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Shotgun Rookie Member
Joined: Jun 09, 2006 Posts: 11
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 5:00 pm Post subject: Cold aging? |
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I've heard a lot of people talking about aging a dear for a week before processing it. Is there any good way to do that without a spare frige or leaving it hang in a shed/garage/yard? Can I store it in a cooler and can I process it before aging or should I just not bother and process the little guy right when I get it home and throw it in the freezer?
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guncollector Member
Joined: Apr 25, 2006 Posts: 68 Location: Houston, Texas
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 5:54 am Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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You can age it in a cooler but it is important to not get the meat wet. One way to do this is to freeze water in empty plastic milk bottles and line the bottom of the cooler with these. Quarter the deer and put the meat in the cooler on top of the milk bottles. Watch to make sure you don't spring a leak. Leave the meat in the cooler for a few days -the ice should last that long.
I have processed many a deer that has not been aged and for the most part, it is difficult to tell. I do believe that proper aging will tenderize the meat a bit and concentrate the flavors as well. I'm not sure it is worth a lot of trouble which it can be if you don't have a walk-in cooler.
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wncchester Member
Joined: Apr 08, 2006 Posts: 160
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 7:44 am Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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Circumstances some 30 years ago forced me to find some way to preserve my deer in a 32 quart cooler for almost two weeks or lose it. I knew meat would absorb fresh water and spoil the flavor and appearance, so what else would work, I had to try something!!!
I filled the cooler about half full of water and added about a third of a pound of table salt to make a brine solution, much like the old time sailers did for their meat on ships. Then I put in the quarted, sectioned venison and added crushed ice while making sure everything was submerged in the brine solution. Added a few bits of ice each day, just enough to keep a few chunks showing on the surface, and held the brine temp aound 35 degrees. I kept it that way for almost two full weeks and it worked great! In fact, the meat soon looked as clean and fresh as store bought prime beef/pork. The salt even cleaned up the blood-shot meat! It worked so well I, and some friends, have done the same ever since even tho it isn't always neccessary.
I butcher and process my own deer and this lets me do it at my leisure, at home. I lightly flush the meat as each chunk is removed from the cooler to wash off excess salt and pat it dry before trimming off the bones, fat, sinew and tendons. Meal-sized packages are then vacuum bagged and frozen.
Each deer is a bit different so I can't be certain if my wet "aging" process is as good as hanging dry in a commercial cooler but everyone who eats my venison raves about the tenderness and flavor. Occasionally we have a non-deer eater over for dinner, sometimes they question why I want to eat deer when store-bought beef is as good as what they are scarfing down ... we only tell them AFTER they are stuffed! ;-)
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DallanC Site Admin
Joined: Jan 18, 2005 Posts: 3571 Location: Utah
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:09 am Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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I grew up aging deer but a few years ago I started cutting them up the day of the kill due to hotter weather from earlier seasons. In my opinion the meat is better.
-DallanC
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SwampFox Super Member
Joined: Jul 15, 2005 Posts: 1040 Location: Destin, Florida
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:33 am Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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Dallan,
My x-father in-law was a meat cutter, owned a meat market in Washington and was a foreman in a national chain operation in New England, about 50 years all told in experiance. We had several discussions about Deer and ageing.
First off, ageing is a fairly precise process, requiring a room temprature that is constant and dry. As I recall, the temprature required ie 36 degrees. He said that you can not properly age meat outdoors, period. Indoors is if'y and not of much help.
Next, he always cut a deer up the day it was shot and packaged the meat as it was cut up, no waiting around. He always said the immediate processing made better tasting deer meat.
Ed
_________________ The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill |
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squirrelbait Member
Joined: Sep 23, 2005 Posts: 220 Location: Nottingham, NH
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:43 am Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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The butcher we use laughs at people who think they need to age their venision. He has been doing it for 30 ++ years. He was convinced years ago to try aging the deer.......he has the walk in coolers at controlled temps.
The taste test confirmed his approach. I will refuse to age if someone asks him.
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mikekuzara Member
Joined: Sep 13, 2005 Posts: 147 Location: Farson, Wyoming
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:57 pm Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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Aging does not improve taste, but it does make the meat more tender as enzymes satrat to break down the tissue. The Wyoming Game and Fish and the University of Wyoming did a study on this years ago. What they found was that hanging the animal, hide on, for 5 to 7 days in 34 to 40 degree temps would make the meat more tender. More aging dried the meat out and made it tougher. Since wild game does not have intramuscular fat (marbling in beef) the aging process does not improve on the flavor.
My father in law owned the locker plant in Dubois Wyoming and he would hang wild game for at least 3 to 5 days if he was able. The only exception being that he seperated the shoulders of moose and elk to cool the meat more quickly.
_________________ Build a fire for a man and he is warm for a day.
Set a man on fire and he is warm the rest of his life. |
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popgun Member
Joined: Jan 26, 2005 Posts: 735 Location: Mitchell, GA, U.S.A. (2007 pop. 191)
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:33 pm Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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Out here in the sticks of Georgia the deer processors are so busy that they do not have room in their coolers to age deer for hunters any more.
I agree that there is no difference in taste from an aged or non-aged deer.
_________________ Safe shooting,
Chris Young, aka: popgun, Moderator
I don't know everything but I have made most of the mistakes already and lived through many of them. |
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blueriverjerry Rookie Member
Joined: Jul 26, 2006 Posts: 6
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:30 pm Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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I home processed venison for years and was happy with the results..however..several years ago I tried deer/elk muzzleloader seasons in Colorado (4 times, 3 deer, no elk). Because I scored on deer and was concerned about meat loss I gave up a half day each time to run in to Cortez and have a packing plant age, cut, and flash freeze all three times.
I'll have to say the venison was just better than any I processed myself. Don't know for sure why (maybe CO venison is just better than OR/CA??) but I'll have my next local deer (hopefully next week) done professionally.
Good hunting
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Deleted_User_2665 Super Member
Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 380
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 1:40 pm Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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A simple shed can be built, about the size of a two holer outhouse, with the inside walls and roof insulated with foam board ....a small to medium sized air conditioner can then be placed in the wall of the shack and run with a heavy extention cord. On "high", temps will prevent spoilage and the deer can be allowed to hang even in hot weather.
Aging for 5 to 7 days with the hide on does allow the meat to tenderize if the carcass is kept cool.
Two associated things DO allow the meat to taste better....
1.) getting the meat cooled quicky adds to the flavor quality.
2.) hanging head down for a length of time allows as much as possible of the remaining blood to drain from the hind quarters and back straps...the usual grilling fare.......deer blood will taint meat to an almost liver like taste. Adrenaline in the bloodstream of a scared animal will also taint the meat to a different flavor.
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squirrelbait Member
Joined: Sep 23, 2005 Posts: 220 Location: Nottingham, NH
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 6:49 am Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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Wildswalker, you struck a good point I hadn't given any other thought to.
My wife said the venison tasted like liver. I or the kids didn't really notice but she insisted. Hmmmmm, your inputs sound like they support her claim.....which, by the way, I just passed off because she is not terrible fond of wild game anyway. The deer was processed one day after my daughter shot him. Thanks for the input.
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Deleted_User_2665 Super Member
Joined: May 06, 2006 Posts: 380
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 3:01 pm Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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No problem....
I consider venison standard table fare for half the year...at a minimum.
Doin' what it takes to please the palate never don't work....
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Dimitri Super Member
Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 5:08 pm Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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squirrelbait,
Most people I know dont like liver, the look on there face when I take out a Liverwurst sandwhich for lunch is priceless.
Dimitri
_________________ A thousand hills, but no birds in flight, ten thousand paths, with no people's tracks. A lonely boat, a straw-hatted old man, fishing alone in the cold river snow. |
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squirrelbait Member
Joined: Sep 23, 2005 Posts: 220 Location: Nottingham, NH
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Dimitri Super Member
Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5944
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Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:42 am Post subject: Re: Cold aging? |
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squirrelbait,
Whats wrong with boiled cabbage ?? Never heard people not liking it before.
Dimitri
_________________ A thousand hills, but no birds in flight, ten thousand paths, with no people's tracks. A lonely boat, a straw-hatted old man, fishing alone in the cold river snow. |
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