By Hank Shaw

A venison preparation tip from Hank Shaw, author of the award-winning food blog Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Your trophy is now heaped on the countertop in small mountains of meat. Here is how to keep the meat fresh-as-the-day-it-was-butchered if you plan to eat it in…

One Week: There’s no need to freeze it for such a short time period. Keep the meat well wrapped, and in the coldest part of the refrigerator, far away from the door.

One Month: Center the meat in laminated freezer paper. Fold the short ends over the meat and turn the package over on a countertop, keeping it in contact with the counter to push out air. Once it’s flipped, use your fingers to press the air out of the sides as if you were sealing an envelope. Repeat twice more and tape the flap.

One Year: There are two methods to keep meat edible for the long stretch. A vacuum sealer sucks all the air out of packages, staving off freezer burn and saving freezer space. If you don’t have a vacuum-sealer, freeze each cut in water. Place the meat in a zip-seal freezer bag, and fill the bag with ice water. Press down on the bag as you seal it so that water spills out of the top, driving air out of the bag. Also, I like to mark each package with the date, the cut, and a detail about the deer, such as “7-pointer by the swamp gate.” That way I can relive the memory with each morsel.

Comments (2)

from steve182 wrote 2 years 24 weeks ago

I never freeze the best cuts. Tenderloins are eaten w/in a couple days if not sooner. Backstraps provide a couple meals for my small family, but are fine in the beer fridge (30deg) for 10 days or so in a zip-lock. If i want to keep it fresh for a month, i'll vacuum seal and put it in the fridge. Hams, shoulders and neck meat go in the freezer, vacuum packed of course. Vacuum sealing has definitely eliminated any hint of gaminess that i remember from the venison i ate as a kid.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from dleurquin wrote 18 weeks 19 hours ago

Good advice. Thanks.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

from steve182 wrote 2 years 24 weeks ago

I never freeze the best cuts. Tenderloins are eaten w/in a couple days if not sooner. Backstraps provide a couple meals for my small family, but are fine in the beer fridge (30deg) for 10 days or so in a zip-lock. If i want to keep it fresh for a month, i'll vacuum seal and put it in the fridge. Hams, shoulders and neck meat go in the freezer, vacuum packed of course. Vacuum sealing has definitely eliminated any hint of gaminess that i remember from the venison i ate as a kid.

+2 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

from dleurquin wrote 18 weeks 19 hours ago

Good advice. Thanks.

0 Good Comment? Yes | No | Report

Post a Comment

 

All submitted comments are subject to the rules set forth in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.