Store cryo packaging - OK to put in SV?

[RolfTaylor]

With the downsizing of in-store meat departments, it is not unusual for high volume sales item's to be vacuum packed outside the store. For example giant had USDA Choice NT Strip steaks on sale for $5.99/lb for mothers day. 3 steaks per cryo pack (each steak is individually sealed.

Sometimes such cryo packs included a juice soaked asorber pad thingy that is part of the strategy to sell us all water, but sometimes not.

Not sure I want my food touching one of those pads the entire time it is cooking in the water bath. On the other hand, it sure would be convenient to just through them in just as they come from the store.

Any experience or thoughts on doing so?

Thanks,

Rolf

[acorgihouse]

I am endlessly suspicious, so I would be concerned about the plastic leaching into food (are those cryo packs made of food safe stuff?) I also rarely see them that are completely vac packed with no extra air/fluid in the pack, even if there is no drip pad. I've had people tell me they throw bacon packs, that are pretty tightly packaged, into the sous vide, but I don't cook bacon that way so never considered. I'm interested to hear if anyone else has actually tried, and/or looked into the food safety of the packaging. Sure would save plastic if it were possible.

[Jerod Broussard]

I prefer my own bag. I've had enough leak. I don't like going over the original unless I'm simply vacuum sealing for storage.

[SheilaAnn]

I, too, prefer my own bag. Also, you don’t want to SV bone paper if it’s also packed in. I just create a little packet of plastic wrap (bpa free) for any sharp edges that might pierce the cryo. And ditto on that spongy thing.

also, you have the outside label mucking up the SV machine.

[DaveD]

I say definitely no way. That's not what they're designing their packaging for. I would never do it myself. Plus I always want to season the meat, I wouldn't do it with absolutely nothing on it...

[jfmorris]

I wouldn’t do it. I want to rinse or blot the meat to get ‘stuff’ off it. Just sous vide it in a zip lock freezer bag if you,don’t want to use or don’t have a vacuum sealer.

[RolfTaylor]

Thanks folks.

[bbqLuv]

Be Careful as you do not want to Cry "O the packaging".