Foodsaver question

[Dialtone]

Hey ya'll, I just finally picked up a countertop Foodsaver and I love it! I usually pack my walleye fillets in water and freeze them in a zip lock. That usually takes up a lot of space. So when using a foodsaver bag, do I just put the fillets in the bag alone for freezing? Or do I need some water in there as well? Thanks!

[Shoeman]

I have a Food saver and went back to using Zip Locks/water for fish.

The problem I had using the FS was the seal. Any water based food like fish, soups, ect. seem to compromise the bond with moisture and I'd end up with freezer burn anyway

One way to get around that is to dry the fillets with paper towel and add a rolled-up sheet of the towel along the top of the bag prior to sealing. The towel traps the water the vacuum tries to suck into the seal. I even use that method for meats

[dmavdmav]

My FS has moist/dry setting. Do believe water helps filets last longer in freezer.

[icehunter1958]

the wife and i have been using a food saver for years now, and we found that the best way is to partiality freeze the meat or fish. we just lay them in the freezer for a 1/2 hour on a baking sheet. this is the best way we found for not getting freezer burn. but then again we never have them in the freezer that long. hope this helps.

icehunter1958

[Frantz]

Would you do goose breast the same way, in a water bath?

[RDS-1025]

Water, or the lack of, does not effect freezer burn at all.
When sealing meats or fish, with the food saver, make sure the contents are dry, and you should have no problem.
I seal 100's of bags a year, and have no freezer burn problem at all.
If you have had problems with freezer burn when using the food saver, you have done something wrong.

[Spanky]

the wife and i have been using a food saver for years now, and we found that the best way is to partiality freeze the meat or fish. we just lay them in the freezer for a 1/2 hour on a baking sheet. this is the best way we found for not getting freezer burn. but then again we never have them in the freezer that long. hope this helps.

icehunter1958

Yep, same here, I actually let them freeze hard, then place them in the bags and seal tightly. I always double seal too!;)

[alex-v]

Anything that you plan on taking out of the freezer and opening in a month or two really does not need a Foodsaver.

If I am going to do something with the FoodSaver I will wrap the meat/fish with wax paper before placing in the plastic bag. This seems to keep the moisture from being drawn up towards the seal by the vacuum that the machine is capable of. I started doing this instead of pre-freezing because it saved a lot of time and the constant work of moving meat/fish/veggies from the freezer to the counter to the FoodSaver bag.

Plastic wrap will also work but usually the waxed paper is the first thing I find in the drawer.

[alex-v]

I usually pack my walleye fillets in water and freeze them in a zip lock. That usually takes up a lot of space.

I have a Food saver and went back to using Zip Locks/water for fish.
Dialtone, you are using way to much water or failing to get the majority of the water out. Like Shoeman I have gone back to ZipLock bags for most of my fish. I save the vacuum process for prepped fish like smoked or bacon roll-ups.

Close up the ZipLock most of the way, leaving about an inch of opening, and squeeze the water out. Just before it is all gone finish zipping the bag closed. Takes a little bit of practice. You will find that your ZipLock bag of fish takes up the same amount of space as a FoodSaver vacuumed bag, maybe less.

[Shoeman]

Close up the ZipLock most of the way, leaving about an inch of opening, and squeeze the water out. Just before it is all gone finish zipping the bag closed. Takes a little bit of practice. You will find that your ZipLock bag of fish takes up the same amount of space as a FoodSaver vacuumed bag, maybe less.

Yup, the key is to freeze them flat. They stack real nice ;)

When thawing cut a criss-cross pattern on the bag (the face-down side). All the water will drain as it thaws.

[alex-v]

When thawing cut a criss-cross pattern on the bag (the face-down side). All the water will drain as it thaws.
Now that is a real great idea. I like it.

[wall-ib-jiggin]

Clean and fill one sink with water (cold) put the bag/fish in water filled sink and fill with water , put under water squeeze it flat as possible and zip closed with it still under water. No air, less water and takes up less space."NO freezer burn" and fast..

[WALLEYE MIKE]

Redneck vaccum sealer. Use a Ziplock bag. Get a small diameter straw. Place it in the corner of a Ziplock bag that is almost all closed. Press out as much air as possible, then suck out the remaining air using the straw. Pull out the straw and close off the small opening where the straw was. Do it quick. I use this for short term freezing. For long term, its the food saver method.