The joy of freezing Q


 
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Jim Babek

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Its 12:05am here and the taste for Q just hit me. Threw a foodsaver pack of 3 ribs into water and in 15 minutes Im eating.

I know most of you do this but for the first dozen cooks there hasnt been any leftovers. Last time I made extra and froze them. What a treat. Im definatley making this a practice from now on.

Just figured Id share for all the other newbies out there. Invest in a foodsaver...very useful on many fronts. Besides Christmas is comming...its a great gift for the wife.
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Jim, I think a lot of wives would want to reverse your last statement. Finally a gift they could give their husbands that they could use too.
 
After I bought my foodsaver, it allowed me to use the WSM whenever I wanted. My wife knew there would be nothing going to waste. Eat what you want and then freeze the rest! I love dropping a bag of pulled pork or brisket in the water and then enjoying it minuets later. Not to mention enjoying it days after the cook, and it is as good as it was when I brought it off the WSM!! I love the foodsaver!!!
 
I got my Foodsaver 2 weeks ago (when I did my first CR). Ate what I could and froze the rest. I was home this Tuesday from work (pouring rain and I work construction). Lunch time came and I had nothing in the house to eat, but wait...I had some CR. It was great first time & second time around!!!
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Next greatest thing besides my WSM!

Nick P.
 
My wife asked for one for her birthday 2 years ago and we use it at least 3 times a week. After coming back from Sams we divide up our meats for freezing, divide up coffee beans into weekly usage amounts, boxes of butter, block cheeses, dog treats (as well as leftover bones for her), and on and on. Just wish their containers would hold a seal.

In the two years we've had it I know it's paid for itself a many times over in the savings we get in buying bulk as well as the amount of perishables that don't end up in the compost.

~Dave
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Rita Y:
Some of you are familiar with the Yahoo FoodSaver discussion group:
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Further proving that there's a web site out there for absolutely everything. Thanks Rita.
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~Dave
 
OK so what’s the appropriate food hygiene practice for freezing and re-heating Q? I portioned my leftover pulled pork into plastic freezer bags (not vacuum), sucked most of the air out and froze them.
I allowed a bag to defrost in the fridge. I then reheated some of it gently in the microwave at work in a Lock & Lock tub with the lid on loosely and ate it in toasted pitta with some vinegar based sauce – it was very nice (not sure what my co-workers really thought – they were very complimentary about the smell, but then again I did kippers the other day so it may all be relative!). The balance used in a sandwich to eat on a car journey the following day without any reheating.
After this someone told me that cooked frozen food should be fully reheated before eating. Is this so? Now as it happens I felt terrible after eating the sandwich in the car (green round the gills, headache and thirsty), but much of that may have been sitting in the back trying to amuse my one year old.
I’ve searched through old threads on this board and nobody seems to suggest that the meat should be reheated for any other reason than to eat it warm (rather than hot) after all it never really got that hot in the first place.
Any pointers?
Thanks, James
 
I will also be very interested in the reply this post get's as I too have frozen some pork butt left over from last nights smoke, the same as you I don't have any way of vacume packing food so I just froze it in standard freezer bags. I'd assume its OK to defrost and eat the meat cold but warming it gently would be dodgy, heating it in the microwave it safe tempratures will probable make the meat tough and dry I assume but safer to eat. I have to find someone who sells those foodsavers over here, the only place I ever seen them is on the shopping channels and getting refills would be a problem!!
 
James and Bren:

I am with you. Normal, safe handling of food is sufficient. I would not be overly concerned if reheated Q does not reach 160°F. I personally allow Q to thaw and then into the sammich (sandwich). It is also very good fully reheated in a brown gravy over a slice of bread/toast and/or mashed potatoes...and or any other idea as may come to your mind(s).

Heck...the Butter Smoked Ribeye never even saw 150° in the first place..
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Keith, there is a big difference when the steak doesn't reach 160 or 140 and when chicken and pork and hamburgers don't! Hell, a properly prepared prime rib is supposed to be done at 120!!

While I am not sure what the protocol for re-heating frozen food is(I drop a foodsaver bag in boiliing water)it has been fully cooked at somepoint! I have eaten cold chicken after grilling and the other afore mentioned stuff.

I'd be willing to bet that Doug D knows the answer to this one...where are you Gurusan?!?!
 
I always freeze my portions in cheap sandwich-size zippy bags first. This keeps the expensive bags clean.

Then I make make 3 tiny holes in the bags with a push-pin near the zipper, put the portions in one large FoodSaver bag, and vacuum it while they are still frozen. This helps keep the moisture in the meat instead of vacuuming it out.

This is especially important to do when the meats are raw, but I also do it with cooked foods. Freeze before vaccuming.

Rita
 
I usually put all my pulled pork into Tupperware or Glad containers right after pulling, and refrigerate overnight. Then next day, the cold pork goes easily into quart-size vacuum bags, which hold just about the right amount for me, and into the freezer. When I take a bag out of the freezer, I microwave it on the defrost setting until it's basically thawed, then put it into a Tupperware container and back into the fridge (except for what I'm going to eat immediately). For an individual sandwich, I put the cold bbq into a Pyrex custard cup (just because I have a lot of them and they hold the right amount), put a saucer over the top as a lid, and heat in the microwave. The saucer holds in the moisture so it doesn't dry out. This method works very well for making one or two sandwiches at a time. If I wanted to serve the entire bag at once, I'd probably heat it in boiling water.
 
Billy, I am 99% sure the Amazon does sell them...I recall Doug posting a discount code a while back...check it out...if not, I got mine at BJ'S wholesale club. It was a Foodsaver 1050 for $119.00
 
Costco sells them too and you usually get extras like canisters with them that you might not get from Amazon. You might know someone who belongs to Costco who could get one for you.

Rita
 
Billy, Amazon, Sams, Wal Mart, Costcoall carry them. Foodsaver 1050 at BJ'S $99.00 Here with extras as Rita mentioned. Love my Foodsaver 1050
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Bryan
 
I recently got the Tilia 1050 from Amazon. It's still on sale for 99.00 (that's 44% off its suggested retail price, and Amazon usually carries it for $139 I think). Plus you get free shipping!

Don't forget to click into Amazon thru the link on the front page of TVWB web site if you order from Amazon...!
 
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