this purpose; however, using a Variovac packaging line (equipped with steaming/cooking capabilities) allows for closer monitoring of the process, as it is a specialized sous-vide device.