Sealer tips

[negolien]

Hey All,

Not sure if this is right spot for this. I got my inkbird sealer and stock bags. I had no issues with meat and stuff but I had issues with fruit. I froze some strawberries I had cut in half without any juices. When I thawed em out in the fridge they ended up mushy and full of water. looked ok when I sealed em and they were frozen. I didn't open em till they were defrosted. Any sealer tips I should know about?

 

[TNJAKE]

I take all fruits and vegetables out of vac bag to thaw. I freeze asparagus alot and was having a similar issue. Now I remove and thaw on paper towels. Was a game changer

 

[negolien]

I take all fruits and vegetables out of vac bag to thaw. I freeze asparagus alot and was having a similar issue. Now I remove and thaw on paper towels. Was a game changer

ty

 

[tropics]

What Jake said open the bag so the vac doesn't crush them
Richie

 

[PolishDeli]

When I thawed em out in the fridge they ended up mushy and full of water.

This isnt caused by vac sealing. Its caused by freezing. Water expends when it freezes, rupturing cell walls.
Freezer-frozen fruit will always thaw to mush. Getting crushed in a vac bag only makes the problem worse.
Still good for preserves and smoothies though.

 

[SmokinAl]

We freeze red grapes all the time, but just in regular zip lock bags. They are really good frozen. We Eat them quick enough that we don’t have to worry about freezer burn. If you have never had frozen grapes, try them, they are addictive!
Al

 

[m10man]

I have not actually tried it, but saw it done by Alton Brown on Food Network.
Flash freeze using dry ice
1) Prepackage/portion into bags but don't seal the bags
2) Put bags into container with dry ice; a cooler works well
3) After a few minutes it should be frozen solid
4) Vac seal the bag and place in freezer
A couple of things to remember; dry ice will cause burns, use heavy gloves
The dry ice works better if broken into smaller pieces
Don't lean over the container and breathe in

 

[Fueling Around]

We don't vac pack any fruit. Wife spreads them out on a baking pan so the berries all freeze separately.
Pour into a zip freezer bag.

 

[bregent]

We freeze red grapes all the time, but just in regular zip lock bags. They are really good frozen. We Eat them quick enough that we don’t have to worry about freezer burn. If you have never had frozen grapes, try them, they are addictive!
Al

Yeah, they're a great summertime treat - very refreshing on a hot day.

 

[indaswamp]

Love frozen grapes! We bring them on the boat fishing!