So, I attempted my first run at dried sausage. Came out great. 2/3 deer, 1/3 hog. Ground together with a variety of spices. Smoked overnight with oak at low temperature, and let hang for another 24 hours. Then put the links in brown paper bags to continue to dry for another week. Came out awesome. Problem is im not sure how to store it....and I have about 60-70 pounds of it. If I only had 10 pounds or so, i would just leave in in a paper bag until its gone...

Thoughts? Zip lock bag into the freezer? Paper bag into the freezer? Im sure the optimal thing to do would be to use of of those food saver suck the air out contraptions, but I dont have one.

Thanks for the input

Vacuum packed would be best, especially for long term storage.

If you will eat it quickly paper or ziplock will work, but it WILL frezerburn in pretty short order.

Yep, use a seal-a-meal. Works great.

I cut mine up and vacuum pack. Only reason I cut up is to get more in a bag. Or you can do like we did when I was a kid. Cut it up and put it in a qt mason jar. Pour warm lard into the jar and put a lid on it or pour warm wax on top.

If you don't have a vacuum sealer... I would wrap in butcher paper.

thanks!

you serious Clark?

Been double-bagging in regular Ziploc-Brand FREEZER bags for decades; no vac'ing; NEVER any freezer burn, even after 2+ years . . . . . tossed the expensive vac system and bags - too much pain and $ and no better results than quick and easy 2x freezer bags. Hard to beat 6 MILS of ldpe (3mil each bag)!!

Also buy huge family-pacs of chicken/pork/beef whatever on special and re-pack (in smaller meal portions) in 2x freezer bags & freeze; fast, easy and very economical way to have plenty supply of good meats!

Yes. And it isn't clark

Old School right there

Freeze it in water

Dang, unlucky guess...

Yumm turn on a movie or a ball game on a rainy day and process some deer meat. Its soothing.

Did you cure it?

Unless you got all the air out of the bags it doesn't matter if the bags are an inch thick... they WILL freezer burn, easily in way less than 2 years time.

very easy to push the air out in about a half-second.
Oxygen and moisture PERMEATING the packaging over time (in/out)is what causes freezer burn;
Even a cryogenic vac pump CANT remove ALL the oxygen, that is already entrained WITHIN the meat - getting most out, then KEEPING ANY MORE FROM GETTING IN is what does the job.
Expensive Vac bag are 4-5 mil, which does the job. 6 mils certainly does the job (2x fz bag), and is easier/cheaper.
Been feeding 7+ mouths for 20+ years - plus plenty of guests; 2 yo roasts properly packed and kept at -0- degrees are just as good as when they went in!

I use a vacuum sealer, but I have also used ziplocs for many years.

Fill the sink with water. Then fill the ziploc with meat, fish, soup or whatever. Dip the filled ziploc into the water up to the zip closere and zip it up. The pressure from the water pushing on the outside of the bag forces all/most of the air out before you close. It does a better job than just doing it by hand. It is also real good if you are storing liquids like soup or stew.

We also do vacuum seal and make sure to finish up by next season.

Took me two days for a whole buck , not during "one" ball game. lol

I use vacuum sealed bags. For ground there is a one pound plastic bag from Lem's that I use, just fill , twist and tape it shut.