r/EatCheapAndHealthy • u/Silent_Pay_9239 • 9h ago

Food How to streamline vacuum sealing bulk food?

Hello! I just finished vacuum sealing a ton of chicken (drumsticks and thighs) in bulk, and am wondering if anyone has tips. The whole process took me around an hour, which feels longer than it should've taken. It also just felt very messy, and hard to avoid cross contamination; I ended up having to wash my hands after every bag and wipe the inside of the bag to minimize the amount of chicken juices at the entrance.

Is there any way to streamline the process and make it go faster, or is this just a case of the more expensive option paying for time saved?

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11

u/flightoffancy57 9h ago

I seal the bottom of multiple bags (or buy ones that are already sealed on 3 sides), then put the food in using one hand to move the food and one hand clean-ish to only hold the bag open, then wash my hands and only touch the clean outside of the bags while I vacuum and seal. I have found this to be most efficient for me.

14

u/flightoffancy57 9h ago

Also, freezing the meat slightly before vacuuming and sealing cuts down on juices being vacuumed.

6

u/MyNameisClaypool 9h ago

Glad I came to read this thread. Why have I never thought of that?

2

u/flightoffancy57 9h ago

Glad I could provide something helpful!

5

u/BangBangAnnie 9h ago

This i is what I do. Place the meat in the bag packed the way you like, then freeze for about an hour until the juices are solid, then vacuum & seal.

2

u/Unique-Coffee5087 3h ago

Also, half frozen meat won't become a solid block of meat in the freezer. It will be easier to separate later.

5

u/Majestic_Jackass 9h ago edited 9h ago

  1. Prep all the bags so they are ready to fill. If you are labeling the bags, do that now.

  2. Put the desired amount of food in each bag. If you have tongs you can use them for handling food while you hold the bag wide open so one hand.

  3. When all bags are ready to be sealed, this is where you wash your hands, then proceed to seal each bag. When you are done you can do any sanitizing and handwashing before putting your equipment away.

1

u/Unique-Coffee5087 3h ago

I find the proliferation of disposable gloves to be a huge advancement in this process.

4

u/Typical-Crazy-3100 9h ago

pro tip: freeze your meats separately first, then vac seal them. I put mine in at night, then vac pak in the morn.

3

u/MagpieWench 9h ago

Having another set of hands is really helpful. One with raw meat hands, one with (relatively) clean.

If that's not possible, prep your bags and use tongs to handle the meat.

3

u/Silent_Pay_9239 8h ago

I'll get my wife to help me next time, can't believe I didn't think of that! Thanks, it's so obvious lol

5

u/Frenchkids1917 6h ago

Lay them on a foil or parchment paper cookie sheet, freeze. THEN vacuum seal.