Vacuum Sealer Tips

[Pandemonium]

I just got one and I know a bunch of people just got one too so I thought maybe to ask you guys that have had them a few questions.
This is Foodsaver brand only, I know how great the other machines are and they can vac water lol

1. What not to try and vacuum, maybe you have ruined a machine with liquidy food?

2. I heard Scarbelly talking about making a certain sized bag and washing and reusing them?

Any tips or tricks?

[ptt49er]

If sealing something like fresh brats or sausage patties, freeze them first then vac pack. DAMHIKT!!!

Make the bags a little bigger than needed, then you can wash and reuse!

[Pandemonium]

If sealing something like fresh brats or sausage patties, freeze them first then vac pack. DAMHIKT!!!

Make the bags a little bigger than needed, then you can wash and reuse!

Why freeze first because it will crush and mush em?

[ptt49er]

Yup...it'll turn your nicely formed patties into pancakes and squash links into some sort of funky shape...lol!

[Pandemonium]

That stinks because thats one of the reasons i got it was for fresh sausages, yes i found out about the patties being squeezed together with the handheld vac oops

[ptt49er]

They work great for fresh sausage, you just have to let them firm up in the freezer first.

[mulepackin]

When I make bacon I cure in a large bag. Then save it, wash in dishwasher inverted on the basket tines and air dry only. Then reuse the bag to seal up the finished bacon. Obviously you gotta leave a little more length on it the first time around to allow sealing the second time, or use progressively smaller amts of product in the bag. Also, when and if prefreezing items, try to be sure there are no sharp projectiles on them when sealing. I've had bags get pierced by those little stalagtites (or is it -mites?). The paper towel gasket for moist items that I've referred to in other posts as well as double sealing moist items or questionably sealed on the first attempt are about my only other tips.

[Scarbelly]

My wife and I have been using a FS for almost 20 years. We make all of our bags at least 15 - 20 inches long so we can reuse them. I have gotten as many as 10 uses out of a single bag that way. I wash them inside out with a kitchen brush and soap then air dry real good and stick them back in the rack to be reused.

[DDave]

Great thread, Gary.

I was wondering the exact same thing.

Dave

[Checkered Past]

I've also been using the FS machines for a long time. I found that when I am putting beans,chili verde etc in the bag I hold the bag so it hangs down from the sealer then watch for liquid starting to move and press the man. seal button. The man. seal button is my friend you just have to watch and guess when it is going to stop. I also will also clean the opened end if liquid was pulled thru and then man. seal creating a double seal.

I found the same with cheese it will draw too much moisture out if you keep opening and resealing the bag of cheese. So I pull a vac. then stop and seal it before it completes it's cycle.

Just my .02 cents worth

IMO very nice investment

[erain]

Yup...it'll turn your nicely formed patties into pancakes and squash links into some sort of funky shape...lol!

may i recomend instead of freezing patties, just freeze in "bulk"... 1 lb, 2 lb, some of each, whatever fits your needs best. if you need to freeze patties well then thats just a pitfall of that process. actually, you want to know how they do it commercialy in a butcher shop???? they take a large summersausage casing of the desired diameter. stuff it full, freeze it, take casing off, take the log to the meat saw and cut it up just like cutting steaks. they got it all figured out, diameter and thickness to equal a 1/4 lb. or whatever size they want. no squashing them pucks.

as far as sausage, it dont matter if the links appear to be "squashed or mishapen"... if you notice when unthawed and heat applied, ie cooking... they plump right back up and you would never even know.

[Checkered Past]

"as far as sausage, it dont matter if the links appear to be "squashed or mishapen"... if you notice when unthawed and heat applied, ie cooking... they plump right back up and you would never even know.[/QUOTE]

I agree never had a problem with the finshed cook and the flavor is not affected

[DDave]

So . . . do you guys freeze pulled pork or brisket slices before vac packing? Or just let the bag hang down and watch for the juice to get close?

Seems like it would be a pain to have to freeze everything first.

Dave

[Scarbelly]

I dont prefreeze anything - sausage gets frozen in bulk or if I stuff I wait unitl it is right at the point where it is going to start shrinking the sausage then hit the manual button and seal it

[Meat Hunter]

When packin something like jerky, I have found it helpful to first wrap the jerky in a layer or two of butcher paper. Reason being, the FS makes a good vacuum and will stretch over the harder pointier corners of the jerky and make small holes. By wrapping in butcher paper, you give it a bit of a cushion, so to speak. That also works well for any harder food items. I've also found it helpful that when freezing things, to keep the items in small cardboard boxes in the freezer so they don't slide and bump against each other making small hole and tears, thus letting air in and getting freezer burn.