Vacuum sealing fish and game

[Muck]

I am interested in purchasing a vacuum sealing appliance. Looking in catalogs, and at outdoor stores, I can pay from $100.00 to $1000.00. Does anyone have any experience using them, do they work, and which make and model would you recommend. My uses for this appliance would be for sealing fish and game for freezing.

[Salmonsmoker]

Muck,

For the use that you identified, check with lemproducts.com. They have a "commercial-qulaity" foodsaver that sells for $279.

I have used these items - they do work. But like anything else, one must take the time to use them correctly.

The biggest problem with freezer storage (particularly with today's self-defrosting freezers) is freezer-burn. Freezer-burn is caused by air in contact with the food during storage. The vacuum system removes all air - thus increases the life of frozen foods by many times.

The limiting factor on the less-expensive versions of this product (the discount-store kind) is the power of the vacuum pump. The first one that I ever used was borrowed from someone who did not use it. The reason for its non-use - the pump was not strong enough to remove the all of the air.

There is another benefit from the vacuum-sealed packages. That is flavor and tenderizing. See below in the general heading (the original Wild Game Food Preparation forum) for a posting by Big Al that has to do with vacuum marinading for details.

Keep us posted on how this process works. Other sports persons have the same storage spoilage problems.

Thanks for the post.

Salmonsmoker

[westbay]

Hi Muck:
I bought a Foodsaver Vac 500 last winter and have used it on fish and venison. I'm pleased so far, but I have not had it long enough to really comment on the "shelf life" of the frozen food. The longest I've had something frozen was 3 months. However, I do know that if you glaze freeze your fish on a cookie sheet before you vacuum seal, there will be no water in the bag which reduces the vacuum capabilities. Anoither tip in there manual is to place a piece of paper towel in the bag before vacuum sealing and the towel will absorb the water. So far I like mine a lot. I've seen them at Sam's club and Walmart for around $150. Good luck.
Westbay

[Muck]

Thanks for the information, especially the web site , lemproducts.com. I'm also interested in processing my own deer next year, and they have several interesting products.

[sausageman]

Proper packaging of your meat is the most important step of processing. The vacuum machines on the market do a great job of preventing freezer burn by drawing all air from the enviroment. The downfall of these machines is the initial cost, you can expect to spend $250 to get one with a strong enough pump to do a good job. The bag stock for the machines are also costly.
I have been deer processing for 25 years and have found I can get up to two years freezer life by double wrapping, first in a plastic wrap, then in a freezer paper.
The plastic wrap forms nicely around the item preventing air pockets in the package. The plastic backed freezer paper protects the first layer and just gives a second layer to keep the seal strong.
When processing your meat keep your cuts uniform and avoid the type of cuts that create air pockets in your packaging. For example, make your backstraps into a boneless chop rather than a bone-in cut. That chop bone will prevent you from getting a good wrap by creating an air pocket and causing freezer burn in a matter of weeks.

[$Big Pimpin$]

Me and my dad "double wrap" all the trout and salmon we catch in august and when we take them out in march they are freezer burn free and taste great its alot cheaper than getting a vaccum sealer.

[Salmonsmoker]

Splitshot,

Technically you are right. Freezer burn is caused by evaporation.

However, if pockets of air become trapped in a package of meat before it goes into the freezer some evaporation will take place, and thus, some freezerburn will develop directly at the point of the airpocket.

The vacuum machines do prevent this kind of freezer burn.

Salmonsmoker

[Steve]

I have found the best thing to prevent freezer burn on fish is to simply freeze them surrounded with water. After they are in the freezer they are surrounded by a big block of ice. I just thawed out some walleye done this way that were going on two years old and they tasted like the day we caught them.

[Salmonsmoker]

I have also read about doing this with red meats that have been cut into cubes. Don't know how it would work with Venison....will make a good project to experiment on.

Salmonsmoker

[Salmonsmoker]

Making current

[William H Bonney]

I have the FoodSaver also. I am somewhat please with it, most of the time.

I just wish I would have gotten the commercial model>

One thing to be aware of: Some companies, even Cabelas , have been sellling refurbished (used) models. Those are the ones you see for 150 bucks.

My advice is to spend the extra money and get the commercial model.
I think the FoodSaver one is like 300.00 or something.

Overall a pretty decent investment

[dugfish]

all you need is a five gallon bucket and zip-lock bags
fill the bucket with water
put the meat in the bag
zip the bag almost all the way shut
put the bag in the water up to the zipper

it will push ALL of the air out ,once that is done close the bag all the way then remove from the bucket
slickest thing i ever saw
heck of a lot cheaper:D :D :D

[Salmonsmoker]

dugfish,

Good idea - it will work even when the electricity is out.

[fatboy]

I see this is an older thread and just wondering if there is anything new with the vac. sealers ? One thing that is a pain with the frozen ziplock bags is that they take up alot of freezer space.My dad has let me use his foodsaver 500 and it seems to work ok but does not remove every bit of air/water from the package when sealing fish packages.I'm thinking that if I have some luck with the nov. bowhunting that I will package my deer the same way.

[flyrod4steelhead]

If I am correct, there was another thread about Vacum Sealer's. I have the Food Saver 750. I love it. I have fish in the vacum bag's from a year or so ago. Matter of fact, we had a Steelhead that I caught 2years ago for dinner a couple night's ago. Tasted like I just caught it that day. I use my Vacum Sealer for thing's like, fish, deer meat, jerky, hamburger, steak's, etc. etc. The option's of use is countless. Oh, and mine came with attachment's for removing the air outa jar's as well.

I think that the most exspensive part of these food saver's are the bag's.. But I'm not arguing, because mine get's alot of use out of it.

[Lunker]

Ive got the Foodsaver Ultra. I got it for 130 at home depot. Thats about half off. They run deals like that around Christmas. The thing about them is they will not seal if the package ahs any water on it. So your constantly trying to get the bag dry so It will seal. The bags are expensive. Id just put water in a ziplock if you have a big freezer with plenty of room. Yes it works fine for red meat also, all my stew meat and jerky meat goes into water and ziplocks and it tastes great when I use it.

[fatboy]

Lunker The bags(quart size) are about 50 cents each.It takes three or four to put up a days walleye catch.They sure look pretty sealed in them vac. bags :) And its good to hear how long fish keep in them. The fall walleye bite is ON !