Beef is like venison and when we do that, we cut into pieces about 1" square or thereabouts; don't have to be fussy but I think it is best to keep them small. Stuff them into a jar and add a teaspoon of salt (for quarts; 1/2 teaspoon for pints). Then you can either cold pack or pressure cook. Pressure cooking is best and a lot faster. Let me know the next time you are here Dave and we'll give you a sample of canned venison.
Good point on the stand up freezer, I peeked at 7.2 chest freezer boettg33 , can't say our 1/4 cow would fit in that, but if it did it'd be packed super tight, you'd be constantly unloading and loading to find the cut of meat you wanted.
I also would recommend an upright for the exact reason he said. I have both upright and chest. The chest is small. When I put food in the chest I put like food in plastic bags. Chicken in one frozen fries in another. Makes it easier when you go driving. Corn fed beef is excellent.
The 7 cubic foot I believe the OP and someone else mentioned will only take a quarter of beef. I think my upright is like 6 cubic foot, and I usually have to put a couple things from my quarter in the freezer of my regular fridge. I will double check the size of mine when I get home, but my point is you aren't going to be able to fit a typical half, at least not by my experience. Pic is of my last 1/4, and there was nothing else in this freezer when I started.
Like others have stated, a 7 cubic ft freezer is tiny. If you have the space, get a much larger freezer. One, you'll need the room for the beef. Two, who doesnt need more freezer room?? Meats on sale, garden surplus, leftovers etc etc..... If you're not familiar with the processing of beef, in terms of what cuts come from what muscle, you may want to start doing some thinking and researching now. It may seem obvious, but some cuts are not available if you get certain other cuts. Ie do you want a prime rib, or the max number of ribeyes? Do you want filet, or t bone? What rype of meat do you want to maximize? Do you want beef ribs...and which ones/how big do you want them cut? Just examples... Filling out a cut sheet at the last minute can be daunting, especially for the first time.
Thank you for taking the time to share the process you follow. This is exactly the kind of information I'll be looking for in making our decision. We are a family of 5 right now, with my middle daughter headed off for her first year at URI just down the road. She opted to live on campus in her first year. We'll see how that goes. My son graduated from the Community College of Rhode Island this year and still lives with us. Plus my youngest daughter. I was thinking of a 1/4 cow along with sharing a pig with my cousin and then adding in chickens. The hard part of this is paying upfront. Normally the cost would be spread out across the full year. Buying in this manner saves us money in the long run, but it's fronting the money that will hurt. Two things are important to me in making this shift: One is that we have enough meat on hand to last us a minimum of 6-9 months. The second reason is knowing that your meat was raised properly from a trusted source. Jason from RI
Yes after reading your replies earlier today, we are shifting from a chest freezer to an upright freezer and looking at one that is 14 cu. ft. The only one that I can seem to get in within the next week or two is the Insignia from BestBuy. Just about everywhere else and all other manufactures are backorder until mid/late July. Many of them are as late as mid-August. Insignia might not be the one I want, but you get what you need. Jason from RI
Look at the extended warranty on the freezer- most also come with a “loss” reimbursement in case it ever quits and you lose food. The one I got through Lowe’s covered $300 in food loss. Good peace of mind.
I think we had about 1100.00 into a 1/2 when we were all said and done. We have part at our house and part in a freezer at work. Having a time slot with a butcher is like gold. I need another freezer! Gary
There's no blood in meat, that's myoglobin/protein, but that's what 'everyone' calls it. Including me because 'blood' is easier to remember. I have an upright and a small chest freezer and have found the door open and have (some) boxes in the chest freezer to help with the "mining". The chest freezer is mostly for bulk items from the garden, although with the Wuhan virus it sure has come in handy for meat. Just a heads up, the (foam and thin film) packaging meat comes in from the store is not very good for longer term storage of meats. We used to have butchers (and farms) on every street here when I was a kid. All gone now. You don't see a huge jar of pickled cow eyeballs on the counter too often any more .
Go for a 1/4 beef and a 1/2 a hog and chuck it in whatever freezer space you can wrangle up. I have both a upright and chest. The chest will stay cold much longer without juice in my experience. You will be living large compared to those who are frequenting the local meat counter. Ouchy mama! Current meat prices encourage veganism Ick. I have rarely purchased a cut of meat from a store in over 30 years. My wife and I are blessed to have family that raises beef and pork. Buying off the farm is what we know. We live in a giant cornfield You will enjoy this experience. Except for the initial outlay of cash! Also. Keep a close eye on your freshly stocked new freezer. Having a stupid meltdown is catastrophic!
Does anyone know about how many cubic foot a typical hog might take in freezer space? As mentioned above, I fit 1/4 of beef in my 6 foot, but I have acquired another freezer that I can certainly fit a 1/2 of beef in, so may change my order... and also knock down a wall in my kitchen to get another freezer in... I am wondering if I can get a whole hog in my 6 foot now, or at least a half.
I bought a 1/4 cow 3 1/2 weeks ago. I don't think I'll go back to buying from the grocery store. The difference in taste in amazing. I do have 2 chest freezers in the basement. That helps a lot.
I have developed a good connection with both a farmer and a small family owned butcher shop and wouldn't want to go back to being at the mercy of a store getting mystery meat. A big factor with as crazy as the year is with all the stupid going on is thinking ahead. Have a freezer, don't plan on I'll get one when it's ready. Get a kill date, you don't just waltz in and get in next week. I just got a hog from my butcher on Monday and asked how far out he is booking. He is out into mid February right now. He talked to 2 other butchers in neighboring towns and they are out to end of February for kill dates. Another thing is once you develop a connection sometimes I have bartered work for critters. The farmer liked I helped him in busy seasons and kept track of time and when he was happy, instead of reportable income I got a beef for my time and then i sold off a quarter to help pay the butcher fee and had a freezer full. Right now butchers are scrambling and you could possibly get a part time job, help out the butcher, earn coin, and learn some skills for use later.
We sell freezer beef and pork from our farm also. Something to remember, 1/4 of a steer is actually half of the half. For example, if you buy a 1/4 of a beef one family doesn't get the front should and the other family get the back quarter. For me the seller it is important to find two families that can agree on the cut list so they each get half of that half of the steer. Taken from a google search concerning the size of freezer needed here is their answer. Plan to have 1 cubic foot of freezer space for every 15 pounds of pork. A small 7 cu ft freezer works great for a whole pig with extra room for chickens and fruit and veggie preserves, and half a hog will fit in a standard freezer compartment. If you know the farmer you are buying from, ask them if they will take payments. For example, my wife posts what we have and when it is scheduled for processing. For our hogs we have sold two of the three that are scheduled for Sept. 19th processing. In order for it to be their half or whole hog they have to put cash money down. We will do a close estimate on their cost to us and if they want to make payments until it is processed that is okay with us. The cost of processing is on the customer. Processing cost can vary so much, some want one steak per package (cost more) patties per package etc. Buying by "hanging weight" is buying what meat and bone is on the hook after all external and internal parts are removed. You are buying what you get this way. The past couple of years our hogs cost $2.50 per pound and our beef costs $3.50 per pound. We keep track of any medicines used if they are. Only used if needed. No growth hormones, no steroids, no daily antibiotics. Thus it takes a little longer to get the animals finished. We also believe our meat is safer and tastier. It is what we eat. That is how we sell it and have waiting lists. Get to know your farmer and who knows, they might need seasonal help on the farm and take money off of your bill!
I have an idle 7cu ft standup freezer because meats never go on sale now. We unplugged it last month. It has been a great investment when you can stock up on good sales. I'd love to support a local farmer and should do more research. We eat limited beef but plenty of pork. In the event you need another partner, no matter where you are in RI, you're not too far away. Keep me in mind boettg33
I have seen where 2 folks buy a quarter each (so a half), and all the cuts are divided... Good info for folks JWinIndiana. Most people don't realize that farmers don't just go around shooting up their animals with antibiotics for nothing...
