Best way to wrap for the freezer?
#12
Smaller game or anything you plan on eating soon it will be just fine vacuum sealing it. But if you have a large portion of meat you plan on storing for a long time, I would go with some of the methods stated in the posts above.
#13
Spike
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Mississippi
Posts: 18
I asked a local butcher about this last year. Here's what he recommended. I tried it and it worked very well.
1. Wrap in Saran wrap.
2. Wrap in freezer paper
3. Wrap again in Saran wrap.
He said the outer layer of Saran wrap ensures no moisture gets in. Over a year's time, your freezer defrost cycle will allow moisture to creep in. The ice crystals that form tear the meat tissue apart. That's essentially what causes freezer burn.
Anyway, that's his suggestion. I did it last year. A year later, the meat I unwrapped looked as good as the earlier stuff I pulled out. So, that's how I did it again this year. Stuff that I knew I'd be using soon didn't get the rewrap at the end, but stuff I knew was in there for the long haul did.
1. Wrap in Saran wrap.
2. Wrap in freezer paper
3. Wrap again in Saran wrap.
He said the outer layer of Saran wrap ensures no moisture gets in. Over a year's time, your freezer defrost cycle will allow moisture to creep in. The ice crystals that form tear the meat tissue apart. That's essentially what causes freezer burn.
Anyway, that's his suggestion. I did it last year. A year later, the meat I unwrapped looked as good as the earlier stuff I pulled out. So, that's how I did it again this year. Stuff that I knew I'd be using soon didn't get the rewrap at the end, but stuff I knew was in there for the long haul did.
#15
I asked a local butcher about this last year. Here's what he recommended. I tried it and it worked very well.
1. Wrap in Saran wrap.
2. Wrap in freezer paper
3. Wrap again in Saran wrap.
He said the outer layer of Saran wrap ensures no moisture gets in. Over a year's time, your freezer defrost cycle will allow moisture to creep in. The ice crystals that form tear the meat tissue apart. That's essentially what causes freezer burn.
Anyway, that's his suggestion. I did it last year. A year later, the meat I unwrapped looked as good as the earlier stuff I pulled out. So, that's how I did it again this year. Stuff that I knew I'd be using soon didn't get the rewrap at the end, but stuff I knew was in there for the long haul did.
1. Wrap in Saran wrap.
2. Wrap in freezer paper
3. Wrap again in Saran wrap.
He said the outer layer of Saran wrap ensures no moisture gets in. Over a year's time, your freezer defrost cycle will allow moisture to creep in. The ice crystals that form tear the meat tissue apart. That's essentially what causes freezer burn.
Anyway, that's his suggestion. I did it last year. A year later, the meat I unwrapped looked as good as the earlier stuff I pulled out. So, that's how I did it again this year. Stuff that I knew I'd be using soon didn't get the rewrap at the end, but stuff I knew was in there for the long haul did.
#16
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 234
It's easier to show than describe. We just use butcher paper and have no trouble with freezer burn.
Note that this method is fast too. It is how my boy did it as a professional meat cutter.
Note that this method is fast too. It is how my boy did it as a professional meat cutter.
Last edited by Robert L E; 01-15-2010 at 08:37 AM.
#17
Thats exactly how I do it.
Meat will go a year like that. Freezer paper is probably the cheapest way also. There no way someone can vaccum seal faster than I can wrap.
#18
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 234
As zrexpilot wrote- Just using paper is far faster than vacuum sealing. I agree. It is at least three times faster than your triple wrap too. The paper only method that I diagrammed has about three layers of plasticized paper over the meat anyway (more over most of the package). I have no freezer burn after more than a year.
Your method probably works very well. It is just that I see your method a little bit like wearing two pairs of suspenders AND a belt. When we have a larger roast we do sometimes wrap the roast twice to get multiple layers over it but we just use butcher paper for both wraps.
Note that it is easier to write on the paper than on plastic too.
Last edited by Robert L E; 01-17-2010 at 07:10 PM.