I couldn't imaging taking ours with us travelling as there is an abundance of fresh food, meat & veg to be had most highways & byways.
Vac Packers are good for 'longer term' storage, if I buy a side or 1/4 of meat or catch a load of fish I will pack them as they, fish especially will get Freezer Burn otherwise after a couple months storage.
In the van we don't keep food long enough to warrant using it.
Cheers
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Neil & Lynne
Pinjarra
Western Australia
MY23.5 Ford Wildtrak V6 Dual Cab / 21' Silverline 21-65.3
I have a Sunbeam one and use it heaps when I buy bulk meat. I love it.
Using it in the caravan I think would be too much of a hassle, like others have said, you would really only buy enough food for one or two days, so not really a need for it.
I've got the Aldi one. I'm happy with it. I don't take it on the road but I prepare food for the trip at home. My husband has diabetes so by having some meals prepared he can eat healthily after a day on the road. I take a few meals and mix them up with freshly purchased items when we aren't travelling. Happy to expand on what I do if you're interested .
Hey Neil,I,m with Delta on this one . Having said that, when we go away for say 2-3 weeks we fill the waeco with steak chook bits.and pre crumbed schnitzels,so we cover maybe at least 3 out of the 7 weekly meals [we always have 1 night at a club and a chinese feed is always a goodie.So...yes we load up but only prior to our trip. I couldn,t be bothered taking my industrial one with us .Cheers John
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Westy. Some people I know are like slinkies. They look really funny when you push them downstairs !
We have a small one that is rechargeable batteries, from a caravan show. We use it a lot suck the air out of a bag and more fits in the freezer. I have also used it when at caravan parks I cook up stews in the slow cooker, suck the air out and heat them when camping.
We have a small one that is rechargeable batteries, from a caravan show. We use it a lot suck the air out of a bag and more fits in the freezer. I have also used it when at caravan parks I cook up stews in the slow cooker, suck the air out and heat them when camping.
Ours came from a caravan show too... but it specifically states not to try to cryovac any liquids. this means anything with a sauce... the liquid part just sucks out. So how do you do stews etc?
G'day, we have had a good one (Sunbeam I think) and use it a lot when we are travelling. "Things" fit in the fridge and freezer easier. When crossing the "fruit fly" boundary we cook and cryovac our fruit and vegies (no waste). We try and buy plenty of meat when we can then use the machine to help it fit in the fridge. If you use the bags right they can be reused after a good wash..
The Sunbeam gets more use when we are away than at home.
We have a small one that is rechargeable batteries, from a caravan show. We use it a lot suck the air out of a bag and more fits in the freezer. I have also used it when at caravan parks I cook up stews in the slow cooker, suck the air out and heat them when camping.
Ours came from a caravan show too... but it specifically states not to try to cryovac any liquids. this means anything with a sauce... the liquid part just sucks out. So how do you do stews etc?
Ours is just called VACUUM SEALER I put the stew etc in a freezer bag, don't tie it. Put the freezer bag in the sealer bag and suck the air out, take care. My bags say do not fill past this point where the hole is. Don't put the opening of the freezer bag towards the suction hole
Ours came from a caravan show too... but it specifically states not to try to cryovac any liquids. this means anything with a sauce... the liquid part just sucks out. So how do you do stews etc?
You can put your liquid in the bag then freeze, or at lease part freeze with the bag open. It is then solid and can be vacced easily.
You also can do this to fragile foods, cakes etc, if you can keep them long enough to freeze! Just remember to cut the top of the bag before thawing or it will still crush the contents.
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Neil & Lynne
Pinjarra
Western Australia
MY23.5 Ford Wildtrak V6 Dual Cab / 21' Silverline 21-65.3
We have just purchased one mainly to do our meat as we only have small portions I'd feel embarressed to ask a butcher to do small pieces! I've just learnt a few things reading this thread as it is, I thought its a lot cleaner without any juices / blood running, we've had a couple of practice runs so will be ready, I was wondering if it is worth taking it on the road and like some else said they use it more and I think we would to, there will be plenty of times we will be away from the larger shops.
We take our Sunbeam Vac pack with us and use it a lot. We love fishing and cryovac our fillets and also when one gets one of those butchers that has great meat buy extra and cryovac it as well. There are literally dozens of things one can cryovac and keep for an extended period. The added attraction is that when meat is cryovac-ed there is no blood spill or meaty smell in the fridge same for fish.
Also great for Prawn flesh and crab meat.
-- Edited by Onedodger on Saturday 25th of January 2014 04:22:19 PM
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I was tired yesterday and I'm tired today betcha I'm retired tomorrow. he he.
We have a vacuum sealer ,and if doing stew , or soups ,or sloppy type of food, I make the appropriate sized bags , put in the food , fold over the top , stand the packages up in the freezer , when frozen , then I seal the top , have done meals for desert camping this way , the food can then be heated in a pot of water , , snip the top , and hey presto, a hot meal ,and no mess . Cheers Lyn.
We have a small one that is rechargeable batteries, from a caravan show. We use it a lot suck the air out of a bag and more fits in the freezer. I have also used it when at caravan parks I cook up stews in the slow cooker, suck the air out and heat them when camping.
Ours came from a caravan show too... but it specifically states not to try to cryovac any liquids. this means anything with a sauce... the liquid part just sucks out. So how do you do stews etc?
Gerty, I place stews, soups and wet foods in those take away plastic containers, put them in the freezer until frozen, then pop them out and into a freezer bag, then vacuum seal them and they all nice and rectangular and easily stackable too.
Actually I put rice or stews into those Glad-bag snap-lock bags, they aren't vacuum sealed but you can get most of the air out by hand and they take up much less space than plastic containers in the fridge or freezer. Since I wasn't able to do it with the vacuum-sealer it seemed a good alternative. But pre-freezing in square containers is a good idea!
I'm a bit late adding my two bob's worth to the discussion, been otherwise occupied for a couple of days....we are up to our second vacuum machine, the first one purchased from a certain supermarket didn't last long, bought the next one at the Caravan show.....I make my own muesli and find it keeps for longer on the road when vacuum packed, but mostly use it for meats and pre packed meals for travelling...they pack flatter in the freezer. cheers Capricorn
Just remember to cut the top of the bag before thawing or it will still crush the contents.
