Franklin County

                                   September 2008

 

Keeping Venison Safe
Since deer hunting is very popular in this area of Missouri, we see a lot of animals being transported in a very casual manner and that leaves some concern about the safety of the meat from these carcasses.

As with any product that is being dried, canned, or frozen, the quality of the finished product is only as good as the quality you start with. The age of the animal makes a big difference in how it is best prepared. Younger animals will be tender enough to provide excellent steaks and roasts, therefore, can be frozen for later use. Older animals, which are usually tougher, will be better home-canned for later use in stews, or ground for jerky.

The wild flavor of the venison depends in part on what the animal eats, and is more noticeable in the fat. The gamey, or wild taste, can be reduced by removing the fat, connective tissue, silver skin, bones and hair during processing. Strong flavor can also be caused by inadequate bleeding, delay in field dressing, or failure to cool the carcass promptly.

Aging will improve the tenderness and texture of the meat, but  should never be done at room temperature. For aging, the temperature should be between 32^o and 35^o F and should be done for 7 to 10 days.

Safety. Any animal that appears to be sick should never be consumed.

During deer hunting season there are occasional warm days. If the temperature outdoors is above 45^o F, the carcass should be refrigerated within 3 to 4 hours after killing. Bags of ice can help to cool the carcass in the field.

Any meat that comes into contact with the intestinal contents is contaminated and should be cut off and discarded.

Since venison may contain parasites and tapeworms, it should be heated to 160^o F before eating and before or after being processed into jerky. It is difficult for a dehydrator to destroy E-coli, so the meat should be steamed, boiled, or roasted to 160^o F before dehydrating. If you are using ground meat to make jerky, it can be heated after dehydrating.

Freezing. For best quality when freezing, wrap the venison in plastic wrap, then freezer wrap, seal, label and date the packages. Vacuum sealing also works well for packaging venison for freezing. Use frozen venison within a year, or within 3 to 5 months if it is ground.

Jerky. Venison can be ground and used in place of ground beef, made into sausage, or used to make jerky.  To make jerky from ground meat, a purchased seasoning and cure mixture  is added to the meat and a special tool is used to shape the product. Since ground meat has more potential for food-borne illness, all safety precautions must be followed. The dried product should be heated to 160^o F after the drying time is complete.

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		University of Missouri Extension Franklin County Site maintained by: Billie Jo Brenner, brennerbj@missouri.edu Last revised: 07/02/08