Frozen Venison

[3Under]

How long can you safely keep frozen venison/elk meat? I "poly" bag the cut of meat, then wrap it in freezer paper.I have some that is almost two years old. I know some of you hearty eaters don't have to face that problem(LOL).

[BigRonHuntAlot]

Take it out and trim off any freezer burn, cook, eat and enjoy. If anything it may have lost some of its flavor.

[Orion]

Usually eat mine before then, but the polybag really helps.  Like big ron says.  If there is any freezer burn, just trim it off and have at it.  Yum yum.  :D

[VA Bowbender]

Ron is right.

[Killdeer]

I dunno if you are a two-fisted eater, or just a ham-handed butcher, Bob!

I keep venison that long myself...I am never sure if I will get one, so I hold it over! I do what all the rest of these posters said, and snarf that stuff up!

Killdeer

[Jim now in Kentucky]

I've got  some that is more  than two years old and the  red color  of  the  ground meat has turned more  gray around the outside. It's wrapped in meat  paper--no plastic.

Is  this  still safe to eat? I'm thinking that if it's  thoroughly cooked, it should  be OK???

[NY Yankee]

You may be pleasantly surprised. I had some in the freezer 2 years or more an it looked real bad. Freezer burned and all. Well I took it out to thaw, Fried it in butter with salt and pepper. It was some of the best meat I have had. Over the next few weeks I ate an entire deer! At least try it. Just be sure to cook it slow on medium heat. Cook it till just done through don't over cook it. Meet ages in the freezer and becomes more tender over time.

[Killdeer]

Jim, freezer burn does not render the meat unsafe. It just removes the moisture from it, busts up the cell structure, and alters the taste. If you don't mind the taste of freezer burn, then it is safe. That stuff would be a good candidate for chili or spaghetti.

Killdeer

[LKH]

One of the things that does not occur in the freezer is aging.  In fact, venison does not age like beef and extensive hanging doesn't help that much.  Plastic wrap first before the freezer paper really helps.

[akbowbender]

I just use freeze wrap. Never have had a problem with freezer burn, even after two years. You just need to wrap it correctly.

[laddy]

If you are not sure pack it dry ice and ship it to me I am out, but I will let you know how it tasted.  Although I suspect it is probably fine.  We have had some that long vacuum sealed and it was fine.

[Jason R. Wesbrock]

Originally posted by akbowbender:
I just use freeze wrap. Never have had a problem with freezer burn, even after two years. You just need to wrap it correctly.

I agree.

A few weeks ago I unthawed a package of elk steaks from September 2004. They had absolutely no freezer burn and were as tender and tastey as the first steaks I had from that animal three and a half years ago.

[Gene Roberts]

I'm hungry.

[CheapShot]

I wrap my venison in plastic wrap,then several layers of newspaper. I'm too cheap to buy freezer paper. I have found some packs in the bottom of the freezer two years or so later and it was fine, very little freezer burn.

[hockeyref]

I've used the Vaccu-seal plastic bags with great success. Paut the meat in, suck the air out and the unit seals the end...

[Steve Kendrot]

I just cooked up a sirloin roast from 2004 last weekend. Just cut off the freezer burn. cut it up for stew meat and it was great. Simple butchers wrap in freezer paper.

[jrchambers]

haha i had a moose roast dated fall 99"  It was a little bland but did the job.  that was shot while i was still in high school.

[3Under]

Thanks TradGangers for your responses! I appreciate them.

[joseph_valencia]

Hi there, Vacum packed 2 yrs Elk Burgers taste Realy GOOOOD !!!

[Jim Harris]

Vacumm packing works for me too. Our local meat cutters even do vacumm packing. Jim.