Hey everyone! New guy here. What do you do to keep your kills as fresh as the day you shot it?

StuartHunts

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Sep 13, 2016
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Hi everyone!

These forums are really well designed. They look great!

I think I will like it here a whole lot!

What do you all do to keep your kills as fresh as the day that you shot it?
I've been doing a lot of research on the topic lately and want to see if I missed anything and get some new ideas!
 
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Depends what (game) it is and weather conditions...Lots of varibles...Birds are normally cleaned the next day.....Big game. gutted on the spot and taken to a processor soon after skinning.
 
Depends what (game) it is and weather conditions...Lots of varibles...Birds are normally cleaned the next day.....Big game. gutted on the spot and taken to a processor soon after skinning.
How's your processor handle it the big game for you? Returned vacuum sealed?

I imagine birds don't last long enough to store lol
 
Yup vacuum sealed... before I got one I used to do the plastic wrap and freezer paper wrap, and that wasn't too bad either.
Oh cool. What kind do you have? I got one myself.
I think I should try wrapping some venison in freezer paper AND vacuum sealing it. Perhaps it would last through the end of the world haha
 
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What you do in the field (before you get to the processor) can have a major effect. If that's your question, three simple principles can guide your handling in order ensure optimal meat quality: the enemies are heat, dirt and moisture. So,
1. Get the meat cool as quickly as possible. That means gut immediately, get it out of the sun, and skin it as soon as doing so won't risk contamination by dirt and dust;
2. Avoid dirt. This is where bags come in, and it can be a reason not to skin prematurely. Plastic bags keep the dirt out, but they keep heat and moisture in. So game bags typically are fabric. They let the blood and fluid out, let air circulate, and provide a barrier against gross contamination with dirt. Think "cheese cloth". A bag doesn't need to be air- or water-tight to keep dirt and flies off the meat itself.
3. Keep it dry. If it is possible to hang the carcass in the shade, especially if the air is cool, I hang my big game kills for three days in a large game bag that cinches above the gambrel (hanger). I have a thick canvas bag that will fit an entire deer, bear or pig (skin end and headless). Hanging ages the meat and drains all the blood.
Most of the time you are going to have to compromise on one or more of these rules, but it's worth remembering so you understand the choices you are making. hanging is impractical, but when I get a chance to really care for the meat optimally before transporting it, I'm always glad when it's time to eat it.



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What you do in the field (before you get to the processor) can have a major effect. If that's your question, three simple principles can guide your handling in order ensure optimal meat quality: the enemies are heat, dirt and moisture. So,
1. Get the meat cool as quickly as possible. That means gut immediately, get it out of the sun, and skin it as soon as doing so won't risk contamination by dirt and dust;
2. Avoid dirt. This is where bags come in, and it can be a reason not to skin prematurely. Plastic bags keep the dirt out, but they keep heat and moisture in. So game bags typically are fabric. They let the blood and fluid out, let air circulate, and provide a barrier against gross contamination with dirt. Think "cheese cloth". A bag doesn't need to be air- or water-tight to keep dirt and flies off the meat itself.
3. Keep it dry. If it is possible to hang the carcass in the shade, especially if the air is cool, I hang my big game kills for three days in a large game bag that cinches above the gambrel (hanger). I have a thick canvas bag that will fit an entire deer, bear or pig (skin end and headless). Hanging ages the meat and drains all the blood.
Most of the time you are going to have to compromise on one or more of these rules, but it's worth remembering so you understand the choices you are making. hanging is impractical, but when I get a chance to really care for the meat optimally before transporting it, I'm always glad when it's time to eat it.



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Now THAT is an informative post. Really, I was referring to later down the line after all the things you mention above had already been done, but you are absolutely right that caring for it correctly initially will help ensure top quality. You can't drop the ball from the start and expect it to taste good later down the line.
 
Oh cool. What kind do you have? I got one myself and wrote a buyer's guide about Vacuum sealers.

I think I should try wrapping some venison in freezer paper AND vacuum sealing it. Perhaps it would last through the end of the world haha
Foodsaver.. not sure which model, but it's from Costco. Got it for Christmas a few years ago. Works great.
 
What you do in the field (before you get to the processor) can have a major effect. If that's your question, three simple principles can guide your handling in order ensure optimal meat quality: the enemies are heat, dirt and moisture. So,
1. Get the meat cool as quickly as possible. That means gut immediately, get it out of the sun, and skin it as soon as doing so won't risk contamination by dirt and dust;
2. Avoid dirt. This is where bags come in, and it can be a reason not to skin prematurely. Plastic bags keep the dirt out, but they keep heat and moisture in. So game bags typically are fabric. They let the blood and fluid out, let air circulate, and provide a barrier against gross contamination with dirt. Think "cheese cloth". A bag doesn't need to be air- or water-tight to keep dirt and flies off the meat itself.
3. Keep it dry. If it is possible to hang the carcass in the shade, especially if the air is cool, I hang my big game kills for three days in a large game bag that cinches above the gambrel (hanger). I have a thick canvas bag that will fit an entire deer, bear or pig (skin end and headless). Hanging ages the meat and drains all the blood.
Most of the time you are going to have to compromise on one or more of these rules, but it's worth remembering so you understand the choices you are making. hanging is impractical, but when I get a chance to really care for the meat optimally before transporting it, I'm always glad when it's time to eat it.



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What temperature range is acceptable for the hanging process?
 
Honestly, I don't think there is a cut off. But if there is a breeze and the meat is in the shade, I'd be okay with temps up to 80 degrees during peak temps during the day. The cooler the better, of course, but as long as air can circulate and eliminate moisture on the meat, it's achieving the objective. The goal is for the surface of the meat to develop a kind of crust, like you see on meats in the deli case or hanging at the butcher shop.


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I've burned out a few food savers with fish, I've found if you are doing a large amount to make sure you give the motor a break every once in a while. What I'll do is make a bag, fill it, seal it, label it, then place it in the freezer. This gives enough time to let the motor in the sealer to cool down while I'm off doing other tasks.
 
We rarely mention the value of chest freezers in threads on meat storage, but it's worth pointing out that freezers that don't self-defrost are much gentler on meats. Simple plastic wrap plus a layer of butcher paper, and I can store meats for over a year without vacuum sealing. But vacuum sealing and double ziplock bags are important if there is going to be variation in temps in the freezer.


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We rarely mention the value of chest freezers in threads on meat storage, but it's worth pointing out that freezers that don't self-defrost are much gentler on meats. Simple plastic wrap plus a layer of butcher paper, and I can store meats for over a year without vacuum sealing. But vacuum sealing and double ziplock bags are important if there is going to be variation in temps in the freezer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I believe it depends on how humid the area you are in is, a well. More humid areas almost require defrosting freezers :(
 
I've burned out a few food savers with fish, I've found if you are doing a large amount to make sure you give the motor a break every once in a while. What I'll do is make a bag, fill it, seal it, label it, then place it in the freezer. This gives enough time to let the motor in the sealer to cool down while I'm off doing other tasks.
The general consensus that I see online is that FoodSavers tend to die pretty quickly...at least their older units. They are showing more confidence in the quality of their products now by offering a 5 year warranty over the 1 year warranty they used to offer.

I also quite like the Weston brand sealers.
 
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I believe it depends on how humid the area you are in is, a well. More humid areas almost require defrosting freezers :(
Just to clarify, you're talking about needing to defrost, not needing a freezer that automatically defrosts itself. Defrosting is a pain in the neck, but my point is that units that don't auto-defrost won't dry the meat out.
 

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