Vacuum Sealing Ground Meat for Freezing with FoodSaver
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- In this quick how-to video, I'm breaking up a large package of ground beef from the store and vacuum-sealing them with my FoodSaver machine. This allows me to store a lot of meat, relatively flat, in the freezer. Follow these simple steps to preserve and freeze your extra ground meat.
FoodSaver FM2000 Vacuum Sealer Machine
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Vacuum Seal Bags (two 50-ft rolls)
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Pro Tip: roll them flat with a rolling pin after you seal them up and you can stack them easier in your fridge... It also takes thaw time down to minutes vs hours if you submerge them in water.
Are you saying:
1. Seal the meat first
2. And then roll the meat flat while it’s in the sealed bag?
Note: I’m asking because I’m about to buy a vacuum food sealer and I’m learning as much as possible before purchasing.
@@CheezeTank Yes. And if youre buying a vac sealer get a Sous Vide too...
The only thing I do differently is that I put the meat in cheap sandwich bags first & then into the vacuum bags. That way the vacuum bag stays cleaner & can be reused with just a quick soapy washing. I've used bags 2, 3, 4 times. I'm frugal LOL
Is all the air still drawn out of the inner bag?
@@shuumai Yep. I use the fold down kind of sandwich bags, not the zipper kind. Just put the meat or whatever in the cheap bag, fold down the top and then put in the vacuum bag. It works great!
Are cheap sandwich bags actually safe for use in a freezer next to meat? I stopped using plastic bags because of the leaching of chemicals.
@@earthmagic1 I'm old as dirt, and I figure I've made it this far without plastic leaching killing me 🙂. But seriously, I really don't know how packaging stuff like I do affects anything. I suppose I should.
Freezer bags work great also. Just cut off the end
The manufacturers recommend partially freezing first before sealing. I divide my meat using a scale, put it in the bag, then in the freezer for almost 2 hours, then seal it. It's still soft enough to squish more but the machine won't pull liquid out.
Great informative content ,
I just found Beef chuck roasts on Sale at Kroger , we bought alot , 8 packages about 4 pounds each , Im gonna cut some up for stew meat, chili, stir fry strips etc...also our oldest son went and got some for his home and he is grounding the beef chuck roasts into hamburger meat , since hamburger is $4.99-$5.99 a pound ...
He bought us a freezer saver last Christmas and Im finally using it , we have been looking for a farmer to go halves on 1/2 cow & pig ...Thats why he bought us the food saver ,
Thank you & God bless you
Mrs josette Tharp Montgomery County, Texas 🙏🙏🙏🙏🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻🌻
What I do to prevent meat touching outside of bag is to fold the bag down before putting the meat in, unfold & seal thanks for the video 👍🏻
Well, you're not gonna eat the bag, so I wouldn't worry as much -- if it were me. A little salmonella won't kill you.
Thank you for this info. I bought a sealer a couple months ago when Aldi had them as a feature item. I haven't used it yet. This was helpful.
I buy hamburger in bulk from Costco (6-7 lbs. packages) then in one afternoon, brown most or all of it in a skillet (usually with peppers and onion added) on the stove then divide, seal and freeze the browned meat. I generally cool it in the refrigerator before sealing it to keep the juices from being sucked out of the bag.
The browned meat is easily thawed and can be used for spaghetti, sloppy joe, chili or many other things without having to take the time to brown the meat each time I want to use some. This has worked well for me.
And it's just that simple, folks. Thanks for the video, Great Lakes.
My first time with a sealer. You make it look so easy. Thanks!
Thanks Bobby, I'm glad my video was helpful!
We spread ground meat out about 3/4" thick on a baking sheet, divide it in burger size squares using a dough scraper and pre-freeze it before breaking the meat up along the cut lines as desired and then vacuum seal it. Doing it this way takes up a lot less space in the freezer and it thaws much quicker than big chunks.
I lay the bags on a cookie sheet for about an hour in the freezer before sealing. That way the sealer doesn’t suck all of the juices out of the meat.
Oh, great idea! Thank you
Thank you! Best instructions ever! Threw out the first machine…. Got another one and I was almost ready to put it in the trash today! So frustrating!!! But after watching your tutorial…. I totally nailed it!! THANK YOU!!
Glad I watched; got a good deal on 4x of 3lbs. of fresh ground beef, sealed the first two whole, all three, ( 3 ) pounds; then figured since they sealed up real good; l should look for some veteran tips. The other six, ( 6 ) pounds I divided into one ( 1 ) pound for taco's or whatever, and I will use the 3lbs. for meatloaf, chili or spaghetti, cause even though it's just my wife and I, all four kids are moved snd married; they miss the big, ( mandatory ) dinners on Sunday, ( at least one day to get caught up with each other ), and even though they often just swing by to pick some up to take to their home, they do a mini catchup on a regular basis. Guess,, after doing that every Sunday for a couple of decades, it gets carried on as a family tradition, and keeps family bonds pretty tight. Thanks for the quality content and actionable information.
Peace
I just opened my new FoodSaver today. Thank you for a great video! I’ve never used a sealer before.
Thanks Lori. I really love mine. My freezer is packed with vacuum-sealed stuff!
Good morning, again your demo is easy to follow and will help others. I use my vacuum sealer a lot. I agree flattening is a great trip. Also, when I don't want an item flat, because the consistency changes (sloppy joes), I will freeze in something else, take it out of what I froze it in and seal it. That way the consistency is the same when thawed. Blessings Great Lakes.
Excellent demo! Very easy to follow. Can’t wait to get started.
Thanks Lydia
Thank you so very much for all your help 🎉😊
I would definitely make a note that it's 80/20. Or Ground Beef 80/20, along with the date. I have found that a lot of things start to look alike after a while, and one time I thawed cookie dough balls thinking they were meatballs. I INTENDED to go back and label them, but forgot, and had to thaw meatballs quickly as well as cook that dough and eat it up! I reuse my vac seal bags until they don't work, then save some to cut into pieces to use to seal non-vac seal bags (see CZcams for how to do that), or to put the meat in inside the bag that actually gets sealed. I usually at least wrap my messy things like meat in some plastic wrap or repurposed grocery or produce bags just to make cleaning and reusing easier. Thanks for the video.
Chopmeat in a tube is highly compressed as it is. If you vacuum seal without partially freezing you are further compressing it. Burgers or chili or tacos might be fine but don't use it for meatballs or meatloaf because chopped meat overworked will be hard and tough.
Yes!! I’m still trying to figure out how to freeze ground beef without compressing it so much or how to tenderize it for cooking after it’s been compressed (perhaps bought already vacuum sealed in 1 in packages)
A very good description. Thx. 👊😎
Hi, a small tip, flatten them with the cutting board for real flat packages
Before sealing? Or after?
May seem like a dumb question but I’m looking to buy a vacuum food sealer and I’m doing my homework before I purchase.
before is the easiest @@CheezeTank
@@hanspijpers2100 Thank You 🙏
I just purchased my FoodSaver today. I'm doing something wrong because it isn't vacuuming/sealing. I'm probably not putting it in properly, but this video helped me to see where you put yours, so I will try again tomorrow. I flatten my meat as well for saving space. Great video! Thanks.
Yea, the machine is pretty particular about where you place the edge of the bag. I have to make sure the edge is overhanging the plastic groove/drip tray. If it's overlapping/covering it too much, it won't work.
Also, make sure your bag edge is straight. Place your straight edged bag in between the two black rubber washers located on your machine. I place my bag edge in or on the drip tray. Works every time.
Straight forward tutorial thank you
Even if you do get raw meat on the outside of the bag, after sealing, you can easily wash it off. You just don't want any food debris inside the bag near the sealing area.
I love this machine i used mine a lot . I would season the meat first then seal it that way all i to do is defrost it and cook it 😁
One thing i do when sealing in order to keep the top clean and keep track of how much i can fill my bags is that i "flip the lip" as i like to say. Just turn the top of it on the outside like 1 inch from the top it also makes it open up a but easier so you dont need 3 hands to fill them easily.
Vac sealers are amazing for what you just did. Much cheaper to buy in bulk and separate yourself.
I don’t have a machine however my buddies tell me to never let juice get sucked up in machine or it will ruin the vacuum pump. Looks like effective method for longer storage. Thanks, Paul J.
To prevent the "juice" problem when vacuum-packing meats, it helps (a lot) to >partially< pre-freeze them, in the unsealed vacuum bag. Also, don't over-pack the bags or use bags that are too small for the amount of meat in each.
Oh, and I also roll down the top 2" or so of each bag before I put the meat in. In case its an odd or large shape, and rubs against the side of the plastic on the way in, the part which will be sealed is protected from picking-up any grease/fat or juices. When the meat is packed, I unroll the rolled-back part, vacuum and seal, and its all "good to go"!
The company that makes my sealer (LEM) sells the absorbent pads like you find under your meat when you get it from the store. I place some above the meat and below where it seals to catch the juice before before it's sucked into the machine. A box of 250 sells for about $10 and change and definitely worth it.
The wife says they're my MaxiPads.
@@davidangelamelcher9591 thank you for that information.
How about just keeping the meat in its original wrapper. Just poke a few holes in the meat’s plastic package so the air can escape. Then place the packaged meat into a food saver bag and vacuum seal the packaged meat. By not unwrapping your meat there would be no blood. It may also be more sanitary.
The more I watch the more I am convinced to get one. Plus, I'm considering buying a multi-cooker with a 'Sous Vide' function which cooks vacuum sealed foodstuffs in seconds. Ideal for someone like me who lives alone.
I will have to look into that. I am a vegetarian and some meat for my son goes to waste either in the fridge or gets freezer burn. I got a cheap sealer from an online site just to see if I can do the vacuum sealing. I'm 76 years old and I don't catch on to new things very easily anymore, and I can't find the answer to one of the questions about the bags that came with the sealer. I wanted to know if I could put the bags in boiling water like the boil in bags that I used to get years ago. I also wanted to know if they could go into the microwave. It only came with 10 bags so I bought a package that had 100 in it. They might just be for sealing dry goods up. Should have just saved and bought a good Seal A Meal, I guess.
@@nancysmith6685 Yes, you can heat it (if it is already cooked) in a pot filled with water. First, pull the frozen bag out of freezer. Second, put into cold water in the sink to get it to start de-thawing. Third, boil some water. Fourth, put it into boiling for 3 minutes (usually). Fifth, turn down the fire temperature to a simmer and let the bag simmer for 10 minutes (maybe). Sixth, pull it off and cut it open. It should be done. But, if you put into microwave, then it's gonna cook it and will make it a little leathery. But, using boiling bags, you'll keep it in its original state.
@@nancysmith6685 Also, there are a lot of videos on CZcams that cover the topic, but I hope that I summed it up for you.
Cool, that’s awesome 👏, thanks for sharing.
You're welcome Barbara!
I do the same thing! Always cheaper in bulk. I also do 1/2 pounds so I can mix half and half beef and pork, or half Italian sausage for homemade pizza.
Great video and great information
Awesome bro i bought one and want to start vacuum sealing all my meat cause I waste a lot so thank you bro
I ate some chili from my freezer that was 5 years old tasted the same as when I froze it.
I love mine
it's actually good that you cut it that long. I can see the blood trying to seep out as you vacuum seal the meat.
Making it flat so they can stack easier is a good tip. Also I feel it will defrost faster?
But you end up compressing the meat so much that it’s tough when you cook it
Do you find you use the 8" bags more than 11?
When I try to not waste plastic off the roll, I ruin the bag every time, I just over do it a little bit & it’s closer than I thought
You could always turn the top of the bag inside out
Any time I seal any type of beef, it doesn't seem to keep well in my deep freeze. I don't have this issue with any other meats. I'm so confused. I also double seal by bags about 1 inch apart from the original seal.
That's very strange, Melissa. Can you describe what you mean by the beef not keeping well?
Thanks gor the demo. Can you suggest what machine and bags I should purchase? Happy Trails!
Thanks Terry. I put a couple links in the video description to the machine and bags I use.
Morning! Just researching a vacuum sealer now. Are you pleased with this one? It looks easy. I wonder if you wished you had picked up a different type...
Hi Holly. I'm very happy with my machine. I've had it for years, and it's worked solid the entire time. They make much bigger versions, but this one works great. I'm sure one day I'll wear it out, but it's been probably 8 years and it seems to be going strong. I'll buy another if this one ever dies. I will say I'm a big fan of the FoodSaver brand, and am wary of the knock-off/no-name versions.
@@GreatLakesPrepping thanks!!
AMAZING! The video clearly shows they were vacuum-sealed way back on January 18, 2021, and the meat STILL looks as fresh as the day there were sealed!
Been using a vacuum sealer for at least 15 years. Use to freeze meats. I also break the 3 lb hamburger rolls into 1lb bags. But, your bag sizes are immense! Never did them that big. Your sizes are twice as big as I've ever done, and I've done this for years.
you really needed to write 2021...lol
I flat my ground beef and i keep getting little air pockets…..not sure what i’m doing wrong
Is it normal to get little white air looking crystal pockets around the meat after vacuum sealing and freezing? Just tried the first time yesterday and noticed a bunch of white crystal spots and I feel it was sealed good
It's possible that some frost/freezer burn is forming in any tiny gaps around the meat. I generally don't see much of that on my vacuum-sealed meat, even after it's been in the freezer for a long time.
@@GreatLakesPrepping maybe I’ll buy a better vacuum sealer. The one I’m using I got for Xmas. Thanks for answering
Wow , I learned a lot from this video!
I bought one of these for the first time ever .
November 2023 .
I love it and am still learning things I can do from such videos as this and people's comments on here .
The only problem I have is, when I stack the chicken breasts in the freezer, after they freeze , they keep sliding off the stack .
Question .
Can I put all of the vacuumed chicken breasts or what ever in a big bag after they are frozen in the vacuum sealed bags ?
That way they won't keep sliding off .
HELP !
😇🙏
Thanks for your comment!
To answer your question: Yes, can certainly do that. It will not hurt anything at all. They're already all individually bagged, so tossing them all into a big zip-lock or bigger vacuum bag is totally fine.
@@GreatLakesPrepping
Thank you so much for your quick reply !
God bless you .
🤗🙏
Does meat need to be thawed first? I have a bunch of frozen meat, veggies and fruit in the deep freeze and want to vac seal all of it.
It doesn't have to be thawed first. If it's already frozen, definitely don't thaw it for the only purpose of re-freezing!
Vacuum sealing works best when done with fresh meat and frozen, because it's protecting the meat from Day 1. But if you've already got it frozen, definitely don't thaw it before vacuum-sealing.
I just used my Food Saver vacuum sealer for ground beef for the 1st time. It was a total mess! I had blood squeezing from the package. I didn't flatten it out, so I don't know if that made a difference, but any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
All i can think is that you packed the bag too full maybe? Leave plenty of room near the opening of the bag.
@@GreatLakesPrepping Each pack was 1 lb. I think flattening them out, as you did, may help. I could also see if there is any liquid inside (pouring over the sink) before sealing. I'm not giving up though! Thanks for your advice!
Have you considered keeping your meat in the original wrapper. Just punch a few holes in the plastic wrap so air can escape. Place the packaged meat in your food saver bag. Then vacuum seal the bag. You should not get any blood doing it this way. It may also be more sanitary.
Some other commenters have suggested freezing it first for a couple hours to prevent any liquid from getting sucked out
Is it best to buy the packaged ground beef or fresh from the meat case?
On the topic of vacuum sealing ground meat to freeze, it makes no difference. As long as it's not expired.
Hello, every time I seal my ground beef, it seems like a little air is still there. I am still able to move the meat within the bag. Is this normal?
Hi Destiny. There could be a little air trapped in or around the meat. A little bit shouldn't be a problem, as long as the seal is good. Since ground meat is flexible, I can sometimes feel like there is wiggle-room. But if you are seeing big pockets of air, that's probably not good. Try testing your bags and machine by sealing something that isn't squishy. Maybe like a raw carrot or your car keys or something. If it seems like the bag is pulled tightly around all sides of the thing, your machine is probably fine.
@@GreatLakesPrepping Thank you for answering. It’s brand new and I sealed all of my beans and it worked perfect. Definitely no big pockets of air, but some tiny small ones and wiggle room. Thank you again!
Which machine do you have? I'm looking for one that deals wet & dry foods.
Hi June. I put a link to my machine in the video description if you'd like to take a look.
I use a scale to weigh out 1lb put it in the bag, flatten it out and use a rolling pin to flatten it out more and make sure the burger is not against the bag at the edges so all the air comes out and then seal it
this squishes the meat so much that it’s tough when you eat it
How long Do you estimate this will last in the freezer?
I"m generally comfortable leaving meat in the freezer for a year or so. It can certainly last longer than that if it remains totally frozen, but texture/taste may start to suffer.
Do you have any trouble with the machine sucking up the juice from the meat and if so what do you do to prevent that?
If whatever I'm sealing is super wet, I do sometimes get that happening. Sometimes it's not a problem, other times it will prevent the bag from sealing. They do make special bags with a strip of absorbent material near the opening that prevents the liquid from getting into the machine. Or I've heard some people place a strip of paper towel in there for the same purpose (though I haven't tried this).
@@GreatLakesPrepping okay. Thank you for the prompt answer!
If you roll the top of your bag you dont have to worry about getting dirty.
I'm new to vacuum sealing and the first video I watched said that if you don't freeze the hamburger /patties for about 2 hours before sealing, the vacuum sealer will suck all the juices out and dirty your sealer and the burgers won't taste good.😮
With some very juicy meats, some juices can certainly be sucked out of the bag a bit. With ground meat like this, I've never had that happen.
@@GreatLakesPrepping Thank you
What’s the right way to defrost? Do you just take it out the day before?
Yes, I just put it in the fridge a day or two before I intend to use it.
This is almost exactly what I've done with my food saver, and after 6 months all my ground beef is brown. Do you still use it once it turns brown?
I generally don't have that happen with my vacuum sealed, frozen beef. I have seen it happen when I freeze those tubes of ground meat that beef and venison are often packaged in (and it was in the freezer for well over a year). In any case, it's usually still considered safe as long as it's been totally frozen the whole time. Sometimes the outer layer of the ground meat turns brownish. It's usually a judgement call for me when I've seen that. If it's been under a year, and there's no weird smell or suspicion, I'll scrape that outer brown layer off and use the rest (though I've read that the brown is fine to eat too). As always, if you're unsure about meat...play it safe and toss it.
Ultimately though, you may need to figure out what's going on with your foodsaver, bags, or procedure that this is happening to your meat. I recently found one of the packages of beef in my freezer that I sealed for this video. It's almost a year old, and it's still as red as the day I put it in there.
Good demo, but I would suggest not cutting through the original packaging, unless you are not concerned about contamination from whatever might be on the outside of the package.
I just realise that its better to keep the air in the bag to most minimum before starting the vaccuming
If sealed good and frozen how long does ground beef last?
Technically speaking, it can be safe to eat for years if always completely frozen without interruption. However, taste and texture may start to suffer after some time. My rule of thumb for most frozen meat is to use it within a year or two.
@@GreatLakesPrepping thank you🤙
So I could use some help. I have a food saver and when food sealing meat. The bags never fully seal because there is liquid in the chambers any profits to help get this fixed so my meat will actually keep completely seal and save my meat. This is something I have dealt with since day 1.
Mine started doing this and then it broke. It was fine when I first bought it. I read in another post to hold the below the counter so it doesn’t pull all the liquid out.
Leuke video, maar heb wat advies. Als je door het verpakking wil snijden dan eerst goed de verpakking schoonmaken. Nu had je de verpakking op je plank liggen( bacterien) zitten nu op de plank, toen je het verpakking door sneed gaat de bacterien via jou mes langs je vlees. Beste is verpakking schoonmaken en dan los maken op een schone oppervlakte leggen en van daaruit het vlees in de verpakking doen. Kom niet met je vingers in de verpakking tenzij je schone handen hebt of handschoenen aan. Door het in vriezen gaan de bacterien niet dood maar komen in rust stand en activeren weer bij ontdooien en verwarmen. veel seal plezier. groetjes uit Netherlands
It's a good point. Bacteria from the outside packaging (from handling and sitting on store shelves) is introduced to your meat when you cut through the plastic like that. Though I would say that as long as you cook your meat properly it shouldn't be much of an issue.
Oh yeah, he said you should clean the outside packaging if you really want to cut through it like you did.
Why take the packaging off at all? Just poke a few holes in your plastic packaging and vacuum seal the entire product. No muss, no fuss, no blood.
Is it true that you’re supposed to freeze your meat before vacuum sealing it?
I only freeze meat first if I'm worried about it getting squished by the vacuum/suction. For example, when I make fresh sausages, they're pretty soft, so I freeze them first to make them harder before vacuum-sealing. With ground meat, I'm OK with it getting squished.
@@GreatLakesPreppingbut it then gets really tough when cooked.
my ground beef turned brown after being sealed in fridge ?? freezer stayed nice red what's up ??
Hi Dave. Are you saying your beef turned brown in the fridge, but the beef in the freezer stayed red? If so, your fridge beef likely sat too long in the fridge and went bad. After thawing, you should use meat within 2 or 3 days. Fresh meat from the store, generally around a week.
@@GreatLakesPrepping Hi thank you so much for getting back to me it was brand new Hamburg from the grocery store never frozen cut it up in fours I just asked my girlfriend who knows everything Alexa and it said it turns brown because it is exposed to air maybe I didn't get a good vacuum on it weird ?
@@Dave-tw9ib That is possible, but if the fresh meat was only exposed for a short time while re-packaging, I wouldn't expect it to turn brown until after a few days. That is certainly strange. Any chance it was already kind of old when the store sold it to you?
How come when I do that, the ground beef goes from red to black?
It turns black? In the freezer?
@Great Lakes Prepping yup. Brown. Almost like the vacuum sucked the red blood out. I threw those away. Good thing it wasn't a lot. Yesterday I bought more and tried again and it was OK. Maybe the beef was bad from the start. But idk. I bought it right from a butcher.
cool that you are left handed
I like to think so!
When you said you got a really good price for it, do you mean you sold it to Kroger?
Have anybody tried to use store brands regular zip bags? cut the seal/zip and seal? i will try it next time i use it! should be way way cheaper if works. :)
For a foodsaver-style vacuum seal machine, you have to use the textured bags. Completely smooth bags won't work; the air does not get sucked out of them.
I suggest it's good to write what it is as well as the date. I.e. ..... ckn brst, chk rst, trky- whit mt
10 lb at Walmart much cheaper.
I’ve had several different models of Foodsaver vacuum sealers over the last 15 years. czcams.com/users/postUgkxLarn2Zt7095D2lp3tN-bj5JtYPg3Wz2 I picked up the Nesco unit because it consistently receives top reviews it all across the Internet. Get this if you’re serious about vacuum sealing. This is the most have unit. The only tiny annoyance is not being able to lock the lid when you put it in storage that is such a tiny nitpick however, it’s almost worth not mentioning.
Buy a cheap kitchen scale, much more accurate.
Instead of those vacuum seal bags theres a trick to using cheaper zip lock freezer bags. CZcams it.
With the rolls of vacuum seal bags I use, it ends up being cheaper than ziplocks. They're also thicker and more durable, and ya just can't beat vacuum sealing for food storage.
Worst peace of equipment ever 😢
I would definitely make a note that it's 80/20. Or Ground Beef 80/20, along with the date. I have found that a lot of things start to look alike after a while, and one time I thawed cookie dough balls thinking they were meatballs. I INTENDED to go back and label them, but forgot, and had to thaw meatballs quickly as well as cook that dough and eat it up! I reuse my vac seal bags until they don't work, then save some to cut into pieces to use to seal non-vac seal bags (see CZcams for how to do that), or to put the meat in inside the bag that actually gets sealed. I usually at least wrap my messy things like meat in some plastic wrap or repurposed grocery or produce bags just to make cleaning and reusing easier. Thanks for the video.