Sick of hand washing ziploc bags and paper coffee filters only

[GreenPartyVoter]

to have them die sooner rather than later. Gold cone filters don't seem to work well in our pour over coffee set up, and Tupperware is good for some storage, but not all. I have some small Silicone snack bags I like, but would like much larger ones for the freezer. I hate freezer burn, and wind up triple bagging bread and meat. Bread is no biggie. Those ziplocs last nearly forever. The meat ones die quickly though, and the Tupperware doesn't prevent Freezer burn. Also, a half filled box is a waste of space.

Any product recommendations? Not looking to add tin foil or butcher paper to the regimen. Want as little waste as possible.

Tia

[MontanaMama]

1. I'm not advertising for these guys, but

Stasher makes larger silicone bags in a half gallon size. They have ones that stand up which I like for the freezer. I saw a different brand at Target online the other day. We’re trying to use a lot less plastic in our house.

[hlthe2b]

3. Do you believe them to be sufficiently air-tight to avoid freezer burn?

I'm looking for an alternative for pre-cooked turkey breasts I buy at Costco.

[MontanaMama]

5. I would say yes, however

That might depend on how long you keep something in the freezer. I usually use them for fruits that I cut up and freeze on cookie sheets and then I load them into the bags. Seem to keep just fine but I use them within a month or two. I have not tried meats in them.

[Ohiogal]

2. I have a Food Saver

I use it mostly for the fish my husband fillets, but it is great for keeping freezer burn off of anything. I’m on my second one since I wore the first one out!

[N_E_1 for Tennis]

4. Here's my method...

Been freezing meat a long time like you freezer burn is my “trump” hate it.

https://www.amazon.com/Ziploc-Vacuum-Starter-3-Quart-1-Pump/dp/B003UEMFUG

I wrap the meat with a good quality plastic wrap, I get the restaurant grade stuff at Costco.
Then put it in the...what we call “sucking bags”. As the air get eliminated the wrap squeezes down to seal the meat...no air can touch the meat...no freezer burn. I take the meat out of the “sucking bag” and stack in the freezer. We reuse the bags for years, the meat never touches the bag, eliminating quite a bit of contamination. Wash the bag in a light bleach solution if needed.

I have had a couple pieces of beef that got lost in the freezer...2 years later you would have thought I froze it yesterday.

Poor mans Food Saver.

[mercuryblues]

6. use freezer paper

Then put in a bag or tupperware type container. Having the freezer paper will protect the inside of the baggie, requiring a less vigorous washing.

As for coffee filters, use the gold tone type, with a filter. Shake the paper filter clean, instead of rinsing it to prolong their effectiveness.

[procon]

7. Get a low cost vacuum sealer machine.

Buy the big rolls to reduce waste and cut your bags to size. You'll save lots of money because you won't need to triple bag anything ever again.

They work with most foods I've tried, both fresh and leftovers. Mash the contents flat to get the most storage space in your freezer. Many foods like veggies and leftovers can stay in the bags for cooking or reheating in boiling water.

Portion out chicken parts, ground meats, fish fillets, sausages and brats, meatballs, chops and steaks, they will stay perfect in their vacuum sealed bags.

I wash some of the larger bags for reuse, not so much ones that held meats, but produce, pastries, rolls and bread works great. I use some clips to hold the bags open on the top rack of the dishwasher so I can get a couple more uses out of them.

[Kacy]

8. Wax paper bags (see Whole Foods) or foil or paper towels

around the food before putting it in plastic bags. My bags remain clean. I use foil wrapped around the wax bags and can often reuse the foil. I use glass jars: if you get a little battery or hand-pump air pump made for plastic bags, you can puncture a metal lid (maybe plastic, I don’t know) once with a push pin, suck air out of the jar and use tape or stickers to cover the hole; it holds a long time. I use the reusable stretchy plastic lids to cover regular containers or to directly cover the cut side of a watermelon or onion, etc. I just bought some cloth bags for produce, but haven’t tried them yet. I have some mesh cloth bags for replacing plastic produce bags at the store, but I admit to not having made using them a practice.