Aging venison
- Thread starter ttinman23
- Start date
npaden
Well-known member
Some people will say that you aren't supposed to, but there are a LOT of folks that do it that way.
That's the way I do it. Not sure how much it helps deer, but it does help wild pig quite a bit.
I add a little rock salt along with the ice. I usually drain it once or twice a day and add fresh ice.
You know it is good when you drain the water out and it is almost clear. The first couple days when you drain it out it is like cherry Koolaid.
The longest I keep it in the cooler iced down is 5 or 6 days.
That's the way I do it. Not sure how much it helps deer, but it does help wild pig quite a bit.
I add a little rock salt along with the ice. I usually drain it once or twice a day and add fresh ice.
You know it is good when you drain the water out and it is almost clear. The first couple days when you drain it out it is like cherry Koolaid.
The longest I keep it in the cooler iced down is 5 or 6 days.
Yeah, I have the ice in bags and think in the future will freeze milk jugs to keep water off the meat. Last year I was able to hang a big body buck for two weeks and it came out awesome tasting wise. Just wasn't sure if it needed air to properly age. Thanks for your input.
rhomas
Banned
I've heard of people aging their venison in ice with excellent results; and then I've heard people who claim it's not good for the meat to soak in water. I age mine by hanging them in a walk-in cooler for exactly one week or 8 days at the most. The temperature in the cooler is a constant 34 degrees. When I take 'em out then I cut the backstraps, tenderloins, shoulders and hams off of the ribcage and toss the backbone and ribcage into the gut hole. The shoulders become sausage, the backstraps become cubed steak and the hams become burger and stew meat. The tenderloins get wrapped in bacon and grilled. This year I did have a whole doe's hams, shoulders, and backstraps made into linked smoked sausage, which is something I'd never tried before. Absolutely the best venison sausage I've ever eaten!
DRAFTSTUD
Well-known member
I like to do it npaden. Shot one @ 5:00 thursday and had it skinned, quartered and on ice, out the gate at 5:35. I took it off ice this morning and put it in one of my Ice Boxes to dry and form a Skin. I will separate the muscles and trim all the silver skin off them to make my steaks and grind the reminder into sausage or just ground meat. John
RobG
Well-known member
FWIW, you don't really need to age deer. I often cut it up the next day.
