One of the trickiest things about cooking can be achieving that perfect balance where food isn’t undercooked but also isn’t overcooked.
Why does food overcook?
Unfortunately though, no matter how close you get to striking that balance, cooking with a high heat source is always going to lead to your food being more cooked on the outside than it is in the middle.
This is inevitable because the heat moves quickly from the pan to the surface of the food, but slows down as it makes its way to the centre, so by the time the centre has cooked to the level that you want, the edges are left overcooked.
In addition, the high heat makes the fibres within meat to contract, which means flavourful juices are lost and the meat itself shrinks.
How is sous vide different?
The great news is that when you’re cooking sous vide, it’s practically impossible for all of this to happen.
This is largely because sous vide cooking uses much lower temperatures than traditional cooking methods, so the ingredients are slowly and gradually heated with no damage to the fibres.
And because your sous vide machine will be set to the exact temperature that you want the food to reach, you know it’ll never go above this point and overcook.
You just need to make sure that you’re cooking your ingredients at the ideal temperature, which you can work out using our Sous Vide Cooking Time Calculator.
This means that you don’t need to worry about taking the ingredients out as soon as they reach the desired level of doneness, so for example, you could turn the machine on before work and return home to take it out whenever you’re ready.
Is it impossible to overcook?
While many will tell you that it’s impossible to overcook with sous vide (and this isn’t far from the truth), do bear in mind though that if you leave the food in the water bath for an extended period of time it won’t ‘overcook’, but it could start to take on a mushy texture, so don’t forget about it!
Something else to be aware of is the fact that the food continues to cook for a while even after you’ve removed it from the water bath or container.
To prevent this in instances when you’re not serving the meal straight away and is being cooked ahead of time (or is a batch cook), it’s a good idea to place the ingredients straight into an ice bath as soon as you remove them.
Doing this is also important for killing off some of the bacteria that cooking at high heats would normally remove (you can read more about the benefits of quick chilling after sous vide in one of our previous blog posts).
You can also potentially overcook your meats when it comes to searing them before serving, especially if you’re using a much thinner cut of meat.
So, while it’s certainly very difficult to overcook your food using sous vide, to say that it’s impossible is a little bit of an overstatement.
Just remember that while you technically can’t ‘overcook’ your food, the quality could start to decline if it’s left to cook for a lot longer than is recommended.
FAQs
Longer is not always better You don't always get better results by keeping food in the sous vide machine for longer. For example, many chefs recommend that sous vide steak should not be cooked for longer than four hours because the connective tissue begins to break down and the steak can become mushy.
Can you overcook something sous vide? ›
So, while it's certainly very difficult to overcook your food using sous vide, to say that it's impossible is a little bit of an overstatement. Just remember that while you technically can't 'overcook' your food, the quality could start to decline if it's left to cook for a lot longer than is recommended.
Can you put too much in a sous vide? ›
With the power of today's sous vide circulators, the amount of food you put in a sous vide bath doesn't matter, as long as it isn't so full that the water can't circulate between the items.
Is it safe to sous vide for 48 hours? ›
After the food is pasteurized, if the food is hotter than 130ºF, the spores cannot germinate and multiply, regardless of time. One can hold / tenderize for 24 to 48 hours safely. This is also a major feature of sous vide. If the cooking temperature is 130 to 150ºF, there is an additional benefit.
Does meat get more tender the longer you sous vide? ›
Sous vide allows for long, slow cooking at a low temperature, which breaks down these tissues and results in tender, juicy meat. Prepare the meat with generous salt and any other desired seasonings, then cook for a long time at a low temperature.
How long can you leave something in a sous vide? ›
For optimal outcomes, we recommend the following rules of thumb: Don't hold foods longer at cooking temperature for double of their minimum cooking time (see Typhur Sous Vide Station guide for time and temperature). Keep the total cooking duration (including the hold time) under 72 hours.
How do you know when sous vide is done? ›
Common Sous Vide Temperature Ranges
- Rare beef: 120°F-129°F (48.8°C-53.9°C)
- Medium-rare beef: 130°F-139°F (54.4°C-59.4°C)
- Medium beef: 140°F-145°F (60°C-62.8°C)
- Traditional "slow cooked" beef: 156°F-175°F (68.8°C-79.4°C)
- Extra-juicy tender pork: 135°F-145°F (57.2°C-62.8°C)
Produce that no longer looks completely fresh or already smells strange is, of course, no longer suitable for the sous vide procedure. This particularly applies to fish and meat that is cooked at relatively low temperatures.
What hazards can you get from sous vide? ›
These risks include the potential for survival and growth of bacteria that can grow under the anaerobic (absence of oxygen) conditions created by the vacuum packaging, e.g. Clostridium botulinum. Remember, some foods may not be suitable for sous vide cooking.
Does bacteria grow in sous vide? ›
Harmful bacteria can't grow above that temperature, and at around 135ºF, most bacteria will actually be destroyed after a few hours, making pasteurization possible. The precision temperature control of sous-vide cooking means it actually has the potential to be safer than traditional cooking methods.
Sous vide products are exposed to the same risks as other foods during preparation, cooking, cooling and reheating. Risks that could lead to food poisoning include: food held in the temperature danger zone (5°C–60°C) for long periods could allow harmful bacteria to grow.
What happens if you sous vide for too long? ›
So long as you're cooking at above 130°F, there are no real health risks associated with prolonged sous vide cooking. You will, however, eventually notice a difference in texture. For best results, I don't recommend cooking any longer than the maximum recommended time for each cut and temperature range.
Can you put more than one piece of meat in a sous vide bag? ›
Simply put multiple pieces of meat into your vacuum pouches, and fill up your sous vide water bath or container as much as you want, as long as you leave plenty of room for the water to circulate.
Is it okay if sous vide touches the bottom? ›
A couple of points: 1) The minimum fill line is about 2 3/4" from the bottom of the unit, so that is how high the water must come up. 2) The unit can *touch* the bottom of the pot, but it should not be solely resting on the bottom without the use of the clip.
What happens if you sous vide a steak for 5 hours? ›
In-Between Cuts of Beef and Red Meat
Both cuts can be just heated through and served, but extended cooking can tenderize them slightly more, resulting in a much more tender steak. Most of these cuts can benefit from a 5 to 10 hour time in the sous vide bath.
Is it safe to sous vide meat for 24 hours? ›
Essentially, it is perfectly fine to sous vide a steak for it's required minimum temp of 130 for 90 minutes, but once the timer reaches 4 hours, it should be considered unsafe to eat and you cannot safely refrigerate it for later.
What does cooking longer in sous vide do? ›
This helps to tenderize the food, breaking down the fibers like you would see in a braise, but with the temperature never going over what you set it to. However, food can go too long in a sous vide, making it a bit mushy.
Can I leave meat in sous vide all day? ›
For optimal outcomes, we recommend the following rules of thumb: Don't hold foods longer at cooking temperature for double of their minimum cooking time (see Typhur Sous Vide Station guide for time and temperature). Keep the total cooking duration (including the hold time) under 72 hours.
