Is It Safe To Reuse Bags For Sous Vide Cooking?

Merging the worlds of dining and food with sustainability continues to be an uphill battle. Those of us who try to be environmentally conscious do our best to find little ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle when grocery shopping, cooking, and eating out. However, that last one can be tough. (Did you know most of us have been recycling takeout boxes wrong this whole time? No one can say we aren't trying, but certain plastics and items such as dirty paper plates and pizza boxes can't be recycled!) In the name of creating less waste, you may be wondering if you can reuse your handy sous vide bags, and the answer to that is...  sometimes. 

When you make your famous sous vide mashed potatoes recipe, go ahead and hang onto the bag so that you can use it again. However, if you're whipping up anything that contains raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs, it's recommended that you discard that bag after just a single use. Even after washing or sanitizing plastic bags, they may still hold bacteria in their little nooks and crannies. This becomes exponentially more dangerous when you consider that botulism is bred in environments with little oxygen (like the one inside your sous vide bag). To prevent foodborne illness, wash and reuse bags used to cook fruits or vegetables — but toss any that have held raw animal products.

Sous vide cooking requires vacuum sealing food in an airtight container. You can use a Ziploc bag or most microwave safe plastic bags to carry out your sous vide business. If you've only cooked fruits or vegetables in them, you can use them again and again until they've sustained any damage that could compromise the cooking process. Simply wash the bags in warm soapy water and hang them to dry. There are several methods such as boiling or bleaching you could try to sterilize plastic bags used for meat or eggs, but they each come with risks. 

If you're looking to cut down on wasted plastic (and cash), you might consider leaving the disposable bags behind and investing in reusable silicone sous vide bags. Not only are they reusable, but some brands are also dishwasher-safe, making for easy cleanup. Look for bags made with food grade silicone so you can feel confident that no harmful chemicals will leach into your food during the cooking process.