Removing Air from the Sealing Bag

• When food has been placed into a sealing bag--and the bag has been inserted into a vacuum sealer--the first thing that the sealer will do is to begin removing the air from the bag. This is done using a fan similar to that found in a vacuum cleaner, pulling the air from the bag and not allowing any additional air to enter it. The plastic of the sealing bag will generally conform to the shape of whatever is being sealed within it, making it very obvious as to when all of the air has been removed from the bag. It will then be ready to be sealed.
  
  

Heating and Sealing the Bag

• Once the air has been removed from the sealing bag by the vacuum sealer, the bag needs to be sealed securely so as to prevent more air from getting in. This is accomplished by the use of a heated sealing surface. The heated surface presses the bag closed, applying heat sufficient to slightly melt the plastic of the bag at the point where the heated surface is applied. This melting won't result in the plastic beginning to burn, but it will instead create an airtight seal that can't simply be pulled apart. Once a vacuum sealing bag has been closed by the heated sealer portion of the unit, the only way to reopen the bag is to cut it open beneath the seal.
  
  

Cutting the Bag

• If the vacuum sealing bag was an individual bag that was placed into the sealer by itself, it may not be necessary to cut the bag. Many sealer bags are part of a larger roll. In order to be frozen or otherwise stored, these bags must be cut from the roll while leaving the seal intact. This can be accomplished with scissors if necessary, but most vacuum sealers have a built-in cutting unit that is designed to cut through the bags with a single motion. The cutting unit is attached to a slide button that is accessible on the top of the vacuum sealer, allowing you to simply slide it from one side to the other. A blade cuts through the plastic just above the sealed portion of the bag. The sealed bag may then be removed and stored in whichever method you choose.