Foodsaver and reheating

I have the 2680 from Sam's. It has done a good job for the last two years for me. I like to reheat my Q in a pot of boiling water. I probably would freeze the packages and then put them into the refrigerator section to start thawing back out. I wouldn't feel comfortable just keeping it refrigerated for 3 days and then feeding it to the masses.

Ditto what Rodger ^^^^^ said except that I have the V2240 from Amazon.

Get the best vacuum sealer that fits your budget and start sealing up the cooked goodies. Boil the food for 15-20 minutes and throw the ribs on a grill-sauce and serve.

Is boiled water the way most reheat their vac-sealed que?....Is that frozen or thawed?....I've been either using the mic or a low oven....:?:

I've always boiled the the bags. I guess my thinking is that the water doesn't get over 212 degrees so in my warped mind it kind of replicates the temp of the smoker without adding to much heat. :biggrin:

Interesting point about the 212 temp....

:-D I'm not saying it's a good reason...it's just the reason I do it.

Plus boiling the bag seems to hold in the moisture better than any other means of reheating. Once opened the meat looks and tastes as fresh as when in came off the grate. A vacuum sealer is one of those must haves IMO.

-dave

Do you thaw first, then reheat....or boil "frozen"??:?:

I drop it in frozen, but I usually only reheat smaller packs. Would probably partially thaw large thick packs (whole butt portions) first. It's a pretty quick process, so wouldn't necessarily thaw completely.

got some pulled chicken in small packs in freezer....dinner tonite, I'll give it a try....Thanks

I read somewhere (maybe my manual, maybe here) that you DON"T reheat the vac seal bags in BOILING water, but very hot water, say 190-200. The boiling water may make the bag leak or melt.

Anybody else remember this?

I've never had any problems boiling the bags, always make sure I use a large enough pot to minimize contact with the metal. From FoodSaver.com -

FoodSaver Bags have a design so unique it’s been patented. Special channels enable the efficient and complete removal of air so none is left trapped in “pockets” around the food. Their 5-ply construction makes them an especially effective barrier to oxygen and moisture. FoodSaver Bags are safe to freeze, boil or microwave, and proven to prevent freezer burn.

Click to expand...

Good info Teaser...Thanks

sounds good to me

beerguy said:

I read somewhere (maybe my manual, maybe here) that you DON"T reheat the vac seal bags in BOILING water, but very hot water, say 190-200. The boiling water may make the bag leak or melt.

Anybody else remember this?

Click to expand...

I HAVE had bags burst on me from not paying attention the the heat. I find a gentle simmer works best, 20-30 minutes. I also take out what I'm cooking and stick in the fridge to thaw a day before.

This method works great for camping trips.

I wouldn't bother freezing if you are using that soon. Meat sealed will keep a long time in refrigeration after vacuuming it. Also, you can use your smoker to reheat larger amounts if you don't get it too hot.

It is important to make sure that your meat is cooled down before sealing. Refrigerate and bring the meat temps down to below 45*F within 2 hours to be safe. Seal the meats and put back into the refigeration ASAP. Be sure not to over fill bags of meat. Remember that the thicker the mass, the longer it will take to cool. After sealing yourm bags you could submerge them in a ice bath for a quicker cooling down.

I always reheat BBQ using the "boilin' bag" method. I learned a long time ago to only simmer though. I've been reheating this way for some years now, and only twice have I had a bag pop on me. Both times were when I had allowed the water to go to a full boil instead of a light simmer. Now I put my package in the water when I first put the pot on the stove, allowing the meat temp to rise along with the water. I do this for the pulled pork at our October Senior-Q when we feed 150 seniors. We cook everything else onsite, but I do the pork ahead of time and do the "boilin' bag" thing in the DPP's onboard turkey fryer. I TRY to let it thaw first, but have frequently taken something out of the freezer and gone straight to the pot with it. The flatter the package, the better this works from the frozen state. A whole brisket flat will go from frozen to hot and edible in about 30 minutes, for example, while ribs will heat faster than that.

When I'm cooking up a big batch for the freezer or for other people, I always do the ice bath to chill quickly. I let the meat cool just a bit, package it up with a bit of sauce/juice, vac it, and throw the vacuumed packages down into an ice-water slurry in an ice chest. It chills them down much quicker than setting them into the fridge or even the freezer, as the warm meat will heat up the refrigerator before it cools the meat. After at least a few hours in the ice/water (adding ice occasionally as it melts - I usually go through 3 bags of ice in this process), I dry the packages, and it's off to the freezer or the refrigerator. This is the fastest chill-down method I've found short of a nitrogen blast...

Keri C