DIY Tuna Creations

[T&Es_Dad]

As I prepare for my first multi day solo Backpack hunt in October I am building a spreadsheet with a breakdown of my daily foods with their macro nutrients. As of where I'm at with it right now I need to increase my daily amount of protein.
I am considering adding in Tuna Creations packages but they are relatively small portions, just 15-17 grams protein per package on average.
Rather than carrying multiple packages per day would it be safe to empty 2-3 packages in to a vacuum sealable bag, suck the air out and vacuum seal it up?
Has anyone else ever done this before? How long might it last? Other than light getting through a clear bag, can you see any other issues that could arise that i might be over looking?
Another thought i had rather than buying tuna creations packages was to DIY my own tuna blend from canned tuna or possibly even canned chicken, determine my portion size and vacuum seal them up, 1 per day.
Again, has anyone done this before?
My thought is 1 tuna package per day at roughly 30-45 grams protein per package.
Positive or negative let my know your thoughts on this.

 

[biednick]

They're sterilized after they're packaged, similar to canning. Opening them and repackaging them provides an opportunity for bacteria to get in. I wouldn't risk it. If even one of your packages goes bad on a hunt I bet you'd be wishing you just carried them all in the original pouch.

 

[blksno]

As I prepare for my first multi day solo Backpack hunt in October I am building a spreadsheet with a breakdown of my daily foods with their macro nutrients. As of where I'm at with it right now I need to increase my daily amount of protein.
I am considering adding in Tuna Creations packages but they are relatively small portions, just 15-17 grams protein per package on average.
Rather than carrying multiple packages per day would it be safe to empty 2-3 packages in to a vacuum sealable bag, suck the air out and vacuum seal it up?
Has anyone else ever done this before? How long might it last? Other than light getting through a clear bag, can you see any other issues that could arise that i might be over looking?
Another thought i had rather than buying tuna creations packages was to DIY my own tuna blend from canned tuna or possibly even canned chicken, determine my portion size and vacuum seal them up, 1 per day.
Again, has anyone done this before?
My thought is 1 tuna package per day at roughly 30-45 grams protein per package.
Positive or negative let my know your thoughts on this.

Could just get the large bags. 11oz family size is what I use.
I dont see an issue with carrying 3-4 of a different flavor per day though. Much easier to spread it out into 2-3 portions if they are each individually pkgd.

Depending on which brand or flavor, Protien looks like roughly 17-20g per portion for a small pouch or just get the 11oz pkd and have 66g in one meal.

 

[MT-JONAS]

Could you buy tuna, cook it, dehydrate it and make your own jerky? Rehydrate it with the meal…

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Could you buy tuna, cook it, dehydrate it and make your own jerky? Rehydrate it with the meal…

Wouldn't regular store-bought jerky provide the needed protein?

 

[MT-JONAS]

Yes, but it would be in "wet" form. My thought is if it was dehydrated and vacuum sealed the risk of contamination would be reduced.

 

[PddPdd]

My simple thinking...

If you vacuum sealed your portions and then freeze them for a few days the only thing left should be anaerobic bacteria that can survive cold temps.
Should reduce risk significantly. You could test one package by taking it of out the freezer and setting on the counter for the same duration as your trip then open it to see how it smells.

I just remembered you can boil vacuum seal bags if you get the bags rated for boiling. So package, boil, freeze.

 

[biednick]

My simple thinking...

If you vacuum sealed your portions and then freeze them for a few days the only thing left should be anaerobic bacteria that can survive cold temps.
Should reduce risk significantly. You could test one package by taking it of out the freezer and setting on the counter for the same duration as your trip then open it to see how it smells.

I just remembered you can boil vacuum seal bags if you get the bags rated for boiling. So package, boil, freeze.

Low acid foods need to be boiled at ~250f to sterilize them. That's why meat needs to be pressure canned. I doubt vacuum bags would hold up well that hot. Even if you use something that can handle higher temperatures like retort bags, there's a possibility that treating plastic pouches like glass jars doesn't properly sterilize the food. The risk is lower starting with prepackaged shelf stable meat, but it's still not a risk I'd take to save an ounce or two.

Pressure canning in retort bags is the only semi viable option. There's issues with retort canning that increase the odds of something going wrong compared to canning in glass jars so I still wouldn't recommend it, but it's definitely a better option than just boiling and freezing.

I wouldn't trust a one off smell test to determine whether it'll work or not either. Not everyone you need to worry about will make it smell bad, and maybe that one didn't get contaminated but the next one does.

 

[338weatherby]

The added bulk of the vacuum bags would be a concern to me. Food for 6-7 days is the bulkiest and heaviest item in my pack. I look for ways to reduce that first. Have you watched any videos of DIY food prep? I must have lost about 15 lbs after last falls 6 day trip. I didn't pack enough calories and will be trying something along these lines next year. I've always carried at least one Tuna Creation per day.

 

[MT-JONAS]

If I went with your diet on a 12 day hunt I'd drop the weight I've been wanting to loose

 

[DDB TX]

Pound for pound the most energy-dense and yet light item you pack should be dried sausages. Salamis, sopressatas, etc. Fat has 2x the calories as protein or carbs per gram. They will last just fine in a ziplock, or you can vacuum seal them. Salamis are never cooked, did you know that? If you are concerned about nitrites or nitrates, just dont eat that spinach or beet which has many times the nitrites of bacon. There is a reason that mountain men and Indians made and ate a lot of pemmican, which is basically a dried sausage with dried berries (serviceberries and blueberries mostly) added.