Aging venison.

A few questions have come up on aging meat so I thought I would add a new thread on people's tips and tricks for aging Venison. For about the last 15 years I have been aging my venison. I'm fortunate in the sense I have access to a walk in Cooler during the early season should I get lucky. During the late season my garage usually maintains a fairly consistent temp of about 35 to 40 degrees which I can maintain with a slight crack of my garage door. A constant temp of around 40 degrees is critical to prevent rotting and unwanted bacteria. I start the process by thoroughly cleaning the cavity of the deer and drying it out if need be. I generally hang my deer head down for 18 to 21 days depending on mold growth. Once the cavity has developed a consistent amount of mold I simply process the deer. The mold growth/aging process will break down the fibrous muscle tissue and leave you with a more tender piece of meat. The aging will be evident especially when removing the outside loins. If aged properly the loins will almost pull free from the vertebrae as you remove them. The one downside to aging is you will lose some meat due to the molding and exterior layer drying out. In my opinion the benefits outweigh the downside. Curious to see what others are doing different.

Aging venison.