The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Food & crafts => Food processing => Topic started by: suziequeue on November 26, 2011, 07:17:04 am

Title: Meat packaging
Post by: suziequeue on November 26, 2011, 07:17:04 am

We are planning to start doing our own chicken in the near future and I am thinking about batch despatch and freezing the carcasses.

Does anybody do this? and if so what wrapping/packaging is best to use?

Currently we vacuum pack our bacon and just freeze the sausages in those thin plastic butchers bags knotted at the top.

I quite like the idea of vacuum packing the chicken carcasses on polystyrene trays but this may be pie in the sky.

Any advice welcome

thanks

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: Dan on November 26, 2011, 09:17:10 am

We just double-bag ours with freezer bags which works fine for us.

But they are just for our own consumption and we only do a dozen at a time.

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: manian on November 26, 2011, 09:24:01 am

we do ours with normal freezer bags..... average dressed weight 8.5-10 lb. not sure about what to do with turkeys tho' ::)
we usually do 2 a day and rolling programme
eg day 1 kill 2
     day 2 kill 2 dress day 1's..
     ..etc....etc



makes it more manageable for us as we are not that quick yet!!!! ;D
Mx

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: themasterbutcher on November 26, 2011, 01:19:53 pm

Keep it simple and cheap, use loose polybags, most of the good freerange commercial people use this method.
Poultry does not keep in a vac pack very well and tends to get squashed when the machine seals. Other option is an overwrapper with the chicken on a poly tray.

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: robert waddell on November 26, 2011, 01:24:27 pm

if you are freezing it will need to be blast frozen :farmer:

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: manian on November 26, 2011, 05:14:36 pm

Quote from: robert waddell on November 26, 2011, 01:24:27 pm

if you are freezing it will need to be blast frozen :farmer:

why blast frozen robert??
(and what is blast freezing)
Mx

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: robert waddell on November 26, 2011, 05:19:23 pm

if selling to the public  frozen             it freezes very very quick :farmer:

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: manian on November 26, 2011, 05:24:42 pm

phew.........
was getting worried then.... we only eat ours
thanks
Mxx

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: Eve on November 26, 2011, 06:13:48 pm

Blast frozen meals taste pretty much like fresh meals (as opposed to those horrible 'normal' ready / frozen meals), so presumably it'd be the same for meat.  :thumbsup:

Title: Re: Meat packaging
Post by: suziequeue on November 26, 2011, 08:40:38 pm

Yes - we are only doing it for home consumption.

Poly bags will be fine I think

THanks all for your advice.

 :bouquet: :bouquet: