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Q:
"A friend gave me some pheasant breasts and pieces of chucker (I think?) and I'm wondering how long they'll keep until I need to cook 'em?

Question by bpjones. Uploaded on November 10, 2009

Answers (9)

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from Ontario Honker ... wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Well, if the meat is fresh, I'd suggest putting it to soak in salty water in the fridge for a day or two. Add some baking soda too. They will keep for quite a while in salty water if it's kept cold and covered. The salt water will help draw out much of the blood and soda supposedly reduces the gamey taste (not much of that in pheasants). My guess is the odd piece of meat is hungarian partridge since the two species are commonly found together in the wild. Chukars are are found in high, dry, and steep country. Pheasants and huns are flatland critters. After a day or two in salt water you can remove the meat and marinade it in McCormack's Baja Citras marmalade mix (in an evelope in gravy section at grocers). Let it soak covered in the marinade for a day or two also in fridge or cool place. You might want to slice those breasts halves in half lengthways first. Then BBQ. If you don't want to eat the meat right away, take it out of the salt water soak, wrap the pieces individually in cling wrap, and put the bunch in a zip lock bag. Use a straw to suck out the air as you zip it up. That meat will keep in the freezer that way almost indefinitely.

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from ranger2 wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Without doing such as suggested above, even in the fridge protein will start to spoil in as little as three days.

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from Elmer Fudd wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

I find fresh game is so much fresher than meat from the store. It'll keep a week easy in the fridge, my opinion, however is it fresh kill? Freeze it if longer. BTW you can't leave game in salt water too long.

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from jordjohn44 wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

wrap it and freeze it. It will keep for a long time

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from Ontario Honker ... wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Sorry, yes it looked like I was suggesting leaving bird meat in salt water indefinitely. I usually leave it overnight. A couple of days is fine. Sometimes in the case of meat that has a bit more blood shot or bruising, I'll change the water for the second day. The point of all this soaking in water and marinade is to cleanse and tenderize the meat as well as improve the flavor. A lot of guys will clean a bird when they get home, cut it up, and throw it right in the frying pan with a can of mushroom soup. You can expect it to be a lot chewier that way. Another thing to keep in mind is that the smaller the pieces, the quicker it will spoil, even in the fridge. The venison scrap bucket to go to the grinder MUST be thrown in the freezer immediately after the animal is butchered if it can't be ground. That stuff will spoil overnight, or sooner in warmer weather. The whole deer, on the other hand, can hang for a week in cool weather to cure and be just fine.

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from matouse3 wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Just an FYI, I soaked mine in some apple cider with some salt and pepper overnight before cooking. Then just grilled it. Make sure you don't over do it, but mine turned out great. Little sweet, little salty. The cider gave it a real fall taste.

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from jetdriver wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

If I am going to put my meat in the freezer, clean it wash it in warm water. Rinse in cold water. Then into 1 gallon ziplock. A little salt and cover in water. Into freezer.
Covering in water keeps it from getting freezer burn.

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from norcalhunter7 wrote 2 years 3 weeks ago

If they are frozen...long enough

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from blackdawgz wrote 2 years 1 week ago

Don't go past four months, frozen hard as a rock. Frozen things still decay. And what wild game is good for is the flavor.

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from jordjohn44 wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

wrap it and freeze it. It will keep for a long time

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from jetdriver wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

If I am going to put my meat in the freezer, clean it wash it in warm water. Rinse in cold water. Then into 1 gallon ziplock. A little salt and cover in water. Into freezer.
Covering in water keeps it from getting freezer burn.

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from norcalhunter7 wrote 2 years 3 weeks ago

If they are frozen...long enough

+2 Good Comment? | | Report
from ranger2 wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Without doing such as suggested above, even in the fridge protein will start to spoil in as little as three days.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from Elmer Fudd wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

I find fresh game is so much fresher than meat from the store. It'll keep a week easy in the fridge, my opinion, however is it fresh kill? Freeze it if longer. BTW you can't leave game in salt water too long.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from Ontario Honker ... wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Sorry, yes it looked like I was suggesting leaving bird meat in salt water indefinitely. I usually leave it overnight. A couple of days is fine. Sometimes in the case of meat that has a bit more blood shot or bruising, I'll change the water for the second day. The point of all this soaking in water and marinade is to cleanse and tenderize the meat as well as improve the flavor. A lot of guys will clean a bird when they get home, cut it up, and throw it right in the frying pan with a can of mushroom soup. You can expect it to be a lot chewier that way. Another thing to keep in mind is that the smaller the pieces, the quicker it will spoil, even in the fridge. The venison scrap bucket to go to the grinder MUST be thrown in the freezer immediately after the animal is butchered if it can't be ground. That stuff will spoil overnight, or sooner in warmer weather. The whole deer, on the other hand, can hang for a week in cool weather to cure and be just fine.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from matouse3 wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Just an FYI, I soaked mine in some apple cider with some salt and pepper overnight before cooking. Then just grilled it. Make sure you don't over do it, but mine turned out great. Little sweet, little salty. The cider gave it a real fall taste.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from blackdawgz wrote 2 years 1 week ago

Don't go past four months, frozen hard as a rock. Frozen things still decay. And what wild game is good for is the flavor.

+1 Good Comment? | | Report
from Ontario Honker ... wrote 2 years 12 weeks ago

Well, if the meat is fresh, I'd suggest putting it to soak in salty water in the fridge for a day or two. Add some baking soda too. They will keep for quite a while in salty water if it's kept cold and covered. The salt water will help draw out much of the blood and soda supposedly reduces the gamey taste (not much of that in pheasants). My guess is the odd piece of meat is hungarian partridge since the two species are commonly found together in the wild. Chukars are are found in high, dry, and steep country. Pheasants and huns are flatland critters. After a day or two in salt water you can remove the meat and marinade it in McCormack's Baja Citras marmalade mix (in an evelope in gravy section at grocers). Let it soak covered in the marinade for a day or two also in fridge or cool place. You might want to slice those breasts halves in half lengthways first. Then BBQ. If you don't want to eat the meat right away, take it out of the salt water soak, wrap the pieces individually in cling wrap, and put the bunch in a zip lock bag. Use a straw to suck out the air as you zip it up. That meat will keep in the freezer that way almost indefinitely.

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