Vacuum Sealer

[Spotlite]

I want to know how you can vacuum seal soup or other liquids. When I put up sausage or HB the sealer sucks the moisture out.

You have to semi freeze liquid type stuff about 6 to 12 hours before vac sealing.

Edited: when we used a vac seal we’d freeze soups in zip locks next day we’d just open that zip lock to get trapped air out and vac seal the whole thing.

 

[menhadenman]

I want to know how you can vacuum seal soup or other liquids. When I put up sausage or HB the sealer sucks the moisture out.

I can seal a bag of water in my chamber sealer. It’s magic for real.

 

[Spotlite]

I can seal a bag of water in my chamber sealer. It’s magic for real.

Yup. Chamber sealer is the way to go!

 

[NCHillbilly]

Yup. Chamber sealer is the way to go!

Ferrari makes a fine automobile that will run circles around my truck, too, but I'm not going to go pay a quarter million for one to drive to work and back. In the same vein, I can't see paying nearly a grand for a vacuum sealer unless I'm running a commercial business using it all day every day.

 

[menhadenman]

Ferrari makes a fine automobile that will run circles around my truck, too, but I'm not going to go pay a quarter million for one to drive to work and back. In the same vein, I can't see paying nearly a grand for a vacuum sealer unless I'm running a commercial business using it all day every day.

Very true… but I got my chamber sealer on sale for about $500. Last month I butchered one elk, five deer, 40 lbs of skinned chicken breasts, and maybe 20 fish from the ocean. I still plan on a few more critters over Christmas. I’ll be dog if I mess with a food saver again. Not to say it can’t be done or done well, just not something I’m in for anymore.

After spending the first 30 years of my life well below the poverty line I couldn’t wrap my head around a $400 cooler either. But after burning through about ten $50 coolers I finally got an American made pelican with lifetime warranty.

I’m in the buy once cry once camp these days. Especially since most men in my family don’t make it much past 60 - to each his own tho.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Very true… but I got my chamber sealer on sale for about $500. Last month I butchered one elk, five deer, 40 lbs of skinned chicken breasts, and maybe 20 fish from the ocean. I still plan on a few more critters over Christmas. I’ll be dog if I mess with a food saver again. Not to say it can’t be done or done well, just not something I’m in for anymore.

After spending the first 30 years of my life well below the poverty line I couldn’t wrap my head around a $400 cooler either. But after burning through about ten $50 coolers I finally got an American made pelican with lifetime warranty.

I’m in the buy once cry once camp these days. Especially since most men in my family don’t make it much past 60 - to each his own tho.

If you have the means and that's what you want, sure. You just don't have to have the best to do stuff, though. I think that's one thing that keeps folks from processing their own game, is this idea people perpetuate that you have to have thousands of dollars worth of equipment to butcher a few deer a year. You don't. Does it make it more convenient if you do? Yeah. But, if you're not processing three deer a day every day, you can do just fine without butcher-shop grade equipment. People processed game every day for hundreds of thousands of years with sharp rocks. Is that the best route? No. But there is some middle ground. Most of us aren't turning out hundreds of pounds a day of game meat. I vac-seal hundreds and hundreds of pounds of game, store meat, fish, garden stuff, and such a year without spending a fortune, and I bet mine tastes just as good. Does it take me an hour or two longer here and there? Yeah. So what?
Same with folks who think they have to get a $1200 rod with a $500 reel and $500 waders to get into fly fishing and catch trout. You don't. You can, but you sure don't have to.
BTW, I have a big Coleman cooler that I've been using nearly 20 years. I paid $80 for it. It keeps ice as long or longer as my $400 coolers. It just don't have the redneck glam vibe. It lasts because I don't abuse it. If you burn through a $50 cooler or a $100 vac-sealer a year, you're doing something horribly wrong. I use my inferior vac-sealer about every day too, and one lasts me for years.

 

[B. White]

This is one of those things where there is no best way. You need to use some math with your volumes like other decisions in life. Bags may have come down, but when I was shopping around using chamber bags saved us about $260 per year with the volume we use, so the ROI for the chamber sealer didn’t take very long. This was using a volume on the lower end, so it could be more. We package a lot of stuff in smaller serving sizes ready for a supper. I don’t think you can tell any quality difference over freezer paper for meat, but it is slower and the paper was getting high. Paper is still probably the best way for someone who does a deer or two a year with no garden.

I do still use my $50 cooler that will hold two quartered deer. Frozen milk jugs and bulk ice are cheap enough and I usually wait until Dec. to shoot anything, so it would take a lot longer to recoup the cost of a cooler upgrade when mine is still functional. Would be a different decision for someone who is on a boat all weekend in the summer in FL.

The only food processing equipment we have bought that may not make as much financial sense is a Mock mill. I'd rather eat my own cornmeal and grits and there are no mills left anywhere near me to go to. Fuel cost and time to drive to the nearest one once a year would not be too terrible, but having to drive through ATL would be, so we took the chance on one. My wife uses it 2-3 times a week to make bread, so she is getting more use than she thought she would. We don’t eat out or go on vacations, so it was not a really a great sacrifice for us to eat better quality stuff every day. Some folks are ok with Sunbeam and Martha White.

 

[menhadenman]

If you have the means and that's what you want, sure. You just don't have to have the best to do stuff, though. I think that's one thing that keeps folks from processing their own game, is this idea people perpetuate that you have to have thousands of dollars worth of equipment to butcher a few deer a year. You don't. Does it make it more convenient if you do? Yeah. But, if you're not processing three deer a day every day, you can do just fine without butcher-shop grade equipment. People processed game every day for hundreds of thousands of years with sharp rocks. Is that the best route? No. But there is some middle ground. Most of us aren't turning out hundreds of pounds a day of game meat. I vac-seal hundreds and hundreds of pounds of game, store meat, fish, garden stuff, and such a year without spending a fortune, and I bet mine tastes just as good. Does it take me an hour or two longer here and there? Yeah. So what?
Same with folks who think they have to get a $1200 rod with a $500 reel and $500 waders to get into fly fishing and catch trout. You don't. You can, but you sure don't have to.
BTW, I have a big Coleman cooler that I've been using nearly 20 years. I paid $80 for it. It keeps ice as long or longer as my $400 coolers. It just don't have the redneck glam vibe. It lasts because I don't abuse it. If you burn through a $50 cooler or a $100 vac-sealer a year, you're doing something horribly wrong. I use my inferior vac-sealer about every day too, and one lasts me for years.

You're absolutely correct - I probably butchered my first 30 deer with one of those hand crank, bolt on the counter deals like the shot below. Most of them shot with an inherited 35 Rem with a real piece of junk Bushnell Banner a buddy gave me (I still struggle to get my head around a $1,000 rifle scope when my first 4 guns totaled about that amount). What's that Dolly song - the good old days when times were bad?

I have yet to see any bad advice from @NCHillbilly and judging by your posted meals you dang sure eat better than I do. I'm just sharing where what I would recommend if someone asked me. Not saying it's better or worse just that it was worth the $$$ to me to go one and done

 

[menhadenman]

This is one of those things where there is no best way. You need to use some math with your volumes like other decisions in life. Bags may have come down, but when I was shopping around using chamber bags saved us about $260 per year with the volume we use, so the ROI for the chamber sealer didn’t take very long. This was using a volume on the lower end, so it could be more. We package a lot of stuff in smaller serving sizes ready for a supper. I don’t think you can tell any quality difference over freezer paper for meat, but it is slower and the paper was getting high. Paper is still probably the best way for someone who does a deer or two a year with no garden.

I do still use my $50 cooler that will hold two quartered deer. Frozen milk jugs and bulk ice are cheap enough and I usually wait until Dec. to shoot anything, so it would take a lot longer to recoup the cost of a cooler upgrade when mine is still functional. Would be a different decision for someone who is on a boat all weekend in the summer in FL.

The only food processing equipment we have bought that may not make as much financial sense is a Mock mill. I'd rather eat my own cornmeal and grits and there are no mills left anywhere near me to go to. Fuel cost and time to drive to the nearest one once a year would not be too terrible, but having to drive through ATL would be, so we took the chance on one. My wife uses it 2-3 times a week to make bread, so she is getting more use than she thought she would. We don’t eat out or go on vacations, so it was not a really a great sacrifice for us to eat better quality stuff every day. Some folks are ok with Sunbeam and Martha White.

Speaking of, have you seen the going price on those freeze driers? I saw one at TSC the other day and did a quick ooh and ahh before nearly falling over at the price tag. I hear they're sweet to have but that's next level price.

$80/month for 36 months at 3.99% APR

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/harvest-right-standard-freeze-dryer-black

 

[NCHillbilly]

You're absolutely correct - I probably butchered my first 30 deer with one of those hand crank, bolt on the counter deals like the shot below. Most of them shot with an inherited 35 Rem with a real piece of junk Bushnell Banner a buddy gave me (I still struggle to get my head around a $1,000 rifle scope when my first 4 guns totaled about that amount). What's that Dolly song - the good old days when times were bad?

I have yet to see any bad advice from @NCHillbilly and judging by your posted meals you dang sure eat better than I do. I'm just sharing where what I would recommend if someone asked me. Not saying it's better or worse just that it was worth the $$$ to me to go one and done

View attachment 1273338

Like I said, if you have the means, go for it. It's just not necessary to have the best to do the job, and don't let not being able to afford the best keep you from trying to do your own meat. It's not a requirement, it's just more convenient.

 

[Spotlite]

Ferrari makes a fine automobile that will run circles around my truck, too, but I'm not going to go pay a quarter million for one to drive to work and back. In the same vein, I can't see paying nearly a grand for a vacuum sealer unless I'm running a commercial business using it all day every day.

While true - after running through 3 top end vac sealers around $200 each……..I couldn’t justify buying another.

We raise our own meat so for us it was a long term investment. One to two steers, few hogs, 150 chickens, 40 to 60 rabbits, fish plus deer…….. also timing…….you can chamber seal a lot faster.

If I were just using it like most are I couldn’t justify buying a chamber sealer.

 

[B. White]

Speaking of, have you seen the going price on those freeze driers? I saw one at TSC the other day and did a quick ooh and ahh before nearly falling over at the price tag. I hear they're sweet to have but that's next level price.

$80/month for 36 months at 3.99% APR

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/harvest-right-standard-freeze-dryer-black

I've never looked at em, but heard they were high. Freeze dried supper doesn't sound appealing to me. Young girl at the dentist office was talking about it, but she is more of the prepper type. I'd rather just plan on eating what is canned or in season, if things get that bad.

 

[NCHillbilly]

While true - after running through 3 top end vac sealers around $200 each……..I couldn’t justify buying another.

We raise our own meat so for us it was a long term investment. One to two steers, few hogs, 150 chickens, 40 to 60 rabbits, fish plus deer…….. also timing…….you can chamber seal a lot faster.

If I were just using it like most are I couldn’t justify buying a chamber sealer.

Yep. Just saying that you aren't the normal vac sealer user, and 99% of folks aren't doing that. They are sealing up a few deer and fish and veggies and store meat a year. And they probably ain't justified in laying out a grand for a vac sealer. I don't raise all that, but I do more than most, I'd say, and I have a good-sized chest freezer that stays slap full of stuff I seal with my cheap one, and it works for me. I can buy eight of the ones I have for what one chamber model costs. That's a lot of years of sealing.

 

[menhadenman]

One last suggestion - I just picked up 1,000 chamber bags from this place. They are far better than the last batch and the pricing was solid.

Those thin/cheap bags are terrible with stuff that has bones/sharp edges (like some fish).

 

[NCHillbilly]

One last suggestion - I just picked up 1,000 chamber bags from this place. They are far better than the last batch and the pricing was solid.

Those thin/cheap bags are terrible with stuff that has bones/sharp edges (like some fish).

View attachment 1273347

The thing that gives me more fits than anything else: I like to vac-seal many messes of cleaned, whole crappie every year. Those sharp fins are rough on vac bags.

 

[Spotlite]

I’ve also used the poultry heat shrink bags on deer shoulders, roast, etc.

They come in various sizes. Just another option to consider for large cuts of meat.

 

[Spotlite]

The thing that gives me more fits than anything else: I like to vac-seal many messes of cleaned, whole crappie every year. Those sharp fins are rough on vac bags.

And fingers!!!

 

[Batjack]

You're absolutely correct - I probably butchered my first 30 deer with one of those hand crank, bolt on the counter deals like the shot below. Most of them shot with an inherited 35 Rem with a real piece of junk Bushnell Banner a buddy gave me (I still struggle to get my head around a $1,000 rifle scope when my first 4 guns totaled about that amount). What's that Dolly song - the good old days when times were bad?

I have yet to see any bad advice from @NCHillbilly and judging by your posted meals you dang sure eat better than I do. I'm just sharing where what I would recommend if someone asked me. Not saying it's better or worse just that it was worth the $$$ to me to go one and done

View attachment 1273338

Talk about saving money not time... me and a buddy took a old hand grinder .. like in your pic...left in is GrandMa's kitchen when he moved in.. bolted it to a old cut'n board.. bolted a e-motor off a old compressor from the barn.. big wheel on grinder.. small on motor with a Chevy alt. belt between. That was 30 years ago and he's still using it.. takes a hour (or 5) to grind up a whole deer, but they make it into a family affair with everyone having their own job and talk'n, cut'n up.. things most families don't take time to do any more. His wife bought him a "real" grinder for Christmas 5 years ago.. still in the closet.. till this breaks down.