If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, then you’ll know we’re big on preventing waste.

Stored safely and in the correct way, you can keep food you would otherwise throw out for days, weeks, and sometimes months with no risk to your health or the quality of your food.

A great way to keep food fresh is vacuum sealing, so today we’ll take you through everything you need to know about vacuum sealed hot dogs:

• a step-by-step guide on how to vacuum seal hot dogs,
• all the info you need about storing hot dogs safely.

So, if you’ve been looking for ways to keep your hot dogs fresher for longer, then our vacuum sealing storage technique will be perfect for you!

Ready to go? Then let’s dive right in!

What You’ll Need To Vacuum Seal Hot Dogs

Before you get too excited, let’s just make sure you have all the tools you need for the job.

Vacuum sealing food isn’t like vacuum sealing your summer clothes for the winter. You’ll need an actual vacuum sealer to make sure you store your hot dogs correctly.

A seal bag and a vacuum to suck out the air won’t cut it this time.

Thankfully, a good food vacuum sealer can be used for plenty of different things besides hot dogs, so you’ll get lots of use out of one.

Once you’ve got that, all you’ll need are some vacuum sealer bags, fresh hot dogs, and about two minutes of your time to get vacuum sealed hot dogs that can be stored safely for the next time you need them.

What Are The Benefits Of Vacuum Sealed Hot Dogs?

The best thing about vacuum sealing is that it has two major benefits:

• Vacuum sealing locks in freshness by keeping air out and;
• It locks in flavor, as often storing in a fridge or freezer for a long time can make the quality and flavor of a product drop off slightly.

By vacuum sealing your hot dogs, you’re able to make sure they stay fresh and flavorful by the time you need to take them out and use them again!

Step-By-Step Guide

So, we know you’ll need a food vacuum sealer and we know why it’s such a great idea to vacuum seal your hot dogs.

But how do you actually vacuum seal them?

Well, follow this step-by-step guide to help:

1. Pat Them Dry

The worse thing you can have when sealing anything in a food vacuum sealer is moisture.

Even the high end ones will struggle to seal something effectively if the plastic sealing bag is damp.

To prevent this, keep your vacuum bags in a dry place, and pat down your hot dogs with a clean paper towel before you take them anywhere near a vacuum bag.

This step is important to guarantee a tight vacuum seal that won’t allow any air in.

If air can get in because the seal is loose, then you’ve wasted your time.

So don’t skip this simple step, because it’ll save you a headache later!

2. Place In The Vacuum Bag

Once your hot dogs are dry and ready for the bag, place them inside. Sounds simple enough, but we have another top tip for you here:

Leave around 1-2 inches of space around the product in your bag.

This will help your sealer when it comes to vacuuming the air out of the storage bag and it’ll mean the seal is nice and tight.

Some sealer bags will have a fill line too, to show where you can safely fill up to.

If you go over this line, then the sealer won’t work effectively, and again, your time will be wasted.

You can also buy different sized vacuum bags, so make sure you’re using one that’s large enough for the hot dogs you’re trying to store.

3. Lock The Bag Into The Sealer

Now, each sealer is slightly different depending on the manufacturer, so you’ll need to check your specific model’s user manual if you’ve never used your sealer before today.

But they all work in generally the same way, so our advice here ought to be pretty universal.

Once the food is in the vacuum bag, you need to lock it into your food vacuum sealer.

Open the lid and position the opening of your sealer bag over the vacuum mouth inside. Then, close the sealer lid again.

Most models will either have a light to indicate that it’s ready to go, or you’ll hear a clicking sound as the lid locks back into place, meaning that it too is ready to go.

4. Let The Sealer Do Its Thing! And your vacuum seal hot dogs are ready

Again, models vary, but generally there should be a ‘Vacuum Seal’ option on the sealer.

Just click that button and let the sealer work its magic. If the hot dogs move slightly in the bag, then don’t panic.

As the air is sucked out and the seal is made, the hot dogs might move a little into a new position.

That’s why we left the space in the second step, so don’t worry, your hot dogs should be perfectly sealed.

How Long Do Vacuum Sealed Hot Dogs Last

So you’ve done it, your hot dogs are vacuum sealed successfully and they’re ready for storage.

That means you can store them indefinitely, right? Wrong. How long they last will depend on where you store them after you’ve vacuum sealed them.

It also doesn’t matter if the hot dogs are cooked or uncooked, the length of time you can safely keep them remains the same.

First, you’ll need to decide if you’re going to store them in the fridge or freezer based on how long you can keep them in each.

Storing Vacuum Sealed Hot Dogs In The Fridge

Once they’ve been vacuum sealed, they get slightly longer in the fridge than you might expect, but not by much.

Around 7 days is the maximum amount of time to guarantee freshness and flavor. After this, quality can dip and the meat can still spoil despite the lack of air.

It’s a common misconception that vacuum sealing prevents bacteria from growing. It doesn’t.

The bacteria that are already present in meat become harmful after a while, even in a vacuum-sealed bag.

The vacuum sealing just prevents that process from accelerating because of bacteria in the air, etc.

So, when storing vacuum sealed hot dogs in the fridge, stick to a maximum of 7 days.

Storing Vacuum Sealed Hot Dogs In The Freezer

When storing in the freezer, you get even longer. 6 months is the maximum amount of time, but try to eat them after 4 or 5 months to guarantee flavor.

Remember, vacuum sealing food locks in the flavor for longer too, and it’ll also help prevent freezer burn, meaning your hot dogs will taste great after you’ve defrosted them and cooked them.

So, when storing vacuum sealed hot dogs in the freezer, stick to a maximum of 6 months.

How To Vacuum Seal Hot Dogs: Final Note

Your vacuum sealer will become your new best friend once you’ve purchased one.

You’ll never waste food again and you’ll guarantee freshness and flavor for longer.

Yes, they’re great for storing hot dogs, because vacuum sealed hot dogs last so much longer and taste so much better.

You should get a lot of use out of your vacuum sealer besides just that – and that’s why we love them, and we’re pretty certain you will too!