Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Butchering, Cooking, Recipes => Topic started by: 7mmfan on November 20, 2017, 01:28:25 PM

Title: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: 7mmfan on November 20, 2017, 01:28:25 PM: I have always vac sealed all of my meat. A friend of mine uses the Cabelas meat bags that go with the grinders, and the little metal crimps. I just watched a video where someone was stuffing those bags and man it looked like it went fast. Does anyone have experience with these? Does the meat last as long? Are they cost effective? Worth the money to invest in the equipment to go that route?
Title: Re: Groudnm meat packaging options
Post by: C-Money on November 20, 2017, 01:55:42 PM: Burger does great in the burger bags, we twist and close with freezer tape. Lasts a good long while...out to a year or more...found a pack of burger approaching 2 years old in the back of the freezer once, thawed and ate. Was fine.
Title: Re: Groudnm meat packaging options
Post by: jrebel on November 20, 2017, 02:22:54 PM: We have had many a butchered animal packaged this ways (years back) and it always worked great. Easily last 2 years in a 0 degree freezer. Now that we butcher our own....we use the costco plastic wrap and butcher paper method, very cheap and last equally as long. Also very easy. :tup:
Title: Re: Groudnm meat packaging options
Post by: Lightning_Rider on November 20, 2017, 02:37:00 PM: We stuff into the meat bags and have the tape dispenser, i like the tape dispenser better than the metal clamps. The meat bags do get pin holes occasionally especially they are moved around or bumped into eachother. But overall they are great, easy to stuff into and last a long time.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: 7mmfan on November 20, 2017, 03:30:02 PM: I'm trying to find a more time/cost effective route than the food saver. Stuffing and sealing those takes forever, and they're expensive, even the cheap generic ones. Might look into this.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: Stein on November 20, 2017, 03:38:29 PM: The plastic tube bags work great and are cheap. I am working through my stockpile of 1 lb bags and will switch to 2 lb bags because my kids are growing and we pretty much don't do anything with 1 lb. The tape dispenser works great, I haven't used anything else.

When you fill them, run the meat through the grinder and out a sausage tube, without the grinder blades and plate if you can do that with your grinder. Filling them by hand isn't much fun.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: 7mmfan on November 20, 2017, 03:48:34 PM: Quote from: Stein on November 20, 2017, 03:38:29 PM
The plastic tube bags work great and are cheap. I am working through my stockpile of 1 lb bags and will switch to 2 lb bags because my kids are growing and we pretty much don't do anything with 1 lb. The tape dispenser works great, I haven't used anything else.

When you fill them, run the meat through the grinder and out a sausage tube, without the grinder blades and plate if you can do that with your grinder. Filling them by hand isn't much fun.

We have the 3/4 HP Cabelas grinder, with all the attachments, just need to get the bags and tap dispenser I guess. After watching the video and how fast they moved, it looks like a guy could do 3 or 4 bags in the time it takes me to weigh/stuff/seal one vac seal bag.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: Stein on November 20, 2017, 03:58:50 PM: If you want to save time on the weighing, either don't weigh the bags or weigh one and make note of how far you have to fill the other bags and you will be pretty close.

The main factor in how fast you can go is how fast you can get already ground meat through the grinder.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: Twispriver on November 20, 2017, 04:08:36 PM: I've been using the bags for a few years and it saves a lot of time and money over the vacuum sealer - I buy twist ties at cash & carry instead of tape and that also works good
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: Lightning_Rider on November 20, 2017, 04:19:01 PM: If you have a sausage stuffer, load it with your ground meat and stuff into bags... if not, buy a sausage stuffer and enjoy! I would recommend 2lbs bags, you can still stuff 1lbs in them if needed.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: quadrafire on November 20, 2017, 07:53:08 PM: Run the ground directly into bags. Vacuum
Seal press flat and makes for easy storage. :dunno:
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: grundy53 on November 20, 2017, 08:12:38 PM: Quote from: Lightning_Rider on November 20, 2017, 04:19:01 PM
If you have a sausage stuffer, load it with your ground meat and stuff into bags... if not, buy a sausage stuffer and enjoy! I would recommend 2lbs bags, you can still stuff 1lbs in them if needed.
This is what I do.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: robodad on November 20, 2017, 08:59:24 PM: I use the fold top sandwich bags and double them up. Fill one and flatten then put the other one on opposite direction. They are super cheap for 500 of them and the meat lasts forever almost like being vacuum sealed !
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: ctwiggs1 on November 22, 2017, 03:31:41 PM: I just did all my wild turkeys with these bags and so far so good. The vacuum seal bags are really expensive so I wanted to find a better solution.

I just run the meat through the grinder with the sausage stuffer attached and it pours ground meat into the bag.

Curtis
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: NRA4LIFE on November 22, 2017, 04:05:53 PM: Do what Quad said. If pressed flat, you can thaw them in a matter of minutes. I vacuum seal everything now.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: 7mmfan on November 22, 2017, 04:11:27 PM: I have always vacuum-sealed all my meat, and pressed flat, to make it easier, more efficient storage. But vacuum seal bags are expensive, and time-consuming. The system just looks like a faster, more efficient way to package ground meat.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: NRA4LIFE on November 22, 2017, 05:13:21 PM: If you have a chamber sealer, the bags are pennies on the dollar. Even my heavy 5 mil bags are about 12 cents a piece. Some of my smaller 3 mil bags are as cheap as about 4 cents.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: Bullkllr on November 22, 2017, 05:25:13 PM: Quote from: grundy53 on November 20, 2017, 08:12:38 PM
Quote from: Lightning_Rider on November 20, 2017, 04:19:01 PM
If you have a sausage stuffer, load it with your ground meat and stuff into bags... if not, buy a sausage stuffer and enjoy! I would recommend 2lbs bags, you can still stuff 1lbs in them if needed.
This is what I do.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

:yeah:
I don't have a tape machine, use an old hand tape dispenser.

The standard burger bags are very inexpensive. They aren't as good as vacuum sealing, but we've never had an issue with freezer burn in them. We squeeze all the air out before taping.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: quadrafire on November 22, 2017, 05:32:25 PM: Quote from: 7mmfan on November 22, 2017, 04:11:27 PM
I have always vacuum-sealed all my meat, and pressed flat, to make it easier, more efficient storage. But vacuum seal bags are expensive, and time-consuming. The system just looks like a faster, more efficient way to package ground meat.
Get a chamber sealer you will not be disappointed. I use mine almost daily. Bags are cheap. Vacmaster has a 20% off sale this week I think
http://mailchi.mp/vacmasterfresh/save-like-a-pro?e=61c54908a2
Day 8 the 215 :tup:
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: Buzz2401 on November 28, 2017, 11:04:12 AM: Quote from: Lightning_Rider on November 20, 2017, 04:19:01 PM
If you have a sausage stuffer, load it with your ground meat and stuff into bags... if not, buy a sausage stuffer and enjoy! I would recommend 2lbs bags, you can still stuff 1lbs in them if needed.
:yeah:
We used our grinder to pack burger bags for years and after spending $100 on a 11lb stuffer I would have spent $500 on the stuffer to save the time and energy it does. I also found that by using your grinder to stuff burger bags it starts getting hot.
Title: Re: Ground meat packaging options
Post by: wt on December 12, 2017, 08:10:37 PM: When I use the burger bags, I have a drawer full of bread bag clips that I use for closures. Not a perfect seal but I haven't had any adverse effects using them. Fast and free.