[Nisbet]

Can anyone help me with this one please.  What are the benefits/drawbacks re vacuum-packing and likewise for freezing.  How long will meat keep if vac-pakt?  Is it like weeks or a month or something?  If so, is it better to do that to a huge joint of meat rather than freeze it and then thaw it for Christmas?  Understand also that some folk recommend vac-packing curing joints with its salt etc and leaving it for several weeks - just turning it everyday.  I guess it sort of sits in its own gunk.  Confuses a simple person like me - other advice is that it needs to be drained off daily and more cure applied. Der.  I appreciate not everybody has access to a facility that could assist them - just wondered about your views my friends.  Many thanks. N

[dixie]

I wouldnt vacuum pack meat whilst curing if thats what you mean? I dry cure in a plastic box in the fridge, once rinsed I then wrap in pillowcases to dry for a couple more days then slice then vacuum pack. I think you can keep vacuum pack meat for quite sometime (weeks/months) and not necesarrily refrigerated, but I would! makro for example sell lamb joints vacuum packed but not in the fridge, no idea for how long though! Food deteriorates in a freezer and may get freezer burn, I vacuum pack all of it, keep some in the fridge and some frozen! Hope this helps.

[Snoopy]

I always vacuum pack anything we are to freeze, as it stops frost burn and the meat is identifiable
even when it has been frozen for a few months - but do label it too.

We vacuum pack everything for the market, so that there is no blood, all I can tell you is that it should
be refrigerated at all times, and pork has at the most a 7 day date on it, and Bacon or cured gammon etc 28 days from the
day it was killed.  After that (or before if you do not intend to eat it within those dates) it should be frozen.

Hope this helps nettle

Julie

[mr.pitt]

you shouldnt cure bacon within a vacuum packaging as it holds the juices as it cures and will become very ssalty, as said in a dry cool box is best as the whole process really for aa decent cure is to dry it out.

Beef and lamb are one of the best meats to vac pack, beef more so than lamb, as due to it sitting in its own juices it matures, beef in a vacuum pack if say matured on the bone 1 week then boned and packaged as a full piece i would say 2-3 weeks and it will be fine.

Sometimes when opening vacuum packaged meat you will get a strange smell, this is a gas that is added into the bag, if you leave it for a few minutes out of the bag the smell should disipate, if not discard the meat product.

[Snoopy]

Because ours is not pumped with water to salt cure it - it does not get any saltier
when vaccum packed - although you cannot say that for the rubbish you buy at the
supermarkets.