# 6 months freeze



## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

It's that time of year to start thinking about that meat you put in the freezer last fall. This time of year we tend to forget about last years hunt and the meat it produced. 
I like to get some of it out and corn it...see Goobs recipe: https://utahwildlife.net/forum/26-recipes/40308-corned-venison.html... or jerky it, Korean BBB, or maybe even start giving some away. It's been in the freezer for 6 months or so.
Just sayin.
.


----------



## neverdrawn (Jan 3, 2009)

I like to take out a couple of roasts, put them in the crock pot with french onion soup and beef consume. Slow cook, then slice thin and use the broth for french dip sandwiches. It is one of the family's favorites and a couple of the kids friends who have never eaten venison or elk have commented it was the best sandwich they have ever eaten.

I'll also grind up the tougher cuts, run them through the jerky gun, smoke and freeze in serving size bags for the hunts. It's a good reminder of how delicious the harvested animals can be.


----------



## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

I finished my archery buck from last year on a recent fishing trip. Now I need another one!


----------



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Thanks for the reminder. I just checked my freezer and found a pack of deer tenderloin. It's unthawing in the sink as I type this.


----------



## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

I'm down to a few packages of caribou ribs and stew meat from last year. That stew meat will probably make a trip down grinder lane as I prefer burger to stew...good thing I just put a bunch of fish in the freezer, it was looking empty!


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

I'm so sick of venison I could scream this time of year. The wife is straining coming up with new ways to cook it. Didnt help that my boy killed the biggest cow elk I've ever seen last year.

What I wouldn't give for some fresh wether lamb.


-DallanC


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have found that if you grind it up with zero fat and then make jerky out of it the packages will disappear faster than you realize. My last batch of jerky was made a couple of weeks ago with 5 lbs of elk meat and it is already gone between my friends and myself.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Well at the start of a new years hunting season we take anything left over from the prior year and make 30-40lbs of jerky, vacuum pack it and freeze it. As that gets used up, we make more with the current years meat. So yea, we make a huge amount of jerky. Wife bought a bunch of dehydrators so she can process alot in a shorter amount of time. Smoke what we can too.


-DallanC


----------



## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

How long does meat last in the freezer? I would like to think more that 6 months. We are still eating elk from two years ago. If taken care of, it should last for quite some time.


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

hunting777 said:


> How long does meat last in the freezer? I would like to think more that 6 months. We are still eating elk from two years ago. If taken care of, it should last for quite some time.


It all depends on how it is wrapped. You need to get all the air out of it that you can for longer storage. When you start opening up packages that have a lot of ice crystals in it you know that you have exceed the time for it to be good.

Vacuum sealed packages are the best route. I will wrap the meat in saran wrap before I wrap it in freezer paper and usually get quite a few years out of it before it freezer burns.


----------



## TPrawitt91 (Sep 1, 2015)

I got one of those food saver vacuum sealers. Worked great for my deer last year.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

hunting777 said:


> How long does meat last in the freezer? I would like to think more that 6 months. We are still eating elk from two years ago. If taken care of, it should last for quite some time.


Properly trimmed and taken care of, then Vacuum packed, it will last years.

-DallanC


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The only thing that I don't like about vacuum packing meats is the cost of the rolls for the bags. That is where most of my wild game is wrapped in saran wrap and freezer paper, I leave the vacuum bags for the special cuts.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Critter said:


> The only thing that I don't like about vacuum packing meats is the cost of the rolls for the bags. That is where most of my wild game is wrapped in saran wrap and freezer paper, I leave the vacuum bags for the special cuts.


Thats a fair point. We reuse all our bags until they get too short from cutting off the end to open. We usually cut our rolls kindof long, that gives us around 6-8 reuses per bag until they get too short, or get a pinhole in them.

Cost hasnt been too much of an issue. We took the vacuum packer to Alaska and vac-packed our halibut in the hotel room before getting it frozen. That worked great.

-DallanC


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

All of my fish that I freeze get the vacuum sealed bags. Even if I plan on eating the meat in a couple of weeks. Fish just don't take to normal wrapping. 

If I went to Alaska for salmon and halibut they would get the vacuum pack treatment. Way too good of meat to loose any.


----------



## hunting777 (May 3, 2009)

I have a basic vacuum sealer. I love it. Did work great. I feel the cost of the bags is way cheaper than paying someone to do it for you, In addition most butchers don't vac-u seal. hence the meat doesn't last as long. 


I am looking for a new vacuum sealer my has finally worn out. I was thinking of going with the same brand, but am wondering if there is a better option? I can afford a commercial series. So any recommendations?


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I have had mine for close to 20 years and it is a Food Saver. My original one was one that I got from Sportsman's and it lasted just a few years before it gave up and I had to upgrade to a better one. 

If I had to purchase an new one I would look real hard at the commercial type or a better one than the entry level type that most stores sell.


----------



## DallanC (Jan 13, 2009)

Thats impressive you wore one out. Ours is 20 years old now and still going strong. We usually process 3 deer per year minimally, and sometimes we do another 3 antelope on top of that.

I refuse to process my own elk... its just too much work and my butcher does too good of a job.


-DallanC


----------



## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

The one that I wore out was the entry level machine that Sportsman's sold at the time. 

It quit working so I called Food Saver and they had me go through the process and let them listen to it over the phone. Then they told me that it was shot. That is when I upgraded to a lot better one. 

At the time I was vacuum sealing just about everything that I could and the machine just sat on the counter and was never put away just for the convenience of it. But that machine earned it's keep while I was using it.


----------

