Wrapping Processed Elk Meat!

[Pazn25]

So as some of you may have seen, I shot my first bull this opening day.  I have the meat quartered and hanging in my uncle's meat locker at 37 degrees.  I am going to butcher it on Saturday.  Do any of my fellow hunters have a good suggestion for what to use for wrapping and packaging the elk meat??  I know people use butcher paper, vaccuum seal, ect.  What do you all think the best way is?  I am always up for something new and improved.  Thanks guys.

[gasman]

I used Vaccume bags for a few years but the cost is vey high with an elk or a few deer.

I now just double wrap with butcher paper. Just make sure you wrap tight to remove the air.

[LittleJohn]

Plastic baggies and then freezer paper. Get as much air out of the bag as u can and then twist and tuck like a load of bread. Then wrap with standard freezer paper. U can get the bags in bulk at most bakeries

[Galpster]

Vacuum seal is the only way to go. Keeps the meat good all year till next year. Wrapping paper is okay but it does allow freezer burn after 5 or 6 months unless it is double wrapped.

[BLKBEARKLR]

I myself vacumun seal everything, I save the bags after I take the meat out and wash them, I usually make them a little bigger so when I cut them there is still enough bag for future use.

However my brother uses saran wrap, he double wraps in saran wrap and then one time in butcher paper and he keeps deer and fish fresh like that for two years plus.

Joe

[ICEMAN]

We have been wrapping meat in our family for 30+ years, and here is how we do it;

Layer 1, 18inch long piece of normal plastic wrap, wrap a pile of steaks as tight as you can, making sure to squeeze really hard to get any air bubbles out from between individual pieces of steak. Also be sure to wrap the ends in (over) as you near the end of the plastic. You will have a "bulging brick of meat.

Layer 2, repeat above.

Layer 3, 18" by 18" waxed butcher paper, wrap the steak well, tuck the corners as you finish, and masking tape the end down. Remember, waxed side in towards the meat. Label with an elmarko type pen.

This is the best in my opinion, it is an inexpensive way to go, the steaks stack nicely, are easy to label with a pen, and they also take abuse in the freezer well, as you dig around looking for those salmon eggs later.....the waxed paper protects the multiple layers of plastic. I found that using a vacuum packer was expensive, hard to label, would not stack well in the freezer, and if you bashed them, they would occasionally lose their seal or leak at the crack and let air in...

[Jamieb]

I like Vacuum seal the best but it takes too long for a elk. I use butcher paper, you can buy it from just about any grocery meat Dept. by the roll. Mine says Albertsons on it.

[ICEMAN]

I might add, I have unwrapped 8 year old steak wrapped this way, and it looked like you wrapped it yesterday. Trust me, I have pics...

[Pazn25]

Thanks ICEMAN, I like your ideas!!!

[jackelope]

Iceman's method is the same way i have seen it done by morton meats too.
i will add that we wrap in freezer paper without plastic wrap and don't have any freezer burn issues a year or 2 later. usually the meat is gone a year later but i have had some random pieces that were still fine.

[whacker1]

Iceman's Method

or

Vacuum Seal

[ICEMAN]

I know my "8 year old meat is still good" claim sounds bogus, so I took photos...

I was completely going thru my meat locker, and found some older stuff to make some shishkabob's out of... I thawed six packages of meat, varying in age from 2 to 8 years old.

The 8 year old steak, double wrapped in plastic wrap, then overwrapped in waxed paper, looked brand new. Here are the pics...

[Moosehunt]

Layer 1 - heavy duty plastic wrap - the stretchy kind like costco's
Layer 2 - butcher paper - wax side in
Been doing this for 25 years.  One last tip.....my family and I do not cut into steaks/stew/etc.  We cut it into meal sized chunks and cut it into eating sized pieces when it is thawed out and ready to cook.  Less air - less freezer issues - less everything.  2-3 years later and no freezer burn.

[rasbo]

vacume seal for me

[stumprat]

I package like Iceman.
To also avoid freezer burn. Stay away from frost free -------self defrosting freezers.