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Venison Expiration Date

Depends on what type of wrap use on the meat. Butcher paper usually starts to freezer burn after 6 mo. in my freezer, Vacuseal has some longer times about a 1yr -1.5 years. Honest though, venison does lose tenderness, and flavor if frozen longer than 6mo. at least in my opinion.
 
nuberncrn said:
How long does venison typically hold in a freezer before it needs to be thrown out?
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it all depends on how it was packaged really. If there is no air getting to it then it will last a long time. Vacuum packing works well for ground but i prefer to tightly wrap roast, steaks etc in plastic wrap and then freezer paper for best results. I just ate some elk burgers the other day that were 3 years old and they were excellent still.
 
MathewsShooter7 said:
it all depends on how it was packaged really. If there is no air getting to it then it will last a long time. Vacuum packing works well for ground but i prefer to tightly wrap roast, steaks etc in plastic wrap and then freezer paper for best results. I just ate some elk burgers the other day that were 3 years old and they were excellent still.
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I agree wtih this. I pulled some eye of the round out that was 3 years old a few weeks ago. Wrapped in plastic wrap, then butcher paper TIGHT. It was delicious I also think a lot depends on cut and prep. The more fat you remove when butchering, the longer it lasts.

Generally (as long as it's stayed frozen) once its over a year old I just end up changing how I"m cooking it. Instead of cast iron pan, it goes in the crock pot, etc.
 
I have always plastic wrapped without any air then freezer paper all my venison. The longest I have gone is 2 years. (Lost package) I can’t tell a difference.
 
Thanks , for the replies. I have some burger left from last season, and just making sure it still good to eat. I guess if it smells bad when I take it out then its time to toss. outside of that it's probably still good. That said why do people put so much emphasis on meat from the grocery? If you vacu seal and freeze it should hold for a while correct?
 
nuberncrn said:
Thanks , for the replies. I have some burger left from last season, and just making sure it still good to eat. I guess if it smells bad when I take it out then its time to toss. outside of that it's probably still good. That said why do people put so much emphasis on meat from the grocery? If you vacu seal and freeze it should hold for a while correct?
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I personally have way more faith in lean meat that I harvested myself than I do in meat from the grocery store. I have 0 idea of how that chicken was killed, how it was shipped, or how it's been treated in the store. I know to the hour when my deer died, and how soon they got put on ice or in the freezer.

I would eat last years venison in a heartbeat unless it was green, slimy, and/or stinking like rot.
 
Nutterbuster said:
I personally have way more faith in lean meat that I harvested myself than I do in meat from the grocery store. I have 0 idea of how that chicken was killed, how it was shipped, or how it's been treated in the store. I know to the hour when my deer died, and how soon they got put on ice or in the freezer
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TRUE
 
What if I have some hog meat leftover from 2014 that my dad just found in his freezer from when I moved? I didn’t have my chest freezer at my old apartment so I gave him like a quarter of the animal and license to grill; he never did. Now I have 5.5-year-old meat that I don’t know if I should feed to my 3-year-old and my nursing wife (lol she doesn’t nurse the 3YO before you weirdos ask ;))
 
Found some last year in the corner of the freezer that was 6 years old. No problem, tasted great and no one got sick. Just need to pack well and keep in deep freezer.
 
DanO said:
Found some last year in the corner of the freezer that was 6 years old. No problem, tasted great and no one got sick. Just need to pack well and keep in deep freezer.
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The smoker or Dutch oven is probably the way to go, huh?
 
like.2.fly said:
Bagged a moose several years ago, and ended up with 66 roasts. Wrapped them tightly in plastic wrap and then in freezer paper. Took us 3 years to eat them all, and the last one was just as delicious as the first.
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THAT IS A BUNCH OF ROAST, HOW MANY FREEZERS DID THAT MOOSE FIT IN?? I HAVE SEEN THE MEATEATER GUY DO THAT, WRAP MEAT IN A REYNOLDS WRAP TO KEEP AIR OUT, AND THEN IN FREEZER PAPER.
 
DelaWhere_Arrow said:
What if I have some hog meat leftover from 2014 that my dad just found in his freezer from when I moved? I didn’t have my chest freezer at my old apartment so I gave him like a quarter of the animal and license to grill; he never did. Now I have 5.5-year-old meat that I don’t know if I should feed to my 3-year-old and my nursing wife (lol she doesn’t nurse the 3YO before you weirdos ask ;))
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Slow thaw it in the fridge, and if it doesnt small bad(other than potentially freezer burned) and you're pretty certain it never thawed, crock pot it for like 10 hours on low. Make sure it reaches the suggested Pork/Bear temp to kill trichinosis(170 I think, but dont quote me)
 
Vtbow said:
Those last wraps of 1lb or so of burger always seem to sneak to the bottom!
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Yep! The 1 and 2 pound tube bags from Cabelas or LEM work really well for burger as you can easily get all the air out. And as others have said, plastic wrap other meat first and then freezer paper.
 
I may be wrong here, but the only thing I look for is whether or not it is freezer burnt. Idc if it has been package 2 months or 3 years. IF I look at it and can see the freezer burn, i'm not going to eat it. If it isn't, I don't go searching for when it was bagged.

It can't be said enough, the preparation before it is frozen is what determines how long it lasts.

I love to vacuum mine, but a huge problem is moisture being in the meat while trying to vacuum seal it. A tip i've learned and read is to freeze the meat overnight before trying to vacuum seal it. IF you can freeze the moisture before, it makes for a much better seal in my opinion.

I love this place. So many topics of discussion! Thanks fellas.
 
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