oldest meat in the freezer
Contributors to this thread:General Topic
From: willliamtell
07-Apr-20
With all the home stay, I've had time to dig into the freezer and get into home cooking. One of the items I discovered was a smoked pig shoulder roast - from 2010! It actually came out pretty good in a crockpot recipe once I trimmed off a bit of freezer burn. It got me to thinking - 10 years old is way past the age where I normally eat my game. This one hid in a corner. I once read that in the 19th century some Siberian inhabitants ate Wooly mammoth meat that was 10,000 years old - extracted from the permafrost deep freeze. My question to the group is what is the oldest cut of meat you've eaten from game you've harvested, and how did it come out?
From: Jaquomo
07-Apr-20
I've eaten 10 year old elk that was great. But we vaccuum seal it.
From: Rgiesey
07-Apr-20
We try to empty out yearly. I think without fat or text not as critical. Have had some beef that wasn’t good from being in for over a year. By not good I mean taste.
From: APauls
07-Apr-20
I just smoked 2012 elk ribs on Sunday. They were outstanding. Shrink wrapped meat has lasted indefinitely for me. It’s like fish frozen in water. I don’t even worry about it
From: EMB
07-Apr-20
Just took out 2 whole venison hams from 2012. At that time I was wrapping in cellophane and putting it into a ziplock bag. Very little freezer burn, trimmed it, and ground it into burger. No issues.
From: Beav
07-Apr-20
We try to get through most of what we killed for that year but have occasionally found deer steak that was three years old. Now that I vaccum seal everything I'm sure it would last much longer.
From: HH
07-Apr-20
With Wuhan Days I'm gonna need two elk in 2020. These 11ea 2019 whitetails will be gone most tic.
We do have 27 front shoulders from 2019 stashed. Looking like those will be boned out and ground or jerk some of the large ones. Have some folks that need some Clean Meat by virus free handlers.
think I found some 2017 tender lions under some burger. Then went on Keave' wood fire last weekend while I was scraping on a new selfbow.
K'
From: jmiller
07-Apr-20
Just found a pair of pronghorn roasts from 2017. Tasted excellent
From: CPAhunter
08-Apr-20
I’ve got two packages of vacuum sealed quebec caribou from 2009. Will ship to highest bidder.
From: TrapperKayak
08-Apr-20
Found a box of wrapped elk steaks from 2004, 14 packages, in 2016. They were at the bottom of the chest freezer and covered and undisturbed for all that time. They all tasted like they were harvested the prior year, nothing wrong with them at all. I keep my freezer at the coldest setting.
From: badbull
08-Apr-20
I don't know what the oldest is in my two freezers because some are not dated (bad on me but I date everything now). I'm defrosting a chunk of 2014 moose at the moment that appears to be in great shape. I've eaten quite a bit of 6 year old venison with no problems if double wrapped with good quality freezer paper.
From: BULELK1
09-Apr-20
I'm down to my last elk burger and last breakfast sausage 1lb packs out of my 2 ~~ 2019 elk harvests.
Then I'll defrost and clean the freezer for 2020 meat.
Good luck, Robb
From: Bou'bound
09-Apr-20
2012 moose vacuum packed. Had some last night. Fine.
From: Whocares
09-Apr-20
You must be awful generous with your elk, Robb!
From: Twinetickler
09-Apr-20
There was a story recently out of Utah where an old lady died. They were cleaning out her house and checked her chest freezer. Her husband was stuffed in there and she had been collecting his social security checks for years. I think he was in his 80's or 90's, I bet she would have won this contest of "oldest" meat in the freezer.......sad story
From: LINK
09-Apr-20
LINK's Link
I have a family of six and I can’t kill an elk. I ought to change my handle to “empty freezer”.
From: elkpaddles
09-Apr-20
I just found some venison steaks in my freezer from 2016. I put them in a crock pot and then I shredded them. I mix it with kibble for our boxer, she loves it.
From: fubar racin
10-Apr-20
It was a really really good year if I make it to Hunting season before running out of meat from last hunting season. 2015 or 2016 we had 2 cow elk 4 doe mule deer and 1 doe antelope and I think that was the only time in my adult life that we made it to hunting season the next year without buying domestic meat. Heck this fall I ended up with a moose and a half a bull elk an antelope and 2 hogs, and probably still won’t make it to hunting season.
From: fran
10-Apr-20
I have a turkey breast that was vacuum sealed in 2016 would that be safe to eat. Thanks.
From: CurveBow
10-Apr-20
I won't win the "oldest" award, but I have eaten several 2017 packages of venison steaks and backstraps. No issues with them and they were wrapped in white freezer paper.
>>>>-------->
From: BULELK1
12-Apr-20
Family and friends Chuck.
I'm a Bachelor so I don't mind sharing plenty, for sure those that don't harvest or those that enjoy wild game meat but don't hunt.
My state is a Big Family count state so many of my friends are Dad works, Mom is a stay at home mom with 3-4 kids type deal.
I'm content
Good luck, Robb
From: Bou'bound
12-Apr-20
my hunting partner has an old package, not dated, but it said brontosaurus on the package.
From: Whocares
12-Apr-20
Good one Bou. Figured that Robb. I'm sure they greatly appreciate it. I live alone too and give a lot to friends and family. But I only have one elk a year so I can't be quite as generous as you! Thought a few times of getting a second tag but those Colorado guys are so discriminatory toward us poor non residents!
From: Fuzzy
15-Apr-20
I've eaten it at 6 years old. Freezer burn/taste is the issue, not safety. Now I empty the freezer every year in September and can everything.
From: DL
15-Apr-20
I have found elk in the freezer that was vacuum sealed that was 10 years old. Not a thing wrong with it. If loosed it’s seal it will freezer burn.
From: moon
17-Apr-20
Caribou 1993, couldn't eat the last of the memory. It's still in the bottom of the freezer.
From: Bou'bound
17-Apr-20
Ok that’s the record .........27 years and still aging
From: Steve H.
18-Apr-20
We had family friends that discovered a package of caribou from 1974 in the bottom of their freezer, maybe in the early 2000s. They thawed it, trimmed off the freezer burn, cooked it up, and ate it.
From: KsRancher
18-Apr-20
What amazes me even more than caribou from 1974 is that they had a freezer that had been running that long!!
From: cnelk
20-Apr-20
Making a casserole tonight with some 2016 WT. Yummmmm
From: Whocares
20-Apr-20
You mean hotdish... have you forgotten already...
From: cnelk
20-Apr-20
I was gonna say hotdish, but sooo many people aren’t from ‘Up North’ and they just don’t understand
