Icing Hog meat

[TXbowman]

I know a lot of guys leave their butchered hogs in a cooler on ice for 3-7 days and change/add ice daily. I was wondering, are you guys that do this using ice from your freezer's ice maker or do you buy a bag of ice everyday?

[thepkmac]

I just use freezer ice and change it every 2 days with a little bit of sea salt. It's always turned out very good and not gamey at all

[Chunky]

I buy the ice. But once you get it cold it last more than a day. I do drain the water out each day.

My ice maker doesn't make much ice.

[txtimetravler]

Speedy stop
20 lbs for .99

[JustinJ]

Store bought, but like Chunky said, it last much longer once everything is cold.

[Bisch]

Store bought. I leave the plug open on my cooler (and set the cooler where the water can drain out and not mess anything up) and add ice when needed. Unless it is really hot I only have to add ice every couple days!

Bisch

[Old Goat1]

Freeze bowls of ice in the freezer. Block ice lasts twice as long as bag ice. Just fill in with a little bag ice.

[Lost Arra]

I fill 1 quart plastic milk jugs about 3/4 full and keep them in deep freeze.
Works like block ice and when they eventually melt there is no water drainage.
If you wanted the water on your hog then just add some bagged ice.

These jugs also work well for an ice chest of food since no water can get on food containers.

I've been freezing salt water in the jugs just to see if they last longer.
No scientific data but salt works for home made ice cream and using salt water ice I've actually frozen some packages of lunch meat in the cooler.

[Texas5o]

Store bought. I leave the plug open on my cooler (and set the cooler where the water can drain out and not mess anything up) and add ice when needed. Unless it is really hot I only have to add ice every couple days!

Bisch

I don't leave the plug open on mine. I've done that before and a layer of ice was still on the top leading me to believe everything was ok, but underneath the ice had all melted and the water drained off, leaving the meat to get warm and I ended up having to throw it out.......lesson learned the hard way.

[TRH]

I've been freezing salt water in the jugs just to see if they last longer.
No scientific data but salt works for home made ice cream and using salt water ice I've actually frozen some packages of lunch meat in the cooler.

Not sure if it would last longer, but it will definitely get colder.

[DRT]

We have an ice machine at work. Perk.

[tomcat8910]

Store bought. I leave the plug open on my cooler (and set the cooler where the water can drain out and not mess anything up) and add ice when needed. Unless it is really hot I only have to add ice every couple days!

Bisch

This how I do it!

[SwampRabbit]

Drain closed. Drain 2x a day. Breakup ice with stick. Add ice as needed. Usually a bag or two a week.

[Fuzzy Dog]

What's the advantage of leaving the butchered meat on ice as opposed to in the freezer?

[Old Goat1]

What's the advantage of leaving the butchered meat on ice as opposed to in the freezer?

Same thing as aging meat. Aids in the breakdown of fiber. Also the ice tends to wash out the meat improving flavor.