If you vacuum pack smoked fish fillets which have pin bones, or which have sharp corners of dried skin or meat which stick up, the sharp points can poke holes in the vacuum bags. To prevent pin bones from poking holes, I run the back or edge of a spoon over the ends of the bones to bend them over. To prevent sharp corners from poking holes, I nip them off with a pair of kitchen shears. It's an additional step and a hassle, but it's better than ending up with a bunch of smoked fish in vacuum bags which have leaked.
Just like shrimp with their prickly little shells. I wrap them up in two layers of newspaper first, then vacuum seal. Works great
Newspaper doesn't sound very sanitary. And does the ink transfer to the shrimp? Perhaps plastic wrap, butcher paper, wax paper, or paper towels would be better.
Try Cabelas vaccum bags. They are made of thicker material and run the same price for the 6 pack of 11 inch rolls.
Quote from: Pic-N-Stick on January 29, 2014, 05:44:11 PM
Try Cabelas vaccum bags. They are made of thicker material and run the same price for the 6 pack of 11 inch rolls.
If you can catch them on sale the pre-cut bags with Ziploc seals can end up cheaper than their rolls.
Quote from: pmmpete on January 29, 2014, 08:43:58 AM
If you vacuum pack smoked fish fillets which have pin bones, or which have sharp corners of dried skin or meat which stick up, the sharp points can poke holes in the vacuum bags. To prevent pin bones from poking holes, I run the back or edge of a spoon over the ends of the bones to bend them over. To prevent sharp corners from poking holes, I nip them off with a pair of kitchen shears. It's an additional step and a hassle, but it's better than ending up with a bunch of smoked fish in vacuum bags which have leaked.
Why not get yourself a pair of fish bone tweezers and pull them out before vacuum packing. I pull mine pre-smoke, but they pull easier post-smoke, if you can find them all.
Quote from: pmmpete on January 29, 2014, 04:13:18 PM
Newspaper doesn't sound very sanitary. And does the ink transfer to the shrimp? Perhaps plastic wrap, butcher paper, wax paper, or paper towels would be better.
Been doing it now for about 20 years and never a problem, and today's ink doesn't smudge like the old stuff did
Quote from: pmmpete on January 29, 2014, 08:43:58 AM
If you vacuum pack smoked fish fillets which have pin bones, or which have sharp corners of dried skin or meat which stick up, the sharp points can poke holes in the vacuum bags. To prevent pin bones from poking holes, I run the back or edge of a spoon over the ends of the bones to bend them over. To prevent sharp corners from poking holes, I nip them off with a pair of kitchen shears. It's an additional step and a hassle, but it's better than ending up with a bunch of smoked fish in vacuum bags which have leaked.
Just wrap the fish in plastic wrap then vacuum pack, no problems.
I use the sheets called bone guard. You slip them in between the fish and bag then seal.