Protect Your Meat: Improve Your Meat Freezing Technique
For years, I wasted money throwing away meat that had fallen victim to freezer burn. Buried deep and package too poorly to withstand the freezing environment long-term, the meat wasted both money and space in my freezer. So, I started experimenting. I did not want to invest $200 and twice the price of packaging for a vacuum sealer. After years of testing I finally have a method that I am confident in sharing. I will begin by explaining the logic that let to my findings and then I will show the steps involved in my process.
What is so special about vacuum-sealed meat? The process is simple. The sealer removes the air around the meat leaving a tight seal which can help the meat withstand most modern freezer defrost cycles. However, consider the cost and time involved with consistent use. To use the sealer one must purchase product-specific refills at regular intervals. I don't want to have to be dependent on a machine and held to purchasing one company's products. That means they also get to control the pricing for their products which I am then reliant on. Also, the machine by the default of its design limits the number of users employing the machine at the same time to one. So, here is my solution: eliminate the air without expensive sealers by insulating the meat with one of our most abundant resources - Water!
For years companies like Tyson have used a process called "ice glazing", which uses a flash freezing process to ensure that the chicken stays tasty and fresh. I have found that I can do this at home with Chicken, Pork, and Steaks.
You will need the following items:
Seal-able quart-sized plastic freezer bags
1 Permanent marking pen
Tap Water
Here is my process:
1. Prepare your meat
Remove meat from original packaging (work with one type of meat at a time).
Determine portion sizes - this may vary based on your household demands.
2. Prepare plastic freezer bags
Label each back using the permanent marking pen.
- You want to do this while the back is empty.
- Indicate the date, quantity and contents in a way that you will recognize in the future.
- Lastly, open each bag to make sure of easy access when added contents.
3. Prepare your freezer
You should prepare an area in your freezer large enough for the bags to lay flat and have enough room (stacking works as long as the foundation is flat and each bag has like contents).
4. Fill each bag with prepared portions
Food Safety
- Take care to use one hand for each bag and the opposite hand for the meat when you are placing it in the bag (This is where having the right sized portions will make or break the process).
- Make sure you wash your hands before proceeding to the next step.
5. Add water and seal
Processing one bag at a time and over the sink, add enough water to the filled bag to cover the meat when it is laying flat (you will learn this technique within a couple of tries).
Take the same bag you just filled, hold the bag semi-flat and roll back the top portion of the bag until the water is close to the seal.
Seal it partly by pressing the seal together at all but one corner of the seal.
Now push the remaining air out of the bag by placing a slight pressure on the meat until just the smallest portion of water drips from the unsealed corner.
Then seal the corner and double-check the full seal.
6. Place in freezer
Place the prepared bags in the freezer.
For easier access place the bags on a baking tray then place them in the freezer.
You can rearrange the bags once they have been frozen.
Using this process is very satisfying. Various authorities have said that frozen meats can last indefinitely, but taste deteriorates over time. I have yet to find a piece of meat that I have had to waste in three years of using this method. De-frosting the meat in the microwave becomes an even easier process than de-frosting without the water. It seals in the juices and taste, and protects the edges of the meat from over de-frosting or turning rubbery during the de-frosting process. The most important thing is that I have found that you can prepare each one of these bags faster and cheaper than any vacuum sealer on the market today.
What is so special about vacuum-sealed meat? The process is simple. The sealer removes the air around the meat leaving a tight seal which can help the meat withstand most modern freezer defrost cycles. However, consider the cost and time involved with consistent use. To use the sealer one must purchase product-specific refills at regular intervals. I don't want to have to be dependent on a machine and held to purchasing one company's products. That means they also get to control the pricing for their products which I am then reliant on. Also, the machine by the default of its design limits the number of users employing the machine at the same time to one. So, here is my solution: eliminate the air without expensive sealers by insulating the meat with one of our most abundant resources - Water!
For years companies like Tyson have used a process called "ice glazing", which uses a flash freezing process to ensure that the chicken stays tasty and fresh. I have found that I can do this at home with Chicken, Pork, and Steaks.
You will need the following items:
Seal-able quart-sized plastic freezer bags
1 Permanent marking pen
Tap Water
Here is my process:
1. Prepare your meat
Remove meat from original packaging (work with one type of meat at a time).
Determine portion sizes - this may vary based on your household demands.
2. Prepare plastic freezer bags
Label each back using the permanent marking pen.
- You want to do this while the back is empty.
- Indicate the date, quantity and contents in a way that you will recognize in the future.
- Lastly, open each bag to make sure of easy access when added contents.
3. Prepare your freezer
You should prepare an area in your freezer large enough for the bags to lay flat and have enough room (stacking works as long as the foundation is flat and each bag has like contents).
4. Fill each bag with prepared portions
Food Safety
- Take care to use one hand for each bag and the opposite hand for the meat when you are placing it in the bag (This is where having the right sized portions will make or break the process).
- Make sure you wash your hands before proceeding to the next step.
5. Add water and seal
Processing one bag at a time and over the sink, add enough water to the filled bag to cover the meat when it is laying flat (you will learn this technique within a couple of tries).
Take the same bag you just filled, hold the bag semi-flat and roll back the top portion of the bag until the water is close to the seal.
Seal it partly by pressing the seal together at all but one corner of the seal.
Now push the remaining air out of the bag by placing a slight pressure on the meat until just the smallest portion of water drips from the unsealed corner.
Then seal the corner and double-check the full seal.
6. Place in freezer
Place the prepared bags in the freezer.
For easier access place the bags on a baking tray then place them in the freezer.
You can rearrange the bags once they have been frozen.
Using this process is very satisfying. Various authorities have said that frozen meats can last indefinitely, but taste deteriorates over time. I have yet to find a piece of meat that I have had to waste in three years of using this method. De-frosting the meat in the microwave becomes an even easier process than de-frosting without the water. It seals in the juices and taste, and protects the edges of the meat from over de-frosting or turning rubbery during the de-frosting process. The most important thing is that I have found that you can prepare each one of these bags faster and cheaper than any vacuum sealer on the market today.
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