Vac-Sealing Fresh Meat?

[wade]

 
Wait, so vac seal meat turns brown?  That sucks.  I was thinking about getting one of these sealers for fish I catch.  Is there anyway around this?

Guess what colour cooked meat turns...

 

[mummel]

 
Guess what colour cooked meat turns...

The wife doesnt care!

 

[rgautheir20420]

 
The wife doesnt care!

mummel, if it's an consolation, my dad used to freeze trout he caught in the lake all the time when we went fishing in New Orleans. We'd catch then clean and filet when we got home. He patted them dry and popped them into a freezer bag and into the freezer. Never had any of them turn any other color than the pale color of fish meat when it went into the freezer.

I don't know if oxidation effects fish meat different than red meat, but that's my experience. 

 

[mummel]

From Food Saver: When red meat is vacuum packaged, it tends to turn a darker shade of brown due to the lack of oxygen in the bag. The contents are perfectly safe for eating.

 

[mummel]

Can you vac seal zip lock bags (not using those pumps, but push the plastic bag into the Food Saver, have it melt the plastic, and then just tear off the zip lock part)?  I have a bunch of zip locks at home that I can normally find on clearance deals. 

 

[rgautheir20420]

A quick google search shows youtube videos on how to vac seal a zip lock bag but I wouldn't trust it. The bags are cheap and I have things leak out of them. 

 

[mummel]

You talking about the pump or actually using the vac seal itself?  Some newer sealers come with a pump.

I was asking if you use the vac seal itself (not the pump), to seal a ziplock, below the zip lock, so the plastic melts and the zip becomes redundant.  Does this work?

 

[rgautheir20420]

I knew what you meant and I've no idea. I used actual vac seal bags. I don't see a purpose in using bags not meant to be vac sealed. 

However, I'm sure it can be done. The reason most vac seal bags have ridges are so the sealer can creat a vacuum. I use a chamber type model. I'm sure there's a work around to be able to seal bags without ridges with a chamber style sealer. Heck...that's hot the UMAI bags works with the UMAI mouse thing. 

 

[mummel]

The new Food Savers allow you to create your own sized back.  They plastic comes in a big roll and it uses a blade to cut off the size of the bag you want.  You seal one end, then turn it around to vac seal the other end.  I'm sure this would work with a zip lock bag.  The only variable is the plastic being a different material.  Not sure if that matters.

 

[rgautheir20420]

I added a link to a youtube video showing how to do it. Not sure what else do other than go give it a shot yourself.

 

[mummel]

TY

 

[timberjet]

 
The new Food Savers allow you to create your own sized back.  They plastic comes in a big roll and it uses a blade to cut off the size of the bag you want.  You seal one end, then turn it around to vac seal the other end.  I'm sure this would work with a zip lock bag.  The only variable is the plastic being a different material.  Not sure if that matters.

I have been using those rolls for years and years. That's the only way to buy it cheap.