Has anyone tried vacuum sealing jerky? I gave it a try last night and the jerky poked a hole in the sealer bag. Would the "Heavy Duty" bags do the trick?
Not to highjack but but what type of vacuum sealer you using? Years ago I bought one of the original "food savers" and that thing would drag the pouch up to the sealer as it sucked the air out. As time went on I thought it wasn't performing as well so I bought a new one last year. I swear the new doesn't vacuum all that well. Sometimes it leaves a lot air left and I have to re do the bag. They sure don't make things like they used to.
I've never had an issue with jerky tearing holes in the bag. So yes, I think it's the quality of bags you're using. At the moment I'm using food saver thick shield bags. No complaints. To the other poster, yes the newer less expensive vac sealers aren't that great. If you have a decent one, but it seems like it doesn't have the power it once did, there may be buildup around the piston gasket. It takes about 30 minutes to break them down. Clean around the piston, soak the hoses in warm soapy water, then use compressed air to blow everything out. Should work like new....all other variables being equal.
It was a little over a hundred bucks, not sure what is considered a less expensive? But I am going to try what you recommended, thanks for the tip.
I'm gonna give the heavier bags a try next time. But living in a small town the grocery store doesn't carry food saver bags. So for the time being I'm gonna try putting a piece of wax paper in the package on the weaker side. I will post my finders later after I see if it works for me. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Well the wax paper seems to be working very good! I did 2 packages immediately when I got home from work and let them sit for 4 hrs. Now I'm going ahead and doing the rest of this batch. Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
I've vacuum sealed jerky made with ground meat from a jerky gun and had the same issue. Found that the end of my strips were the problem, so i cut the ends off with a pair of scissors and it worked perfectly. Also nice little bite size snacks. Just be damn sure your jerky is COMPLETELY dried out. Some of mine had a little moister and molded. A real bummer trashing stuff you work so hard for.
I think jerky taste better after I vacuum seal it and freeze it for a few weeks to few months. Seems the flavors really blend better.
I usually just freeze. I go through it fast. I hear of people doing this but havent heard of a bag rip. Heavy duty should work for you.
