Monthly Meat Hack Competition April 2021
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Nice! It even comes in blue!
processhead - Yeah I got a green, yellow and blue for like $10
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Here is another hack I used to use a lot when I had a food saver.
I make a lot of soups, stews and chowders, but was always discouraged from making large batches because I could not get them sealed in my food saver correctly to be saved for a later meal.
Try this:
This simple cup worked wonders for me.
Just make your soup, put out a few of these extremely cheap cups. Fill them 3/4 full (this is about the perfect serving size). Get them into the freezer. Once hard (not necessarily a complete block of ice), take a pair of scissors and cut down the sides top to bottom in three places. Then just peel off the cup and throw it away. You can now vacuum seal the ice block without any issues at all. Label them and enjoy at a future date. So go ahead and make those big batches of soup. Now you can seal them up with no mess and no hassle. -
processhead - Yeah I got a green, yellow and blue for like $10
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Here is another hack I used to use a lot when I had a food saver.
I make a lot of soups, stews and chowders, but was always discouraged from making large batches because I could not get them sealed in my food saver correctly to be saved for a later meal.
Try this:
This simple cup worked wonders for me.
Just make your soup, put out a few of these extremely cheap cups. Fill them 3/4 full (this is about the perfect serving size). Get them into the freezer. Once hard (not necessarily a complete block of ice), take a pair of scissors and cut down the sides top to bottom in three places. Then just peel off the cup and throw it away. You can now vacuum seal the ice block without any issues at all. Label them and enjoy at a future date. So go ahead and make those big batches of soup. Now you can seal them up with no mess and no hassle.lkrfletcher said in Monthly Meat Hack Competition April 2021:
Here is another hack I used to use a lot when I had a food saver.
I make a lot of soups, stews and chowders, but was always discouraged from making large batches because I could not get them sealed in my food saver correctly to be saved for a later meal.
Try this:
This simple cup worked wonders for me.
Just make your soup, put out a few of these extremely cheap cups. Fill them 3/4 full (this is about the perfect serving size). Get them into the freezer. Once hard (not necessarily a complete block of ice), take a pair of scissors and cut down the sides top to bottom in three places. Then just peel off the cup and throw it away. You can now vacuum seal the ice block without any issues at all. Label them and enjoy at a future date. So go ahead and make those big batches of soup. Now you can seal them up with no mess and no hassle.Freezing the food really does address one of the main disadvantage of non-chamber style sealers.
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I second folding down the edges of the bag (a good 2-3 inches usually does the trick), and I also do the partial freezing to seize up juices before sealing.
When doing that partial freezing, be sure to set a timer to remind yourself to go back and seal it up. An hour usually is plenty for anything other than large items (like a brisket point or flat). Larger stuff might need an extra half-hour or so.
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I have had one of those for A long time
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I always par freeze my fresh brats so that the chamber doesnt squish them as I seal…love how it turns out! Actually bought a fridge/freezer that can go back and forth between the two for whatever my need is!
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Same here, and I actually do that for all my sausage that I intend to freeze.
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lkrfletcher said in Monthly Meat Hack Competition April 2021:
Here is another hack I used to use a lot when I had a food saver.
I make a lot of soups, stews and chowders, but was always discouraged from making large batches because I could not get them sealed in my food saver correctly to be saved for a later meal.
Try this:
This simple cup worked wonders for me.
Just make your soup, put out a few of these extremely cheap cups. Fill them 3/4 full (this is about the perfect serving size). Get them into the freezer. Once hard (not necessarily a complete block of ice), take a pair of scissors and cut down the sides top to bottom in three places. Then just peel off the cup and throw it away. You can now vacuum seal the ice block without any issues at all. Label them and enjoy at a future date. So go ahead and make those big batches of soup. Now you can seal them up with no mess and no hassle.Freezing the food really does address one of the main disadvantage of non-chamber style sealers.
processhead I have done that, but I use tin sheet pans the size of the bag so that it is flat and easier to store in the freezer. The tin pans allow you to pop out the frozen food easily and reuse them.
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It gives me anxiety every time I vacuum seal any liquidy product (marinade, fruit, etc.) using my non-chambered vacuum sealer. I absolutely hate the idea of sucking up the liquid into my sealer…often times without getting as much vacuum as I’d like to get in my bag. And, cleaning this liquid out of my sealer is not fun either. I’m certain there are other good ways, but I saw Steven Rinella on a video one time, roll up a large wad of paper towels and place them above the liquid and below the point of seal all the way across the opening of the seal bag. Then, when he vacuum sealed, it created at least somewhat of a barrier to the liquid being sucked up into the sealer, while still allowing air to be sucked out. It is not perfect, but I’ve used this with some success! I’m open to other suggestions on this. Please share.
cdub2007 You found the only method that really works as long as you act FAST. Yes, there are other ways like purchasing special bag types that do the same thing. But, I find that my doing it the way you describe is the most efficient when sealing a number of items at the same time. March on!!! Your method works for marinating very well. As someone else on this thread stated: When not marinating, they put the bag in the freezer first, then seal it. This works very well for me when not marinating.
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If you really want an awesome hack for vacuum sealing. Well I think we can all agree that the key to a great seal. Whether you are using a food saver, Westin or chamber vac like me. The key is to have a clean sealing surface.
I offer the best vacuum sealing hack ever. This thing is the greatest thing since canned beer. So simple, yet so effective.
I use this every time I seal things. From steaks or chicken to soups to sous vide margaritas. This thing really works.
Here it is.
You guys should sell these things. So great!
lkrfletcher That mechanism would be fantastic. Right now, I just fold over the bag while in a bowl and fill it to my hearts content. Thanks for the option.
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When I am sealing larger items with my foodsaver (I frequently seal pork butts that I have trimmed for competitions and freeze them), I have found that wrapping in plastic wrap first helps a ton. It does a couple things:
A) keeps moisture from getting sucked up into the machine
B) provides a little extra layer of protection against freezer burn, should the seal fail for some reasonYou can do this with anything that isn’t too soupy, but larger cuts of meat seem to work best for me.
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Great recommendations guys. I’m looking at getting something like what lkrfletcher showed in his hack for Walton’s. Not sure how/who we will get them from but that is helpful for sure!
Get more help with your processing questions and learn more about processing meat by subscribing to our waltonsinc.com youtube page at https://wltns.link/waltonstv I am a Gorilla, love yourself
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Great recommendations guys. I’m looking at getting something like what lkrfletcher showed in his hack for Walton’s. Not sure how/who we will get them from but that is helpful for sure!
Jonathon that’s going to be tough. So cheap on Amazon. Likely not much profit in that. It is a cool thing, I did order some.
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Just wanted to point this out in case anyone was thinking of buying one of these chamberless sealers that works with chambered bags. We decided not to carry it because it doesn’t work that well. It has a nozzle that goes
I to the bag to suck out the air, it just doesn’t do a great job, so I’d recommend you stay away from it.
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This is a new “series” of posts we will do that will pose a common meat processing issue, people will be able to post how they overcome this when they process and the one that is the “best” and that person will win a small prize or reward.
This month (halfway through!) the issue will be vacuum sealing! Give us your best tips and tricks that you use to make sure you are getting the best seal, the best vacuum or extend the life of your sealer. Really, whatever you want to share that is in regards to vacuum sealing!
Jonathon I always fold the bag over by 2"+ so the sealing edge stays clean. Also a great foodsaver hack is using a chamber bag (slick) and placing a 1" wide strip of cut foodsaver bag , 2-3" long, centered fm the sides of the bag, running perpendicular to the opening. Tricks the foodsaver into operating as a foodsaver bag… Lots of money saved as chamber bags are 50-80% cheaper. This hack works… Try it
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I know it’s no longer April, but here’s something I find helpful when putting stuff into the bags (like when packaging a bunch of ground meat): I use a wide-mouth canning funnel and put that in the mouth of the bag. Since it’s wide mouth, it’s easy to push the meat through. It keeps the opening of the bag clean and free of meat/juices. It’ll seal easier without going through and cleaning the top of each bag.
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I know it’s no longer April, but here’s something I find helpful when putting stuff into the bags (like when packaging a bunch of ground meat): I use a wide-mouth canning funnel and put that in the mouth of the bag. Since it’s wide mouth, it’s easy to push the meat through. It keeps the opening of the bag clean and free of meat/juices. It’ll seal easier without going through and cleaning the top of each bag.
gChart Hadn’t ever thought of that. Thanks for the tip.
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I know it’s no longer April, but here’s something I find helpful when putting stuff into the bags (like when packaging a bunch of ground meat): I use a wide-mouth canning funnel and put that in the mouth of the bag. Since it’s wide mouth, it’s easy to push the meat through. It keeps the opening of the bag clean and free of meat/juices. It’ll seal easier without going through and cleaning the top of each bag.
gChart
Good tip - Thanks -
When I am sealing larger items with my foodsaver (I frequently seal pork butts that I have trimmed for competitions and freeze them), I have found that wrapping in plastic wrap first helps a ton. It does a couple things:
A) keeps moisture from getting sucked up into the machine
B) provides a little extra layer of protection against freezer burn, should the seal fail for some reasonYou can do this with anything that isn’t too soupy, but larger cuts of meat seem to work best for me.
Midwest_kc Never did wrap a large item in plastic wrap before sealing and your reasoning is spot on. That will solve any “juicy” issues for sure and a second level of protection. It was a nice AHHA moment. Thanks.
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