Proper Freezer Storage
Freezer Wrapping Venison to Maintain Nutrients and Flavor
After you’ve processed your deer into desirable cuts, it is imperative that you properly wrap and freeze the packages. Putting the cuts into plastic freezer bags will not guarantee you succulent, nutritious meat in the months to come.
The most effective way to freezer wrap items is to use a quality freezer paper that is waxed or poly-coated on one side. The coated side of the paper should go against the meat. To optimize the protection, you can fold a freezer sheets around the meat and then properly freezer wrap. Customers tell us that they had kept venison frozen for over 2 years and it was still excellent when cooked. That was because they properly wrapped the cuts when they processed their deer.
Improper freezer wrapping or inferior wrapping supplies can cause “freezer burn”. This is a condition that robs the meat of flavor and nutrients. When the air is captured inside the package it causes the meat to turn gray or white. The dehydration caused by the refrigeration produces the freezer burn and the meat becomes dry, tasteless and lacks the proper nutrients. Any time you wrap items for the freezer, be sure to eliminate all the air from the package, and have no holes in the wrapping material.
There are basically two methods of freezer wrapping with paper—the butcher wrap and the drugstore wrap. Of the two methods, the drug store wrap is more efficient if properly done. Learn the proper drug store wrap.
Whenever possible, do not stack freshly wrapped meat in the freezer. Lay the packages out in single layers until thoroughly frozen then stack them. It will be easy for you to rotate packages and use the oldest packages first by marking and dating them before freezing.
LEM offers everything you need to begin preparing your meat for the freezer. For your convenience, try our meat wrapping kit to begin wrapping your meat for storage.
