to cube or sheet, that was the question

[saabtech]

well stoped by the LFS to get some brine and such. i found cubes (3.5 oz) for over $5. then i saw the sheets (16 oz) for over $11. what was i thinking this whole time?

i got the sheet took it home and placed it on the chopping block. broke out the ol' cleaver and chopped it into strips and placed it in ziplock baggies. now i have all kinds of food in all kinds of sizes for all kinds of situations.

who else does this?

[Europhyllia]

I only do this if I have to. I HATE freezer burn.
(actually I also don't like brine shrimp. lol)
I only buy the prawn eggs in sheets. Everything else in cubes. I know I pay more but I want it vacuum sealed and fresh and not freezer burned.
I had to place an order with Brine Shrimp Direct so I stocked up a bit on mysis cubes to make up for my cube spending...

[Salty]

I use the sheet. Definately a better solution IMO

[tebstan]

I used to use the sheets for that reason. But the more anal I got about feeding, the more I relied on the cubes. I spend so much time thawing, draining, soaking, and target feeding that the little bit of convenience is worth it. I also seem to get more variety with the cubes. (Mysis/brine mix, etc.) I am thinking of investing in a variety of flat packs and making my own mix. I've read on here about others doing it, but I worry about freezer burn as well.

[Europhyllia]

I used to use the sheets for that reason. But the more anal I got about feeding, the more I relied on the cubes. I spend so much time thawing, draining, soaking, and target feeding that the little bit of convenience is worth it. I also seem to get more variety with the cubes. (Mysis/brine mix, etc.) I am thinking of investing in a variety of flat packs and making my own mix. I've read on here about others doing it, but I worry about freezer burn as well.
LOL. tebstan knows my dislike of freezer burn. :D
I find that with cubes I get a wonderful mix every time.
By food safety standards any time you thaw something and it warms up to 40 degrees or more you risk introducing bacteria.
Also any time you thaw and refreeze you risk the cell walls getting damaged and losing nutritional value.
Obviously I fed my critters to give them the best nutritional value possible. I'd rather have a 3 variety mix of vacuum packed freshly thawed stuff with primo nutrition than a super duper home made 10 variety combo that's been thawed, refrozen and packaged in a zip lock baggy with air and much less nutritional value.
My fish swim all day - they should eat like athletes IMO ... lol

[BIGBIRD123]

that's what they make a vacuum sealer for. we buy all sheets, let them thaw a little and mix them and vacuum seal the packs in small bags. with doing this we can add amino acids and other things in each pack mixed for convenience.

[Europhyllia]

good. I could see myself doing this if I could ensure it never gets thawed beyond 40 degrees and stays vacuum packed in between. ;)

[tebstan]

Oooh, I didn't even think of that. Vacuum sealers are fun.

How do you make the mix? I assume you don't add any more water, but how can you get a good blend without mincing the pieces? And the temp thing Europhyllia mentioned, would chilling the blender pieces work? Like freezing a beer mug?

I'm scared to try this. The last time I tried to make a custom food from cod and beef, I ruined a blender and found out what I thought was a meat grinder, was in fact a pasta maker.

[Europhyllia]

I'm scared to try this. The last time I tried to make a custom food from cod and beef, I ruined a blender and found out what I thought was a meat grinder, was in fact a pasta maker.
LOL. You sound like me. I made home made liver biscuits for the dogs before with out blender stick. Nobody wanted to use that stinky blender after that.

[FireWater]

I buy sheets of Mysis - thaw little and add aminos and vitamins then chop it up. Ziploc makes a baggie and manual powered vacuum pump that are cheap enough and easy to use on a regular basis. Seems to work fairly well and helps fend off freezer burn. The rest of the stuff I buy cubed and the only time I homemade food was a disaster.

[allan]

I buy sheets, but I cut into pieces and take frozen HEB scallop/squid/octopus and then grind them still frozen... then I get freezer burn my mixing the frozen concoction. Then (this last time) I parcel out the mixture into a ice cube container, freeze a few hours and then cut each in half. Then I sandy bag them.

I haven't had any freezer burn though....

[ismvel]

Yup, sheets here too. and occasionally, usually once a year, against his will ;) BSTREEP usually gets a group food order going. Not sure if they have already done that. But that is where it's at if you are the type to make your own.

The last two years Bill has done a large order and I have been part of it.

[allan]

Bill needs to jump in here and volunteer his efforts again. :)

[txav8r]

Bill doesn't have much to feed anymore.