So, I scored a 10 lb package of chicken leg quarters over the last weekend (about 12 big pieces, thigh and…
So, I scored a 10 lb package of chicken leg quarters over the last weekend (about 12 big pieces, thigh and leg/drumstick, connected) for FORTY NINE CENTS a pound.
So…what do you do when you have this much meat? Freeze it, of course. But you don’t just jam the big ol’ bag into the freezer, unless you love to reach in for a piece, only to accidentally grab one whole 10 pound hunk of chicken legs all stuck together…you would freeze them 1 or 2 to a pack. And thanks to my Seal-A-Meal, I can do just that.
Trouble is, as vacuum sealer owners know, the machine tends to want to draw up the liquid from whatever you’re sealing, into the machine itself, which is OK if there’s a liquid reservior, but then it gets the top of the bag wet, thereby not sealing it. So most folks in this predicament would lay the pieces of meat on a baking sheet, cutting board, or large plate, spacing them apart and then freezing before sealing them up.
But what if you have a narrow freezer, like I do, and baking sheets and crap like that are NOT going to fit? Well, you lay the pieces, one or two at a time, onto smaller pans/containers, with either butcher or parchment paper in between layers. Then the next day, they are solid, not wet, and you can seal them up nicely without ruining bags or your vacuum sealer! Here is my freezer, showing how I did it using a 9″x9″ square baking pan w/two layers, and a 12-cup narrow plastic food storage container w/three layers (I used slips of parchment in between each layer) and made sure the chicken pieces were not touching each other. They lifted right off the next day I sealed them.
No Comments
Leave A Comment
I’ve never had to much of an issue with juices when I seal my bags. However I keep a wet cloth next to me and I whip it down after each seal. If some of the juice gets drawn into the holder I seal the bag twice to make sure it is sealed. Then if there is juice between the seal and the flap area I rinse the bag off and let it sit on the counter with the other bags. By the time I’m done sealing all the meats the bags are usually dry. I don’t always get the juice problem either. Just happens every so often.