Culinary Technology Provides Real-World Experience
Mount Si High School’s Culinary Club now has a VacMaster Chamber Vacuum Sealer for food preservation, thanks to a generous classroom innovation grant from the Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation (SVSF). A chamber vacuum sealer uses technology that offers a higher level of performance and versality (than a standard suction vacuum sealer) - making it the preferred choice for professional chefs and restaurants.
As Culinary Teacher Jerry Weathers demonstrated the new appliance, making infused Mint Orange Oil for a caprese salad, he shared that every restaurant he’s worked in uses one.
The bags are made of thick clear plastic that freeze well and can be cooked or reheated by submerging the sealed bags in boiling water. In addition to portioning, it’s also great for sous vide cooking, quick marinating and pickling.
“This grant from the Schools Foundation has provided us with equipment that students will see in the real world. With materials that go beyond basic curriculum, we can better prepare students for culinary careers,” said Mr. Weathers. “We appreciate this support. I don’t know of any other school that has a chamber packer.”
Thanks again, Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation,for this donation that supports so many delicious possibilities!
The new appliance will also support cost-saving opportunities around food preservation. Since the Culinary Program typically buys ingredients in bulk at a lower cost, preserving items they cannot use immediately helps stretch their budget and sustain food quality. For example, the large restaurant-sized containers of spices they purchase take about two years to use up, and by the end, the quality of the herbs or spice loses its potency and flavor. Now, they are packaging bulk purchases into smaller portions that will stay fresher longer.
Looking Ahead...
- For the Culinary Club’s community outreach, Mr. Weathers is excited about the possibility of students preparing soups or other meals that they could preserve and freeze to provide easy-to-reheat meals for local food banks.
- Also, he’s working with other Mount Si clubs (Horticulture and Green Team) to plan for a collaborative Farm-to-Table initiative. The program would involve composting kitchen waste and growing edible herbs on campus, that Culinary students could harvest and use in recipes – for which the VacMaster will play a key role!
Learn more about Foundation donations on our district’s SVSF webpage.
