How do you package your mince/burgers/sausages?

[Jvoelcker]

As I increase the amount of deer I'm processing and doing more with them I need to stock up on packaging supplies, but wondering if it's time for a rethink.

All meat is either consumed at home, on our shoot or given to friends and family, so packaging no so essential, but I am trying to avoid chest freezers full of freezer bags labelled 'Bambi'

I started with a pack of 500 9"x5" trays that I then fill with either 500gms of mince or diced and then vacuum pack using the trusty Lidl vacuum packer - that works well and moving to pre-cut vacuum pouches was a lot easier than slicing down the 30cm rolls.

I have tried the same with sausages, but either the vacuum packer crushes the sausages or if I pre-freeze them the packages then crush around them.

I'm assuming we will have the same issue with burgers.

Are any of you using trays with cling film, which the supermarkets seem to do?

Cling film is such a Pfaff to use, are there any easy ways of dealing with it?

 

[VSS]

Freeze burgers/sausages before vac packing.
Put them on polytrays (if that's your thing), freeze until solid (if selling as frozen) or until almost solid (if selling as fresh), then vac pack on lowest setting. Should seal just as the sides of the tray beging to bend, but before it gets crushed.
I do all mine (a lot) like that.
If they're only for home consumption then forget about poly trays. Just freeze then vac pack.

 

[Jvoelcker]

Freeze burgers/sausages before vac packing.
Put them on polytrays (if that's your thing), freeze until solid (if selling as frozen) or until almost solid (if selling as fresh), then vac pack on lowest setting. Should seal just as the sides of the tray beging to bend, but before it gets crushed.
I do all mine (a lot) like that.
If they're only for home consumption then forget about poly trays. Just freeze then vac pack.

I'm not sure the vac packer has a low setting, but will check.

I'm already doing the pre-freezing, but last batch was 300+ sausages, 6 per tray, so a lot of Pfaff.

What vac packer do you use?

 

[VSS]

I'm not sure the vac packer has a low setting, but will check.

I'm already doing the pre-freezing, but last batch was 300+ sausages, 6 per tray, so a lot of Pfaff.

What vac packer do you use?

I've got a LaVa vac packer. Nothing fancy.

 

[slider]

Freeze burgers and sausages before vac packing. Everything except the burgers goes in polystyrene trays with absorbent mat and vac packed

 

[Jvoelcker]

Freeze burgers and sausages before vac packing. Everything except the burgers goes in polystyrene trays with absorbent mat and vac packed

Absorbent mat - what are the benefits of that?

 

[Phil fox man]

my Lidl vac packer has a wet setting and the vac is not as strong.
burgers freeze first, sausage just freeze on low.
un cooked pastry make sure you cut the bag off before it defrosts it stops it sticking to the bag.

 

[arron]

Do you have the option of sealing the bags part way through the vacuum process??before it gets ALL the air out ?

 

[VSS]

Do you have the option of sealing the bags part way through the vacuum process??before it gets ALL the air out ?

If it's a manual sealer rather than an automatic one, then yes. I would be surprised if there wasn't a manual setting even on auto machines. My LaVa has both options, but I never use auto.

 

[VSS]

Absorbent mat - what are the benefits of that?

It's just a panty liner type of thing that you put in the bottom of the tray to soak up excess liquid. Supposed to improve presentation. I don't find them very effective.

 

[paulbshooting]

I use sausage and burger trays from scobies direct and heat seal a lid onto them. The Lid machine was about a £1k. Process, pack, label and freeze the lot. I sell to end customers and farm shops so presentation inc labelling was key.

 

[lochty]

Freeze burgers first, then pack them. Sausages go into a vacuum bag from butchers sundries 6 at a time on low setting on my Aldi packer. Seems to work ok.

 

[slider]

Absorbent mat - what are the benefits of that?

Soaks up fluids

 

[Jvoelcker]

my Lidl vac packer has a wet setting and the vac is not as strong.
burgers freeze first, sausage just freeze on low.
un cooked pastry make sure you cut the bag off before it defrosts it stops it sticking to the bag.

Just dusted off the manual and the latest Lidl vac packer does have a soft fruit setting so may try that.

 

[Jvoelcker]

Soaks up fluids

Ok. Have seen them on bought meat, but never considered them.

 

[Jvoelcker]

Freeze burgers first, then pack them. Sausages go into a vacuum bag from butchers sundries 6 at a time on low setting on my Aldi packer. Seems to work ok.

Ok. Are they specific sausage bags or just a set size vac bag.

My sausages vary considerably in size so could be interesting trying to get in a standard bag

 

[Jvoelcker]

Do you have the option of sealing the bags part way through the vacuum process??before it gets ALL the air out ?

Just spotted that the Packers do have a soft setting so guess I need to try that

 

[Phil fox man]

Just spotted that the Packers do have a soft setting so guess I need to try that

if the soft setting is to much,just gauge the vac amount then press seal & vac once then seal only.

 

[aris]

Squashed sausages should not be a problem - they will plump up when cooked.

Don't bother making burgers before freezing. Freeze the mince, and form burger after defrosting.

 

[Phil fox man]

Don't bother making burgers before freezing. Freeze the mince, and form burger after defrosting.
[/QUOTE]
that's what I've started doing I also add the spice so they soak into the mince