Meat, poultry, and wild game provide a healthy and nourishing food source. To preserve quality, it is important that these products be handled and preserved carefully, especially wild game and poultry. The flavor and texture of the final product depends upon the way the meat is handled during slaughter.
Freezing meat and fish is the most acceptable way to maintain quality. The meat should be chilled without delay to 41 degrees Fahrenheit or lower to prevent spoilage. Meat should be frozen using proper freezer-grade wrapping materials. Wrap the meat tightly, removing as much air as possible, and store at 0 F or lower. Most wild game that are frozen will keep up to one year without losing quality.
It is essential to have a clean and sanitized work area when butchering or slicing any type of fresh meat. Regular cleaning and sanitizing of the equipment, utensils, and work surfaces reduces the possibility of food contamination and the transmission of disease organisms. Although cleaning removes the visible soil, sanitizing reduces the unseen microorganisms that might be present on cutting boards, countertops, knives, pans, and other equipment used for processing raw meats. Pay particular attention to cutting boards and knives. They must be sanitized before use and allowed to air dry.
Both wood and plastic cutting boards can be used. Nonporous surfaces are easier to clean and sanitize. Wash them in hot, soapy water, scrubbing vigorously. Rinse with clear water, sanitize, and let air dry. When a cutting board becomes excessively scarred and difficult to clean, it should be discarded.
Chlorine bleach can be used to make a sanitizing solution for food-contact surfaces. Use standard chlorine bleach for this purpose rather than the scented varieties.
For cleaning and sanitizing:
Add a ratio of 1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water. Add a ratio of 1 teaspoon of chlorine bleach to 1 quart of water.
When sanitizing equipment and utensils:
Add a ratio of 1 tablespoon of chlorine bleach to 1 gallon of water. Change the bleach water solution often. Food particles will dilute the bleach.
Hand washing is also important. Dirty hands easily contaminate food items and prep areas. Hand washing should be done with warm, running water and soap. Hands should be washed for at least 20 seconds and dried with a single-use paper towel.
Be sure to clean cuticles and fingernails as these are places where dirt and bacteria hide. Jewelry should not be worn while butchering.
Cloths used for wiping down equipment and other surfaces should be wrung out frequently in a sanitizing solution and stored in the solution when not in use. Launder cleaning cloths daily or more, if necessary. Keep cloths used for food-contact surfaces separate from other cloths.
Large Game
Deer, antelope, moose, and other large game can be handled for freezing like any other meats. Trim and discard bloodshot meat before freezing. Package meat, seal, and freeze.
Small Game
Rabbit, squirrel, and other small game should be skinned, dressed, and then chilled. Refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours until meat is no longer rigid. Cut meat into serving-size pieces or leave whole. Package, seal, and freeze.
Game Birds
Dove, duck, pheasant, quail, and other game birds should be dressed and gutted immediately after shooting. Cool and clean the bird properly. Remove any excess fat on wild ducks and geese; it can quickly become rancid. Freeze the same as instructed for poultry. Do not stuff game birds before freezing them. Bacteria grow quickly in game birds during the process of freezing and thawing. Commercially stuffed frozen birds are processed by special procedures to ensure safety.
Poultry
High-quality, fresh poultry is best for freezing. Young, tender birds are best for roasting, frying, and broiling. Older birds have more flavor and are best for stewing and braising. Broilers, young hens, and roasters might turn dark around the bone when frozen. This is normal and harmless. Poultry should be eviscerated, cleaned, and cooled before packaging. Remove organs and membranes, and then clean the inside of the cavity. Make certain to wash all the pieces and pat dry. Freshly killed and dressed poultry should be cooled to 40 F or lower for 24 hours before freezing.
Whole Birds
Fryers or broilers are whole birds, which are best frozen. For storage of a month or less, whole birds can be packaged in a plastic freezer bag and sealed tightly. For longer storage, wrap the bird in a freezer plastic film, press out all the air, and then over-wrap it with freezer paper or foil for an airtight seal. Make the body as compact as possible, locking the wings against the body or tying them together. Ends or protruding bones might puncture packaging, so consider padding them with freezer paper or foil. After packaging, seal, label, and freeze immediately.
Halves, Quarters and Pieces
Split or cut birds into desired pieces. Place a double layer of freezer wrap or waxed paper between each piece. Package the same as whole birds. After packaging, seal, label, and freeze poultry. Arrange pieces into as compact and square a shape as possible for better stacking in the freezer. Follow the freezer-packaging instructions for whole birds. Seal, label, and freeze immediately.
Cooked Poultry
After cooking poultry, remove as much of the fat as possible. Place in plastic, freezer- safe containers, or on trays covered tightly with aluminum foil, and then pack in plastic freezer bags. Seal airtight. Label and freeze immediately. Vacuum packaging can also be used to freeze poultry.
Store-Bought Poultry
Store-bought packaging for poultry is not sufficient for moisture-vapor-proof freezing. Poultry might suffer from reduced texture, color, and increased potential for freezer burn which changes flavor over time. All store-bought poultry should be repackaged.
Storage
Maintain freezer at 0 F or less. Frozen, ground poultry should be used within three months. Meat such as beef, lamb, veal, and venison can last six to nine months. Poultry, game birds, and ratite (e.g., flightless birds such as kiwi, ostrich, cassowary, etc.) can last up to 12 months.
Additional Resources
Learn more about freezing meat, poultry, and game:
Revised May 28, 2015 by Linnette Goard, Field Specialist; Food Safety, Selection and Management; Family and Consumer Sciences, The Ohio State University.
Originally written by Shari Gallup, Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension; Jennifer Hartzler, former Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension; and Doris Herringshaw, retired Educator; Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension.