In short
- With sous vide the bath temperature is the final temperature of the product.
- How long it takes to pasteurise depends on thickness and temperature.
- Vegetables need far more heat than meat: cook them separately.
How sous vide works
With sous vide, the water bath temperature is the final temperature of the product. A chicken breast in a 63 °C bath never gets hotter than 63 °C. The time has three parts: until the core is up to temperature (which depends on thickness), long enough to pasteurise, and for tough cuts long enough to soften the connective tissue.
63 °Cin the bath is 63 °C in the chicken breast. It never gets hotter, however long it stays in.
Working safely
The key rules:
- No longer than 4 hours below 54.5 °C. Bacteria can grow below that. Serve mi-cuit fish and rare meat straight away.
- To pasteurise, keep at least to the times in the table below, starting from a product out of the fridge.
- Fish cooked below 60 °C must be frozen first against parasites (see Core temperatures).
- Work with fresh, cold products and clean bags, and record everything in your HACCP plan.
Pasteurisation times by thickness
How long a product needs in the bath to pasteurise depends on thickness and temperature. A selection from Douglas Baldwin’s tables, starting at 5 °C:
| Product and thickness | 55 °C | 60 °C | 63 °C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beef, pork, lamb · 20 mm | 2½ hours | 1¼ hours | 55 min |
| Beef, pork, lamb · 50 mm | 4½ hours | 2½ hours | 2¼ hours |
| Chicken · 20 mm | – | 1¼ hours | 50 min |
| Chicken · 50 mm | – | 3¼ hours | 2½ hours |
| Lean fish · 20 mm | 3 hours | 1 hour | – |
| Fatty fish · 20 mm | 4¾ hours | 1¼ hours | – |
Source: Douglas Baldwin, A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking. His chicken table starts at 57 °C (20 mm: 2¾ hours); fish goes up to 60 °C.
Beef and veal
Tender cuts are cooked to doneness, tough cuts long at a lower temperature so they stay pink.
| Product | Bath | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenderloin, sirloin, rib-eye (3–4 cm) | 55 °C | 1½–3 hours | Medium-rare; serve within 4 hours or use the pasteurisation time |
| Same, medium | 60 °C | 1½–3 hours | Light pink |
| Bavette, flank, picanha | 55 °C | 6–12 hours | Pink and more tender |
| Chuck, top blade, shoulder | 55 °C | 24–48 hours | Pink and tender like a steak |
| Brisket (pink) | 57 °C | 36–48 hours | Firm, pink |
| Brisket (pulled) | 80 °C | 24–36 hours | Falls apart |
| Veal tenderloin, veal topside | 57–58 °C | 2–4 hours | Light pink, juicy |
Lamb
Cook lamb like beef; for the shoulder use the same approach as pork shoulder.
| Product | Bath | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rack, loin | 55–57 °C | 1–2 hours | Pink |
| Leg (pink) | 57 °C | 8–24 hours | Pink and tender |
| Shoulder | 68 °C | 24 hours | Tender, still sliceable |
| Shoulder (pulled) | 80 °C | 8–12 hours | Falls apart |
Pork
Pork can be pink; shoulder and belly are at their best at a higher temperature.
| Product | Bath | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenderloin | 60 °C | 1½–3 hours | Pink and juicy |
| Chop | 61 °C | Pasteurisation time (20 mm: 1 hour) | Slightly pink |
| Chop, slow cooked | 55 °C | 12 hours | Tender, pink |
| Shoulder | 68 °C | 24 hours | Tender, sliceable |
| Shoulder (pulled) | 80 °C | 8–12 hours | Falls apart |
| Spare ribs | 68 °C or 80 °C | 24 hours or 8–12 hours | From firm to off the bone |
| Belly | 68–80 °C | 12–24 hours | Then crisp in a pan |
Poultry
Cook poultry at a temperature at which it is also pasteurised; the time depends on thickness.
| Product | Bath | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken breast | 63.5 °C | 1½–3 hours (thickness) | Juicy, just cooked |
| Turkey breast | 63.5 °C | 3–5 hours | Juicy |
| Chicken thigh | 65 °C | 1½–3 hours | Tender, still firm |
| Duck breast | 57 °C | 3–4 hours | Pink; pasteurised per the table |
| Duck, goose or turkey leg (confit) | 80 °C | 8–12 hours | Falls off the bone |
Fish and shellfish
Fish is quick. Below 60 °C you don’t pasteurise: use fish that has been frozen and serve straight away.
| Product | Bath | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon, mi-cuit | 42–50 °C | 15–20 minutes | Translucent to buttery |
| Salmon, cooked | 60 °C | Pasteurisation time (20 mm: 1¼ hours) | Firm, opaque |
| Cod, haddock, halibut | 55–60 °C | 30–60 minutes | Flakes |
| Lobster (tail, shelled) | 55 °C | 20–30 minutes | Juicy and sweet |
| Prawns | 55–60 °C | 15–25 minutes | Firm |
| Octopus | 77–82 °C | 4–6 hours | Tender, then grill |
Eggs
Eggs are cooked in the shell, without a bag.
| Product | Bath | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pasteurised egg | 57 °C | at least 75 minutes | Still raw, but safe for mayonnaise or tartare |
| Soft egg | 63 °C | 45–60 minutes | Runny yolk, white just set |
| “Perfect egg” | 64.5 °C | 45–60 minutes | Yolk like thick cream |
Vegetables and fruit
Vegetables need much more heat than meat: pectin only breaks down around 84 °C. So cook vegetables separately. The times are guidelines; they depend on thickness and ripeness.
| Product | Bath | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrot, parsnip, celeriac | 85 °C | 45–60 minutes | Tender with bite, full of flavour |
| Beetroot | 85 °C | 1½–2 hours | Soft |
| New potatoes | 85 °C | 60–90 minutes | Creamy |
| Asparagus (medium) | 85 °C | 12–15 minutes | Al dente; thin: 6–8 minutes |
| Fennel | 85 °C | 45–60 minutes | Soft and sweet |
| Pear, apple | 80–85 °C | 20–40 minutes | Poached, keeps its shape |
Cooling and storing
When working ahead (cook-chill), chill the bags straight after cooking in iced water that is at least half ice. A 25 mm slab is cold in about 50 minutes, a 50 mm one in about 2¾ hours. The Dutch hygiene code asks for cooling to 7 °C or colder within 5 hours; follow your local rules. Only store pasteurised products ahead; record the shelf life in your HACCP plan and date the bag.
In practice
Pat the product dry after the bath and sear it briefly and hot for a crust. Herbs and butter in the bag add a lot of flavour; raw garlic can turn harsh at low temperatures, so use confit garlic. Put the bath temperature and time in your recipe so everyone in the brigade does it exactly the same way.
Core temperatures for meat, fish and shellfishWhat the hygiene code says and what is possible per product.→Sources
The values in this article come from:
- Douglas Baldwin: A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking
- USDA FSIS: time-temperature tables for poultry
- Dutch hospitality hygiene code (KHN)
- Vegetables: common kitchen values around 84–85 °C, where pectin breaks down
Put the bath temperature and time on the step in your Savour recipe; when scaling, the time stays the same because it depends on thickness, not quantity. This article is a guide; your own HACCP plan always comes first.