Packaging your turkeys for the freezer...What do you use?

[chicks4kids]

When you process your birds, do you use commercial size bags and sucky vac your birds for the freezer? I'm trying to plan ahead and get what I need, but I'm just not sure what kind of packaging I should get. I put my chickens in Foodsaver bags and sucky vac them, but I didn't know if maybe there was a specific supplier of larger bags or maybe some other way of doing that maybe someone on here prefers. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks in advance!!

 

[Frosty]

I just use trash bags (the ones that say not for food use). McMurray has some food quality bags that are supposed to be turkey sized, I might give them a try. Don't know if they make bags big enough for a turkey that would work in a home vac sealer? Seems there would be a lot of air to suck out, too... I really don't know.

 

[ChanceRider]

Because I sell processed chickens and turkeys, I wanted something that would look good as well as something that would keep off freezer burn. I found poultry shrink bags at Cornerstone Farms. They're easy to use and the end result looks great. For smallish Cornish I've used my Foodsaver with good results.

 

[chickeemama]

We ordered the bags from McMurray and they look nice and work well for large turkeys, ours weighed 25 -28lbs dressed. The bags were plenty large enough. This will be my first time attempting to raise and hatch my own standard bronze. If our snow ever melts, maybe they will think about a nest.

 

[jenjscott]

What do you do about the inside of the turkey? Doesn't it get freezer burned? Or even whole chickens. I have been cutting mine in half so I can get it vaccumed down good.

 

[patandchickens]

I keep a sharp eye out in stores for extra-super-jumbo size ziploc bags. They sell them now in huge sizes for household storage -- if you wrap the turkey in a couple nonziploc bags before putting into the ziploc one, you can reuse them several times (they're expensive). Or you can order turkey size bags from poultry supply houses.

I don't vac-seal with a machine... you can achieve a reasonable semblance of it by closing the ziploc closure most of the way, then putting your lips onto the remaining 1" opening (as if you were going to play the trumpet, you know?) and sucking the air out and zipping it closed while still sucking. It sounds stupid but works pretty well for me.

I have never had freezer burn inside a turkey or chicken, not at home nor from the store... I am not sure whether it is impossible (which may be the case) or just irrelevant (since there isn't any meat in there to eat, anyway). But, don't worry about it

Though if you want to package your necks or giblets or whatever in there, they should be wrapped.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[CountryPantry]

When you put your turkey or chicken in the bag, push it down in a large sink of water, open end up, the water will push the air out and you can seal it then. Works great for me.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Wow, that is CLEVER. Thank you for posting it! I will for sure remember this next time I am packaging a bunch of chickens!

Pat