Curing in a Chamber Vac?

[Phone Guy]

My Ary VacMaster VP215C is on its way. I am curious if anyone had tried to Cure bacon in a Chamber Vac. If so does it reduce the cure time and how much? I will try this myself at some point.

[mikeradio]

Cool that is a great vacumm sealer, I have been looking into the chamber vacumm sealer.
I would love to see your review and pictures when you get your sealer.

Mike

[iceman]

I use the vac sealer when I make buck board bacon. It didn't really speed things up by much but it did seem to help it cure more evenly. Like KyNola said it helps keep the liquid in contact with the meat better.

[FLBentRider]

Not sure what you have but I have cured both Canadian bacon and belly bacon in bags that were vac sealed.  In my unlearned opinion it may decrease the curing time but not all that significantly.  It might decrease it by a day at the most.  What I liked about it is the curing "juice" that is thrown off from the meat pretty much stays in contact with the meat surface.

Give it a shot and tell us what you think.  We're always looking for good ideas.

X3 - those are my observations as well.

I might add that it can be a PITA getting it sealed with the granules from the cure and spices.

[Waltz]

I agree with the PITA comment, particularly if the meat is a bit wet as well. I use a big bag and keep the meat at the bottom and vac until any liquid appears to be getting near the seal area then hit the seal button. Not always successful but usually works.

[Phone Guy]

Let me clarify...... A chamber vac is not the same as a Food Saver. The Chamber Vac does not suck air from the bag it removed all pressure from the chamber and the bag is in the chamber... well here...

http://www.qualitymatters.com/VacMaster-Chamber-Vacuum-Sealer-with-Oil-Pump-p/qmvp-215c.htm

[squirtthecat]

I'd *really* love to have one of those chamber sealers...   (sigh)

[Phone Guy]

Cool machine.  Is your bacon going to be vac sealed in a bag regardless of the equipment used?  If so, the responses above still apply.

I have made hundreds of pounds of bacon including back bacon, Hill Billy bacon, maple cured, peppered etc. I have a Food Saver Turbo. I generally put the bellies into Food saver bags after applying the cure and vac them prior to putting in the cooler for a week. I am aware of the liquid etc that can be sucked into the FS. The Chamber Vac does not work that way. It creates a negative atmosphere in the chamber where the bag is which has the product in it. For example if you were going to marinate a steak in the fridge for 4 hours a Chamber vac can do the same thing in seconds. You can make pickles in 30 secs.

With that being said I was hoping maybe someone here had possibly used this method for infusing the cure into the meat at a faster rate. I know the dry cure would not work but a liquid cure might. Part of the benefit of the Chamber Vac is you can put liquid in it and vac pac it.

[Phone Guy]

One more thing about the Chamber vacuum Sealers is the bags cost as much as 1/10 the price of food saver bags.

This thing will pay for itself in a few years. I can go through a few rolls when I am processing a deer or antelope not to mention an elk.

[KyNola]

While I don't have a vac chamber I do know what one is.  Simply wasn't familiar with the particular one you have on order.  Hopefully someone with a Ary Vacmaster VP 215C or comparable vac chamber that has cured bacon with it will come along and answer your question for you.  In the mean time, enjoy your new piece of equipment.