Vacuum Sealer Bags

[dsafety]

With the hope that I will soon have the opportunity to freeze some of the ocean's bounty, I checked my inventory of Foodsaver bags the other day. I was almost out so I went to the Internet searching for some reasonablly priced vacuum storage bags. There are quite a few sources out there.

There are two ways to go with this type of product. You can get bags that range in size from one pint to a gallon. Rolls of the bag material are also available in different widths. The rolls cost a little less than the bags but in my view the bags are more convenient.

Most of the suppliers that I ran across offer samples that range in price from free to a couple of bucks. I ordered several samples and discovered that they are all about the same in terms of quality. Most are made of 3 mil plastic, which is a little thinner than the branded bags and rolls from FoodSaver. I tested these bags and found that they actually work better for me because the thinner plastic sucks in tighter to whatever you are trying to package and the melted seal is more reliable.

Many of the companies that sell this stuff offer their products on eBay as well as from their own web sites. You can order just about any quantity and mixture of bag or roll sizes. Prices range from about 14 to 35 cents a bag, depending on the size and manufacturer.

I ended up ordering a 100 piece mixture of pint and quart size bags from a company called FilmTech, (www.filmtechcorp.com) for less than $22, delivered. Another place called the Vak Shack, (www.thevakshack.com) offers similar products at a slightly higher price, however they often have coupons for free shipping or other discounts available on their web site.


Bob

[MuddyMike]

I just picked up a FoodSaver setup from Walmart a couple weeks ago. Took me 2 nights to get my first hog all sealed up and in the freezer. Really nice machine, I wish I would have got one years ago.

Anyhow, I don't recall the varieties or pcies, but just mentioning it in case you're at Wally World, or need some last minute and can't wait for shipping, .... they stock them.

[maui jim]

Where did ya get the hog?

Originally Posted by MuddyMike

I just picked up a FoodSaver setup from Walmart a couple weeks ago. Took me 2 nights to get my first hog all sealed up and in the freezer. Really nice machine, I wish I would have got one years ago.

Anyhow, I don't recall the varieties or pcies, but just mentioning it in case you're at Wally World, or need some last minute and can't wait for shipping, .... they stock them.

[MuddyMike]

About 45 minutes north of Paso Robles on a friend's ranch. With the same guys responsible for putting this idea of kayak fishing in my head.

[Lets_Fish]

Nice tusks!

[RedSledTeam]

Nice Hog! Mmmmm! Nuthin' like wild bacon!

[KirkG.]

I've also seen the bags for sale at Costco in Temecula. Not sure if they sell them at other Costcos but it seems like an easy way to stock up.

KirkG.

[tagyak]

can you guys please specify which model of foodsaver that you own.

i have been looking for one but have been hesitant to purchase one. i would like to know from those who have the basic model, would you recommend it or would you rather have gotten the higher end one?

i am concerned on whether the added features on the higher end ones are worth added cost, i.e. soft food sensor and faster vacuum.

thanks for the reply's.

tim

[onetriphudson]

How much better does vak sealing do vs. a ziploc freezer bag? I'm thinking of investing in a freezer for the garage to stock up my catches. Zip locs seem easier?

[dsafety]

Originally Posted by onetriphudson

How much better does vak sealing do vs. a ziploc freezer bag? I'm thinking of investing in a freezer for the garage to stock up my catches. Zip locs seem easier?

I can answer this one. I had a run of luck last spring and got a WSB and a few YT over the period of about a month. I ran out of vac bags and had to freeze some of the fish in ziploc bags. I double wrapped the pieces in plastic wrap before putting them in the ziploc bags. By mid summer all the fish in the ziploc bags were freezer burned to the point that they had to be thrown away. The ones in the vac bags were great even six months down the road.

Ziploc bags are great for short term storage but if you want to keep anything for more than a month or so, you are taking your chances.

Bob

[Nic D]

some Smart & Final's sell them

[dsafety]

While I prefer the vac storage method, I remember another method that folks used before this technology was available. If you have a lot of room in your freezer you might consider freezing your fish in a block of ice.

Many years ago, I met an old guy in his 70's. He lived at the foot of Mt. Rainier in Washington. This guy lived off the land to a large degree. He had a cellar in which he stored all the meat and veggies that he grew or caught during the year.

In his cellar, this guy had a couple freezers filled with salmon, steelhead and huge geoduck clams. He stored them all the same way. He took half gallon milk cartons and filled them with water. He would dump a few pieces of fish into each milk carton, making sure that the meat was completely covered with water. The cartons would be labeled and stored away for use during the lean times of the year.

On one mid-winter visit, I was treated to a dinner of geoduck chowder and salmon that still ranks in my memory as one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Both came from his freezer. They tasted as fresh as if they had been harvested hours before.

I do not have the freezer space to try this method but I bet it would easily work as well as the vac bags do. Someone should give it a try.

Bob

[RedSledTeam]

I have the V300 Foodsaver. But there are issues... Here's the post. http://www.bigwatersedge.com/bwevb/s...ead.php?t=9207

I saw A nice one at Costco today for $149.99...



here's the link http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...rodid=11300615

The salesperson demonstrated the vacuum on this product and it seemed to have much better vacuum than my V300. I'm thinking about purchasing one.

[WahooUSMA]

Originally Posted by MuddyMike

About 45 minutes north of Paso Robles on a friend's ranch. With the same guys responsible for putting this idea of kayak fishing in my head.

I used to hunt on Fort Hunter Liggit...took a couple nice pigs out of there a few (15 or so) years back!

[MuddyMike]

Originally Posted by tagyak

can you guys please specify which model of foodsaver that you own.

i have been looking for one but have been hesitant to purchase one. i would like to know from those who have the basic model, would you recommend it or would you rather have gotten the higher end one?

i am concerned on whether the added features on the higher end ones are worth added cost, i.e. soft food sensor and faster vacuum.

tim

Foodsaver V3425 - I think it was about $139. There was another one at Wallmart for $99. I got the automatic, while the other one was manual. (both had vacuums)

When you stuff the end of the bag in, it senses it and automatically starts the suction and sealer. If you're using a roll and not a bag, then you press the button for seal only, and then put the end in, so it will seal one end without the vacuum.

I got the auto because I was afraid I would wish I had if I got the manual, but honestly after using it, I don't think it's a big deal either way. I'm happy with the purchase, but I probably would have been happy with the manual one as well.

[bubblehide]

The key, or success of the vacuum sealers, is getting all the air out of the bag. They generally have little ridges, x patterns.... to assist in getting the all the air out. But if you wanted to you could always use a ziplock bag, but you may need to but a thin short piece of a plastic coffee stirrer in, positioned just right so all the air is sucked out, during the sealing process, it will just melt in, and become a part of the seal.

[Lets_Fish]

I have the V2222 & like the results. BTW I got two for $52

[jhook]

Originally Posted by dsafety

He took half gallon milk cartons and filled them with water. He would dump a few pieces of fish into each milk carton, making sure that the meat was completely covered with water.
Bob

My dad used to freeze fish this way. Perhaps this is common. (?) I should ask him where he learned it.

[Fiskadoro]

Originally Posted by dsafety

I do not have the freezer space to try this method but I bet it would easily work as well as the vac bags do. Someone should give it a try.

I thought I might as well pass on the way I do it. I usually just cut off the head and gut them then cut off the tail. Then I roll the whole fish with the skin still on in butcher papper and freeze it whole. So essentually my freezer is filled with logs of fish.

When I want to eat that fish I thaw the whole thing out, cut it up into steaks, choose what I want for dinner then package the rest in zip locks and eat it over a month or so. Now that I have a food saver I sometimes seal the ziplock bags with it just to get a good seal if It's a big fish with lots of packages, but since I usually don't let them sit long I seldom use the foodsaver bags on the steaks.

There's nothing new in this it's sort of the way the Japanese do it, to protect meat quality.



The skin stops the meat from oxidizing so you can store fish a ridiculously long time this way. I've had yellowfin and yellows that got buried and sat for over a year in my freezer and when I thawed them out they were still sashimi quality.

In fact I probably still have some yellowfin in my freezer right now from the summer before last that will still be good enough to BRBQ, and probably still are sashimi grade.

Basically the only part that get's old or oxidizes is the exposed flesh, which is the same principle of the freezing in water idea. You keep the air off of it, and keep it solidly frozen it lasts.

I just find leaving them whole is the easist method to keep the air off of the meat.

Jim

[tagyak]

Originally Posted by dsafety

While I prefer the vac storage method, I remember another method that folks used before this technology was available. If you have a lot of room in your freezer you might consider freezing your fish in a block of ice.

Many years ago, I met an old guy in his 70's. He lived at the foot of Mt. Rainier in Washington. This guy lived off the land to a large degree. He had a cellar in which he stored all the meat and veggies that he grew or caught during the year.

In his cellar, this guy had a couple freezers filled with salmon, steelhead and huge geoduck clams. He stored them all the same way. He took half gallon milk cartons and filled them with water. He would dump a few pieces of fish into each milk carton, making sure that the meat was completely covered with water. The cartons would be labeled and stored away for use during the lean times of the year.

On one mid-winter visit, I was treated to a dinner of geoduck chowder and salmon that still ranks in my memory as one of the best meals I have ever eaten. Both came from his freezer. They tasted as fresh as if they had been harvested hours before.

I do not have the freezer space to try this method but I bet it would easily work as well as the vac bags do. Someone should give it a try.

Bob

i am from washington and my dad did this when we caught fish, but used ziplock bags. (maybe he had learned this from someone in the state.)
i can attest that it does work, but it does take awhile for the ice to melt.