Vacuum sealers for food - money-saving or not?

sb44

taxsaver wrote: »

Thank you. :j

I put everything in raw. The chicken raw with marinade sealed at night then frozen next day. The veg I put in raw with butter and pepper (I don't use salt if it can be avoided).

Great, thanks, I am going to give it a go during the week.

sb44

taxsaver wrote: »

Thank you. :j

I put everything in raw. The chicken raw with marinade sealed at night then frozen next day. The veg I put in raw with butter and pepper (I don't use salt if it can be avoided).

You say you cooked the chicken for 15mins from when it had returned to the boil, then turned the heat down.

How much longer did you cook it for?

It's not as if you can check if it is cooked properly in the bag is it, it isn't as if you can just jab a knife in to see if it is bloody!

taxsaver

No, no - I cooked it for 15 mins TOTAL, from when it had returned to the boil and turned the heat right down to minimum immediately it had returned to the boil, so I cooked the entire 15 mins with the gas on the lowest setting possible but tbh could have probably done it less!

I have a digital probe thermometer so poked it into the chicken through the bag just before I thought it might be done... just to be on the safe side as it was my first time. The internal temp was up to 82%C which is quite a bit higher than it is said to need on the various websites that I looked at so as I say, I am certain I could have done it for less.

I might try another one tomorrow night but in the slow cooker this time and see how that goes.

sb44

taxsaver wrote: »

No, no - I cooked it for 15 mins TOTAL, from when it had returned to the boil and turned the heat right down to minimum immediately it had returned to the boil, so I cooked the entire 15 mins with the gas on the lowest setting possible but tbh could have probably done it less!

I have a digital probe thermometer so poked it into the chicken through the bag just before I thought it might be done... just to be on the safe side as it was my first time. The internal temp was up to 82%C which is quite a bit higher than it is said to need on the various websites that I looked at so as I say, I am certain I could have done it for less.

I might try another one tomorrow night but in the slow cooker this time and see how that goes.

Great, thanks!

I suppose because you have marinaded it the chicken becomes more tender and easier to cook.

I have some breast mini fillrts in the freezer, I think I will give it a try with those.

Angelina-M

I've nothing new to add to this thread right now but just wanted to say i'm loving reading it and the pics are amazing!

That chicken looks fab! So pleased to hear about the Sous Vide. We've been having a lot of mince dishes so I haven't had anything that I could this way just yet.... plus i'm still a little scared as I need to know everything about a project before i'm ready to try it.

I smiled at your EXcalibur pic, it does look great filled up like that and ready to go on. I did some banana chips to almost crispy yesterday and I just can't stop eating them!

Sunnyday

Wow Taxsaver your chicken looks lovely *smacks lips*

You know what, i`m starting a kind of low carby diet today to try and shift some of the weight that i piled on whilst away and todays tea was going to be chicken breasts stuffed with mozzarella and wrapped in bacon but i`m going to have a search around and see if i can find something in the cupboard to marinate them in

Any ideas anyone?

The excalibur has been doing its thing since midnight, it will be turned off shortly. I`ve just checked and the onion tops are ready so i`ve taken them out.

Think that i shall pick some carrots today and then pop them in tonight as i can`t eat those if i`m cutting the carbs.

Kittie - when you mentioned the lock & lock boxes earlier are the ones that you have the official lock & locks or a supermarket own brand? Did you devise an ingenious way of geting some of the air out or just throw in the dried food and close them up? Final question did you freeze them of just leave the dried veg in a cupboard? Thanks

Right i`m off to pick those carrots and then start sealing

SD

Angelina-M

Well I couldn't wait any longer, I needed to try Sous Vide! So I got some fillets of beef out of the freezer that I had bought for a special occasion... and it was my 24th wedding anniversary so I thought it a good excuse.

I set up my slow cooker and the keep warm function with the lid off made the water a pretty constant 57 degrees. I vacuum packed the steak with just a little salt and pepper and popped them in the slow cooker. Gave them a couple of hours at 57 degrees. Took them out and gave them 30 seconds each side in a hot cast iron pan.

The result was the best steak i've tasted in a long while. The appearance was of a medium steak but the juiceiness suggested a rare steak. Very juicy and melted in the mouth. Hubby loved it too so this is definately my new way of cooking steak.

I actually rang Gaggenau who are the makers of my steam oven and they think I will be fine to use that for Sous Vide so will use that next time and won't have to bother worry about the temp.

I forgot to take a pic but I will say the steak was the same size as when I put it in the water bath, no shrinkage or anything.

I can't wait to experiment again!

taxsaver

Fantastic Angelina!! Sounds delic!!

It was very mean of you to not take any pics to share with us though.

Slow cooker method is my next experiment, but atm I'm trying the HM ham in coke in it.

Angelina-M

taxsaver wrote: »

Fantastic Angelina!! Sounds delic!!

It was very mean of you to not take any pics to share with us though.

Slow cooker method is my next experiment, but atm I'm trying the HM ham in coke in it.

Ham in coke is gorgeous done in the slow cooker. It just looks a bit pathetic without any of the lovely browning you normally get on a baked ham. I just chucked treacle and cloves on mine to fancy it up abit just like Nigella suggests.

I said to hubby that I should have took pics but didn't remember until I had eaten it. It didn't look all pink like the pics on blogs look but it just had a hint of pink and the taste of a much more 'bloodier' steak.

Thinking of my next experiment already!:)

taxsaver

Angelina-M wrote: »

I just chucked treacle and cloves on mine to fancy it up abit just like Nigella suggests.

Did you then bake it with the treacle and cloves on and if so for how long and at what temp, or were they simply put on to make it look better IYSWIM?