Packaging ground meat

[dprimm]

So I process my deer myself. While Saran Wrap and freezer bags have worked ok, plan on getting a vacuum sealer this year.

As I grind my own, I am wondering how others package their ground meat. I can go w the 1lb bags that go on the grinder nozzle. Or I can figure something out with the vacuum sealer.

The bags would be faster. But the vacuum sealer would have lie flat packages.

Hope me this makes sense. Been a long day and week. And it is only Tuesday!

Thanks

 

[Leadeye]

We use 1 pound bags, as we are nearly always just cooking for two these days.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

We use 1 pound bags, as we are nearly always just cooking for two these days.

Same here. We fix one ziplock bag with a pound, weighed out, and then make the others the same size, mush them flat and put in the chest freezer (with Month/Year labeled).

 

[indyjohn]

I have a vacuum sealer and like it A LOT.

I don't see where the bags have to lie flat. Once sealed before freezing shape them any way you want, just worry about how the bag is going to peel off the meat when you take it out to cook.

The tool need is a scale. I'd like to break up the meat into equal portions.

 

[Old Dog]

I use the vac sealer on about everything including ground meat. I decide on a bag size for 1 pound of meat, put the meat in the bag, pat it flat and fold the top over, then clip it shut. Then put it in the freezer over night. It freezes and I don't have to worry about any liquid when I actually seal the bag the next day. Works great. You just have to make sure that you left enough extra length on the bag to get it in the sealer. I do this with berries or anything that may be too juicy. Good luck.

 

[HoughMade]

I worked in a small, family owned grocery store in Michigan when I was in high school. We processed deer. I still use the same technique- plastic wrap (not Saran wrap- like a butcher shop uses, wrapped butcher style followed by butcher paper. I've never seen a reason to change. It takes some special supplies, but that's easy. I don't bother with 1 pound packages, I do 2 pounds.

 

[spencer rifle]

We sometimes use ziplock bags and a straw (to suck out the air). Try to avoid sucking in raw meat.

Short on freezer space (like we are) or wanting to stock up for when the power goes off? Pressure can.

 

[bobjones223]

I use the white 1 pound ground game bags...(I think they are LEM brand?)

Pipe it straight into the bag from the grinder, smash tight into the bottom, twist the top, and throw on a zip tie.

Vacuum sealers take FOREVER on an entire deer. I save those for the steaks, back straps, and roasts.

Just have to be a bit more cautious handling the white bags once frozen. They are not as tough as the vacuum bags and can get chips in them resulting in freezer burn.

I just use and old cardboard box and stack them neatly as I grind. Freeze the entire box and just pull the rolls off the top...never had a problem since.

I still have some ground from two years ago, I opened one last weekend and it was as good as the day it was frozen.

 

[yetti462]

Vacuum sealing burger turned into a bloody mess. 1# bags and tape with machine is fast and clean.

 

[Snapdragon]

I use 1-qt ziploc freezer bags for one pound packages, but I smash them out flat so there is very little air.

 

[phatgemi]

I use the white 1 pound ground game bags...(I think they are LEM brand?)

Pipe it straight into the bag from the grinder, smash tight into the bottom, twist the top, and throw on a zip tie.

Vacuum sealers take FOREVER on an entire deer. I save those for the steaks, back straps, and roasts.

Just have to be a bit more cautious handling the white bags once frozen. They are not as tough as the vacuum bags and can get chips in them resulting in freezer burn.

I just use and old cardboard box and stack them neatly as I grind. Freeze the entire box and just pull the rolls off the top...never had a problem since.

I still have some ground from two years ago, I opened one last weekend and it was as good as the day it was frozen.

Best method going. Quick and easy.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I use 1-qt ziploc freezer bags for one pound packages, but I smash them out flat so there is very little air.

Those look just like the ones we do. Nicely stackable.

 

[dprimm]

I use 1-qt ziploc freezer bags for one pound packages, but I smash them out flat so there is very little air.

This is what I had done. The weighing of it took time. More than I wanted to spend.

Our beef cones ones in the plastic 1lb bags... I will most likely go that way this year. Costs space but I don’t know how much in reality.

 

[dprimm]

Next question: anyone use a foot pedal to control their grinder? I am going w the 1lb bags.

Thanks

 

[Meena]

Next question: anyone use a foot pedal to control their grinder? I am going w the 1lb bags.

Thanks

The foot pedal is very helpful. If you use two people, one holding the bags and one feeding the grinder, the one holding the bags uses the pedal and can control when the bag is full.

 

[Jaygentry]

Buy a scale, and just do square blocks. I do some in 1lbs. And some in 2lbs.

 

[Snapdragon]

Or weigh out portions that are easily divided. For example, weigh out 8 lbs, eyeball it and cut it in half, cut each half in half, and cut each quarter in half. It's not exact, but it's close enough and fairly quick.

 

[bwframe]

I like the silicone burger molds a lot. I mainly use the 1/3# square mold, but also have a 1/4# hexagonal.

Flat frozen patties and square edges are great for vacuum sealing and storage. They also give a lot of options for preparation, right out of the freezer or thawed in the microwave.

 

[rengler22]

I worked in a small, family owned grocery store in Michigan when I was in high school. We processed deer. I still use the same technique- plastic wrap (not Saran wrap- like a butcher shop uses, wrapped butcher style followed by butcher paper. I've never seen a reason to change. It takes some special supplies, but that's easy. I don't bother with 1 pound packages, I do 2 pounds.

Also someone that worked in the butcher's department at a grocery store a long time ago, and while we didn't package deer we sometimes packaged ground beef for 'longer' term storage and this is the method we used and I use on my ground venison still. Admittedly ground venison is one of my favorite parts so I go through it pretty quickly, but it seems to work very well and I've never pulled any out with freezer burn.