Buying chicken in bulk can save money until you start thinking about how to freeze it. A vacuum sealer removes much of the air around the meat, but you don’t need another appliance to get close to the same idea. A freezer bag and a bowl of water can push much of the trapped air out before the chicken goes into the freezer.
The water stays outside the bag. Pressure from the water does the work as you lower the chicken into it.
Start with a freezer bag
Divide the chicken into portions based on how much you cook at one time.
Put each portion into a zipper freezer bag. Freezer bags are thicker than standard sandwich bags and hold up better during longer storage.
Seal most of the zipper, leaving a small section open so air has somewhere to escape.
Lower the bag into water
Fill a large bowl or pot with water.
Lower the chicken filled bag into the water, keeping the open section above the surface.
As the bag sinks, water pressure pushes the plastic against the chicken and forces air toward the opening. Stop before water reaches the zipper.
Seal the final section while the bag is still submerged, then lift it out.
Dry the bag before it goes into the freezer
Wipe the outside of the sealed bag dry.
This small step keeps excess water from freezing around the package. One commenter singled it out after the water method was suggested.
Write the contents and date on the bag before putting it away.
Freeze chicken pieces apart if you want to grab one at a time
Removing air doesn’t stop raw chicken pieces from freezing to each other.
For loose pieces, arrange chicken breasts or thighs on a baking sheet and freeze them first. Once firm, transfer the pieces to a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible.
The first freeze keeps the chicken from becoming one large block, so you can take out only what dinner needs.
Less air helps fight freezer burn
Air inside the package affects quality during longer freezer storage.
Freezer burn occurs when frozen food loses moisture, leaving dry sections on the surface. Reducing air exposure helps limit that moisture loss.
You don’t have to remove every last pocket of air. Even pressing excess air from a freezer bag before sealing was a common method among cooks in the discussion.
A vacuum sealer can make bulk storage easier, but it isn’t required for a package of chicken. Put the meat in a freezer bag, lower it into water with the opening above the surface, seal it before lifting it out, then dry and freeze. The bowl does the part that usually makes people think they need another appliance.
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