Vacuum Packers

[bushy palmer]

Has anyone ever used one of these for storing food?

I've been toying with the idea for some time after bulking at the price of freeze dried meals.

I like my grub and I'd hoped this might be a way of carrying some decent food with me whilst camping. I honestly wouldn't mind carrying the extra weight if it means I never have to look at another f**king packet of super noodles again!!!

[Black-Don]

I have one of these but it's not the same as canning food. If you manage to sucessfully get all of the air out of the packet, it'll prolong it's shelf life but only really if kept in the fridge and only for about ten days. Once opened or if not kept in the fridge you should really treat it as fresh food.

Vacuum packing excludes air and it'll stop some bacteria but won't stop the growth of Clostridium botulinum and some other extremely harmful and dangerous bacteria which can cause fatal food poisoning.

Probably the best way to preserve food without a fridge is smoking, cold smoking or dehydration. I've tried cold smoking but not had much success as you have to keep the food cool but still smoke it - a wee bit harder than it sounds. Never tried food dehydration but did look at the idea once. You can make homemade dehydrator's or cold/hot smokers and there's loads of stuff if you google it.

[bushy palmer]

Thanks BD. I'm really only looking to make it last for a day or two. My idea was to freeze the packs beforehand hopefully giving me 24hours headstart or so.
Just wondered if anone had tried it.

[StuDoig]

Heyho,

I'm assuming your meaning for a hill / camping trip rather than storing in the house?  If not best ignore the post!

Nae quite the same as vacuum , but what I've done in the past is a DIY boil in the bag meal.

Lakelands sell the bags, you cook up a curry, bolognaise, chilli etc (I'm a joy to spend a weekend away in a tent with....), freeze it in the bag and then heat it up on the hill at grub up.  Normally I'd take couscous or something similarly easy to heat but light and compact with it.  I've always found food to look forward too makes a massive difference when the weather has crapped out etc!

Plus you can make a brew from the water you headed up the food in.

Cheers,

Stu

[Black-Don]

That's probably as good an idea as any. My Vacuum packer is up in the loft gathering dust with all the other junk.

[bushy palmer]

Heyho,

I'm assuming your meaning for a hill / camping trip rather than storing in the house?  If not best ignore the post!

Nae quite the same as vacuum , but what I've done in the past is a DIY boil in the bag meal.

Lakelands sell the bags, you cook up a curry, bolognaise, chilli etc (I'm a joy to spend a weekend away in a tent with....), freeze it in the bag and then heat it up on the hill at grub up.  Normally I'd take couscous or something similarly easy to heat but light and compact with it.  I've always found food to look forward too makes a massive difference when the weather has crapped out etc!

Plus you can make a brew from the water you headed up the food in.

Cheers,

Stu

That's exactly my intended use for it if I get one

[Guddler]

Has anyone ever used one of these for storing food?

Bought the old man one a couple of Christmases ago and he reckons it's one of the best things he's ever got. He vac packs and freezes loads of fish to keep him going through the winter. Says that they will keep good almost twice as long. I've never thought of trying it preserve some quality grub for a few days camping but it sounds like a good idea.

A tip from the old man on using the vac packer for fish is to slightly freeze the fish first as this stops the juice being drawn out and into the packer, ruining the seal on the bag. Might be the same with some beef bourguignon you were planning to feast on by the side of a loch  :lol:

[bushy palmer]

Just anything but noodles Guddler!!

I'm sitting here planning- joining up wee lochs on an OS map that I think look like they would make a nice wee two or three day trek again but then keep remembering those bloody noodles :craz2

Oh aye- and I hate the taste of trout so that's not an option.

[Part-time]

Nae quite the same as vacuum , but what I've done in the past is a DIY boil in the bag meal.

Lakelands sell the bags, you cook up a curry, bolognaise, chilli etc (I'm a joy to spend a weekend away in a tent with....), freeze it in the bag and then heat it up on the hill at grub up. 

Sounds like a good idea Stu; will any heavy duty freezer bag do or are the ones you get meant for heating up

John

[Part-time]

im looking for a way of re heating bread, for that early morning crusty roll with butter melting inside, takes up space but is light and lasts well if its fresh, goes with the weightless forum favourite backup...ainsley harriet packet soup.

Not tried it but I heard of heating up nan breads in tin foil - might work for your crusty bread