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curing your deer
12-09-2007, 05:30 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Eastern Iowa
Posts: 1,021
curing your deer
A friendly argument got started the other day on break at work on what is the best way to cure your deer. They all agreed weather permitting leaving a deer hang a couple of days is better for the meat. The disagreement was to skin it asap or leave it on. A couple of them said a deer skins easier warm and the meat will cool down faster. The others said to just field dress it and hang it I have done it both ways and didn't see any difference in the taste of the meat. What way do you prefer.
12-09-2007, 07:24 AM
#2
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Ponce de Leon Florida USA
Posts: 10,079
RE: curing your deer
I'd rather skin and clean the deer up before putting it in the cooler, it just looks cleaner. I don't know if hanging a deer for a week or so makes a lot of difference in the meat as long as it is cleaned, cooled quickly and taken care of.
12-09-2007, 09:16 AM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Saskatchewan Canada
Posts: 6,921
RE: curing your deer
Hide off as quickly as possible, as it acts as an insulator and I want the entire carcass cooling ASAP. Ie: we went hunting yesterday morning to fill a couple mulie doe tags. I shot my doe shortly after 9:00 am andskinned her out a few hours later,still steamed after removing the hide. The temperature yesterday morn was -28 celsius, the hide retains heateven in frigid temps!
12-09-2007, 11:56 AM
#4
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 721
RE: curing your deer
Venison is completely lean meat, not marbled with fat deposits like some other game animals. 'Aging', or letting it hang longer has little to no effect on how it will taste, unlike elk or beef. Skinning is much easier if done right away while the carcass is still warm.
12-09-2007, 01:18 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Locust Grove, VA
Posts: 137
RE: curing your deer
It is notcold enough to hang deer here in VA , and we don't have access to a large cooler to hang deer. We quarter ours and soak them in salty ice water overnight then prepare for the freezer.
12-09-2007, 03:02 PM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,476
RE: curing your deer
Curing or aging your venison is fine, but it isn't easy for the average joe to get it done properly. Thats because the optimal way to age ANY meat is to have it in a controlled temp with a controlled humidity (85% is good) and with a well ventilated, slow moving, air source. Tough for most of us to handle.
Most recommend getting it dressed and cooled as quickly as possible and then hanging by the back legs for skinning. Some recommend aging with the skin on but most do not. All recommend the temp should be above freezing usually around 35-36 but there are some variations about the highest temp that should be allowed when aging. Some say definitely below 40 and other say it is ok to go as high as even 50 degrees but also say that when aging above 40 you need to shorten the length of time for aging because the aging process (enzymes and chemical reactions) takes places more quickly in warmer temps.
Most say that 7 days in ideal aging conditions yields good results, while others say to go 14 if you can.
Me, I usually dress, cool and skin as soon as possible, and then wait at least 4-5 days (weather permiting) to butcher. If too warm I'll quarter it up and place it in the frig for a week and then cut it up boneless, except for the shoulders and neck.
Most recommend getting it dressed and cooled as quickly as possible and then hanging by the back legs for skinning. Some recommend aging with the skin on but most do not. All recommend the temp should be above freezing usually around 35-36 but there are some variations about the highest temp that should be allowed when aging. Some say definitely below 40 and other say it is ok to go as high as even 50 degrees but also say that when aging above 40 you need to shorten the length of time for aging because the aging process (enzymes and chemical reactions) takes places more quickly in warmer temps.
Most say that 7 days in ideal aging conditions yields good results, while others say to go 14 if you can.
Me, I usually dress, cool and skin as soon as possible, and then wait at least 4-5 days (weather permiting) to butcher. If too warm I'll quarter it up and place it in the frig for a week and then cut it up boneless, except for the shoulders and neck.
12-09-2007, 04:56 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: grottoes,va.
Posts: 764
RE: curing your deer
Iahuntr,you are right 'aging' deer is a waste of time. i don't agree that skinning is easier when the deer is still warm,i like to let them cool out overnight and then skin. i quarter it then and place it in the frig until i have time to process it.
uqmo2,soaking any meat will allow bacteria to form faster. any water left on meat will cause freezer burn also.
i have had butchers tell me that deer actually gets tougher the longer it hangs and that its best to freeze as soon as possible.
uqmo2,soaking any meat will allow bacteria to form faster. any water left on meat will cause freezer burn also.
i have had butchers tell me that deer actually gets tougher the longer it hangs and that its best to freeze as soon as possible.
12-09-2007, 06:48 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: NW Oklahoma
Posts: 1,166
RE: curing your deer
There is really no reason to age does or younger deer. Mine usually hang a few days just because I'm too busy hunting to get to it right away. I like to let a buck hang 4 or 5 days, though. I don't field dress deer. I get them to the cleaning site, hang by the back legs, skin, gut, and wash the blood and hair off and get them into the walk-in cooler.
12-09-2007, 08:05 PM
#9
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: New Orleans, La. USA
Posts: 400
RE: curing your deer
Skinning as soon as possible allows the meat to cool quicker. Better for the meat.
Aging Whitetail meat is "The old way" before we started learning how to tenderize
and cook venison.
Process the meat right away and vac pac the meat for the freezer. Then find the
right recipe and it will taste tender and delicious. Aging only decays not tenderizes.
And don't soak in water or ice. White meat has little flavor. Keep it fresh and red.
Aging Whitetail meat is "The old way" before we started learning how to tenderize
and cook venison.
Process the meat right away and vac pac the meat for the freezer. Then find the
right recipe and it will taste tender and delicious. Aging only decays not tenderizes.
And don't soak in water or ice. White meat has little flavor. Keep it fresh and red.
12-10-2007, 01:22 AM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 2,820
RE: curing your deer
ORIGINAL: IAhuntr
Venison is completely lean meat, not marbled with fat deposits like some other game animals. 'Aging', or letting it hang longer has little to no effect on how it will taste, unlike elk or beef. Skinning is much easier if done right away while the carcass is still warm.
Venison is completely lean meat, not marbled with fat deposits like some other game animals. 'Aging', or letting it hang longer has little to no effect on how it will taste, unlike elk or beef. Skinning is much easier if done right away while the carcass is still warm.