Deer Processing Yield

[Aggie06]

Just curious what cuts everyone makes, and approximately how much you end up with. Currently working on mine. I normally do blackstrap cuts, stew meat, chili, hamburger, and some steaks. Will post up about how many pound of each when done.

 

[D_JEEPER]

I use tenderloins and backstraps into steaks medallions. I will typically take one or two of the big muscles in the hams for stew meat or maybe steaks, then burger the rest.

 

[Pony_Driver]

Backstraps, tenderloins, shoulders, stew meat. I rarely grind venison. We have canned stew meat in years past and it was good too.

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

I leave most of it in primal cuts as it lets me do what I want with them, and saves the trimming for the meal prep stage. I’d rather spend 5 minutes at a time trimming silver skin than 2 hours at once.

I portion back straps out into ~ 7” sections, and break down the hams, shoulders, and neck into 1.5 - 3 lb roasts. The trimmings go into a bag to be ground later.

 

[Aggie06]

Backstraps, tenderloins, shoulders, stew meat. I rarely grind venison. We have canned stew meat in years past and it was good too.

I was reading about canning deer meat earlier. Never done it before, but it sounds interesting.

 

[Tin Roof]

We used to do summer sausage, brats, breakfast links, jerky, and some packages ground and mixed with pork for chili. I keep the back straps whole so I can stuff them with cream cheese and jalapeños, wrap with bacon, and slow cook them.

We just did a small one Friday night, and ground everything other than the backstraps.

Our local locker does around 3500 deer a year plus over 100k pounds brought in already deboned. It’s around $400/deer if you do a lot of processed items. Back when my kids started hunting and we were shooting 4-6 deer a year we quit taking deer there and started processing ourselves.

 

[Fishbone333]

We freeze the hind quarters, then slice them paper thin for chip steaks. My favorite part of the deer.
backstraps, filet,, then grind the rest.

 

[Fishbone333]

 

[Dmaxguy]

You guys sending in for CWD testing where you are at? Are you concerned? We have probably been eating it for years without knowing in the WI area anyway....

Just canned a few quarts, stuff comes out awesome. Pretty easy, just takes a couple of hours. Wife really likes the ring bologna.

 

[Aggie06]

You guys sending in for CWD testing where you are at? Are you concerned? We have probably been eating it for years without knowing in the WI area anyway....

Just canned a few quarts, stuff comes out awesome. Pretty easy, just takes a couple of hours. Wife really likes the ring bologna.

Not concerned in our area. There are other parts of TX I probably would be though. Some counties have mandatory testing.

 

[Stuck]

I was reading about canning deer meat earlier. Never done it before, but it sounds interesting.

Its fucking awesome. Pull it off the shelf heat it up dump it on noodles like venison stroganoff.

 

[Stuck]

Just curious what cuts everyone makes, and approximately how much you end up with. Currently working on mine. I normally do blackstrap cuts, stew meat, chili, hamburger, and some steaks. Will post up about how many pound of each when done.

Yield usually gives up about 40% 50% meat from hanging weight without the head hide and lower legs depending on shot damage.

 

[Pony_Driver]

I was reading about canning deer meat earlier. Never done it before, but it sounds interesting.

It is very easy. Chunk, put in jar, add tsp of salt. You can add water or not. Pressure cook @ 10psi. 70 minutes for pints, 90minutes for quarts. It will keep for years.


Running late? Grab a jar and dump into a pot for stew. In a hurry? 2C rice, 2C water, 1 can of beans, 1 packet of Goya seasoning, and 1 jar of venison. 1 can of sliced mushrooms optional. Put it all in an Instant Pot, cook on High for 4 minutes. Spoon into a bowl, add shredded cheese, enjoy.

 

[Aggie06]

It is very easy. Chunk, put in jar, add tsp of salt. You can add water or not. Pressure cook @ 10psi. 70 minutes for pints, 90minutes for quarts. It will keep for years.


Running late? Grab a jar and dump into a pot for stew. In a hurry? 2C rice, 2C water, 1 can of beans, 1 packet of Goya seasoning, and 1 jar of venison. 1 can of sliced mushrooms optional. Put it all in an Instant Pot, cook on High for 4 minutes. Spoon into a bowl, add shredded cheese, enjoy.

I saw it on a meat hunter group on Facebook. The guy doing it was adding onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the jar and making pressure canned stew. Looked pretty dang good.

 

[Fishbone333]

I'm a canned meat newb. You just put it in the pantry or does in need to stay cold? I got a bunch of cube meat I don't know what to do with.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

I'm a canned meat newb. You just put it in the pantry or does in need to stay cold? I got a bunch of cube meat I don't know what to do with.

we just toss it in the root cellar. Just keep it out of the sun and in a cool place and It is good for years. We get a half cow every year anything left over in the freezer we just cube and jar. It doesn’t look the most appetizing but it is wonderful for dumping on noodles or rice.

I would pick up the ball book it tells you how to do every type of canning. Make sure you get a recipe from a good source not some random blogger page.

 

[Rttoys]

It is very easy. Chunk, put in jar, add tsp of salt. You can add water or not. Pressure cook @ 10psi. 70 minutes for pints, 90minutes for quarts. It will keep for years.


Running late? Grab a jar and dump into a pot for stew. In a hurry? 2C rice, 2C water, 1 can of beans, 1 packet of Goya seasoning, and 1 jar of venison. 1 can of sliced mushrooms optional. Put it all in an Instant Pot, cook on High for 4 minutes. Spoon into a bowl, add shredded cheese, enjoy.

You talking about a pressure cooker or pressure canner? Looking up how to do this and coming up with a pressure canner, but it looks just like a pressure cooker.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

You talking about a pressure cooker or pressure canner? Looking up how to do this and coming up with a pressure canner, but it looks just like a pressure cooker.

Same difference. You use a pressure cooker to can the meat. Get the big one that way you can stuff it full and get a bunch done at once. We have a few of them so while one is cooling down we can have another one rolling.

We can everything we can in the summer. It’s kind of our evening hobby.

 

[aczlan]

Same difference. You use a pressure cooker to can the meat. Get the big one that way you can stuff it full and get a bunch done at once. We have a few of them so while one is cooling down we can have another one rolling.

Yep, pressure canner is just an oversize pressure cooker.

We can everything we can in the summer. It’s kind of our evening hobby.

filedata/fetch?id=240831&d=1608549168

ThePanzerFuhrer What is the device on left (between the bucket and the pressure cooker) with 3 legs with the red handle?
Is that to close the lid on a 5 gallon bucket?

Aaron Z

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Yep, pressure canner is just an oversize pressure cooker.


ThePanzerFuhrer What is the device on left (between the bucket and the pressure cooker) with 3 legs with the red handle?
Is that to close the lid on a 5 gallon bucket?

Aaron Z

It’s to cork wine bottles. Works excellent. You can see my wine stash to the right.

 

[Pony_Driver]

Rttoys
Pressure cooker/canner same same. Canner's are usually bigger, get one that will hold a few quart jars.


aczlan , That is a corker for wine bottles.


ThePanzerFuhrer

Love that root cellar. Having one of those is on the list for my retirement house.

 

[Stuck]

I havent done any cannin myself. My mom used to do it when I was a kid and my buddy and his wife used to do the canning for me before I was in TX. I just dropped off the meat and I kept them in the old ball jars (they didnt like the new ones) that I'd find at garage sales and they did the rest.

I maybe wrong but I dont think they or my mom used a pressure canner just big pots. I think my mom used one of those big old blue roasing pans setting on two burbers on the stove. They put the jars of whatever in the pots and fill with water to about 3/4 up the jars. Then they get everything boiling for a set time and put the lids on while hot and let them cool then screw the caps on.

Dammit now Im gonna have to ask my mom.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Rttoys
Pressure cooker/canner same same. Canner's are usually bigger, get one that will hold a few quart jars.


aczlan , That is a corker for wine bottles.


ThePanzerFuhrer

Love that root cellar. Having one of those is on the list for my retirement house.

I never realized how nice they are till we had one. It’s a concrete room off the basement. Serves as the tornado shelter lol. It’s where the prior owners where when the house got a direct hit with a tornado.

It’s stupid how a sand floor room keeps everything better than a concrete floor. It’s amazing the onions will last a full year down there.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

I havent done any cannin myself. My mom used to do it when I was a kid and my buddy and his wife used to do the canning for me before I was in TX. I just dropped off the meat and I kept them in the old ball jars (they didnt like the new ones) that I'd find at garage sales and they did the rest.

I maybe wrong but I dont think they or my mom used a pressure canner just big pots. I think my mom used one of those big old blue roasing pans setting on two burbers on the stove. They put the jars of whatever in the pots and fill with water to about 3/4 up the jars. Then they get everything boiling for a set time and put the lids on while hot and let them cool then screw the caps on.

Dammit now Im gonna have to ask my mom.

There is 2 different canning methods. Pressure canning and a hot water bath canning. Stuff that’s high in acid or sugar gets a hot water bath. So your pickles, peaches applesauce, jams get a hot water bath. You basically just boil it to sanitize and seal.

The beans corn meat peas get a pressure cook. That way it kills the bad bacteria that likes to grow in those things.

This is why I recommend getting the ball blue book. It is awesome for telling you exactly how to preserve most anything in a safe way.

 

[Tin Roof]

I maybe wrong but I dont think they or my mom used a pressure canner just big pots. I think my mom used one of those big old blue roasing pans setting on two burbers on the stove. They put the jars of whatever in the pots and fill with water to about 3/4 up the jars. Then they get everything boiling for a set time and put the lids on while hot and let them cool then screw the caps on.

Dammit now Im gonna have to ask my mom.

Hot bath canning. That's how my wife seals our salsa jars. She used to do everything in the pressure cooker but prefers the hot bath method now. It works well.

 

[Stuck]

There is 2 different canning methods. Pressure canning and a hot water bath canning. Stuff that’s high in acid or sugar gets a hot water bath. So your pickles, peaches applesauce, jams get a hot water bath. You basically just boil it to sanitize and seal.

The beans corn meat peas get a pressure cook. That way it kills the bad bacteria that likes to grow in those things.

This is why I recommend getting the ball blue book. It is awesome for telling you exactly how to preserve most anything in a safe way.

Can meat be done in a water bath? Can you add something to change the acidity? I dont remember seeing a pressure can er or it taking many hours to do the meat. Maybe I just missed the pressure canner. Id like to do it myself but dont want another large kitchen tool I need to shelve away somewhere.

 

[ThePanzerFuhrer]

Can meat be done in a water bath? Can you add something to change the acidity? I dont remember seeing a pressure can er or it taking many hours to do the meat. Maybe I just missed the pressure canner. Id like to do it myself but dont want another large kitchen tool I need to shelve away somewhere.

I’m pretty sure all meat needs to be done with a pressure canner. I’ll have to check the book tonite. A instapot should be able to do what you need done. It would be a useful kitchen appliance to have.

 

[Tin Roof]

I’m pretty sure all meat needs to be done with a pressure canner. I’ll have to check the book tonite. A instapot should be able to do what you need done. It would be a useful kitchen appliance to have.

I'm pretty sure this is correct.

 

[Aggie06]

I’m pretty sure all meat needs to be done with a pressure canner. I’ll have to check the book tonite. A instapot should be able to do what you need done. It would be a useful kitchen appliance to have.

I hadn’t even thought about using a instant pot to do it.

I use a water bath to do pickles, pickled okra, and salsa.

 

[aczlan]

I havent done any cannin myself. My mom used to do it when I was a kid and my buddy and his wife used to do the canning for me before I was in TX. I just dropped off the meat and I kept them in the old ball jars (they didnt like the new ones) that I'd find at garage sales and they did the rest.

I maybe wrong but I dont think they or my mom used a pressure canner just big pots. I think my mom used one of those big old blue roasing pans setting on two burbers on the stove. They put the jars of whatever in the pots and fill with water to about 3/4 up the jars. Then they get everything boiling for a set time and put the lids on while hot and let them cool then screw the caps on.

Dammit now Im gonna have to ask my mom.

That would be waterbath canning, relies on heating the contents of the jars up enough to get to a boil by covering them with water and bringing them to a boil.
Good for acidic foods (tomato sauce, pickles, jams, etc), not recommended for meat or alkaline foods as botulism spores take temps hotter than boiling water to kill (which are possible in a pressure canner, but not in waterbath).

Aaron Z