Processing Venison At Home With Professional Kitchen Supplies

As hunting season approaches, hunters are debating what to do with the meat that is the results of their efforts. With a few professional kitchen supplies, it is easy to process one's own venison. This can save money and can add to the enjoyment of the hunt.

A good set of quality knives is the first thing that is needed. These will be one of the keys to processing the meat that are used quite a bit. It is smart to purchase a good set in the beginning. Look for high carbon stainless steel knives along with a good sharpening stone to keep them in good shape.

A meat tenderizer is helpful when processing venison steaks. The multi-blade handheld tenderizer helps to reduce cooking time while helping to produce more tender cuts of meats. A dishwasher safe model is easy to keep sterilized between uses.

With a good meat grinder it is possible to make ground venison. This can use up the scraps of meat that are too small for steaks or roasts, and the product is ideal for chili, burgers, and many other scrumptious uses for the meat. While a manual model works for small amounts of meat, if you will be processing larger amounts of ground venison, an electric grinder is essential. Some of these can grind over two hundred pounds of meat in an hour yet are affordable and reliable for home use. If you plan to make sausages, it is important to choose a model with a sausage stuffer.

Another option for cutting and grinding is to use a commercial food processor rated for these capabilities. These offer the advantage of processing meat as well as shredding cheese and slicing vegetables. The commercial models are much heavier duty than consumer models and are an excellent choice for use with home canning as well as meat processing.

The meat that is processed will need to be stored in a safe manner. A large chest or upright freezer will keep the meat from this year's hunt fresh until you are able to bring more home next season. Consider purchasing a freezer that offers a minimum of twenty cubic feet of storage.

The key to keeping meat fresh is vacuum packing it before freezing. Vacuum packing removes all air from around the meat before freezing and is the key to preventing freezer burn. It is much easier to use and much more effective than wrapping meat in butcher paper.