Aging Ducks Before Cooking

Todd, I fully realize, based on the body of evidence accumulated in many threads on this website, that you firmly hold that yours is the definitive perspective on all subjects! Noted! I am just not a subscriber. Over time I have been conditioned by experience to identify Type-II error.
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Had any evidence of a problem been provided, I'd switch my opinion and practice in an instant.

As I stated, verification requires obtaining samples of the consumed item or a tracking code of lot number with commercial products.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732480/

Here is NY's State level perspective:

https://www.health.ny.gov/environhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732480/mental/outdoors/fish/health_advisories/advice_on_eating_game.htm#botulism_fowl

Yes, no "EVIDENCE" to support their preparation and handling recommendations...
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Hi all!

I have been aging birds for the better part of 10yrs now and have never had an issue. I place the bird breast side up so the blood drains to the back and away from the breast. I usually don't age more than 4-5 days and I always brine them for ~24hrs prior to cooking. Haven't had the shits yet... Fingers crossed.
 
Did you know that before they execute someone on death row they swab there arm with alcohol before they give them a lethal injection, so they don't get an infection. Did you know only 9000 people die each year from food poising. Take a chance that's why you have a immune system. Anyone ever eat kibbeh raw lamb. Ha Ha Lighton up.
 
I hear yah.
They serve chicken sashimi in Japan. But these chickens are kept in very clean pens and slaughtered and butchered in very clean conditions, one bird at a time, not factory slaughterhouses.
I have yet to try it, might next time I go.
 
I ate aged & brined duck again last night and I am still alive and well. :)
 
As I've already posted. I've aged game prior to cooking and eating for many years...

Back in the early 1970's I read a story about the famous Benoit Family of deer trackers & hunters. It showed Huge body deer hanging in front of their home. In the article it stated that they hung, and aged them for long periods of time in cold weather. Prior to butchering and then eating the venison.

So, the deer I shot that year I hung in my uncle's very cold and clean garage. Told him I was gonna let it hang 5 to 7 days, maybe longer, then butcher it.

As a pre med student in college, of course he went nuts on me. Basically lotta the same things that have already been posted here, about the ill effects, and dangers. I respected and noted what he said.

Each day I would check the carcass, and each day my uncle shook his head and gave me hell. Day 6 or 7 he said "Enough!"

My uncle is now in his late 80's, and I'm 65. He still lives in western PA, and I'm in western NY. Prior to my moving here. I gave him game and venison each year, after he had to stop hunting. As he loves to eat good food, as I do.

A few weeks ago when we talked on the phone he asked. "When are you gonna bring me some Deer Meat?!"

"Soon as the weather allows Uncle Frank." Was my reply, and each year as I hang and age the deer I shoot. I think of the first time I aged my deer.

Larry Benoit lived to age 89. May he rest in peace.
 
I have always hung my birds whole by the neck between two nails as I had seen and been taught by My uncle Al. I normally wouldn't clean them until I returned from camp and even then might hang them up to a week.
I am more careful with deer only because of their mass and the time it takes for the carcass to cool. I always bring frozen jugs of water to place in the void to cool on these all to often warm fall hunts.

I bring it up because My wife just attended a wid game food prep class in Yarmouth Me. The chef spoke of his aging ducks they same way in England, hanging them for a week and sometimes having to scrape the maggots off.....
 
Vince, I used to drive past Larry's place in Duxbury each winter on my way to Sugarbush to go skiing. Always looked for the deer hanging.
 
I grew up half an hour south if Sugarbush on rt 100. We never hung deer, but that was just a choice, not a worry of the deer going bad. I remember folks hanging deer in late season and having to wait for them to thaw to cut them. Now i live in Pennsylvania and usually hunt in bow season. During that time of year letting a deer hang is out of the question unless you have access to a walk-in fridge. Same hold true for early season duck in my opinion but I am in no hurry to clean ducks later in the season when temps drop.

Is our drive to make food/life to sterile adding to the increase in children having more food allergies??????
 
Dave - You must have some good memories from those drive

Shawn - In the early PA bow season, or even in a warm gun season. We cooled & quartered our deer very quickly and had are fridge or two that we picked up at yard sales or such. Then aged the quarters and meat in them. We never went deer hunting in warm weather without coolers full of frozen plastic gallon jugs.

Lots of guys would toss their deer in back of their truck, or hitch deer carrier. Then hit a watering hole to "show and tell". Never could understand that, good venison goin' bad = Gamy Taste - NASTY.

I agree with you on your food allergies question.
 
Dang it...I'm not sure if I should be hungry or disgusted now. My stomach is telling me hungry, so I'll only read and look at the good parts of this post.

Steve
 
I grew up half an hour south if Sugarbush on rt 100. We never hung deer, but that was just a choice, not a worry of the deer going bad. I remember folks hanging deer in late season and having to wait for them to thaw to cut them. Now i live in Pennsylvania and usually hunt in bow season. During that time of year letting a deer hang is out of the question unless you have access to a walk-in fridge. Same hold true for early season duck in my opinion but I am in no hurry to clean ducks later in the season when temps drop.

Is our drive to make food/life to sterile adding to the increase in children having more food allergies??????
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Now honestly speaking, when was the last time you cleaned a duck?
 
I agree with some of what he says, disagree on other parts.
I dry -age mine filleted out, he does not recommend that.
I also brine mine, again he does not recommend it.
Not sure about the color change he indicates, I just age for 4-5 days, like he recommends.
Either way, it makes the meat tastier and more tender.
 
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