• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

Venison Expiration Date

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?
Click to expand...

Like it was said. Nobody knows how that meat was handled before you bought it. I like my meat pretty rare and that doesn’t work with poor handling.
 
redhawk said:
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.
Click to expand...

It stacked nicely in just a single freezer (full size upright), and actually only filled about half of it. Wife still had room for all her other freezer items. She isn't much of a venison fan, but she loved that moose! When slow cooked in crock pot and seasoned right it tastes remarkably like a quality beef pot roast. It also helps to butcher it yourself, hand cutting & trimming all fat off each chunk, and avoid sawing through any bone (I believe fat and bone marrow are the main culprits in "gamey" tasting venison). Sadly, moose is a once-in-a-lifetime tag in Utah, or I'd be out there for another one for sure...
 
I have mine vacuum sealed and flash froze some of my deer meat is 3 years old when we eat it and you would never know
 
Yup, agreed with what everyone else has said. I don't think I ever have deer meat around more than a year or so but as long as it was cared for correctly I wouldn't worry about it at any length of time. Even the freezer burnt stuff, the meat's not actually bad, it just got freezer burnt so it'll be dry as heck.
 
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.
Click to expand...
I'd love to try moose, where could someone get that? outside of harvesting it yourself
 
I've been doing my own for years. We also process all the deer, elk, bison, etc for our church's annual wild game dinner at my place. This year, might have to pass the torch on that as I don't think I'll have time to process my own even.
 
nuberncrn said:
Do most of you guys process your own harvest or do you take it to a processor?
Click to expand...

I highly recommend doing your own! There is a world of difference between the quality of the meat when it has been carefully filleted off the bone (not sawn through), hand trimmed of all fat and tendons, cleaned, and carefully wrapped. Running venison through a band saw like a commercial beef processor does is a big mistake, IMHO. Sawing bone smears marrow all over the meat and contributes greatly to "gamey" taste. Same goes for fat. Venison fat isn't flavorful like beef fat is. Eliminate marrow and fat and you will notice a big difference in flavor.

It's not that hard to do, and not much to learn. Don't worry about making "correct" cuts. Just debone the beast taking large chunks of boneless meat from wherever on the carcass. Doesn't really matter (you'll know which pieces look the best, and they can be labeled as such later). Get it cooled, packed out, and home. Later you can cut into proper "meal sized" chunks for your family, and clean it up. Trim off all the fat & gristle you can, then wrap, label, and freeze. When you defrost a chunk you can cook it whole as a roast, or fillet it into steaks, grind into burger, make jerky, or whatever. Be sure to label the primo cuts like the backstraps and tenderloins, and save for a special occasion; or just devour them right up front and enjoy!

I have done many deer and a few elk too, and do them all the same. It took me half the night and most of the next day to bone out that moose, and pack out the meat (several trips with a 100 lb backpack). Then another full day at home to trim & wrap those 66 family sized chunks. But the end result was clean and lean and so worth it... No meat processor will give it that kind of tlc.
 
Last edited:
I vacuum seal everything and usually 2 years is my max. I had some venison vacuum sealed that was 3.5 years old one time (got lost in the freezer). It actually had a plasticy taste to it. That was the first time I’ve ever had that issue. I cooked it up fajita style and fed it to some house guests...they seemed to love it!
 
nuberncrn said:
How long does venison typically hold in a freezer before it needs to be thrown out?
Click to expand...

I just ate some 2014 backstrap the other day, it was excellent. Vacuum sealer and zero degree freezers can keep venison good for a long time. I usually eat it in the first year or two but every now and then a package gets lost in the freezer. I process my own so I know the exact condition it was in prior to freezing.
 
Tight plastic wrap then butcher paper. Several years. Of course, someone once told me, “It’s a freezer, not a time machine!”

Emrah


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
If you're freezer is set to a low enough temp, and you do a good job ensuring that no air touches the meat. It will last far longer than you think, I tend to kill 4-8 deer a year as I do not buy meat from the store and it will last for years in a good deep freezer. If you are freezing other game meat, just remember that the meat isn't the concern, it is the fat. That stuff will still go bad even in a freezer, it just takes longer. So trim fat, and get the air away from the meat.
 
If vacuum sealed 2 years . I have had it frozen that long and it tasted fine. It usually doesn't last that long we eat it way before that.
 
Every time I find a package that is more than 2 y/o it ends up tasting better then freshly killed.

I know a guy with a cryovac and he swears 5 years is no problem. I tend to agree just with what Ive seen from run of the mill vac sealers.
 
does anyone think there is any issue with the new topic of CWD issue and venison? does it affect people and should we be worried?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top