Broke down and bought a vacuum sealer instead of wrapping everything in freezer paper.

I fought it for years. My dad always said freezer paper was the ONLY way and that vacuum sealers were a gimmick. But after pulling out a brisket last month that had a nasty freezer burn spot the size of my hand, I caved. Got a basic FoodSaver at the supply house for like 80 bucks. Now I'm sealing up my primals and it's been a month, no burn at all. The plastic waste bugs me a bit though. Anyone else make the switch and have second thoughts?

3 comments

3 Comments

jasonf171mo ago

The plastic waste thing got me thinking too. I actually started reusing the bags for non-food stuff like organizing hardware and fishing gear after I wash them out, so at least they're getting a second life. But honestly, the money I save not tossing out ruined meat probably offsets the bag cost, especially with how expensive beef has gotten. One thing nobody talks about is how vacuum sealing changes the texture of stuff like cheese or soft bread, it kinda squishes them flat, so I still use freezer paper for that. And I found that if you double seal the ends on bags with sharp bones, you don't get leaks as often, that was my biggest frustration at first.

rubyshah1mo ago

Reusing the bags for fishing gear is smart, but I don't see how the plastic waste thing gets offset when you're still buying new bags every time. The texture argument makes sense though, I've had squished bread and it's annoying. Double sealing is a good tip for sure, I've had leaks too.

harperg761mo agoMost Upvoted

Wow, you actually changed my mind on this one. I was totally against those bags before.