# Can you freeze deer, thaw, make sausage and refreeze?



## bigbee43 (Nov 27, 2003)

I know it is taboo to freeze meat then thaw it out then freeze it again, but I don't have all the spices I need to immediately turn the deer into sausage.
Can you re-freeze sausage after it is cured and cooked?

Second, I usually just buy premixed spices, but that is getting a little expensive. Can someone post a spice recipe comparable to the LEM or uncle buck premix you can buy at BassPro?

Last, Does anyone have a cheap place to buy the premixs in bulk?
Thanks


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## manboy (Mar 24, 2005)

*yes*

just don't eat it....you'll get a red lump on your!!!:mg: and it will ich!ukey:


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## siucowboy (Aug 31, 2006)

not sure about the re-freezing part but we used to put aside deer all season long, freezing it until we had a huge amount to do all our sausage all at once later in Jan...but we cured all our sausage so it didn't need to be frozen after the fact...


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## OHIOBUCK (Oct 25, 2006)

hurricane_e said:


> I know it is taboo to freeze meat then thaw it out then freeze it again, but I don't have all the spices I need to immediately turn the deer into sausage.
> Can you re-freeze sausage after it is cured and cooked?
> 
> Second, I usually just buy premixed spices, but that is getting a little expensive. Can someone post a spice recipe comparable to the LEM or uncle buck premix you can buy at BassPro?
> ...


If you cure ...cook ....and then refreeze it should be fine.


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## siucowboy (Aug 31, 2006)

oh and don't thaw out all that deer meat just by taking it out and letting it thaw...that much meat will take a while and the stuff on the outside will spend too much time in the danger zone temperatures while the inside thaws...do it in controlled temps that are below 40 but above freezing.


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## ARCHERYSNOB (Feb 13, 2006)

My rule is this: Anthing good enough to eat can be refrozen.

-Never failed me yet.-joe


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## bigox (Feb 23, 2008)

*Yes you can, no worries*

I usually freeze my trimmings, thaw at end of season for grinding/stuffing into sausage and then vacuum seal the sticks for freezing.


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## Pappy (Nov 23, 2005)

*I've done it several times*

without a problem. I shot 1 in several years ago with an outfitter. When I left at the end of the week my deer had been quartered and frozen. When I asked about it, was told no problem been doing it for yrs. Saw somewhere Venison is the only meat you can do it with, but according to www.best-venison.com, the question was asked and the reply was that frozen beef and some others have been regularly used commercially. One I shot this year froze solid before I got it home. Hung it in my garage for 2 days to thaw then cut it up. Don't have a problem with it.


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## OHIOSTEVE (Oct 22, 2007)

Here is what I read somewhere....you can freeze...thaw, and refreeze meat IF you change the structure of it. If you cook it...or even remix it you can refreeze it.


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## pizzle (Jul 28, 2004)

Yep


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## swamp buck 17 (Dec 11, 2008)

I've never had any problems with freeze-thaw-freeze. we do it quite often. However, we only thaw what we will process that day.


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## Rothhar1 (Apr 1, 2007)

Sure you can .I worked for Wilson foods till they closed and we would thaw meat that had been frozen for months and trim it and refroze it and shipped it sold it with the blessing of the usda and thier big purple stamp.It was called reconditioning .We would grind the trimmed meat into sausage and also make deli meats as well with it .We killed 6265 hogs a day .That was a lot of meat 5 days a week 50 weeks a year. We got two weeks off for good behavior :teeth:


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## alwayslookin (May 28, 2003)

*Here is a trick*

thaw the meat in cold water in a sink......you may have to change it a couple times as the water will want to freeze on the pkg.

If you wrap your meat in paper.....tie it in bags to thaw....not necessary, but saves dealing with all the wet paper.

We freeze all our scraps and do one big batch of sausage every year.

Most commercial boxed Beef is frozen and thawed from what I am told.....this is why they sprinkle Prague Powder on it to give it that funky red color all store meat has.


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## chuckatuk (May 28, 2003)

i have done this with no ill effects other than people wanting more.as far as seasoning if you have a local pork center that makes sausage you can go there and purchase the spices and trimmings to mix with the deer.if not try goggling sausage making recipes and pick one you like.


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## ratliffc (Oct 21, 2007)

Mine freeze a lot when its really cold and I leave them hanging. I hate doing it and every year I try to promise myself I won't let it freeze, but when I get them in the evening and by the time I get it out and home by myself its to cold for me to do anything that night in the dark. I would think thats about the same, because I have had them frozen stiffer than a board and then have to thaw them out to do anything with them. It hasnt killed me and I have never had any go to waste


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## mbw1924 (Aug 28, 2007)

i do it and havent had a problem. i like to wait till the end of the season to make my burger and sausage.


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## [email protected] (Sep 28, 2008)

I have never had a problem either. Cut all my own meat and do it that way every year.


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## va archer (Jul 19, 2002)

I know a couple of people that do that. One is a butchers son. He freezes all the smaller scraps he plans to grind later. Then thaws and grinds, refreezes. It hasn't killed him yet and he is 65. 

Another guy does the same. Collects meat all through the season to make sausage and/or sticks.


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## SANDBAGGER (May 10, 2005)

yep.................


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## JG358 (Jul 6, 2007)

Yes


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## kingvjack (Mar 26, 2008)

hurricane_e said:


> I know it is taboo to freeze meat then thaw it out then freeze it again, but I don't have all the spices I need to immediately turn the deer into sausage.
> Can you re-freeze sausage after it is cured and cooked?
> 
> Second, I usually just buy premixed spices, but that is getting a little expensive. Can someone post a spice recipe comparable to the LEM or uncle buck premix you can buy at BassPro?
> ...


Yes


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## bigbee43 (Nov 27, 2003)

Thanks everybody. This is the closest I have ever seen to a consensus on AT. I think it is settled.

Where do you all buy premixed spices cheaply. For say #75 of meat?


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## davydtune (Apr 27, 2007)

*Here's a link for seasonings. One of the cheapest I've found.*

http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=19


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## RCL (Apr 23, 2004)

davydtune said:


> *Here's a link for seasonings. One of the cheapest I've found.*
> http://www.sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=19


I've used their seasonings before, good stuff. The showroom is about 45 minutes from here......the smell in there will make you drool......:tongue:


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## davejohnson2 (Mar 20, 2008)

we freeze our venison, thaw it and make sausage, then freeze it again, when we want to eat it we thaw it and cook.


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## ARCHERYSNOB (Feb 13, 2006)

Can't we just all get along and for once agree on something?

Actually I think we just did. Merry Christmas everybody-joe


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## Slippyshaft (Dec 20, 2008)

davejohnson2 said:


> we freeze our venison, thaw it and make sausage, then freeze it again, when we want to eat it we thaw it and cook.



Exactly what I do.


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## mark j (Jun 18, 2005)

I'm going to semi-thaw and grind 25 lbs of frozen meat next week and make burger. Then I'm going to package it in 1 lb bags and re-freeze it. I've never had a problem with this in the past.

Meat grinds better without turning into a paste if it's not completely thawed.


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