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What Size Freezer for Storing Deer Meat?

what size freezer for storing deer meat
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The increasing popularity of deer meat is a testament to its noteworthy health-giving properties, and some nutrition experts even praise it for its low-fat content, and its abundance of myriad different minerals and vitamins.

But that’s not all, food aficionados even swear by venison meat’s tantalizing flavor, which is sometimes claimed to extremely distinct from beef and other types of red meats.

Just like any other meat, the best deer meat when it’s fresh, but it’s impossible to arrow a deer, and then indulge in 50 lbs meat before it spoils.

If you’d like the best tasting deer meat at any time you desire, you need to take care of it from field to fork.

This prepping involves great field-dressing tactics and butchering technics, but the best way to store deer meat is by freezing it.

One of the common questions people ask is what size freezer for storing deer meat, and here the lowdown including 3 best freezers for deer meat storage.

How Long Will Deer Meat Last in the Freezer?

Before getting into what size freezer is right to store venison meat, it’s important to know how long will deer meet last in the freezer.

Trimming fat before freezing is highly recommended, as fat tends to go rancid quicker, resulting in an undesirable “gamey” flavor.

Deer meat when ground can be stored in a freezer at 0-degrees F or colder for three to four months for the best quality.

Steaks and deer roasts will remain fresh in the freezer for six to nine months when stored at 0-degrees F+ temperature.

Proper handling, dressing, packaging, quick freezing, and colder freezer temperatures will help maintain deer meat freshness for a longer period of time.

If you don’t have room in your freezer, you can even store deer meat in the refrigerator at 40-degrees F or less, but you will have to use it within three to four days.

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How to Store Deer Meat in Freezer?

There are several ways to store deer meat in the freezer, and regardless of your preference, it’s important to note that the main goal is to protect the meat from oxygen.

Oxygen can accelerate the chemical breakdown and microbial spoilage of the deer meat, resulting in freezer burn, bacteria growth, which can ruin its ruins its taste, texture, and appearance.

It is also a good idea to remove as many bones from the deer meat as possible, as they can take up precious freezer space, and may add air spaces where oxidation can occur.

What are the Freezer Options to Store Deer Meat?

Freezing deer meat a popular option among many big-game hunters, and there are several different freezing methods to choose from including vacuum sealers, freezer paper, plastic freezer bags, or a combination of the three.

Vacuum sealers – To greatly reduce the chances of freezer burn, you can use a home vacuum packager such as the ABOX Vacuum Sealer Machine.

This machine features an intelligent touch screen with an LED progress light, which allows to keep track of the sealing process.

It also offers 5 modes to choose from, and provides a high quality seal each time.

Vacuum sealed deer meat can last can rest well in your freezer for one to three years, and are 5x better at preserving foods compared to plastic bags and containers.

Along with a vacuum sealer, you will also need to buy vacuum sealer bags, preferably ones that are BPA free such as the Wevac Vacuum Sealer Bags.

Butcher or freezer paper – freezer paper is readily available at most local grocery stores and is a great choice for preserving venison meat.

However, wrapping dear meat in butcher paper can be a bit challenging, because you have to remove all the air.

Dear meat wrapped in freezer paper should last six to twelve months.

Zip-style freezer bags – These are yet another way of freezing deer meat, where you simply put the meat in the bag, squeeze out the air, and then zip them uptight.

What Size Freezer Do You Need for Deer Meat?

Getting to the big question of what size freezer for deer meat, the short answer is it depends on how much meat you wish to pack in your freezer.

For example, for approximately 85 lbs of deer meat, you’ll want to buy a 3 cubic feet dear meat freezer.

To store a side half, an 8 cubic feet freezer should suffice, and roughly 16 cubic feet for a whole deer.

If you have a large amount of deer meat, storing it in a chest freezer makes more sense.

This range of freezers are basically standalone, top-loading freezers that offer more reusable freezing space.

Some models even have storage baskets for you to easily organize the dear meat, and any other food items you may have.

To store a moderate amount of venison, you can use a table-top freezer such as the Whynter upright freezer.

It is available in a choice of three different sizes, and is Energy Star rated, so the numbers on your electric bill will be low when using continuously to freeze deer meat.

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Best Freezer for Deer Meat Storage

Midea Upright FreezerMidea MRU03M2ABB Upright Freezer 3.0 Cubic Feet with Door Lock, Black

The Midea upright deer meat freezer is available in a choice of four exciting colors including white and black and showcases a compact footprint at 33.9″ H x 19.7″ W x 18.5″ D.

Further, the door of the freezer open in both directions — left and right, making it easy to set the freezer in most locations.

This freezer from Midea offers 3.0 cubic feet of freezing capacity, and features mechanical temperature control, allowing you to easily set your preferences.

Adding to this, it is equipped with a lock, and is energy efficient, so you can run it for longer periods of time without a high electric bill.

Pros:

  • Mechanical temperature control
  • 0 cubic feet capacity
  • Built-in lock
  • The door opens to the left and right
  • 4 colors available

Cons:

  • May emit a strong plastic smell during initial use

Click Here for Latest Reviews and Price of Midea Upright Freezer

Kratos Refrigeration Top Chest Freezer – For Full Deer Meat Storage

If you’re looking to store a full deer, the Kratos Refrigeration top chest freezer is perhaps your best bet.

This solid hinged chest freezer offers a massive 15.9-inch cubic feet capacity, and is embedded with three inches of environmentally friendly insulation.

It boasts a highly durable powder coated steel exterior, and rests well on adjustable feet, making it a perfect fit for unstable spaces.

The Kratos Refrigeration freezer comes with a lock, and two wire storage baskets to help keep your food items organized.

Pros:

  • The lid opens 90 degrees
  • Holds items hold safely for 2 days in event of a power outage
  • Comes with lock and storage baskets
  • Powder-coated exterior
  • Adjustable feet

Cons:

  • Limited to 1 color option

Click Here for Latest Reviews and Price of Kratos Refrigeration Top Chest Freezer

Danby Chest Freezer

The Danby chest freezer offers a 5.5 cubic feet interior capacity, and features energy efficient foam in both the cabinet and lid.

This chest freezer from Danby comes with an energy-efficient R600a refrigerant and is equipped with a front-mounted thermostat.

It features a rounded lid design, and offers two defrosting options — manual defrost and front mount defrost.

But that’s not all, the Danby freezer comes with one adjustable wire basket, and a compartment divider for easy organization.

Further, it features an easy-clean interior liner and can maintain freezing temperatures between -12ºC (10.4ºF) and -24ºC (-11.2ºF).

Pros:

  • Maintains freezing temperatures between -12ºC (10.4ºF) and -24ºC (-11.2ºF)
  • Efficient foam insulation
  • Front-mounted mechanical thermostat
  • Adjustable wire basket and compartment divider
  • 5 cubic feet (156 L) capacity

Cons:

  • Frost build-up may be too much at times

Click Here for Latest Reviews and Price of Danby Chest Freezer

References:

https://www.deeranddeerhunting.com/deer-deer-hunting-pro-shop/deer-deer-hunting-butcher-shop/cooking-venison-and-game/the-best-tips-for-wrapping-and-freezing-venison

https://bowhunting360.com/2018/12/18/freeze-it-how-to-save-and-store-venison/

https://nchfp.uga.edu/tips/fall/venison.html#:~:text=Store%20ground%20venison%20in%20a,in%20the%20freezer%20over%20time.

https://blog.lemproducts.com/5-frequently-asked-questions-of-meat-processing/

https://nchfp.uga.edu/tips/fall/venison.html#:~:text=Store%20ground%20venison%20in%20a,in%20the%20freezer%20over%20time.

 

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