What to package poultry in for freezer camp?

[KatyTheChickenLady]

my elcheapo vacumm sealer from wal mart has a setting for moist food, works great.

 

[petrelline]

I just harvested 20 FRs this weekend and vacuum sealed them. It works great, but it's sloowwwwwww, and I was super tired at the end of the day when it was time for packaging. I'm ordering the shrink bags for next time.

 

[goosemama]

I've used butcher paper before and I just couldn't get it to wrap around the chicken tightly without air pockets. I have a Foodsaver and buy the bags at Walmart. I freeze 7lb Cornish roasters in them - you just make your bag a little bigger or smaller depending on the size of the bird, and the bags can be washed and reused. When thawed, they come out as if they were processed the day before! I am impressed with this gadget (and I HATE gadgets). I've had mine about a year and just read yesterday to freeze the meat for l hour to firm it up first before bagging. DUH? If all else fails read the directions!!! I haven't been doing that but have had excellent results anyway. I wouldn't be without this machine - I've wasted a lot of money over the years throwing out meat that was freezer burned.

 

[goosemama]

My Foodsaver also has two settings for moist and dry food. The most setting doesn't draw out all the juices - but again I've used the other setting too and the meat was just fine - just makes a very tight vacuum. I would think for delicate fish filets it would be better to use the lighter setting. But i agree with one of the other posters it is terribly SLOW - so I only do about l0 at a time.

 

[Raiquee]

Quote:
I sadly have an ancient model, and mine doesn't have a moist setting. It's all or nothing! So, like I said I just put them in the bag, place them the way I want them to freeze, and then pop in the freezer for a few hours (sometimes I forget and I don't get to it until the next day!! Luckily no freezer burn due to my forgetfulness!

) Then vac pak it, and i've had good luck! I saw a nice industrial model at Cabelas that I want!! It has a manual seal override, which would be great! I sometimes make homemade ravioli and the vac seal is so good that sometimes it breaks the corners of my ravioli

Not enough to ruin the noodle, but it's not too pretty! If I had the manual seal override, right before it pulls too tight I could seal it. Also that sealer seals with a 1/4 inch strip, much larger than my food saver! Ahh, wishful thinking

I only really noticed the juice thing on my hamburger. It drew so much out, that didn't go back in once opening that I had to add an egg to my hamburger to get it to form! It was so crumbly I was dissapointed. Now I just par-freeze, and I've never had problems since! Works real good for fruits as well. It does take up some freezer space though.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

Hey, petraline, I think you must be on the same local chicken yahoo group as me. Seems a few of us did our FRs last weekend. I'm procrastinating and will do them this weekend.

Anyway, how slow is sloowwwwwww? How long did it take you to vac seal all 20 birds? And how much bag material did you have to use? I'm very curious.

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
Mine does too. I bought it because I had been reading the problems people were having with their foodsavers getting clogged with juices. Does yours have the marinate button?