Abstract:
The preferred embodiment of the present invention involves a device and a process which allows a user to first depress a primary plunger to evacuate essentially all of the air from a chamber in which food items in a marinade are sealably contained. Once the excess air is forced from the container so that the primary plunger is in full contact with the marinade, a locking member is used to fix the position of the primary plunger relative to a lid on the device. A vacuum is then pulled by manually activating a secondary plunger to create a near-full vacuum inside the container. Because essentially all of air is removed from the container before pulling the vacuum, achieving a near-full vacuum can be accomplished in a short amount of time with a minimum amount of effort on the part of the user.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to a device and a process for marinating food items (such as meat, fish, or vegetables) which utilizes a powerful vacuum that is quickly and easily activated to pull air and fluids from food items in a sealed container to allow a marinade to more readily infuse into the food items so that later cooking processes applied to the food items will result in more tender, more flavorful, and more moist end-products than may be achieved through the use of conventional marinating methods. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Typically, marinating food such as meat, fish, or vegetables is desirable for infusing flavor into the food or to pull fluid into the food to prevent drying during cooking or to achieve tenderness, as with brining. The simplest and most conventional method of marinating food is to submerse the food in a marinade in a simple container, such as a plastic bag or lidded bowl, usually under refrigeration to ensure that the food stays fresh during the marination process. There are several problems associated with this method of marinating, the most notable of which is the time it takes for the marinade to achieve the desired effect in terms of flavor, tenderness, or hydration of the food. Usually, more than 24 hours of marination will be necessary to achieve the desired result. Often, however, even 48 hours of marination may be insufficient if the goal is to season or tenderize a particularly tough cut of meat, because meat is fairly impermeable as a general rule, and particularly so if the cut of meat is a sinewy one. Even if the food is kept under refrigeration, extended marination times may rob the food of its freshness and color. 
         [0003]    Another problem with the traditional method of marinating food is that it requires preparing a volume of marinade sufficient to entirely cover the food on all sides. Because maintaining the proper concentration of marinade requires an increase in liquid ingredients, spices, and seasonings, large volumes of marinade can be rather expensive to prepare. If too little marinade is used (e.g., in an effort to be economical), the container must be inverted on a regular basis during the marinating process to ensure that the marinade reaches all surfaces of the food. This can be frustrating for several reasons. 
         [0004]    First, one must remember to invert or shake a conventional container every few hours so that the marinade is distributed over all food surfaces. Second, if shaking or inverting the conventional container does not help the marinade to reach all surfaces of the food, the container must be opened and the food must be rearranged manually. Third, even where inverting and shaking the conventional container is effective in distributing the marinade to all surfaces of the food, it almost invariably results in leakage of the contents because most containers are not completely air-tight. 
         [0005]    A leaky or opened conventional container is likely to necessitate a thorough cleaning of all surfaces affected by splash or splatter to avoid potential illnesses from cross-contamination, especially where raw meat is being marinated. Finally, marination may be spotty, and therefore largely ineffective, where a low volume of marinade is used. 
         [0006]    A more recently developed method of marination is the use of a vacuum to open small pores in the food into which the marinade can then infuse. The vacuum may be achieved by using either an electric or a manual pump. In large-scale commercial food preparation, the food to be marinated is placed into a sealed container and the pressure inside the container is typically lowered using an electric pump. For home cooks, electric vacuum marination devices can be prohibitively expensive; moreover, such devices can be quite cumbersome to store and inconvenient to use, because most require attachment of a separate vacuum hose and pump. 
         [0007]    Even manual pumps designed specifically for small-scale food preparation, such as that engaged in by home cooks, can be time-consuming and labor-intensive, as conventional pumps may require 20 strokes or more to achieve an acceptably effective vacuum, and far more than 20 strokes if there is a large volume of air inside the container initially. 
         [0008]    The primary concern with most manual pumps, however, is that the maximum vacuum achievable may not be strong enough to enable a significant influx of marinade into the food products. Even assuming no air in the sealed container prior to pumping (which is usually not the case), twenty strokes of a typical manually-activated vacuum pump produce only about a 62% vacuum inside the container. 
         [0009]    What is therefore needed is a manually-activated vacuum marination device which will allow a user to evacuate essentially all of the air from a container prior to pulling a vacuum, so that a full vacuum can be quickly achieved with only minimum user effort. The optimum vacuum marination device will be affordable, fast, easy to use, and convenient to store; additionally, in cases where the food to be marinated is compressible, the device should enable effective use of smaller amounts of marinade, thereby affording a user even further savings in terms of food preparation costs. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The preferred embodiment of the present invention involves a device and a process which allows a complete vacuum to be drawn. A container has a variable volume into which food items and a marinade liquid can be placed. The container has a concave bottom to ensure that the marinade is distributed to as much of the surface area of the food as possible and resist deformation due to the pressure experienced when the pressure in the container is lowered. A variable displacement plunger is provided and can be closed around the foodstuffs which are submerged in the marinade to reduce the space surrounding the foodstuffs up to the level of the marinade to force air from the container. 
         [0011]    A locking member is used to fix the position of the plunger relative to a lid on the device once the excess air is forced from the container. The lid fits securely along the top rim of the container. The device is then manually activated by withdrawing a piston from a first position in which the piston extends past the plunger and down into the container (which allows air to escape past the piston as the plunger is advanced into the container) to a second position in which the piston is retracted up through the cylinder of the plunger, sealing the container and creating a potentially full vacuum. 
         [0012]    Where a water based marinade is used, the level of vacuum will be limited by the vapor pressure of water of about 24 millimeters of mercury at room temperature, about 24/760=3%. Other marinades based upon olive oil and the like have negligible vapor pressure and should produce the most complete vacuum. 
         [0013]    Usually, the food items may contain a small volume of trapped air at atmospheric pressure within the food mass; therefore, the pressure inside the sealed container may drop from the initial vacuum of 0 bar to a vacuum of approximately 0.05-0.01 bar as the air escapes from the food, resulting in a final vacuum of about 95% to about 99% for the duration of the marinating process, even where an oil based marinade is used. A combination of the effects from a water based marinade combined with the escape of air should result in a vacuum no lower than 92%. 
         [0014]    The piston can be pulled to create the vacuum, and can be locked into place in its extended position during the marination process. During marination, the pores of the food are opened under the vacuum so that the marinade may infuse into the pores. As a result, marination time is significantly less than that required for traditional methods of marinating and can be accomplished in from ¼ hour to 1 hour in most cases, depending on a user&#39;s specifications and reasons for marinating. 
         [0015]    Because the air is removed from the container before pulling the vacuum, achieving a full vacuum can be accomplished in a short amount of time with minimum effort on the part of the user. Additionally, only a small volume of marinade may be sufficient where the food to be marinated can be easily compressed. 
         [0016]    The vacuum marination device of the present invention may also be used to quickly re-hydrate dried foods, such as dried fruit or mushrooms, by rapidly replacing the air in the pores of the dried foods with water or some other liquid. This method of re-hydration would preclude the need to (1) wait hours for the dried food to re-absorb its lost liquid at room temperature, or (2) boil the dried food to accelerate re-hydration, potentially losing valuable nutrients in the process. Further, the time saved by avoiding soaking or boiling the dried food coupled with the ease of storing dried food would simplify the task of fully stocking a kitchen from a food spoilage perspective, because dried foods generally have a longer shelf life than fresh foods. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0017]    The invention, its configuration, construction, and operation will be best further described in the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0018]      FIG. 1  is an exploded partially cutaway view of a first embodiment of a vacuum marination device which illustrates a container with foodstuff and marinade therein, a plunger member comprising a domed portion and a cylinder portion, a lid member, a locking member, a reservoir member, and a piston having a first stopper end, a second handle end, and a shaft extending therebetween; 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a partial cutaway view of the vacuum marination device shown in  FIG. 1  as assembled; 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a partial cutaway view of the vacuum marination device shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  in which the device is both assembled and activated; 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the vacuum marination device and illustrates a container, a plunger axially movable inside the container by a threaded shaft, a handle for advancing and retracting the threaded shaft, and an end cap for controlling air flow into the container; 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a cutaway view of a third embodiment of the vacuum marination device which illustrates a container expanded by intermediate stacking sections and serviceable using a variety of pumping mechanisms, and 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is a cutaway view of a fourth embodiment of the vacuum marination device which illustrates a fixed volume container that can be used without need for a plunger and is serviceable using a variety of pumping mechanisms and which illustrates the use of a separating plate which can be used to allow a shortfall of marinade to be supplemented using another liquid such as water or oil to displace the air space in the container to allow a greater vacuum to be achieved more rapidly. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0024]    The description of the vacuum marination device of the present invention is best described with reference first to  FIG. 1 , which is an exploded cutaway view of the first embodiment of the vacuum marination device  11  illustrating a container  13  with a side wall  15  having an inner surface  17 , a top rim  19 , and a bottom wall  21 . Side wall  15  extends beyond bottom wall  21  to form a flange  23  on which container  13  rests. Container  13  is illustrated as oval in  FIG. 1 , but may be one of any number of shapes, such as round, square, or rectangular. Container  13  is illustrated as containing foodstuff  25  and a liquid marinade  27  covering foodstuff  25 . Bottom wall  21  of container  13  is concave to allow foodstuff  25  to immerse within the liquid marinade  27  as much as possible and to resist deformation due to the pressure from the surrounding atmosphere, which is experienced when the pressure in the container  13  is lowered. 
         [0025]    Illustrated directly above container  13  is an annular plunger member  29  forming a domed portion  31  and a cylinder portion  33  adjacent domed portion  31 . Domed portion  31  is generally oval, but can be any one of a number of shapes as long as its shape matches that of the side wall of container  13 . Domed portion  31  has a side surface  35  and an undersurface  37 , and forms a central opening  39  which communicates with the interior space of cylinder portion  33 . A gasket  41  is attached to plunger member  29  along the outwardly directed circumference of side surface  35  of domed portion  31 . The outside diameter or circumference of domed portion  31  is slightly smaller than the inside diameter or circumference of the inner surface  17  of the side wall of container  13  but is made slightly larger by gasket  41 , which may be an “o” ring gasket, so that when the domed portion  31  is inserted into container  13 , the gasket  41  will be laterally compressed against the inner surface  17  of side wall  15  of container  13 , which will tightly seal foodstuff  25  and marinade  27  inside container  13 . 
         [0026]    The cylinder portion  33  includes an opening  43  adjacent an inner surface  45  of cylinder portion  33  seen through the removed portion in  FIG. 1 . Cylinder portion  33  has a first threaded outer surface  47  adjacent opening  43  defining a first outside diameter, a second threaded outer surface  49  adjacent domed portion  31 , and an optional intermediate outer surface  51  extending between first threaded outer surface  47  and second threaded outer surface  49 . Second threaded outer surface define a second outside diameter of cylinder portion  33  which may be slightly larger in diameter than the first outside diameter defined by first threaded outer surface  47   49  and intermediate outer surface  51  where a threaded arrangement is used. Approximately ½ inch inside opening  43  nearest first threaded outer surface  47  is an inward projection or ledge  53 , which may extend circumferentially along two or more portions of the inner surface  45  of cylinder portion  33 . 
         [0027]    Illustrated directly above plunger member  29  is an annular lid member  55  which is illustrated as being oval but which can be any one of a number of shapes so long as it is enabled to be supported by the side wall  15  of container  13 . Lid member  55  forms an opening  57  adjacent a first circumferentially inwardly directed surface  59  which defines a first inside diameter. Above first circumferentially inwardly directed surface  59  an indented surface or groove includes a second inner surface  61  having a second inside diameter slightly larger than the first inside diameter, and an intermediate surface  63  extending between first inner surface  59  and second inner surface  61  and which is perpendicular to the plane curve of both first inner surface  59  and second inner surface  61 . 
         [0028]    It is understood that the indented surface or groove including first circumferentially inwardly directed surface  59  second inner surface  61  and intermediate surface  63  could be of another configuration, and it need not even be constrained to providing an interfit space adjacent the opening  57 . The top of the lid member  55  could be made flat which would enable another object to turn like a nut, against the upper surface of the lid member  55 . Other configurations are possible. 
         [0029]    Lid member  55  further has an upper surface  65 , an outer bottom edge  67 , an undersurface  69 , and an inner bottom edge  71 . The inside diameter of lid member  55  is significantly larger than any outside diameter of cylinder portion  33  so that lid member  55  is freely movable axially along cylinder portion  33  through the opening  57 . The upper surface  65  of lid member  55  forms a slight circular depression  73  which extends fully around the circumference of lid member  55 . Lid member  55  includes a channel  75  or other interfitting structure between outer bottom edge  67  and inner bottom edge  71  that is engageable with top rim  19  of container  13 . 
         [0030]    The configuration shown includes a channel  75 , which is optional and can be replaced with any interlocking configuration. Flat surface interaction between the bottom of the lid member  55  and the top rim  19  is possible. However an “L” shaped groove in the lid member  55  can be used with the section lying inside the container  13  able to resist the spreading of the lid member  55  which occurs at marination pressures, and in addition registry of the lid member  55  with respect to the top rim  19 . In the configuration shown, the channel  75  presents three surfaces which can all be used for registry and with the section lying inside the container  13  able to resist the spreading of the lid member  55  which occurs at marination pressures. Other configurations are possible and may be dictated by the choice of materials employed. 
         [0031]    Illustrated directly above lid member  55  is annular locking member  77 . Locking member  77  forms an opening  79  adjacent a threaded inner surface  81  having an inside diameter, an circular bottom surface  83 , an upper surface  85 , a flat undersurface portion  87  and an outside bottom surface  89 . The inside diameter of the threaded inner surface  81  of the locking member  77  is significantly larger than the first outside diameter of the first threaded outer surface  47  and optional intermediate outer surface  51  of cylinder portion  33  of plunger member  29 . However, the threaded inner surface  81  threadably engages the second threaded outer surface  49  of cylinder portion  33  so that locking member  77  can be turned freely to axially move along the first threaded outer surface  47  of cylinder portion  33  but can be secured to cylinder portion  33  by rotatably engaging threaded inner surface  81  of locking member  77  with second threaded outer surface  49  of cylinder portion  33 . 
         [0032]    Note that although the cylinder portion  33  and the locking member  77  have been described as threaded, it is conceivable that they could operate similarly with a partial locking teeth arrangement whereby, for example, locking member  77  would be freely movable along cylinder portion  33  but could be locked into a selected position by partial rotation to engage teeth. Furthermore, locking member  77  could be a device such as a simple clamp fixable along cylinder portion  33 . 
         [0033]    Upper surface  85  of locking member  77  may form a pair of finger-sized depressions  91  for ease of turning locking member  77  along cylinder portion  33  and into place. In the configuration shown the outside bottom surface  89  of locking member  77  may slidingly bear against depression  73  in the upper surface  65  of lid member  55 . The circular bottom surface  83  of locking member  77  opposes and may slidingly bear against the second inner surface  61  of lid member  55 , and the circular bottom surface  83  of locking member  77 . Such bearing surfaces will bear the downward force of the plunger member  29  through the lid member  55  once the vacuum marination device  11  is assembled and activated. 
         [0034]    Illustrated directly above locking member  77  is an annular reservoir member  93  which includes a connector portion  95  and a cupped portion  97 . Connector portion  95  has a cupped portion  97  which leads to a threaded inner surface  99 . Connector portion  95  has an upper inner surface  101 . The threaded inner surface  99  leads to an opening  103 . The inside diameter of the connector portion  95  of reservoir member  93  threadably engages the second outside diameter of the second threaded outer surface  49  of the cylinder portion  33 . 
         [0035]    With this configuration the connector portion  95  can be fitted onto the cylinder portion  33  by rotatably engaging threaded inner surface  99  of the connector portion  95  with first threaded outer surface  47  of cylinder portion  33 . The cupped portion  97  of reservoir member  93  helps to prevent spillage of marinade  27  if marinade  27  back flows up through the cylinder portion  33  of plunger member  29  once the vacuum marination device  11  is assembled and operative. Note that while cylinder portion  33  and reservoir member  93  are described as being threadable to one another, the partial locking teeth arrangement described above is also a possibility for these structures. 
         [0036]    Illustrated directly above reservoir member  93  is a piston member  105 , the first end of which is defined by a stopper  107  with a side surface  109  and a bottom surface  111 , and the second end of which is defined by a handle  113  having a base portion  115 . A shaft portion  117  extends between stopper  107  and base portion  115  of handle  113  and comprises a cross-shaped spine  119  which is partially enclosed by a rigid cylindrical sheath  121 . Cylindrical sheath  121  defines a longitudinal opening  123  which is approximately ½ inch wide and through which cross-shaped spine  119  is visible. Cylindrical sheath  121  extends from base portion  115  of handle  113  to terminate at free edge  125 , approximately ½ inch above stopper  107 . 
         [0037]    A gasket  127  is attached along the circumference of stopper  107  at side surface  109 . The outside diameter of stopper  107  is slightly smaller than the inside diameter of the cylinder portion  33  of plunger member  29 , but is made slightly larger by the gasket  127  so that when piston member  105  is inserted into cylinder portion  33  of plunger member  29 , the gasket  127  will be compressed by the inner surface  45  of cylinder portion  33  to create a tight seal. Handle  113  has a curved shape which is generally compatible with the inner surface  101  of cupped portion  97  of reservoir member  93  such that, when the vacuum marination device  11  is assembled and is not activated, the handle  113  rests inside cupped portion  97  of reservoir member  93  for a sleek profile. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a cutaway view of the vacuum marination device  11  of  FIG. 1  as assembled, and illustrates domed portion  31  of plunger member  29  inserted into container  13  to seal foodstuff  25  and marinade  27  inside container  13  in preparation for vacuum marination. Note that during insertion of domed portion  31  of plunger member  29  into container  13  to eliminate any air spaces, the piston member  105  is positioned so that it fully extends through cylinder portion  33  such that stopper  107  of piston member  105  extends past the central opening  39  of the domed portion  31  of the plunger member  29  and into the space inside the container  13  so that a gap  129  is created between the stopper  107  and the central opening  39  to permit escape of any excess air. As the domed portion  31  of the plunger member  29  is advanced into the container  13 , any air in the container  13  will be forced through gap  129  and subsequently through cylinder portion  33 , past shaft  117  (cross-shaped spine  119  allows for the passage of air), through opening  43  (not visible in  FIG. 2 ) of cylinder portion  33  and into the surrounding atmosphere. A small amount of marinade would normally also pass through gap  129  once all air is expelled and signifies that the plunger member  29  has been sufficiently lowered. This small amount of marinade, when passing through gap  129 , causes the piston member  105  to rise and gasket  127  to enter cylinder portion  33  and stop the flow of marinade. 
         [0039]      FIG. 2  further illustrates lid member  55  seated on container  13  such that channel  75  of lid member  55  is fittably engaged with top rim  19  of container  13 . Locking member  77  is shown threaded onto to cylinder portion  33  of plunger member  29  immediately adjacent to lid member  55  so that the position of lid member  55  is fixed relative to domed portion  31  of plunger member  29  to limit the ability of the domed portion  31  to go lower to define a fixed volume that contains a negligible volume of air. This preserves the integrity of the space surrounding the foodstuff  25  to prevent foodstuff  25  from being crushed, compressed or changed in shape matching the shape of the space between the underside of the plunger member  29  and the bottom wall  21  of the container  13 . 
         [0040]    Note that although lid member  55  and locking member  77  are illustrated as separate in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , they can conceivably be one fused unit in which the combination lid member  55  and locking member  77  could turn together. This could be facilitated if the profile of container  13  is circular and where the lid member  55  is circular so that the lid member can rotate while being supported by the container  13 . Note that the lid member  55  need not be a solid shielding piece of material. Lid member  55  need only garner some upward lift force from the container  13  and can be an extended structure. 
         [0041]    Further, lid member  55  and locking member  77  could also form a single unit if container  13  is oval or some other shape such as square, or rectangular, but this would require that the interface between lid member  55  and top rim  19  of container  13  be of a different configuration than the one described, such as opposing flat surfaces, for example which could turn and slidingly abut against each other. The main idea is that the connection between the container  13  and the upward force it applies to the plunger member  29  should be able to be accomplished by setting the height of the plunger member  29 . Any structure which supports the plunger member  29  with respect to the container  13  is acceptable, regardless of its configuration. 
         [0042]      FIG. 3  is a cutaway view of the vacuum marination device  11  shown in  FIG. 2  in which the vacuum has been activated by extraction and locking of the piston member  105 . To achieve the configuration of  FIG. 3 , the domed portion  31  of plunger member  29  is advanced into container  13 , as described above, until the undersurface  37  of domed portion  31  is in contact with the marinade  27 . As the domed portion  31  continues to be advanced into container  13 , its domed shape forces the remaining air in container  13  toward central opening  39  and into the surrounding atmosphere. Once the remaining air in the container  13  has passed through gap  129  (so that the level of air in container  13  is essentially zero) and the level of marinade  27  just begins to rise up through gap  129 , piston member  105  is retracted using handle  113  so that gasket  127  of stopper  107  forms a seal with inner surface  45  of cylinder portion  33  and closes gap  129 . When piston member  105  is further retracted through cylinder portion  33 , a vacuum begins to form inside container  13 . Once the piston member  105  is fully retracted, essentially a full vacuum, i.e., a 100% vacuum wherein pressure equals zero bar, results inside container  13  (absent above considerations of gasses separating from the foodstuff  25  and any vapor pressure contribution from a water based marinade). 
         [0043]    Handle  113  can then be turned so that free edge  125  of cylindrical sheath  121  lodges atop ledge  53  on the inner surface  45  of cylinder portion  33 , effectively locking piston member  105  into position so that the vacuum can be maintained for the duration of the marination period. The surrounding atmosphere vacuum exerts a downward force on plunger member  29  against the vacuum underneath it. This force is translated to lid member  55  to keep it securely engaged with container  13  during the marination process. 
         [0044]    As noted above, if it is noticed or suspected that small amounts of air might have escaped from foodstuff  25  once the vacuum is pulled such that there may be a slight increase the pressure inside chamber  13 , handle  113  can be unlocked by turning it so that piston member  105  can return to its former position inside the cylinder portion  33  of plunger member  29 . The stopper  107  can be made to extend below central opening  39  of domed portion  31  of plunger member  29  to form gap  129 . 
         [0045]    The domed portion  31  may then be adjusted downward if possible to again insure that all of the air is expelled, and the piston member  105  may again be withdrawn to again form a complete vacuum to the extent possible. Again, the residual effects from bubbling or vapor pressure from both sources are estimated to be only about 0.08 to 0.02 bar, an insignificant amount which should decrease the vacuum by only two to eight percent. Once the marination process is complete to the user&#39;s satisfaction, the pressure in container  13  can be restored to atmospheric pressure as described above. The vacuum marination device  11  can be disassembled into its separate components for removal of foodstuff  25  and marinade  27  and can be easily cleaned. 
         [0046]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the vacuum marination device  131  of the present invention and illustrates a container  133  with a top rim  135 .  FIG. 4  further illustrates a plunger  137  with a top surface  139  and a bottom surface  141 . Plunger  137  has an air-out valve  143  extending through plunger  137  off-center which will allow air in the container  133  to easily escape when plunger  137  is lowered as the air-out valve  143  is located at the highest point of plunger  137 . The escape of air can be even more complete if the container  133  is tilted during this process. 
         [0047]    The air-out valve  143  is positioned off-center so that, as the plunger  137  is advanced into container  133 , a user can quickly detect any marinade back flow through air-out valve  143 , a ready indicator for moving to the step of activating the vacuum. Plunger  137  has an air-in valve  145  at its center connected to the threaded end nut or end cap  173  by a threaded shaft  146  running through a duct  147  in a threaded annular shaft  149  to allow the passage of air back into container  133  to inactivate the vacuum once the marination process is complete. Turning of the end cap can caused the threaded shaft  146  to move axially to displace the element of the air-in valve  145 . Alternatively, air-out valve  143  could be used as an air in valve as well or an air in valve could be placed anywhere that allows air into the evacuated chamber. A threaded annular shaft  147  is attached at top surface  139  of plunger  137  and forms a duct  149  which communicates with air-in valve  145 .??? Threaded shaft  147  extends from plunger  137  through an annular lid  151 . Lid  151  has top surface  153 , bottom surface  155 , an outside diameter defined by a side surface  157 , and an inside diameter defined by an inner surface  159 . 
         [0048]    Bottom surface  155  may include an annular support structure  163  extending away from bottom surface  155  to provide lateral stability for threaded shaft  147  when the vacuum marination device is in the process of being activated. Bottom surface  155  includes a rim  165  extending away from bottom surface  155  and having a channel  167  therein which is engageable with top rim  135  of container  133 . Once the food to be marinated (not illustrated in  FIG. 4 ) has been placed inside container  133 , lid  151  is passed over shaft  147  end cap  173  is tightened to close air in valve  145  to fix the position of and plunger  137  is lowered until all air is evacuated and a small amount of marinade comes out of air out valve  143 , as shown. 
         [0049]    Adjacent lid  151  is a handle  169  having an annular base portion  171  through which shaft  147  also extends. The inside of base portion  171  is threaded to enable the handle  169  to be is turned to cause the base portion  171  to travels to and bear against lid  151 . Once bearing contact is made, further turning causes the shaft  147  to rise. Plunger  137  is of a shape to resist rotation such as elliptical, oval, square. A threaded end cap  173  is then threaded onto shaft  147  to close duct  149  and prevent influx of air into the container  133 . Once end cap  173  is in place, as handle  169  is rotated, shaft  147  retracts or rises, pulling plunger  137  upward to create a vacuum inside container  133 . Once the marination process is complete, end cap  173  can be removed unscrewed from threaded shaft  146  to allow air in valve  145  to drop to allow air to flow through duct  149  and back into container  133 , releasing the vacuum and allowing plunger  137  to be withdrawn. 
         [0050]      FIG. 5  is a cutaway view of a third embodiment of the vacuum marination device  175  which illustrates a container  177  with a top rim  179 , side wall  181 , and bottom wall  183 . Bottom wall  183  is concave to allow marinade (not illustrated in  FIG. 5 ) to reach more surface area of any foodstuff in container  177  (not illustrated in  FIG. 5 ) and resist deformation due to the pressure experienced when the pressure in the container is lowered. Side wall  181  extends beyond bottom wall  183  to form a flange  185  on which container  177  rests. Container  177  can be extended to accommodate large volumes of food and marinade (not illustrated in  FIG. 5 ) using intermediate stacking sections  187  of varying height. 
         [0051]    Intermediate stacking sections  187  comprise a cylindrical wall  189  with a bottom rim  191 , which forms a channel  193 , and top rim  195 . It is understood that channel  193  could be replaced by an inside groove, an outside groove, or other structure, and that the choice of structure may depend upon the materials of construction, their thickness, etc. 
         [0052]    Channel  193  is engageable with top rim  179  of container  177 , or with top rim  195  of any other intermediate stacking section  187 . The top rim  195  of an intermediate stacking section  187  is engageable with groove  193  in any other intermediate stacking section  187 . Bottom rim  191  of the intermediate stacking sections  187  may be made of a self-sealing rubber material or may contain rubber gaskets to form a tight seal once the vacuum marination device is assembled. The purpose of stacked structure is to enable any size of marinade volume to be selected. 
         [0053]      FIG. 5  illustrates an annular lid  197  which has a domed portion  199  with a top surface  201 , a bottom surface  203 , and a u-shaped rim  205  forming a channel  207 . Lid  197  has a cylinder portion  209  adjacent and extending away from top surface  201  of domed portion  199 . Cylinder portion  209  may have a first inside diameter defined by a first inner surface  211  and a second inside diameter slightly larger than first inside diameter and defined by a second inner surface  213 . Cylinder portion  209  further may have a first effective diameter first outer surface  215  (effective meaning a structure not fully circular and thus having a size which follows circumferentially) and a second outside diameter slightly larger than first outside diameter and defined by a second outer surface  217 . Cylinder portion  209  has an intermediate diameter reduction transition  219  extending between first surface  211  and second surface  213  on the inside, and between first effective diameter first outer surface  215  and second outside diameter second outer surface  217 . 
         [0054]    Also illustrated in  FIG. 5  is a piston base  221  with side surface  223  around which a gasket  225  extends. Piston base  221  has a connector portion  227  to which either a mechanical or manual piston (not shown in  FIG. 5 ) may be connected to activate a vacuum inside container  177  extended by intermediate stacking sections  187 . Piston base  221  is axially movable along the inside surface of the cylinder portion  209 . intermediate diameter reduction transition  219  prevents piston base  221  from being pulled out of cylinder portion  209  when retracted to create a vacuum. 
         [0055]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , a cutaway view of a fourth embodiment of the vacuum marination device is seen as a vacuum marination device  251  having a container  253  which illustrates a fixed containment volume container that can be used without need for a plunger device. The advantage of container  253  is that it provides one open-ended cylindrical containment with only one open end and without the stacking structure seen in  FIG. 5 . Conversely, the fixed volume container  253  provides a constant volume for a low amount of foodstuff  25 . The result would be a significant volume of air to be pumped out, or a large volume of marinade. 
         [0056]    However a separation plate  255  is utilizable as a preventative mixing barrier  255 . It is preferred that the separation plate  255  have a close relationship with an internal smooth surface  257 . This close relationship may range from non-sealing to partially sealing, as will be explained in the operations section. 
         [0057]    Atop the lid  261 , a fitting  265  is provided. The fitting  265  can be used to indicate the level of any liquids due to either overfilling or compression of the lid  261 , to help protect a pump  271 . Pump  271  can be a powered pump or it can be a stand-alone remote plunger or syringe which can be used to create a vacuum. 
         [0058]    In terms of operation, the empty container  253  is loaded with foodstuff items  25 . Preferably the foodstuff  25  will be arranged so that there is a minimum space left about the periphery of the foodstuff. In this manner, only a minimum amount of marinade can be added to cover the foodstuff  25 . 
         [0059]    Next, the preventative mixing barrier  255  is pressed down within the container  253  either generally parallel to the surface of the marinade  27 . In the alternative, the preventative mixing barrier  255  which may be flexible, may be pressed down within the container  253  at an angle. In either case, air is allowed to pass around the preventative mixing barrier  255  as it is pressed down. At the bottom of its travel, it is flattened in orientation so that all of the air is passed around the preventative mixing barrier  255  and the level of the marinade  27  may preferably overlie the preventative mixing barrier  255  only slightly. The resulting orientation is that the only structures below the preventative mixing barrier  255  is the foodstuff  25  and maranade  27 . 
         [0060]    Next, a fill liquid may be added above the preventative mixing barrier  255 . In the worst case, where the marinade  27  and fill liquid are water based or where the where the marinade  27  and fill liquid are oil based, the preventative mixing barrier  255  generally impedes dilution of the marinade  27  due to the barrier to mixing. The barrier to mixing operates both through physically isolating the marinade  27  from turbulence during the pouring of the fill liquid and secondarily by limiting the mixing or dilution mechanism to diffusion only. The diffusion will be limited to occur only through any slight opening between the top and bottom of the preventative mixing barrier  255 . Given the short time and relatively non-active temperatures during the marinade process, the preventative mixing barrier  255  works well. 
         [0061]    In the case where the marinade  27  is water based and the fill liquid  263  is oil based (and therefore presumably lighter than the marinade) the water-oil barrier, in addition to the preventative mixing barrier  255  acts to maximally prevent mixing. In the case where the marinade  27  is oil based and the fill liquid  263  is water based, it will be preferable to provide additional sealing between the mixing barrier  255  and the internal smooth surface  257 . Other structures can be employed to insure a better seal, such as plastic wrap or other structures where necessary to take up the spacing between the internal smooth surface  257  and the preventative mixing barrier  255  to help prevent any tendency for an oil based marinade  27  from trying to rise past the internal smooth surface  257 . The reventative mixing barrier  255  made from an oversized, deformable polymeric material to enable providing a more complete seal with respect to the internal smooth surface  257 . 
         [0062]    Although the invention has been derived with reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, included within the patent warranted hereon are all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of this contribution to the art.