Vacuum Sealer and Smoked Salmon

[JML54]

Hi All
When I smoke Salmon, I cut it into 2 to 4 inch sections.  Anyone here have experience with packing multiple small portions in one bag and sealing with one of the vacuum packers advertised around the web?  Good or bad?  Any advice?  I've been looking at a Foodsaver model.  Concerned about leaving air spaces between portions.
Thanks
Joe

[Keymaster]

I have the stand up model foodsaver from costco and always foodsaver my salmon after smoked. No problems with air pockets.

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[zueth]

Have the food saver with no problems, one thing I would recommend is to wrap the fish with saran(sp) wrap before vacuum packing.

[Keymaster]

Have the food saver with no problems, one thing I would recommend is to wrap the fish with saran(sp) wrap before vacuum packing.

What does the saran wrap do? Double protection ?

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[OU812]

Have the food saver with no problems, one thing I would recommend is to wrap the fish with saran(sp) wrap before vacuum packing.

What does the saran wrap do? Double protection ?

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

Keeps from sucking the juices outta the meat when vac sealing.

[Keymaster]

Have the food saver with no problems, one thing I would recommend is to wrap the fish with saran(sp) wrap before vacuum packing.

What does the saran wrap do? Double protection ?

Sent from my VM670 using Tapatalk

Keeps from sucking the juices outta the meat when vac sealing.

Cool, learnt somethin new, Thanks

[Smokeville]

Ok, since I have vac sealed just about 2000 -- yes two thousand -- bags over the past 18 months, let me say:

Yes, a Foodsaver machine works great and keeps everything fresh for a really long time. I have the V3850 (I think) sold at Costco in Canada for $169.99. Foodsaver claims 2 years for fish. I would be happy to post some photos of sealed bags if that helps.

Let the fish cool overnight in the fridge and there is no problem with moisture. Stuff it in and seal.

And if you need cheaper bags go to http://www.bestvacuumbags.com/

Regards, Rich

[zueth]

I vacuum pack at least a couple hundred pieces of fish every year and whether it is fresh or smoked salmon you will always want to wrap in saran wrap first, so that vacuum packer does not suck the moisture out of the fish and it is easier on the food saver.

If you are doing smoke salmon let it rest in a ziploc bag in the fridge overnight at the minimum if not a day or two before vacuum packing.

[cathouse willy]

I also use a food saver to pack smoked food. I find that an hour or so in the freezer keeps the moisture from being sucked into the works. I wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap before sealing, that way you can remove only the pieces you need and if you leave a few inches of extra space in the end of the sealer bag you can repack the remaining frozen pieces with the food saver  (saves a lot on those expensive bags)

[Kummok]

I've worn out three Foodsavers, sealing thousands of pounds of salmon, halibut, cod over the years. I like to do things with as few steps as possible and with as few supplies as possible AND ensure that the product stays the way I want it for up to at least 2 years.

I've used the "light freeze" method and it works well but adds an extra step and delays the processing...not satisfactory to me with the large volumes of fish I often process. The Saran Wrap method would also be cumbersome to me for the larger volumes of processing that I do. Please understand that I don't intend this to be perceived as disparaging to what has worked well for others...just explaining the "why" of how I've come to the current method of processing my fish which I've used for several years now.

When I process mine, right next to my cutting board I have a tray with two layers of paper towels on the bottom to start. As I'm whacking up the fish into its final cut, I cover the first layer of towels with the "final cut and ready-to-seal" meat pieces. Then I cover that layer of fish with another two thicknesses of paper towels, another layer of fish pieces, two thicknesses of paper towel, fish, towel, etc until they won't stack any higher. With that tray stacked to the max, I switch to a new tray and build another "fish/paper towel lasagna" until all the fish is finally stacked on how ever many trays it takes. This provides almost totally-dry-on-the-outside pieces of fish to pickup and slip into the vac seal bag and seal with NO seepage of moisture....even on the VERY "leaky" halibut. So I just start on the first tray stacked remove the top towel layer, load the bag, seal the bag, mark the contents, and put bag in a freezer bin.....

Again, not chumping what works for others...just describing what has worked well for me for years, using the Foodsaver type vac sealer. For those that can afford the waaaaaaay better chamber type sealer, disregard the above "paper towel lasagna" method....you can vac seal WATER in those things!!

[Quarlow]

"better chamber type sealer" What is this you speak of? I have not heard of these. Do you have a link?

[Smokeville]

"better chamber type sealer" What is this you speak of? I have not heard of these. Do you have a link?

I would like to know "also too!"

My faithful Foodsaver has a blown gasket on the left side which impedes progress but still works well. I have a new unopened backup FS in the garage which I need to take back to Costco and return and re-buy to renew the 1yr warranty.......

Rich

[muebe]

Here is a good chamber vac sealer...

http://www.amazon.com/VacMaster-VP210C-Chamber-Machine-Metallic/dp/B001Q3LSW4/ref=sr_1_2?s=appliances&ie=UTF8&qid=1316835243&sr=1-2

[grnhs]

I vac pack small chunks of smoked fish all the time and have had no problems with them keeping.

[Quarlow]

Ok well that is a pricey piece of equipment. I will stick with my FS.