Meat processing, vacum pack?

[Beeman]

We've got a couple of meat processors in our area. I've used one and he vacuum packs everything. The one that's most recommended and used by many around says he just wraps, no vacuum pack. How does your meat come packed?

[Ross]

I get it vac packed to sell and brown paper wrapped to eat myself (or as whole orders. ) The vac packed stuff is supposed to last longer in the freezer

[copperpennykids]

One butcher vacuum packs and the other wraps in plastic first, paper second.

Both seem to get good results, although I would say the vacuum pack lasts longer with more "fresh" consistency. It is nice to see the cuts of meat before you thaw them, too!

[Wisconsin Ann]

Both processors (for poultry) in our area offer vacuum pack or bag wrapped. The guys who do beef/pork/etc. offer paper wrapped, vacuum packed and bag wrapped.

I like the vacuum pack for selling or when I give a present. Just looks ... GOOD. The paper wrapped lasts a year in the freezer..then I start getting frost on the meat. We get the vacuum packed for the poultry.

[chewie]

when we do our own processing at home, we vacuum it, the meat stays looking good for much longer. and i really like seeing it!

[Macybaby]

The local process vac pacs the stuff he's offering for sale, but wraps up what he is hired to process. Maybe that is the choice of the customer, I've not asked and only comment about what I've seen.

When we've bought a quarter, it comes from a different butcher that the rancher uses. That always comes wrapped and we've never had a problem. It is wrapped in plastic and then wrapped in paper.

We do have a vac pac for our own processing, but DH prefers to wrap. I think it's because the vac pac is mine and he does not want to take the time to learn how to use it.

Cathy

[highlands]

I have worked with butchers who did paper wrap and who did vacuum packaging. We raise pigs and take them too the butcher weekly for sales to stores, restaurants as well as selling directly to individuals. For presentation in stores we must have the clear plastic vacuum packaging. Customers in a store want to see what they are looking at. Restaurants also prefer that. For sales of whole pigs or half pigs to individuals I find that customers don't care as much or even prefer the paper on occasion.

The vacuum packaged (rayovac, cryovac, etc) which is sealed into a heavy plastic pouch far out lasts the meat that is paper wrapped. The plastic barrier and the lack of air keeps the meat fresher. For frozen the plastic is still a little better but not as much of a difference.

Paper wrapping does work and it is less expensive by about 10¢ to 20¢ than the vacuum packaging. The equipment to do the vacuum packaging is also expensive - $5,000 and up for commercial processing. There are small hand units but they are too slow if you're doing a lot of meat (20 pigs a day, etc). Some people think that the paper is more environmentally friendly. It isn't. The butch paper is coated with plastic on one side. It's just different cost choices. Tightly wrapped paper and then immediately deep frozen does last well.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

[Beeman]

Originally Posted by highlands

I have worked with butchers who did paper wrap and who did vacuum packaging. We raise pigs and take them too the butcher weekly for sales to stores, restaurants as well as selling directly to individuals. For presentation in stores we must have the clear plastic vacuum packaging. Customers in a store want to see what they are looking at. Restaurants also prefer that. For sales of whole pigs or half pigs to individuals I find that customers don't care as much or even prefer the paper on occasion.

The vacuum packaged (rayovac, cryovac, etc) which is sealed into a heavy plastic pouch far out lasts the meat that is paper wrapped. The plastic barrier and the lack of air keeps the meat fresher. For frozen the plastic is still a little better but not as much of a difference.

Paper wrapping does work and it is less expensive by about 10¢ to 20¢ than the vacuum packaging. The equipment to do the vacuum packaging is also expensive - $5,000 and up for commercial processing. There are small hand units but they are too slow if you're doing a lot of meat (20 pigs a day, etc). Some people think that the paper is more environmentally friendly. It isn't. The butch paper is coated with plastic on one side. It's just different cost choices. Tightly wrapped paper and then immediately deep frozen does last well.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

Walter,
Do you sell any of your meat fresh or is it all frozen when you receive it from your processor?

[highlands]

Beeman,

Virtually all of what we sell is fresh, unfrozen, delivered weekly to local stores and restaurants - that is why the plastic pouched vacuumed packing is so important for us. Paper won't work for that market.

We also sell some (10%?) direct to individuals as whole and half pigs. People buying that much meat almost always want it frozen as they plan to eat it over the course of the coming year. For that the paper would work although the vacuum packed is better than paper for freezing. The butcher we work the most with only does the vacuum packing. The other two butchers do both paper and vacuum, charging additional for the vacuum packing since it costs them a little more to do.

Cheers,

-Walter

[Beeman]

All of the processors here freeze right away and aren't set up to keep fresh meat around. They even freeze what they have inspected and sell. They don't do enough volume so it's more efficient for them.

[Rita]

We like the vacuum packed meat but occasionally one will lose it's seal due to rough handling in transfering to box to freezer. The rough handling makes a tiny hole and lets in the air.

[Beeman]

Update:

We went with the processor that wraps in paper mostly because of when we could get an appointment. Picked the meat up Fri. and we're very satisfied. They have obviously been wrapping like this for a long time and do a great job. He was also a few dollars cheaper so it all worked out good.

[sammyd]

When we send an animal in to get processed it comes back wrapped in paper. Longevity isn't an issue as we use it up within a year.
We are looking at a vacuum thing for our own use though. Wife doesn't think we can wrap as well as the pros. As time progresses we would like to be able to butcher our own.

[Shawna]

Most of the butchers around here use freezer paper. The butcher we use for our steers vaccuum packs it. It lasts alot longer, from what we have found, without burning. The butcher we use is a small family-run operation and they have been around for forever. And thats' all they do....no retail sales. They do a lovely job and I would recommend them to anyone.


Shawna

Forgot to add, the butcher we use also charges less than the other area butchers.

[stanb999]

Originally Posted by sammyd

When we send an animal in to get processed it comes back wrapped in paper. Longevity isn't an issue as we use it up within a year.
We are looking at a vacuum thing for our own use though. Wife doesn't think we can wrap as well as the pros. As time progresses we would like to be able to butcher our own.

If your doing the wrapping yourself just double wrap with the butcher paper. This is what we do. It keeps it just as well as the home vacuum sealer and is much cheaper.

This works good for smaller cuts and pieces.
If you want to do better than the home vacuum sealer. Get the gallon size food storage bags, the cheap ones. Not zip lock. The ones that cost like 3.50 for 100 of them. Just bag it tight and tie it in a knot. Then bag it again tight. then tie.


Those home sealer bags will cost you a ton to home butcher so avoid them.

[Mallow]

We vacuum pack our venison ourselves. We have found if you use the thick bags (I think 3.5mil plastic) things will last longer and you dont have to double pack. A lot of the sealers though use thinner bags which don't seem to keep for up to a year as well.

[MN Gardener]

Our butcher uses paper which works for us. We usuallly have it used up within a year. I have never had it have an "off" taste or have it freezer burnt.

[stanb999]

One other thing...

Those that are saying that it doesn't taste off are most likely using a freezer properly. Keep it at it's lowest setting. Check and see that it reaches -10. This is the temp at which the food keeps longest. Also, you want a manual one not a "frost free". This "feature" allows the freezer to get above freezing for a time to melt the frost. This is by far the hardest on food storage. Keeping the freezer closed also helps.

[LamiPub]

We have most our meat "rolled" in plastic and then wrapped in paper but when we get it home we always vacuum seal the pork sausage and bacon so it will last longer. For some reason those cuts tend to not hold their fresh flavor as long as the other cuts. When we butcher our own meat at home we have used saran wrap with paper over, ziploc freezer bags, and vacuum seal. The foodsaver vaccum seal bags can get expensive so just depends on finances and how long we expect to keep the meat in the freezer. A lot of what we use depends on the cut of the meat and the size also.

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

I cut all my own deer the last 2 years that has been 5 each year we vacume pack in food saver bags

what realy decided it for me was :
a one year old pacage of profesionaly wraped in butcher paper ground venison was brown all the way thru and dry

with the food saver bags i couldn't tell you the difference between a month old and a year old bag of meat without seing the dates

the plastic that my meat comes in when i get a pig butchered is thinner but seems to work well, it is realy nice being able to see the meat thru the packaging but they tell me i am supposed to use it in 6 months for best flavor i try but somtimes a roast finds it's way to the bottom of the frezer and it goes a year and a few months it seems to still be finewhen we have eaten them.