Food Saver ??

[Buckcountry]

I am thinking about buying a food saver vacuum. Does anyone have any advice or recommendations on which one to buy. I am looking at the Food Saver V2220. I have never used one but thought it would be nice for packaging venison. Any particular one I should not buy? Thanks

[LOTWSvirgin]

They are great I got a V2440 The only ploblem I have had with it is useing cheap bags and water or blood being sucked out when vacuuming the bag if that happens you dont get a good seal besides that there awesome

[tweedlap]

They are the geatest.

Tip: If you game or fish is too moist, dry it a little on paper towels before vac sealing.

tweed

[so haaad]

The only ploblem I have had with it is useing cheap bags and water or blood being sucked out when vacuuming the bag if that happens you dont get a good seal besides that there awesome

This is definitely a problem for all liquids, including maranades. One trick is to freeze it first in a standard bag or ziploc. Then when the liquid, marinade, etc, is frozen you transfer it over to the food saver for vacuuming.

[fivebucks]

Another tip. I put the meat or fish on wax paper on cookie sheets and freeze it for a couple of hours. No problem then with blood or water being sucked in.

[huntnfish]

I wasn't sold on the whole foodsaver thing until a couple of years ago when I recieved one as a gift. It is the best thing I have found for freezing game. I haven't had problems with freezer burn since using it. I don't know what model I have, but it has settings for moist food which keeps the sealer on longer to make sure it seals even if there is liquid in seal.

[BD110]

Another thing you can do is after removing most of the moisture with a paper towel you can fold another paper towel and place it above the food being sealed. When you vacuum and seal it will pull the remaining moisture through the paper towel before the seal. Yes the paper towel will be sealed inside the bag but I have never had any problem with that. After the seal is made take another paper towel and remove any moisture that may have made it through the seal and then give the bag a second vacuum and seal. Clear as mud?? It's something that will become second nature after you use your food sealer over time.

[tweedlap]

BD110.....more great tips....I often do the same with mine.

When I catch a good sale on steak, chops or cheese etc, I buy it in bulk and seal it up.

They work great for garden vegies and fish fillets, too.

tweed

[BobT]

Here's a trick I use when sealing high moisture items. My model provides a button to choose between dry or moist items. In moist mode, the heater stays on longer to form a better seal even though wet. In extreme cases, I let it seal once but don't release the pressure. I wait for about a half minute and press the seal button again so it goes through the heating cycle an extra time. Usually does the trick.

[Buckcountry]

Thanks for the tips. Do you guys have the type with the bags inside the machine or bags on the outside.

We usually butcher a few deer at a time, would it take a long time to vacuum all this meat, or is it a pretty speedy process?

Thanks

[picksbigwagon]

I have one as well, if you have your bags made up ahead of time, I don't think it would take any longer than double wrapping the meat in butcher paper....I vaccuum my venison up and from start to finish, it probably takes 30-45 mintues including making the bags, chopping out the loins and cleaning up

[BLACKJACK]

Another thing you can do is after removing most of the moisture with a paper towel you can fold another paper towel and place it above the food being sealed. When you vacuum and seal it will pull the remaining moisture through the paper towel before the seal.

Thats how I do it too!! Plus drying it out between paper towels before I throw it in the bag. Works for fish too.

When you buy your vacumn packer, make sure it holds the roll and has a cutter on it, lots easier!!! You'd be amazed how tough it is to cut a straight line with a scissors!!!

Love my vacumn packer!!! No more freezer burnt game and fish!! If it quit tomorrow I'd go buy another one!

[Cicada]

I have one too and love it. Last years venison looks and tastes as fresh as it did last November. It does take a little longer to process using the sealer, but worth the effort.

My cousin got one too and found that it does not work well for her fresh baked buns. Squished them down to nothing.

[BD110]

As long as we are giving out the hot tips. Most may or may not know this. If you are trying to seal something that is mostly fluff as an example grated cheese, I have not tried fresh buns. After hitting the vacuum and seal button you can hit the hit the seal button during the process thus stopping the vacuum process and straight to the seal step. That way you will not turn your grated cheese into a newly formed block of cheese. We buy grated cheese in bulk and make smaller packs and it works out very well.

Not sure how easy that is to follow. Maybe we'll have to set up some food sealing seminars at some of our get-togethers.

[gizmoguy]

Here is something I do. wrap all the meat in butcher paper and freeze. Then take 3-6 packages and vacuum bag them together in a large bag usally made from a roll of bag material. Open the bags as you use the meat up. A couple of weeks without the vacuum bag is no big deal as far as freezer burn goes. Saves alot of money. They never tell you about the cost of the bags. The meat gets the same long term protection from freezer burn and since no raw meat contacted the bag they are reusable. The meat is frozen and easy to seal.