Thread: How long can freshly shot meat keep refrigerated

Hey guys, we have just minced some meat, shot yesterday and just wondered how long we've got to make some sausages before we need to freeze ?
Cheers, Pete

About 7 days providing it stays at 4 degrees or less. The longer you age it now the shorter the shelf life on the other end

All depends how cold your fridge is.

If you store it on a top shelf on a normal setting, say dial turned midway, it can go off quicker than you’d expect. Bit smelly around the edges in 3-4 days. Still useable though. But you need to be careful after that.

If you store it on the bottom shelf, in an airtight container, temperature measured at ~2°C with a thermometer, it can last comfortably well over a week.

Best of all is to vacuum pack it. Then you’ll be good for 2 weeks no problem in a cold fridge.

This is just what I work on with my fridge and I’m sure “your mileage might vary” as they say.

Also it’s worth saying that some guys noses are much more delicate than others… I’m not particularly fussy but I know fellas who will use meat that is getting properly green. Not for me though.

Mince is much quicker to go off than whole muscle groups, it's worth being very conservative. There is a lot of surface area and it's been handled a lot and had any contaminants thoroughly mixed in.

I have two buckets stacked together,holes in insode bucket allows the blood etc to drain out into cavity between them...helps to keep meat fresh...I will happily keep for week in fridge in them by moving meat daily and draining blood away...once minced 2-3 days then vac pack and freeze.

I watched a video of BRB the other day and he said don't age any meat if using it for small goods ie sausages, salami etc
You get a much better product if used fresh.
So I would use it or freeze it straight away.

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Originally Posted by gimp

Mince is much quicker to go off than whole muscle groups, it's worth being very conservative. There is a lot of surface area and it's been handled a lot and had any contaminants thoroughly mixed in.

This.
Any surface bacteria is now mixed in.
If you can't get to sausage making anytime soon then just freeze in manageable portions (flat is best for shortened thawing time) it down now. Then just thaw for sausage making and then freeze sausages.

Or just keep a close nose on it day by day.


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Just so you know @Flyblown is on to it. Meat doesn’t start to freeze until -2 or lower -4 depending on the iron content so measure the temperature of your fridge and keep it closer to 0degC when storing meat.
+1 for mince not keeping as long.

Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP

I watched a video of BRB the other day and he said don't age any meat if using it for small goods ie sausages, salami etc
You get a much better product if used fresh.
So I would use it or freeze it straight away.

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Glen makes a fantastic sausage.

Awesome, thanks guys for the good advice, we'll make the sausages tomorrow and that will be 2 days (1 day minced). Looking forward to testing out our new machine.

Originally Posted by Pete_D

Awesome, thanks guys for the good advice, we'll make the sausages tomorrow and that will be 2 days (1 day minced). Looking forward to testing out our new machine.

Just make sure you have added fat or they will come out like sawdust in skins. About 1kg of fat per 5kg of lean meat and patties you want about 500grms. Best time to add the fat is on the first mincing so it mixes through easier

Hygiene starts at the first cut in the field. Avoid getting faece, congealed blood etc on the meat. Trim it off or cut around it. If the deer is gut shot use the gutless method in the field and sacrifice the inside steaks. Cool it before it goes into your pack. Plastic bags are the enemy. Leave space around it in the fridge. Treat it with great care from go to woe. Use the sniff test as it matures. With a low temp and clean meat it can age 7-10 days and I have done longer.