# Vac-Sealing Fresh Meat?



## s2k9k

Since I got my Vac-Sealer a few months ago I have been buying fresh meat when it's on sale and Vac-Sealing it and freezing it. I used to just put it in Ziplocks or the package it came in. Well so far I have just done beef (hamburger and chuck roast) and it turns brown very fast. When I just put it in Ziplocks it would stay red/pink for a long time. I have cooked and ate some of the hamburger and it smelled and tasted fine. I have 3 good chuck roasts I just bought and froze 2 weeks ago and took out of the freezer last night to smoke this weekend and they are brown.  I don't think anything is wrong, when I bought them they were real red and I vac'ed them and froze the day I bought them. I'm just wondering if this is normal for Vac-Sealing?

BTW I'm using a Foodsaver and bags from VSU.


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## chef jimmyj

Here is an explanation from... http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=722624   ...JJ

When freshly slaughtered meat is cut into steaks, the muscle tissue comes into contact with oxygen in the air. The myoglobin in the meat binds this oxygen, forming oxymyoglobin and giving the meat a red color. However, if fresh meat sits for a period of time, generally over the course of several days, the structure of the myoglobin changes. The iron molecule in the middle is oxidized from its ferrous to ferric form and a different complex is formed called metmyoglobin. This compound turns the raw meat a brown color. The meat is usually still safe to eat when cooked, but the brown, unappealing color turns off most consumers. To avoid having your fresh meat turn brown, use it as soon as possible after purchasing it.


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## s2k9k

I kinda understand that Jimmy but I don't understand why I've had burger in ziplocks stay red for months before but in Vac-Seal bags it turned brown in weeks.


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## chef jimmyj

Just a guess but maybe in Ziplocks there is still some Oxygen in the bag reacting with the Myoglobin maintaining the red color. When you vac pac Oxygen is greatly reduced, there is no new contact continuing the red color and the reaction completes, turning brown...JJ


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## s2k9k

Kind of what I was thinking after what you just posted. When i used ziplocks I tried to squeeze out all the air but I knew there was still some in there.

So with what you posted, if you could slaughter fresh meat in an environment free of oxygen what color would the meat be?

Not sure why I'm asking but sometimes I just get curious about stuff, I think my mind works too much sometimes! Probably why I'm addicted to this forum!


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## chef jimmyj

Maroon with a Blue hue. Blood drawn from a Vein, oxygen spent Hemoglobin, is dark compared with blood exposed to the Oxygen in an open cut...JJ


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## s2k9k

I am still puzzled by this. Yesterday I bought another 5# chub of ground chuck and after making 4 burgers I divided the other 3#'s up and decided to do a test. I put 1# in a ziplock and squeezed as much air out as I could with my hands then sealed it. I took the other 2#'s and vac/sealed them 1# each. They all came from the same chub, were all at the same temp and all went into the freezer at the same time on the same shelf right next to each other with nothing on top or below them.

They have been in the freezer for 1 day now and I looked at them and the one in the ziplock has a brighter red color than the vac/sealed ones. The vac/sealed ones are still red but a darker color. I am going to look at them each day and see what happens. I will update this with my results.

Here they are right now after 1 day in the freezer, don't know if you can see the difference in the picture but I can see it:













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__ s2k9k
__ Aug 5, 2012


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## scarbelly

Dave 

Have you ever tried flash freezing the meat and then vac sealing it? I have not experienced the issue you are having - just thinking outloud


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## s2k9k

Not sure what you mean by "flash freezing" but no. I have always just stuck meat in a ziplock and put it in the freezer and have never had any turn brown. I just recently started vac/sealing it. I have only done a few lbs of ground chuck, the 3 chuck roasts and I have 4 london broils I caught on sale I plan on making jerky out of. All of the meat I have vac/sealed has turned brown within about a week.. I've eaten all the burger and the chuck roasts and they all tasted fine and I'm still alive. I'm really thinking it's like JJ said in post 4 above that it is the vacuum sucking all the oxygen out. I'll see what happens in a few days.


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## scarbelly

Just put on a sheet pan in the freezer to freeze then seal it


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## s2k9k

Scarbelly said:


> Just put on a sheet pan in the freezer to freeze then seal it


Oh OK, well another experiment I will have to try.

Wonder if I could put it in a vac bag but not seal it and let it freeze then vac/seal it? 

Might have to try both ways.


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## chef jimmyj

S2K9K said:


> Oh OK, well another experiment I will have to try.
> 
> Wonder if I could put it in a vac bag but not seal it and let it freeze then vac/seal it?
> 
> Might have to try both ways.


 Sure you can Freeze in the Vac Bag then seal it...I do this all the time when I get Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast on sale. The meat is usually so wet that if I don't freeze first the liquid gets sucked up...Works for Tomato Sauce too...JJ


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## s2k9k

I almost forgot about this until I opened my freezer today. Well its been a week and there is definitely a difference in color, it's not real noticeable in the picture but I can really see it:













102_0943.JPG



__ s2k9k
__ Aug 12, 2012


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## daveomak

Dave, morning....Interesting test..... I have heard, don't know if it is true, chubs are sealed in CO2 to stop oxidation and keep the meat red for the consumer..... maybe the vac sealer sucked out all the CO2 and that is why the different color......

Anyone else know of the atmospheric injection in meat packaging ????   Am I all wet on this one....  Dave


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## rubbin butts

DaveOmak said:


> Dave, morning....Interesting test..... I have heard, don't know if it is true, chubs are sealed in CO2 to stop oxidation and keep the meat red for the consumer..... maybe the vac sealer sucked out all the CO2 and that is why the different color......
> 
> Anyone else know of the atmospheric injection in meat packaging ????   Am I all wet on this one....  Dave


*You are correct Dave. In the day when we hauled hanging beef over the road they pumped CO2 into the trailers after the meat was loaded and the trailer sealed up.*

*They do the same with fruits and vegetables, they pick them while they are still green, load them in the trailer, gas them, and when they get to market they are ripe.*

*The true test is which one will last longer in the freezer, and we all know that answer. *


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## dad of four

I'm assuming you are not eating Raw hamburger, so the real test is how each batch taste.


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## hsmama2boog

Hi there! I realize this response comes years after you posed the question.  I found this thread while researching this very same issue.  I purchased some lovely steaks for a birthday meal for my husband, but didn't want to freeze them, only to defrost them a day later and thought maybe it would be OK if I vacuum sealed it.  When I got up the next morning to find them brown, I was almost in tears!  I thought something had gone wrong!!  Upon researching, including on the site for my vacuum sealer, I have found that it's likely due to the lack of oxygen and happens often with vacuum sealed beef.  ;)  I hope this information is something you already found, but thought I'd throw in my findings just in case.


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## yvonne

Very informative thread about sealing meat and the color change. Answered many of my questions. Really loved it.


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## wade

Chef JimmyJ said:


> Sure you can Freeze in the Vac Bag then seal it...I do this all the time when I get Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast on sale. The meat is usually so wet that if I don't freeze first the liquid gets sucked up...Works for Tomato Sauce too...JJ


Great advice JJ. When I vac pack soup I usually balance it at an angle in the chamber to stop it pouring out and then have my finger on the vacuum stop button for the moment it starts to boil. Meat and veg I often freeze before - often to ensure that it keeps it shape - but I have not done it for soups/sauces. Freeze it first and then seal it - such a simple solution I am kicking myself not having thought of it before. Old age must be making me soft in the head !


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## mummel

Wait, so vac seal meat turns brown?  That sucks.  I was thinking about getting one of these sealers for fish I catch.  Is there anyway around this?


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## wade

mummel said:


> Wait, so vac seal meat turns brown?  That sucks.  I was thinking about getting one of these sealers for fish I catch.  Is there anyway around this?


Guess what colour cooked meat turns...


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## mummel

Wade said:


> Guess what colour cooked meat turns...


The wife doesnt care!


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## rgautheir20420

mummel said:


> The wife doesnt care!


mummel, if it's an consolation, my dad used to freeze trout he caught in the lake all the time when we went fishing in New Orleans. We'd catch then clean and filet when we got home. He patted them dry and popped them into a freezer bag and into the freezer. Never had any of them turn any other color than the pale color of fish meat when it went into the freezer.

I don't know if oxidation effects fish meat different than red meat, but that's my experience.


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## mummel

From Food Saver: _When red meat is vacuum packaged, it tends to turn a darker shade of brown due to the lack of oxygen in the bag. The contents are perfectly safe for eating._


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## mummel

Can you vac seal zip lock bags (not using those pumps, but push the plastic bag into the Food Saver, have it melt the plastic, and then just tear off the zip lock part)?  I have a bunch of zip locks at home that I can normally find on clearance deals.


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## rgautheir20420

A quick google search shows youtube videos on how to vac seal a zip lock bag but I wouldn't trust it. The bags are cheap and I have things leak out of them.


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## mummel

You talking about the pump or actually using the vac seal itself?  Some newer sealers come with a pump.

I was asking if you use the vac seal itself (not the pump), to seal a ziplock, below the zip lock, so the plastic melts and the zip becomes redundant.  Does this work?


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## rgautheir20420

I knew what you meant and I've no idea. I used actual vac seal bags. I don't see a purpose in using bags not meant to be vac sealed. 

However, I'm sure it can be done. The reason most vac seal bags have ridges are so the sealer can creat a vacuum. I use a chamber type model. I'm sure there's a work around to be able to seal bags without ridges with a chamber style sealer. Heck...that's hot the UMAI bags works with the UMAI mouse thing.


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## mummel

The new Food Savers allow you to create your own sized back.  They plastic comes in a big roll and it uses a blade to cut off the size of the bag you want.  You seal one end, then turn it around to vac seal the other end.  I'm sure this would work with a zip lock bag.  The only variable is the plastic being a different material.  Not sure if that matters.


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## rgautheir20420

I added a link to a youtube video showing how to do it. Not sure what else do other than go give it a shot yourself.


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## mummel

TY


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## timberjet

mummel said:


> The new Food Savers allow you to create your own sized back.  They plastic comes in a big roll and it uses a blade to cut off the size of the bag you want.  You seal one end, then turn it around to vac seal the other end.  I'm sure this would work with a zip lock bag.  The only variable is the plastic being a different material.  Not sure if that matters.


I have been using those rolls for years and years. That's the only way to buy it cheap.


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