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Thread: Vacuum sealed bags

  1. #1
    ronnieandbill
    Guest

    Vacuum sealed bags

    Hi Everyone
    Just wondering what you all think.
    I bought one of those machines that vacuum seal. Put your meat or vegies in and then it takes the air out and seals the bag water tight.
    I've found it pretty good so far for camping and boating. Because the bags are heat sealed they are water tight and you don't need to worry about your meat in the esky and probably the best thing is that you can pack things in portions. You can do lots of stuff in them including stews and pack in the vegies so they don't become waterlogged in the esky. (I keep mine in the esky as they keep better.) With everything being so well sealed you can even use it for your bait. I like to buy a box of pillies and 5 or so kg of fresh squid at a time.
    It takes a little time; 6 to 12 pillies to a bag and the same with the squid depending on the size. everything is packed flat and you don't have to worry about the smell in the esky and I find I don't waste so much doing this. I have refrozen bags I haven't used and they still seem to be ok.
    I purchased mine from an electrical store.( Some camping stores have them but they are more expensive.) They aren't cheap but I reckon they pay for themselves.
    I would be interested to hear if any one has one or has tried one out.

    Cheers
    Ronnieh :

  2. #2

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Ronnie H seen those things a few times and wondered how they go.Looks like they would be useful for so many things.
    Nice to know they work.

  3. #3
    ronnieandbill
    Guest

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Thanks for the reply.
    I find it useful anyway. They keep your food for abit longer than normal and also like I said, there are heaps of uses.
    Even sealed some printouts in them to keep on the boat.
    Cheers
    Ronnie


  4. #4

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Hi

    I have been using these for a fair while now and overall I consider them a camping necessity. In fact you can age meat in the "cryovac" bags as long as you keep cold, the meat will last for ages but I dont have much success with lamb. Dont forget fruit and vegetables will last 3 to 5 times longer when cryovaced. What is useful is to cook a roast or stew cryovac individual portions and put in fridge or freeze when you want to use pop bag into boiling water and eat. If you get cryovac rolls you can shrink dowh your cloths into individual packs and keep them waterproof and dustproof. Cheese, fish,salads all keep well.

    Tony

  5. #5

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    My parents have retired and they buy most of their meat in bulk and vac pac it when they go away (there goes my inheritence). They swear by it, and say it saves them a fortune in fresh meat etc... So I would have to think they are a gr8 thing....

    Anything to make life easier is a good thing.

    Cheers

    Rysa

  6. #6
    ronnieandbill
    Guest

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    I used to get my butcher to cryovac my meat but now I can do it myself.
    I think they are worth investing in. I find not only do things keep better and longer but because I pack everything flat it saves alot of space in the esky and freezer.

    Cheers
    Ronnie

  7. #7

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    How much do these machines cost and are they easy to use? Sounds like a great idea.

  8. #8

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Are these things like the ones you see on those infomercials on the tv?
    Tight lines <*)(((((((((><

  9. #9

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Do you have to buy specific bags for them and if so are they expensive?

  10. #10
    eggbeater
    Guest

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    We went to the Kimberley's in August & took 4 weeks worth of cryovac meat on the trip.
    We saved a lot of money on meat, a few more trips and the machine will have paid for itself.

  11. #11

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Only one i've tried so far is the new larger Foodsaver. A mate brought it snapper fishing.

    Have been very keen to get one of these for a year or two now, but gotta say i was dissapointed.

    We'd cut enough off the roll to put two large (3-4kg fish) fillets, two small (1kilo fish) trunked fish, or 4 small fillets in a bag. After the process of drying the fish of with mountanous quantitys of paper towels, there was still often enough liquid to creep up to the seal and affect it, meaning we'd have to cut the half sealed bit off and start again.
    In the freezer, the performance has been average, with all the bags that have trunked fish (spiky fins) blowing, and some of the fillet bags too (pin and rib bones only).
    Even the bags that had boneless Kingie fillets (about 1.5 kilos to a large bag tend to blow as they are defrosting

    Only used it for the one week, and it's only one brand of machine, but when you take into account we used over two rolls (at $40+ each roll) of bags (i know it's possible to re-use em), i'm gunna stick to my old method of freezer bags wrapped and a few of tucked into large Ziplocks with the air squeezed out.


    Definately can't see how you'd vacuum seal stew? Except with the bowl attachments some of em have. The machine would suck all the sauce into itself trying to do it in bags.

  12. #12
    Barrymundi
    Guest

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Great piece of gear for the kitchen.

    Liquid should be frozen before vacuum. I havn't tried it out for liquids.

    Fish - 8 week old frozen fish is a good as new. Packs fish down really easy and will be great camping.

    Roasts - Buy a large roast and vacuum the left overs for more roasts or cold meat.

    Stir Fry - Vacuum leftovers and take them to work for smoko, no mess and fresh as.

    Mine cost about $220 plus bags at about $45.

    Question = How do you age meat by cryovac?

    Al

  13. #13

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Al,
    You leave it in the fridge, cryovaced for a month or three. It will be a bit pongy when you open it after a couple of months. Let it sit on a plate in the fridge for a day or so to get rid of some of the smell, then, slice it up and throw it on the barby.

  14. #14
    Barrymundi
    Guest

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Come on, that will make my poo funny eating steak 3 months old

  15. #15
    ronnieandbill
    Guest

    Re: Vacuum sealed bags

    Hi

    Mine cost about 220 as said and the bags aren't cheap either. I buy the roles as then you can cut them to size. I am going to experiment with other bags so if my idea works i will let you all know. There must be another type of bag you can use that will not cost as much.

    Apart from that i still think regardless of the cost they do pay for themselves in the long run.

    You can vacuum stews--- stir frys etc. Just don't over fill the bags!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Also the bags are safe to put in microwave. I put a hole in them first of course and defrost or re-heat. Put them on a plate first of course or in the case of your stew put it in a bowl.

    I also re-use the bags.!!!!!!!

    Ronnie



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