Sous vide bags

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

So the pastrami is cooking away for 72 hours now. But I had to use 8 freezer zip lock bags to hold the 14 pounds of brisket. I felt one per piece would be risky given the length of the cook.

I know about vacuum sealers as an alternative. However, has anyone tried the reusable bags or something else to cut down on the plastic waste?


The steak was a massive success with the device so we could be using it a lot more going forward.

Alternatively, Is the vacuum sealer the most efficient way to address the plastic waste issue then? If so, I will keep it in mind if we use this a lot more going forward.

[barelfly]

I guess I can’t really address your specific question, but I use the vac bags for storage more than the SV method. I buy quite a bit of meat at Costco and then separate based on portions needed. For this, it’s pretty dang worth the money.

but for SV, the benefit of the vac seal is having everything already to go if I decide to go with the SV method. I go straight from freezer to SV bath majority of the time. And will do seasoning after the bath time.

I also find for the one offs, vac seal bags are easier than zipper bags. But, it doesn’t necessarily cut down on waste like you are asking. I guess you could wash the inside of the bag and turn it out to dry. I’ve done that with zipper bags in the past, but not with cooked food.

Not sure if that helps or not, but just my half pennies worth of thought

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

Found this old thread and it seems like most just do vacuum seal as the reusable bags aren’t really reusable with raw meat.

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/the-pit-mastery-program/sous-vide/786871-sv-bags-that-are-reusable-or-recyclable

[jhapka]

https://www.stasherbag.com/

I got a set of these for my mom for Christmas and used one to sous vide leftover brisket and it worked wonderfully. Ran it through the dishwasher and it was like brand new. You can’t vac seal them so you just use the water displacement method.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

Now that looks perfect. Great idea.

[BloomHybrid]

I don't use them for Sous Vide but I have these stasher bags and they are great and you can wash by hand or in dishwasher.

[Potkettleblack]

I also own these, and the only issue is that, without a two gallon size, their use is a wee bit limited for my SV needs.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

I see Anova has partnered with the Plastics Bank to make its bags 100% plastics neutral and plans to have a fully recyclable bag available by 2022.

https://anovaculinary.com/product/anova-precision-vacuum-sealer-bags-rolls/

[rickgregory]

I think the Stasher bags are interesting. AS far as plastic waste, I look at it like this - if I buy steaks or something and freeze them, I wrap them. Usually in plastic wrap.. which I toss after I've thawed them. If I know I might SV a steak (or whatever), I can season it, vacseal it and cook it in the vacuum seal bag. Even if I toss those (and I do), it's a wash.


I do really like the idea of recyclable bags, though, and will keep an eye on that.

[Potkettleblack]

For large SV cooks, I have pleated vac seal bags that allow a thicker item to fit in the bag better. Opening the pleat increases the volume of the bag immensely. Best solution I've seen for things like a full brisket or a large pork shoulder.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

This is a good idea too. I think I will buy a sealer + Anova bags if we ramp up our sous vide usage. Hard to drop $100 bucks plus just for four bags to replicate my brisket cook when I’d have to use them hundreds of times to recover the extra cost over vacuum seal.

[Potkettleblack]

I also will divide a brisket into two pieces and use 2 gallon zip locks. A lot of times I'm very lazy.