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Author Topic: How long in freezer?  (Read 3861 times)

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
How long in freezer?
« on: April 21, 2011, 09:28:06 pm »
Hello again. 

We've had the pigs 2 weeks now, and so far, so good.  They seem easy enough to keep, for first-timers like us ;D

Last week we bought a 6' chest freezer for the garage (second hand bargain).

When the pigs eventually go to slaughter, what is the procedure?  Can the meat go straight in the freezer, and for how long?

thanks

Beewyched

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • South Wales
    • tunkeyherd.co.uk
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2011, 10:44:43 pm »
You will need to ring the abbotoir well ahead to check that the pigs are correctly marked (tags/slap marks) as they all have different requirements & the correct paperwork is ready.  Also that your trailer is acceptable (ramp angle/gates etc) plus some only do pigs on certain days.
Some abbotoirs have a butchery department, others may recommend a butcher - you will need to discuss your requirements - cuts, ingredients in your sausages, prices etc.

Pork will keep in your freezer for up to 6 months, after that it gets "burn" & the flavour goes.

Hope all goes well  :yum:

Tunkey Herd - registered Kune Kune & rare breed poultry - www.tunkeyherdkunekune.com

HappyHippy

  • Guest
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2011, 07:52:41 am »
I'd agree with Beewyched, plus if you're getting them all done at the same time it's worth asking the butcher if they'll blast freeze some of it (keep some fresh for eating straight away and giving/selling to friends and family) that way you can put it all straight into the freezer without worry. Sometimes (in my experience) older freezers can toil a bit when it comes to freezing vast quantities of fresh stuff.
HTH
Karen x

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2011, 10:28:25 am »
Agree with all the above however we invested in a cheap sealer which also extracts the air.  This considerably increases the shelf life in freezer and fridge.  Used a sealed joint which had been in the freezer for 9 months, and this was as good as any other frozen meat we had had previously.

HTH

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2011, 06:58:40 pm »
Pork will keep in your freezer for up to 6 months, after that it gets "burn" & the flavour goes.

Thanks, that's what I wanted to know :)

The freezer is only 18 month old, a Hotpoint one  ;)

poppajohn

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Fenland
  • Grass cutting, what old fellers do!
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #5 on: April 23, 2011, 12:21:25 pm »
Think about salting, drying and cooking. Americans I know "can" a lot of meat and it stores like this for a year or so. I have salted pork before and it keeps for around a year if done properly. I am no survivalist but I really think we have to look at other ways of storing apart from freezing. Fact is we wont be having constant electricity soon ( my view I know! ) We also smoke our pork, like anything its worth thinking outside the box with surpluses. Many survivalists websites are worth a look at, even if its just to get you thinking!

Hilarysmum

  • Joined Oct 2007
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #6 on: April 23, 2011, 12:23:36 pm »
Smoking pork is it similar then to smoked bacon, or how do you cook it?  Or would it be similar to the smoked chicken breast beloved over here?  Sounds good whatever

poppajohn

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Fenland
  • Grass cutting, what old fellers do!
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #7 on: April 23, 2011, 02:41:11 pm »
Sorry Hilarysma. I meant we smoke our hams of course! Theres no end of ways to cure all meats. I make beef and venison jerky every year and it stores in airtights for ages. I stuff the hams in the chimney old style and the woodsmoke does the rest. Probably get raided now by the thought police from la la land as we old fashioned types have to hide our methods!  ::)

ps Rumours that my granny was the last witch burned at the stake are true. She made things picked from hedges and had a boiling cauldron.

white-blazes

  • Joined Apr 2011
  • Anglesey
Re: How long in freezer?
« Reply #8 on: April 23, 2011, 10:36:48 pm »
Hubby has a Bradley smoker in the shed which he normally uses for his salmon, but no doubt will be trying out various pork too  8)

 

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