TRANSPORTING MEAT????
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: dlh4570
01-Jan-19
To bag, or NOT to bag, That is the question! should I put the boned out meat from a Moose in Plastic bags, and then in the ice chest, and dump ice over it, or just put the meat in the Ice chest and cover with ice?? the trip home will be about 3 days.
From: Scar Finga
01-Jan-19
I would put it in plastic bags after it cooled. Not that I believe it really hurts the meat to be wet for short periods, I always wash mine thoroughly! I don't think it's good to leave it in water, bacterial growth is not good. Cold and dry is best! If you can find it, I prefer dry ice, just make sure your cooler can handle it. almost no water and very very cold, probably mostly frozen when you get home. Keep the meat above it by 2 inches or so.
From: TravisScott
01-Jan-19
I assume with three days and using wet ice you are planning on driving? I drove from Alaska to California with a freezer and a generator in the bed of the truck. Run it for a few hours as you drive or through the night and it will stay the best. Otherwise the meat in a plastic bag should be fine, but make sure you do a regular visual check and sniff test to make sure nothing went in too warm and water isn’t getting too far into your meat. Another trick is to line the bottom of your cooler using frozen water jugs, that way as the ice melts the meat can’t fall into the pooled water underneath. Good Luck!
From: IdyllwildArcher
01-Jan-19
Done it both ways. I prefer in contractor bags, but if you clean it really good and put in a cooler, putting the ice in a contractor bag works too and is easy clean up for replacing the ice: Dump water out of bag, replace ice. Makes it so that you don't have to get the cooler out of the truck to empty anything.
From: dlh4570
01-Jan-19
What is a "contractor bag"? I have never heard of this!
From: Franklin
01-Jan-19
"Contractor bags" are usually large heavy thick plastic bags that are very durable. The box says....."Contractor Bags" Unless it`s something I have never heard of before either...lol
I agree if meat has cooled, drained and "skinned" over there is no reason you couldn`t put it in plastic bags for the trip. If this is the case there would be no sense in getting it wet again....IMO.
From: Russell
01-Jan-19
I'm planning on using unscented kitchen trash bags and then put them in a heavy duty leaf bag and tie it up.
Plan to keep bags of ice in leaf bags to reduce the water contact and put it on top of the meat.
From: Scar Finga
02-Jan-19
Another thing to do is make sure you fill the cooler all the way, little or no air space is ideal. Seal the top of the cooler in some manner, if it doesn't have latches tape or stout bungy cords will work. Keep it out of the sun and put a blanket or sleeping bag over the cooler and leave it. It will hold ice for days and days!
From: JSW
02-Jan-19
I've put dozens of animals in a cooler without any bag at all and covered them with ice. Getting the meat wet and leaving it wet for days doesn't seem to hurt anything. Once I get home I prop up one side of the cooler and crack the drain so all of the water drains out. I will still have ice on top of the meat so it is always a little wet. I've been doing this for 25 years and have had no issues. FYI, once you get the meat cooled down, as long as there is ice on top the meat stays at about 34 degrees so you can keep it this way for at least a week. Covering the meat with ice as soon as possible eliminates the chance of spoilage. If I have an animal that I had to leave overnight or took a long time to get cut up, I always ice it down to get it cooled off as fast as possible.
From: 8point
02-Jan-19
My wife uses the grament bags to store clothing and it works on the same principle as a vacuum sealer, only it uses a vacuum cleaner to void the air. I wonder if these could be used for game, air tight and waterproof, and you could probably do a whole quarter.
From: South Farm
03-Jan-19
I've never used plastic bags, just bone it, toss it in the cooler and cover with ice.
From: Buck Watcher
05-Jan-19
"What is a "contractor bag"? I have never heard of this! " - - a large/sturdy garbage bag made NOT for food products.
No water ever touches my venison. Meat in a bag (change bag daily) or ice in a bag.