Homemade lunch meat?

[Skittle68]

I really enjoy the "thin sliced deli style" lunch meat that you get from the grocery store, but I hate that it is loaded with salt and preservatives (not to mention "ground and pressed" yuck!). If I can get similar results with a turkey breast and an electric knife, how long do you think it would last in the fridge? Any tips or suggestions would be helpful. Any suggestions for cooking to get the right texture? Does anyone do anything like this?

 

[Oldvine]

We have a slicer and run both ham and turkey breast through it. It's too much work and mess to make two sandwiches so I save the event for when have a crowd. Colder meats slice better than hot for us. I can't remember a time that we sliced up a supply for future use so I can't offer any suggestion for how long it lasts in the refrigerator already sliced. I would guess that it would store better as a whole chunk of meat but I'm not an expert.

 

[Cerise]

I really enjoy the "thin sliced deli style" lunch meat that you get from the grocery store, but I hate that it is loaded with salt and preservatives (not to mention "ground and pressed" yuck!). If I can get similar results with a turkey breast and an electric knife, how long do you think it would last in the fridge? Any tips or suggestions would be helpful. Any suggestions for cooking to get the right texture? Does anyone do anything like this?

I buy deli meat (turkey, roast beef, ham) from the deli counter at the market (sliced & by the pound), or Hillshire Farms. In a zip lock in the fridge it lasts about 3-4 days. I have put leftover turkey or chicken in zip locks, but in small amounts.

 

[CWS4322]

I have a meat slicer...so when I make a roast, ham, pork roast, turkey, or chicken, I run leftovers through the meat slicer. I then wrap "sandwich size" packets in plastic wrap and toss toss those in a ziplock bag, toss that in the freezer. I take out a packet the night before, thaw it in the fridge, and make my sandwich in the morning. I suppose you could use those portion size bags that are being advertised re: Ziplock, but I find plastic wrap works fine. If you want to get really anal, you could pull out the kitchen scale and weigh your portions before wrapping (am I the only person with 3 kitchen scales? One I bought to weigh dye, the other is a kitchen scale, and the third one is one of those veggie/fruit scales like you see in the grocery store...got it at an auction...). But I don't have a bathroom scale. Oh, I also have a grain scale...

 

[Cheryl J]

I really enjoy the "thin sliced deli style" lunch meat that you get from the grocery store, but I hate that it is loaded with salt and preservatives (not to mention "ground and pressed" yuck!). If I can get similar results with a turkey breast and an electric knife, how long do you think it would last in the fridge? Any tips or suggestions would be helpful. Any suggestions for cooking to get the right texture? Does anyone do anything like this?

Hi Skittle. I hear ya on the salty, ground and pressed meats. I don't have a slicer or an electric knife, but I do have a good serrated knife and a foodsaver. When I buy a turkey breast or a ham, or a whole chicken for roasting, future sandwiches are always in mind. I wouldn't keep any sliced cooked meats longer than 4 days in the fridge at the most, but I sure do appreciate my foodsaver for keeping sliced meats in the freezer. They pull so much of the air out of the bags and thaw nicely, long as you use it within 3 months or so.

 

[bakechef]

I stick to the higher quality deli meats. I look for ones without fillers, and many turkeys and chicken that aren't smoked are nitrate free, you just have to seek them out. I buy Sara Lee brand lower sodium, no fillers, no sodium nitrates, and tastes like fresh roasted turkey.

Even with deli turkey I only keep it around for a few days. Stuff made at home, I would only keep for 2-3 days, unless frozen. Things like turkey will likely be harder to keep moist, and I would strongly suggest a brine before cooking poultry. Brined turkey is more moist with my leftover roasted turkeys.